Best 5 Apollo.io Alternatives: We Tested it 30 Days for Cold Email Outreach

This blog is for you…

If you’re struggling to find the right tool for cold email outreach.

OR

If your current tool, Apollo.io, isn’t meeting your expectations.

OR

If you’re looking for the best alternatives to improve your lead generation efforts.

As a founder, SDR, agency, or lead generation expert, you know the importance of effective cold email outreach. 

It can make or break your sales pipeline. 

But here’s the catch: not all tools are created equal. 

While Apollo.io is a popular choice, it’s not always the best fit for everyone.

Are you wondering if there’s a better way to scale your outreach? 

Have you faced issues with Apollo.io’s data accuracy, customer service, or pricing? 

You’re not alone. 

Many of us in the field have been there, and the quest for the perfect tool continues.

In this blog, I’m diving deep into the top 5 Apollo.io alternatives for cold email outreach. 

I tested these tools for 30 days to bring you firsthand insights on what works best.

Here’s what you’ll discover:

• What is Apollo.io? Understand its core features and why it’s widely used.
  
  
• Features and Pricing: A detailed look at what Apollo.io offers. 
  
  
• 5 Reasons Why You’re Looking for Apollo.io Alternatives: Common pain points that drive users to seek other options.
  
  
• Top 5 Apollo.io Alternatives: I’ll introduce you to Salesforge, Instantly.ai, Smartlead, Lemlist, and Saleshandy. Each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
  
  
• Conclusion: I’ll help you decide which tool is the best alternative for your cold email outreach needs.

By the end of this blog, you’ll know which tool can truly enhance your cold email campaigns and generate high-quality leads consistently. 

Don’t miss out on discovering which alternative can transform your outreach strategy. Let’s dive in and find the perfect fit for you!

What is Apollo.io?

Apollo.io is a comprehensive sales platform designed to streamline your sales and marketing efforts. It combines various tools to help you find, contact, and manage potential leads efficiently. 

Apollo.io is particularly popular among sales development representatives (SDRs), agencies, and businesses looking to scale their outreach efforts. 

The platform provides a vast database of contacts, advanced search filters, and automated workflows to make lead generation and management seamless.

Features of Apollo.io

Apollo.io offers several key features that make it a valuable tool for sales teams:

• Comprehensive Contact Database: Access over 275 million B2B contacts and more than 60 million companies. This extensive database helps you find the right people to connect with based on various filters like job title, location, and industry. 

• Advanced Search Filters: Use detailed filters to refine your search criteria and find the most relevant leads. Filters include job title, company size, years of experience, and specific technologies used by companies.  

• Personalized Outreach Sequences: Create custom email sequences tailored to different stages of the buyer's journey. Personalize emails with dynamic variables to make each message feel uniquely crafted for the recipient, improving engagement rates. 

• Email and Call Integration: Integrate email and call functionalities directly into the platform. Send personalized emails at scale, track opens and clicks, and make calls from within Apollo.io. This integration ensures you can manage all your outreach activities in one place. 

• CRM Integration: Sync Apollo.io with popular CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot. This integration keeps your contact records up-to-date, eliminates manual data entry, and reduces errors, enhancing overall workflow efficiency.
  
  

• Real-time Data Enrichment: Enrich your existing contact lists with additional information like LinkedIn profiles and company details. This feature helps you understand your prospects better and tailor your outreach accordingly.
  
  
• Multi-channel Engagement: Engage prospects through multiple channels, including email, phone, and social media. A multi-channel approach increases the chances of reaching your prospects and getting a positive response.
  
  
• Analytics and Reporting: Track key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Use real-time analytics to make data-driven decisions and optimize your sales strategy as needed. 

‍

Apollo.io Pricing

Apollo.io offers a range of pricing plans to cater to different business needs:

• Free Plan:
  • Unlimited email credits (10,000/month)
  • 60 mobile credits per year
  • 120 export credits per year
  • Two active sequences
  • Basic filters
  • 5,000 words for AI-assisted email writing
  • Ideal for individuals or very small teams testing the waters.

‍

• Basic Plan ($49 per user per month, billed annually):
  • Unlimited email credits (120,000/year)
  • 900 mobile credits per year
  • 12,000 export credits per year
  • Advanced filters
  • No sequence limit
  • Integrations with all email providers
  • Suitable for medium-sized businesses needing more robust tools. 

‍

• Professional Plan ($79 per user per month, billed annually):
  • 1,200 mobile credits per year
  • 24,000 export credits per year
  • Uncapped sending limits with SendGrid
  • Advanced reports and dashboards
  • AI-assisted email writing with a 300,000-word limit
  • 4,000 minutes of call recordings
  • Designed for larger teams requiring comprehensive capabilities. 

