What the documentation shows.
Apollo is a contact database first: it lists 240M+ contacts and 30M+ companies, with sequencing, a dialer and deliverability features (domain warming, inbox rotation, reputation monitoring) on top. Its free plan has no time limit but connects Gmail accounts only.
The playbook’s advice is to keep prospecting data and sending infrastructure separate enough that losing one doesn’t stop the other. Many teams use Apollo for the list and a dedicated sender for the mail; whether you need both depends on volume.
Who it fits
- Founders who need a contact database before anything else
- Teams that want calling and email in one place
- Anyone starting at zero cost on the free plan
Watch out for
- Credits are pooled across the team, granted each billing cycle and don’t roll over.
- API access is listed only on Custom plans.
- The free plan connects Gmail accounts only.
Apollo pricing.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually, a month | What the plan lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeper user | $0 | $0 | “Stays free with no time limit” · Gmail accounts only |
| Basicper user | Not verified | Not verified | Email sequencing |
| Professionalper user | Not verified | Not verified | AI features, call recording, advanced CRM integrations |
| Customper user | Custom | Custom | API access · SSO |
Source: apollo.io, checked . USD, before tax.
Features, as documented.
| Feature | What Apollo’s pages say |
|---|---|
| Unlimited mailboxes | Not verified |
| Warm-up included | Yes “Domain warming, inbox rotation, and reputation monitoring” apollo.io, checked |
| LinkedIn steps | Not verified |
| Lead database | Yes “240M+ contacts and 30M+ accounts” apollo.io, checked |
| API | Some plans “API access is available on Custom plans” apollo.io, checked |
| Agency / client workspaces | Not verified |
| Free trial | Yes Trial includes credits and most features of the chosen plan apollo.io, checked |
| Free plan | Yes “Stays free with no time limit”; Gmail accounts only apollo.io, checked |
5 of 8 features confirmed on Apollo’s own pages. “Not verified” means we couldn’t confirm it either way; it never means no.
What we haven’t verified.
- Paid plan prices: the page renders them with JavaScript and we couldn’t confirm the amounts.
- Mailbox limits and LinkedIn steps.
- Data accuracy and inbox placement. We haven’t run a hands-on test yet.
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Send a correction; every fix is dated in the check log below.
Alternatives worth comparing.
Common questions.
Is Apollo free?
It has a free plan that, per its pricing page, “stays free with no time limit”, but it connects Gmail accounts only. Paid plans are priced per user.
Can Apollo replace a cold email sending tool?
It includes sequencing and deliverability features. Whether it replaces a dedicated sender depends on how many mailboxes you run; check mailbox limits on your plan, which we couldn’t confirm.
How big is Apollo’s database?
Apollo’s homepage lists 240M+ contacts and 30M+ companies.
Check log
- First published from vendor documentation; paid prices not verified.
Pick a tool by its pricing model first: what you pay for each extra mailbox, seat and contact decides more than any feature.