Apollo vs. Phantombuster: Which Sales Automation Tool?

Apollo vs. Phantombuster: quick overview

Apollo

Apollo is a sales intelligence platform that combines a massive B2B contact database with built-in outreach and CRM functionality. It helps sales teams find leads, launch email and LinkedIn campaigns, track engagement, and manage deals all in one place. With over 210 million contacts and 35 million companies in its database, Apollo is built for teams that want to search, enrich, and engage prospects without juggling multiple tools.

Starting price: $49/user/month (billed annually)

Phantombuster

Phantombuster is a cloud-based automation and data extraction tool that scrapes information from social media platforms and websites. It uses pre-built “Phantoms” (automation scripts) to pull data from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Twitter, Instagram, Google Maps, and more. Phantombuster is designed for users who need real-time, accurate data from multiple sources and want to automate repetitive web tasks without writing code.

Starting price: $56/month (billed annually)

Apollo vs. Phantombuster: head-to-head comparison

Both tools promise to make lead generation and sales automation easier, but they take fundamentally different approaches. Here’s how they stack up across the features that matter most.

Features & capabilities

Apollo

Apollo’s strength lies in its integrated platform. You get access to a B2B database with verified emails, phone numbers, and company data, plus the ability to run multichannel sequences (email, LinkedIn, and phone) directly from the platform. Apollo also includes AI-powered lead scoring, buying intent data, meeting scheduling, call recording, and deal management. The platform handles everything from prospecting to pipeline tracking in one interface.

Key capabilities:

• B2B database with 210 million contacts
• Multichannel sequences (email, LinkedIn, calls)
• AI lead scoring and intent data
• Built-in CRM and deal management
• Email deliverability tools and warmup

Phantombuster

Phantombuster focuses on data extraction and automation across multiple platforms. It doesn’t have its own database. Instead, it scrapes live data from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Twitter, Instagram, Google Maps, and other sources. You can automate actions like connection requests, profile visits, post likes, and follow/unfollow campaigns. Phantombuster excels at pulling fresh, contextual data that static databases can’t provide, such as event attendees, post engagers, or company followers.

Key capabilities:

• 100+ pre-built automation workflows (Phantoms)
• Real-time data extraction from social platforms
• LinkedIn automation (connection requests, messages, likes)
• Email finder integrations (Hunter, Dropcontact)
• Web scraping from Google Maps, Yellow Pages, and more

Winner: Tie

Apollo wins if you need an all-in-one platform with a database and native outreach. Phantombuster wins if you need flexible, real-time data extraction and social automation that feeds into your existing tools.

Ease of use

Apollo

Apollo is relatively intuitive for users familiar with sales tools or CRMs. The interface is clean, and core workflows like building a lead list, launching a sequence, or tracking replies are straightforward. However, the sheer number of features can overwhelm new users. Understanding how credits work, setting up email deliverability, and navigating between database search, sequences, and deal management requires a learning curve.

Phantombuster

Phantombuster is simple to start with if you stick to the pre-built Phantoms. Launching a LinkedIn scraper or extracting event attendees takes just a few clicks. However, once you need to chain multiple Phantoms together, manage rate limits, or troubleshoot errors, things get more technical. Users need to understand inputs, session cookies, safe usage limits, and scheduling. The platform rewards experimentation but isn’t as beginner-friendly for complex workflows.

Winner: Apollo

Apollo offers a smoother onboarding experience for non-technical users, even if mastering all its features takes time. Phantombuster’s setup can feel more hands-on, especially for users unfamiliar with automation tools.

Pricing & value

Apollo pricing

Apollo uses a per-user pricing model with four tiers:

• Free: $0 (1,200 credits/year, basic features, 2 sequences)
• Basic: $49/user/month (30,000 credits/year, unlimited sequences, advanced filters)
• Professional: $79/user/month (48,000 credits/year, A/Z testing, unlimited mailboxes, call recording)
• Organization: $119/user/month, minimum 3 users (72,000 credits/year, custom reports, SSO, international dialer)

Credits are used to access emails (1 credit), phone numbers (8 credits), and data enrichment (1-8 credits per record). Apollo offers a 14-day free trial for paid plans.