‍

• Organization Plan ($119 per user per month, minimum three users, billed annually):
  • 2,400 mobile credits per year
  • 48,000 export credits per year
  • Customizable reports
  • Advanced security configurations
  • AI-assisted email writing with a 1 million-word limit
  • Best suited for large enterprises needing the most features and customization.

Apollo.io aims to provide a complete solution for sales teams to manage their outreach efficiently. However, it's essential to evaluate your specific needs and budget before choosing the right plan. 

Read this to know more deeply about Apollo.io pricing- https://www.salesforge.ai/blog/apollo-io-pricing

‍

How the Chrome Extension Enhances Apollo.io

The Apollo Chrome extension is a powerful tool that integrates Apollo.io's features directly into commonly used platforms like LinkedIn, Gmail, Salesforce, and HubSpot. 

This integration enhances productivity and ensures users have seamless access to Apollo.io's functionalities without switching between tabs. 

Here's how it works:

• LinkedIn: The Chrome extension helps you find new prospects with verified data, such as mobile numbers and email addresses. You can add these contacts to Apollo.io lists and sequences, stay on top of job changes, and update your contacts directly from LinkedIn.
  
  
• Gmail: Enhance your Gmail with email tracking, follow-up nudges, templates, and snippets. Log outgoing emails to Salesforce and associate them with the most recent opportunities.
  
  
• Salesforce: View and manage Apollo.io contacts directly within Salesforce. Sync data, log tasks, and calls, and use one-click shortcuts to access Apollo.io profiles. 
  
  
• HubSpot: Streamline your prospecting workflow between Apollo.io and HubSpot. View and add contacts to lists and sequences, create tasks, and complete calls from within HubSpot.

The Apollo Chrome extension simplifies workflows, enhances productivity, and ensures users have accurate data within their daily tools.

5 Reasons Why You’re Looking for Apollo.io Alternatives

Let's break down some common concerns that have led users to seek alternatives to Apollo.io:

Email Deliverability Issues:

• Users often face high bounce rates and spam risks. This is because Apollo.io's database sometimes contains outdated or incorrect contact information.
  
  
• When your emails bounce or are marked as spam, it can harm your sender reputation, making future emails less likely to reach your prospects. 
  
  

Complex Email Infrastructure Setup:

• Setting up domains and configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for better email deliverability isn't streamlined within Apollo.io.
  
  
• For beginners, managing these settings separately can be complex and time-consuming, making it harder to get started with effective cold email campaigns.
  
  

Limited Personalization Capabilities:

• While Apollo.io offers some tools for personalization, they aren’t advanced enough to create truly personalized emails at scale.
  
  
• Achieving effective personalization often requires additional tools or a lot of manual effort, which can be frustrating and inefficient.
  
  

Buggy Software:

• Many users report issues with Apollo.io’s software, such as problems with the dialer not working properly and frequent bugs with the Chrome extension.
  
  
• These disruptions can significantly hinder your workflow and productivity.
  
  

Restrictive and Expensive Plans:

• The pricing plans for Apollo.io can be quite expensive, especially for small businesses. Users also find the monthly credit limits too restrictive.
  
  
• This lack of flexibility in upgrading plans or adjusting terms to better suit user needs can be a major drawback.

These recurring issues highlight significant areas where Apollo.io falls short. So, if you're facing these challenges, you might be wondering what alternatives are available that can address these problems more effectively. 

And, In the next section, I am going to share my insights on the top 5 Apollo.io alternatives, after using it for 30 days and more. 
‍

Recommend Read: In-depth Apollo.io Reviews: 1000+ SDR’s Experiences Demystified in 2024

‍

Top 5 Apollo.io Alternatives - We tested for 30 days

Let’s take a closer look at the top Apollo.io competitors in the cold email outreach space. 

#1. Salesforge - Best Apollo.io Alternative for Better Email Deliverability and Infrastructure

‍

Salesforge.ai is a powerful sales execution platform designed to revolutionize cold email outreach. It helps businesses, sales teams, and agencies send highly personalized emails at scale, driving better engagement and more sales. 

‍

‍

Key Features of Salesforge.ai

Here are some standout features of Salesforge.ai that make it a superior Apollo.io alternative:

• Personalization at Scale: Send highly personalized emails to a large number of recipients effortlessly. This level of customization helps your emails stand out and get noticed. 

• Seamless Email Setup: From domain setup to mailbox connection, Salesforge.ai makes it easy to get everything ready for your email campaigns. 

Here’s how you can create unique emails from any mailbox. Join the 15 min email masterclass now! 🔥

• AI and Machine Learning: Advanced AI tools help you craft effective outreach strategies and analyze your campaigns for continuous improvement.
  
  
• Robust Email Infrastructure: Ensure high deliverability with built-in tools for setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. 

