Apollo vs. Outreach: Which Sales Engagement Platform to Choose?

Apollo vs. Outreach: quick overview

Before we dive into the details, here’s a snapshot of what each platform brings to the table.

Apollo

Apollo.io is a sales intelligence and engagement platform built around a massive B2B database. It offers access to over 210 million contacts and 30 million companies, with verified emails and phone numbers. Apollo combines prospecting, data enrichment, and multichannel outreach into one platform, making it a go-to for teams that need to find leads and engage them in the same place.

Main selling point: All-in-one prospecting and engagement with a built-in database.

Starting price: Free plan available, paid plans start at $49 per user per month (billed annually).

Outreach

Outreach.io is an AI-powered sales execution platform designed to optimize the entire sales workflow. It focuses on sales engagement, deal management, conversation intelligence, and forecasting. Outreach is built for teams that want deep automation, advanced analytics, and tools to manage the full sales cycle from prospecting to close.

Main selling point: Comprehensive sales execution with AI-driven workflows and revenue intelligence.

Starting price: Pricing is not publicly available, but industry estimates suggest around $100 per user per month.

Apollo vs. Outreach: head-to-head comparison

Let’s break down how these two platforms compare across the categories that matter most to sales teams.

Features & capabilities

Apollo:

Apollo’s strength lies in its data and prospecting capabilities. The platform includes:

• Access to a massive B2B database with over 250 million data points
• Advanced search filters to find decision-makers by industry, geography, company size, and more
• Multichannel outreach automation (email, LinkedIn, phone)
• Built-in email deliverability guardrails to protect sender reputation
• Workflow automation to scale successful outreach strategies
• AI-powered insights for prioritization and personalization

Apollo is designed for teams that need to build lists fast and engage prospects across multiple channels without switching between tools.

Outreach:

Outreach focuses on sales execution and revenue optimization. Key features include:

• AI-driven workflows that boost seller productivity by organizing tasks and timing messages
• Account insights that help identify and engage stakeholders based on buyer signals
• Deal management tools to inspect deal health, prioritize actions, and accelerate velocity
• Conversation intelligence with real-time coaching opportunities and call summaries
• Sales forecasting with AI-assisted modeling for better accuracy and predictability
• Mutual action plans and collaboration features to keep deals moving

Outreach is built for teams that want to automate complex sales processes, gain deep visibility into deal progress, and leverage AI to improve performance across the board.

Winner: Tie. Apollo excels at prospecting and data enrichment, while Outreach shines in sales execution and deal management. The right choice depends on whether you need a prospecting-first tool or a full sales workflow platform.

Ease of use

Apollo:

Apollo is generally praised for its intuitive interface and user-friendly design. The platform makes it easy to search for leads, import contacts from LinkedIn or CSV files, and launch campaigns quickly. However, some users mention a slight learning curve due to the breadth of features and dependencies between different workflows.

Outreach:

Outreach offers a clean, modern interface with strong collaboration features. Users appreciate the ease of creating automated email sequences and managing outreach activities at scale. That said, some reviewers note a steeper learning curve, especially when setting up advanced workflows and integrations.

Winner: Apollo. While both platforms are user-friendly, Apollo’s straightforward prospecting and campaign setup give it a slight edge for getting started quickly.

Pricing & value

Apollo:

Apollo offers transparent pricing with several tiers:

• Free plan: 1,200 credits per year (granted monthly)
• Basic plan: $49 per user per month (billed annually), includes 30,000 credits per year
• Professional plan: $99 per user per month (billed annually) with advanced features
• Enterprise plan: Custom pricing for larger teams

Apollo provides a 20% discount for annual billing, making it attractive for cost-conscious teams. The free plan is generous enough for small teams to test the platform before committing.

Outreach:

Outreach does not list pricing publicly. Based on industry estimates and user reports:

• Starting price: Around $100 to $160 per user per month
• Pricing varies based on seat count, selected modules (Engage, Call, Meet, Deal, Forecast, Amplify), and add-ons
• No platform fees, support included

Because pricing is quote-based, it’s harder to compare directly. However, Outreach is generally positioned as a premium solution for mid-market to enterprise teams.

Winner: Apollo. With transparent pricing and a free plan, Apollo offers better accessibility and clearer value for smaller teams and those watching their budget.

Integrations

Apollo:

Apollo integrates with major CRMs and sales tools, including:

• Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive
• 50+ tools in their integrations marketplace
• Native integrations with prospecting and enrichment tools

Some users note that third-party integrations can be limited compared to competitors, which may require workarounds for certain workflows.

Outreach:

Outreach offers deep integrations with:

• Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, and other major CRMs
• Bi-directional syncing to keep data aligned across platforms
• Marketing automation tools like Marketo
• Conversation intelligence and call recording tools

Outreach’s integration ecosystem is robust and designed for complex tech stacks, making it a strong fit for larger organizations with multiple tools in play.

Winner: Outreach. The platform’s deep CRM integrations and bi-directional syncing give it an edge for teams with more complex sales tech stacks.

Conversation intelligence

Apollo:

Apollo includes basic call recording and tracking features. It focuses more on outreach automation than analyzing conversations or providing coaching insights.

Outreach:

Outreach includes built-in conversation intelligence that transcribes calls, surfaces coaching opportunities in real-time, and provides AI-driven insights to improve team performance. This is a key differentiator for teams that want to coach reps and optimize messaging based on actual conversations.

Winner: Outreach. If conversation intelligence and sales coaching are priorities, Outreach has the clear advantage.