Phantombuster pricing

Phantombuster charges based on execution time and automation slots rather than users:

• Trial: 14-day free trial (2 hours execution time, 5 slots)
• Starter: $56/month (20 hours/month, 5 slots, 500 email credits)
• Pro: $128/month (80 hours/month, 15 slots, 2,500 email credits)
• Team: $352/month (300 hours/month, 50 slots, 10,000 email credits)

All plans include unlimited data exports, AI credits, and URL finder credits. Annual billing saves 20%.

Winner: Apollo

Apollo’s entry-level pricing is slightly cheaper, and its per-user model makes sense for small teams. Phantombuster’s usage-based pricing can get expensive if you run automations heavily, but it’s more flexible if you only need occasional data extraction.

Integrations

Apollo

Apollo integrates with major CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive), email providers (Gmail, Outlook, SMTP), communication tools (Slack, Zoom), and marketing platforms (SendGrid, Mailgun, Outreach, SalesLoft). It also offers an API for custom integrations. The integrations are designed to keep data flowing between Apollo and your existing sales stack.

Phantombuster

Phantombuster connects with CRMs (HubSpot), automation platforms (Zapier, Make), and data enrichment tools (Hunter.io, Dropcontact, Snov.io). Because it’s a data extraction tool, Phantombuster’s integrations focus on where to send the data it collects. Users often pair Phantombuster with email senders like lemlist or Instantly to handle outreach separately.

Winner: Apollo

Apollo has deeper, more native integrations with sales and marketing tools. Phantombuster requires more setup through middleware like Zapier but offers flexibility to connect with almost anything.

Data quality & extraction

Apollo

Apollo’s database is extensive but not always accurate. Users frequently report outdated emails, incorrect job titles, and high bounce rates. Because the data comes from a static database, it can lag behind real-time changes like job moves or company updates. Apollo does offer data enrichment and verification features, but accuracy varies by region and industry.

Phantombuster

Phantombuster scrapes live data directly from social platforms and websites, so the information is as current as the source. If a LinkedIn profile was updated yesterday, that’s what you’ll get. This makes Phantombuster ideal for finding intent signals (like who engaged with a competitor’s post) or targeting niche segments (like attendees of a specific event). However, data quality depends on the platform you’re scraping from, and rate limits can slow down large extractions.

Winner: Phantombuster

Phantombuster delivers fresher, more contextual data. Apollo’s database is convenient but can’t match the accuracy of real-time scraping.

Apollo vs. Phantombuster: pros and cons

Apollo strengths & weaknesses

Pros 👍

• All-in-one platform with database, outreach, and CRM functionality
• Multichannel sequences (email, LinkedIn, calls) in one place
• Buying intent data and AI lead scoring help prioritize outreach
• Strong CRM integrations and analytics
• Lower entry price for small teams

Cons 👎

• Data accuracy is inconsistent, especially for phone numbers
• Credit system can be confusing and expensive at scale
• Per-user pricing adds up quickly as teams grow
• Customer support is hit-or-miss according to user reviews

User Rating:

• G2: 4.8/5 (based on 9,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (based on 381 reviews)

Phantombuster strengths & weaknesses

Pros 👍

• Real-time data extraction from multiple platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Google Maps)
• 100+ pre-built automation workflows save setup time
• Flexible usage-based pricing (not per-user)
• Captures intent signals and contextual data that databases miss
• Cloud-based, runs 24/7 without needing your computer on

Cons 👎

• No built-in database or outreach functionality
• Steeper learning curve for advanced workflows
• Rate limits and platform restrictions require careful management
• Pricing can get expensive for heavy automation usage

User Rating:

• G2: 4.3/5 (based on 60+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (based on 64 reviews)

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

Here’s a quick snapshot of how Apollo and Phantombuster compare on the features that matter most:

Which should you choose?