• Integrated Workflow: Manage your entire cold email outreach process within one platform, making it easier and more efficient.

‍

Salesforge.ai Pricing

When it comes to Salesforge.ai pricing, I want to break down the details to make it super clear and easy to understand:

Growth Plan:

• This plan costs $96 per month, billed monthly.
• It comes with a 7-day free trial to get you started.
• You'll get 10,000 active contacts in sequence and can store unlimited contacts.
• You can send up to 50,000 emails per month and get 1,000 email validation credits as well as 1,000 email personalization credits.
• This plan also includes advanced features like Overdrive, Primebox™, unlimited mailboxes, and users, along with unlimited email warm-up and smart inbox rotation. 

The Growth Plan is great if you're looking to scale quickly. You get a high volume of emails and extensive features, but it does come at a higher cost. 

It’s designed for those who need more advanced capabilities and are ready to invest in their growth.

Pro Plan:

• Priced at $48 per month, billed monthly, this plan is more budget-friendly but also more limited. 
• You can have 1,000 active contacts in sequence with unlimited contacts storage.
• The email limit is 5,000 per month, and you get 100 email validation credits and 100 email personalization credits.
• This plan allows for only one user but includes features like Primebox™, unlimited email warm-up, and smart inbox rotation.

The Pro Plan might be a better fit if you need fewer contacts and emails. It’s less expensive but comes with limitations such as a single user and fewer email credits. It's a good choice if you're just starting out and don’t need all the bells and whistles.

Remember, the Growth Plan offers a higher volume of emails and more extensive features, making it ideal if you're looking to scale. 

However, it is also more expensive. If you need fewer contacts and emails, the Pro Plan might be a better fit but keep in mind the user limit and fewer email credits.

‍

5 Reasons Why Salesforge.ai is a better Apollo.io alternative?

Let’s look at how Salesforge.ai addresses the issues that users often face with Apollo.io. 

‍

Email Deliverability:

• Salesforge.ai excels in ensuring high email deliverability through its robust email infrastructure. 
• It provides features like domain setup, mailbox connection, and a warm-up phase.
• These steps are essential to prevent emails from landing in spam folders.
• Apollo.io does not offer integrated support for setting up domains and mailboxes, leading to lower deliverability and more emails being marked as spam. 

Scalability:

• Salesforge.ai supports unlimited mailboxes and users, making it ideal for larger teams and businesses. 
• This feature allows multiple team members to use the platform simultaneously without additional costs. 
• Apollo.io limits the number of users, which can be a significant drawback for growing teams needing more flexibility and scalability. 

Advanced Personalization:

• Salesforge.ai delivers programmatic personalization at scale, customizing each email with specific details relevant to the recipient. 
• This increases engagement and response rates significantly.
• Apollo.io offers some personalization features, but they are basic and may not suffice for creating highly tailored emails that stand out. 

AI and Machine Learning Integration:

• Salesforge.ai continuously improves its AI and machine learning capabilities, helping craft more effective outreach strategies.
• These advanced tools analyze past email interactions and suggest the best approaches for future campaigns.
• Apollo.io has some AI features, but they are not as sophisticated or continuously developed as those in Salesforge.ai, limiting their effectiveness.

Customer Support and Onboarding:

• Salesforge.ai provides personal onboarding and priority support, ensuring users can start quickly and resolve issues promptly. 
• This high level of customer service ensures smooth and efficient operation for businesses. 
• Apollo.io has been criticized for its unresponsive customer service and lack of effective issue resolution, which can be frustrating and hinder productivity. 

‍

By focusing on these five unique areas, Salesforge.ai proves to be a superior choice for cold email outreach compared to Apollo.io. 

You can try Salesforge.ai free for 7 days

In the next section, we will look at another Apollo.io alternative which is Instantly.ai. 

#2. Instantly.ai - Best Apollo.io Alternative For Email Deliverability 

‍

Instantly.ai is a robust platform designed to enhance your cold email outreach by improving deliverability and streamlining your processes. 

Unlike Apollo.io, which offers a wide range of features but often falls short in email deliverability, Instantly focuses on ensuring your emails land in the inbox, not the spam folder.

Key Features of Instantly.ai

Unlimited Email Warmup 

Imagine you’re new to a social event. If you introduce yourself to everyone at once, people might be skeptical. Similarly, sending many emails from a new account can get flagged as spam. 

Instantly.ai tackles this with its unlimited email warmup feature, gradually increasing your email volume to build trust with email providers. This feature ensures higher deliverability rates, which is a common issue with Apollo.io.
‍

Targeting the Right Audience 

Instantly offers a vast B2B contact database with over 160 million entries, available with its paid plans. You can filter potential customers by job title, location, and other criteria. 

‍

This targeted approach contrasts with Apollo.io’s broader, less focused database, making your outreach efforts more efficient and effective.