Apollo vs. Outreach: pros and cons

Apollo strengths & weaknesses

Pros 👍

• Massive built-in database with over 250 million contacts and companies
• Affordable pricing with a generous free plan
• User-friendly interface that’s easy to learn
• Strong prospecting and lead generation capabilities
• Multichannel outreach automation (email, LinkedIn, phone)

Cons 👎

• Data accuracy can be inconsistent
• Limited third-party integrations compared to competitors
• Occasional slowdowns during high usage periods
• Less robust conversation intelligence and coaching features

User rating:

• G2: 4.3/5 (based on 8,800+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (based on 340+ reviews)

Outreach strengths & weaknesses

Pros 👍

• Comprehensive sales execution platform with AI-driven workflows
• Advanced deal management and forecasting capabilities
• Built-in conversation intelligence for coaching and optimization
• Deep CRM integrations with bi-directional syncing
• Strong analytics and reporting for sales performance

Cons 👎

• Pricing information not publicly available
• Higher cost compared to many competitors
• Steeper learning curve for advanced features
• Can feel overly complex for small teams with simple needs

User rating:

• G2: 4.3/5 (based on 3,500+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (based on 290+ reviews)

Apollo vs. Outreach: side-by-side comparison table

Here’s a quick reference to compare the two platforms at a glance:

Which should you choose?

Choosing between Apollo and Outreach comes down to your team’s priorities, budget, and where you are in your sales process.

Consider Apollo if:

• You need a built-in prospecting database to find and enrich leads quickly
• Budget is a concern and you want transparent, affordable pricing
• Your team is small to mid-sized and focused on outbound prospecting
• You want an easy-to-use platform that combines prospecting and engagement
• You don’t need advanced conversation intelligence or forecasting

Consider Outreach if:

• You want a comprehensive sales execution platform with AI-driven workflows
• Deal management, forecasting, and revenue intelligence are priorities
• Your team needs conversation intelligence for coaching and optimization
• You have a complex sales tech stack and need deep CRM integrations
• Budget is less of a concern and you’re willing to invest in a premium solution

Need something different? Check out La Growth Machine

Apollo and Outreach are both solid choices if you’re focused on sales engagement and prospecting. But if you’re looking for a different approach to multichannel prospecting that emphasizes automation, personalization, and ease of use, our platform takes a fresh angle.

What La Growth Machine does

La Growth Machine is an all-in-one multichannel prospecting platform designed to help sales and growth teams automate outreach while keeping it personal. Our platform lets you combine LinkedIn, email, calls, voice messages, and Twitter into highly customized sequences that adapt based on how prospects engage.

What makes us different:

• Multichannel prospecting that actually works: Get up to 3.5x more replies than email-only campaigns by reaching leads where they’re most active.
• LinkedIn Voice Messages: Send automated voice messages on LinkedIn to double reply rates and stand out from the crowd.
• Social Warming: Automatically like posts and follow prospects before reaching out to warm up the relationship.
• Lead Enrichment: Built-in enrichment using 9 providers with double validation to find verified emails and complete contact data.
• Lookalike Search: Provide your best client, and our platform finds similar companies to target.
• Multichannel Inbox: Manage all LinkedIn, email, and call conversations in one unified inbox with shared team features.

How it fits into your stack

La Growth Machine is designed for teams that want to automate multichannel outreach without sacrificing personalization. While Apollo focuses on prospecting with a massive database and Outreach emphasizes full sales execution, we specialize in creating conversations through smart, multichannel automation.

If your priority is engaging prospects across LinkedIn, email, and other channels with highly personalized, automated sequences, La Growth Machine is worth exploring.

Pricing

• Basic plan: €50/month per identity
• Pro plan: €100/month (includes Lookalike Search, LinkedIn Intent Data, Social Warming, Inbox Rotation)
• Ultimate plan: €150/month (adds advanced CRM integrations, webhooks, custom sequences)
• Free trial: 14 days, no credit card required

Worth considering if:

• You want to go beyond traditional email outreach and engage prospects across multiple channels
• LinkedIn prospecting is a key part of your strategy
• You need lead enrichment built into your outreach workflow
• You want automation that feels personal, not robotic
• You’re looking for an intuitive platform with strong support and onboarding

Apollo vs. Outreach: FAQs

What’s the main difference between Apollo and Outreach?

Apollo is a prospecting and sales intelligence platform with a built-in database, designed to help you find leads and engage them quickly. Outreach is a sales execution platform focused on automating workflows, managing deals, and optimizing the full sales cycle with AI-driven insights.

Which platform is more affordable?

Apollo is more budget-friendly with transparent pricing starting at $49 per user per month and a free plan available. Outreach is a premium solution with estimated pricing around $100 to $160 per user per month, but exact costs require a quote.

Can I use both Apollo and Outreach together?

Yes. Some teams use Apollo for prospecting and lead generation, then push enriched leads into Outreach for sales engagement and deal management. However, this setup can add complexity and cost.

Conclusion

Both Apollo and Outreach are powerful platforms, but they serve different needs. Apollo is the go-to for teams that need strong prospecting capabilities, a built-in database, and affordable pricing. Outreach is built for teams that want a comprehensive sales execution platform with advanced automation, deal management, and AI-driven insights.

If you’re looking for something that takes a different approach, multichannel prospecting platforms like La Growth Machine offer a unique way to engage prospects across LinkedIn, email, and more with smart automation and personalization built in.