Apollo.io vs Smartlead
Apollo.io and Smartlead are both sales engagement & outbound tools. Apollo.io is aimed at small businesses and enterprise, while Smartlead is aimed at agencies and small businesses. Smartlead costs less, from $39/mo versus $59/mo for Apollo.io. Only Apollo.io has a free plan.
B2B contact database with sequences and dialer
Cold email infrastructure for agencies
| Pricing | Freemium · $59 | Paid · $39 |
| Starting price | $59/mo | $39/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | — | 14 days |
| Built for | Small businesses, Enterprise | Agencies, Small businesses |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | US · 2015 | US · 2022 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Apollo.io if
Startups and SMB sales teams who need data and outreach without ZoomInfo budgets.
- Data plus engagement in one affordable tool
- Generous free tier
- Fast prospect list building
Look elsewhere if: Enterprises needing highest-accuracy phone data or complex orchestration (Clay + Outreach).
Choose Smartlead if
Lead generation agencies and high-volume senders.
- Built for agencies
- Unlimited mailboxes
- Strong API
Look elsewhere if: Teams wanting personalization-led multichannel (lemlist).
Apollo.io vs Smartlead pricing
Apollo.io
- Free$0Light usage, limited credits and contact database
- Basic$59/user/mo$49/mo billed annually; email sequencing, core integrations
- Professional$99/user/mo$79/mo billed annually; AI features, dialer, call recording
- CustomCustomCustom volumes, SSO, advanced security, API access
Smartlead
- Base$39/mo$32 billed annually; 2,000 contacts, 6,000 sends
- Pro$94/mo$78 billed annually; 30,000 contacts, 90,000 sends
- Unlimited Smart$174/mo$144 billed annually; 150,000 sends
- Unlimited Prime$379/mo$315 billed annually; 500,000 sends
Apollo.io · Key features
- Searchable database with 65+ filters and buying intent
- Email sequences with A/B tests and deliverability tools
- Dialer, call recording and conversation intelligence
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn and websites
- CRM enrichment and two-way sync
- AI research, writing and workflows
Cons
- Mobile number accuracy varies
- Credit limits on higher-value data
- Deliverability depends on your setup
Smartlead · Key features
- Unlimited mailboxes and rotation
- AI-driven warm-up
- Master inbox for replies
- Sub-sequences based on reply intent
- White-label client portal
- API and webhooks
Cons
- Email only
- UI less polished
- Deliverability depends on setup
Apollo.io vs Smartlead: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Smartlead?
Smartlead starts at $39/mo and Apollo.io at $59/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Apollo.io and Smartlead have a free plan?
Apollo.io has a free plan. Smartlead has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.