Both tools are built for sales and marketing teams, but they serve different needs. Here’s how to think about which one fits your workflow:

Choose Apollo if:

• You want a single platform that handles prospecting, outreach, and deal management
• Your ideal customers are well-represented in a B2B database
• You need multichannel sequences (email, LinkedIn, calls) with built-in tracking
• You prefer a turnkey solution over piecing together multiple tools
• Your team is growing and you need scalable analytics and reporting

Choose Phantombuster if:

• You need real-time data from social platforms, events, or niche sources
• You want to capture intent signals (post engagers, event attendees, company followers)
• You already have an outreach tool and just need fresh lead data
• You prefer usage-based pricing over per-user costs
• You’re comfortable setting up automations and managing rate limits

Choose both if:

• You need the flexibility of real-time social data plus the convenience of a B2B database
• Your ICP isn’t fully covered by static databases
• You want to layer intent-based targeting (Phantombuster) with multichannel outreach (Apollo)

Need something different? Check out La Growth Machine

Apollo and Phantombuster are both solid tools, but if you’re looking for a different approach to multichannel prospecting, La Growth Machine might be worth exploring.

What La Growth Machine does

La Growth Machine is built for multichannel sales automation. Instead of choosing between a database (Apollo) or a data scraper (Phantombuster), our platform combines lead enrichment, multichannel outreach, and inbox management into one workflow. You can import leads from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, CSVs, or CRMs, then automatically enrich them with verified emails using nine providers. From there, you can run campaigns that combine LinkedIn, email, calls, voice messages, and Twitter to reach prospects on their preferred channels.

Our platform also captures intent signals like LinkedIn Intents (post engagement, event sign-ups, company page followers) and uses Lookalike Search to find similar companies after a positive reply. All conversations are centralized in a multichannel inbox where you can qualify leads, respond, and keep your team aligned.

How it fits into your stack

Apollo and Phantombuster are powerful on their own, but they’re designed for different parts of the prospecting process. Apollo handles database search and outreach, while Phantombuster scrapes data and automates social actions. La Growth Machine brings it all together: enrichment, multichannel outreach, intent tracking, and inbox management in one platform. You can still use Apollo for database searches or Phantombuster for niche scraping, but if you want a unified system that handles enrichment and outreach across LinkedIn, email, and voice without needing middleware, La Growth Machine is built for that.

Pricing

La Growth Machine starts at €50/month per identity (Basic plan), with Pro at €100/month and Ultimate at €150/month. All plans include a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Worth considering if

• You want multichannel outreach (LinkedIn, email, calls, voice messages) in one platform
• You need lead enrichment with verified emails from multiple providers
• You’re looking for intent signals like LinkedIn post engagement or event attendees
• You want a centralized inbox that keeps all conversations (LinkedIn + email) in one thread

Apollo vs. Phantombuster: FAQs

Can I use Apollo and Phantombuster together?

Yes, many teams use both. Phantombuster scrapes niche or real-time data (like LinkedIn event attendees or post engagers), then exports it to Apollo for enrichment and outreach. This gives you the flexibility of live data extraction plus the convenience of Apollo’s all-in-one platform.

Which tool has better data accuracy?

Phantombuster delivers more accurate, real-time data because it scrapes directly from live sources like LinkedIn or Twitter. Apollo’s database is extensive but can have outdated information, especially for phone numbers and job titles.

Do I need technical skills to use these tools?

Apollo is more beginner-friendly and designed for non-technical users, though mastering all its features takes time. Phantombuster is straightforward for basic tasks but requires more technical setup for advanced workflows, especially when chaining multiple Phantoms or managing rate limits.

Conclusion

Apollo and Phantombuster are strong tools, but they serve different purposes. Apollo works best for teams that want a single platform with a B2B database, native outreach, and pipeline tracking. Phantombuster is ideal for users who need real-time data extraction, social automation, and the flexibility to feed that data into any tool they choose.

If you’re looking for something that combines the strengths of both, multichannel prospecting platforms like La Growth Machine offer a middle ground. Instead of choosing between a static database and a data scraper, you get enrichment, intent signals, and multichannel outreach in one system. Whether you go with Apollo, Phantombuster, or another option, the key is choosing the tool that fits your workflow, not the one with the most features.