Apollo.io
HubSpot CRM
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $49/mo | Free / from $20/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, sdrs, sales-teams, growth-teams | startups, small-businesses, marketing-teams, sales-teams |
| Founded | 2015 | 2006 |
| Contact Database | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sequences | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dialer | ✓ | ✗ |
| Deal Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Enrichment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Contact Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pipeline Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Live Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reporting | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Apollo.io Pros
- Huge contact database
- Good free tier
- Sequences included
- Affordable
✗ Apollo.io Cons
- Data accuracy varies
- Email deliverability
- Complex interface
✓ HubSpot CRM Pros
- Generous free tier
- All-in-one platform
- Great documentation
- Easy to use
✗ HubSpot CRM Cons
- Gets expensive quickly
- Limited customization on free plan
- Contract lock-in
The Verdict
Apollo.io is built for startups and sdrs, with a focus on contact-database and sequences. HubSpot CRM targets startups and small businesses and leads with contact-management and email-tracking.
On pricing, HubSpot CRM is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $20/mo compared to $49/mo for Apollo.io. That $29/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for startups, sales teams — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.