Apollo.io
Follow Up Boss
| Feature | Apollo.io | Follow Up Boss |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $49/mo | From $69/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | sales-teams, startups, recruiters, agencies, b2b-companies | real-estate-teams, high-volume-agents, team-leaders, inside-sales-agents |
| Founded | 2015 | 2011 |
| Contact Database | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Sequences | ✓ | ✗ |
| Linkedin Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dialer | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Lead Scoring | ✓ | ✗ |
| Enrichment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Lead Routing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Smart Lists | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Texting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email Drips | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reporting Dashboard | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Apollo.io Pros
- 275M+ verified contacts database
- Email sequences with A/B testing
- Free tier with 10,000 credits/month
- LinkedIn integration for prospecting
✗ Apollo.io Cons
- Data accuracy varies by region
- Email deliverability can suffer at scale
- Learning curve for sequence optimization
✓ Follow Up Boss Pros
- Fast lead response system
- 200+ lead source integrations
- Excellent calling and texting
- Simple clean interface
✗ Follow Up Boss Cons
- No IDX website included
- Expensive for teams
- Limited marketing automation
The Verdict
Apollo.io is built for sales teams and startups, with a focus on contact-database and email-sequences. Follow Up Boss targets real estate teams and high volume agents and leads with lead-routing and smart-lists.
On pricing, Apollo.io is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $49/mo compared to $69/mo for Follow Up Boss. That $20/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Apollo.io has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Follow Up Boss requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Apollo.io offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Follow Up Boss takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
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.