Apollo.io vs Salesforce
Complete comparison guide to help you choose the right sales tool for your needs.
The Winner
Too Close to Call
Both Apollo.io and Salesforce are excellent choices. Your decision should be based on specific feature needs and use case.
Quick Comparison
| Criteria |  Apollo.io |  Salesforce |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free tier Best | Free tier |
| User Rating | 4.3 | 4.4 Best |
| Review Count | 10,340 | 44,344 Best |
| Free Trial | No | No |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
| Best For | Budget-friendly all-in-one prospecting | Enterprise sales teams (200+ users) |
Feature Breakdown
Feature Comparison
Apollo.io Salesforce Apollo.io
- Transparent Freemium Pricing
- All-in-One Platform
- GTM AI Assistant
- Easy Onboarding
- Phone Accuracy Lags
- Support Delays
- Premium Features Gated
Salesforce
- Agentforce 2.0 Autonomous AI Agents
- AppExchange Ecosystem (9,000+ Apps)
- Enterprise-Grade Security & Compliance
- Unified Customer 360 View
- Expensive for Real Value
- Steep Learning Curve
- Dated User Interface
Apollo.io Overview
Apollo.io is the best value in B2B sales intelligence. Free tier gives 100 monthly credits + unlimited emails. Professional ($99/mo) is the sweet spot: dialer, 10K credits, A/B testing. Phone accuracy (70-85%) trails ZoomInfo, but at 1/10th the cost, the trade-off makes sense for most teams.
Best For:
- Budget-friendly all-in-one prospecting
- Sales reps who want transparent pricing and generous free tier
- Teams prioritizing ease of use and quick onboarding (9.0/10 ease of use)
- Organizations needing built-in outreach automation and sequences
- Companies wanting strong Salesforce integration with bi-directional sync
- Teams requiring 265M+ contact database with global coverage (212M outside US)
Salesforce Overview
Salesforce is the gold standard for enterprise CRM, but it's overkill for most small businesses. If you have 200+ employees, complex sales processes, and need extensive customization (9,000+ AppExchange apps), Salesforce delivers unmatched power. For startups and SMBs, the cost ($80-$500/user/month for real value) and complexity make alternatives like HubSpot or Pipedrive better choices.
Best For:
- Enterprise sales teams (200+ users)
- B2B companies with long sales cycles (3-18 months)
- Teams requiring extensive customization and integrations (9,000+ AppExchange apps)
- Organizations needing advanced AI/automation (Einstein AI, Agentforce)
- Multi-department implementations (sales, service, marketing unified)
- Companies with dedicated Salesforce administrators
- Businesses requiring territory management and advanced forecasting
Our Verdict
Both Apollo.io and Salesforce are excellent choices for their respective strengths. Apollo.io is ideal for Budget-friendly all-in-one prospecting, while Salesforce shines at Enterprise sales teams (200+ users). Your final choice should depend on your specific requirements and budget.