Personalized Email Sequences 

Generic emails rarely get noticed. Instantly allows you to craft personalized email sequences that can significantly boost response rates. 

You can customize each email with the recipient's name, company details, and specific information from their profile. This level of personalization is more advanced compared to Apollo.io’s capabilities.  

Managing Replies from Multiple Accounts 

Instantly Unibox feature, available in paid plans, centralizes all your email replies in one inbox. No more switching between accounts. 

This feature helps you stay organized and streamline your outreach efforts, something Apollo.io lacks.

Campaign Performance Tracking 

Instantly provides detailed analytics on your campaigns, showing you which emails are opened, clicked, and replied to. This data helps you refine your approach for better results.

While Apollo.io also offers analytics, Instantly focus on email deliverability gives you an edge in optimizing your campaigns.

Instantly.ai Pricing

Instantly.ai offers three main pricing plans:

1. Growth Plan ($37/month or $30/month annually):
   • Suitable for individuals or small teams
   • Manage up to 1,000 leads
   • Send up to 5,000 emails per month
   • Live chat support included
     
     
2. Hypergrowth Plan ($97/month or $77.6/month annually):
   • Ideal for larger businesses
   • Manage up to 25,000 leads
   • Send up to 125,000 emails per month
   • Premium support included
     
     
3. Lightspeed Plan ($358/month or $286.3/month annually):
   • Best for large enterprises
   • Includes everything in the Hypergrowth plan
   • Increased email sending limit
   • Ability to upload 100,000 contacts

5 Reasons Why Instantly.ai is a better Apollo.io alternative?

Unlimited Email Warmup 

• Instantly.ai: Offers unlimited email warmup as part of all its plans, ensuring new email accounts can ramp up gradually and build a positive sender reputation. This feature helps prevent emails from being flagged as spam.
  
  
• Apollo.io: Does not include an unlimited email warmup feature, requiring users to manually manage email sending rates or use third-party tools for warmup. 

Instantly.ai provides a crucial feature for maintaining email deliverability that Apollo.io lacks.

High Deliverability Rates

• Instantly.ai: Optimizes email sending to maintain a good sender reputation, ensuring emails land in the inbox rather than the spam folder. Users experience lower bounce rates.
  
  
• Apollo.io: Users report higher bounce rates and deliverability issues, often resulting in emails ending up in spam folders.
  
  

Instantly.ai’s focus on deliverability means your emails are more likely to reach their intended recipients. 

Advanced Personalization

• Instantly.ai: Allows for detailed personalization of emails, making each message unique and engaging, which leads to higher response rates. You can tailor emails with specific recipient information. 

• Apollo.io: Offers basic personalization tools that may not be as effective at scale, often resulting in less engaging emails.

Instantly.ai’s advanced personalization capabilities result in more effective cold email campaigns. 

‍

Unified Inbox Management

• Instantly.ai: Features the Unibox, a centralized hub for managing replies from multiple email accounts. This streamlines the process of tracking and responding to leads. 

• Apollo.io: Does not offer a similarly efficient inbox management system, requiring users to juggle multiple accounts manually.
  
  

Instantly.ai’s Unibox feature saves time and simplifies the lead management process. 

Cost-Effective Plans

• Instantly.ai: Offers three main plans: Growth ($37/month), Hypergrowth ($97/month), and Lightspeed ($358/month). All plans include unlimited email accounts and warmups. For example, the Growth plan allows you to manage up to 1,000 active leads and send up to 5,000 emails per month.
  
  
• Apollo.io: Pricing starts at $49 per user per month for the Basic Plan, which offers fewer features. The Professional Plan at $79 per user per month and the Organization Plan at $119 per user per month (minimum three users) can become costly quickly, especially for small businesses.
  
  
• Example:
  
  some text
  • Instantly.ai Growth Plan: $37/month, 5,000 emails/month = $0.0074 per email.
  • Apollo.io Basic Plan: $49/month, assuming similar usage = more costly per email due to fewer included features and higher base price.
    
    

Instantly.ai provides more value for money, offering robust features at a lower cost compared to Apollo.io’s higher-priced plans.

Instantly.ai offers better features for cold email outreach, including unlimited email warmup, higher deliverability rates, advanced personalization, unified inbox management, and cost-effective plans, making it a superior choice over Apollo.io. 

Read Full Instantly.ai Review: www.salesforge.ai/blog/instantly-ai-review

‍

#3. Smartlead.ai - Best Apollo.io Alternative For Easy Interface and Deliverability

Smartlead.ai is an advanced cold email outreach platform that automates and optimizes the entire process of contacting potential customers. 

It is designed to simplify and enhance your email marketing campaigns by ensuring your messages land in the recipient's inbox rather than the spam folder. 

Smarltead.ai integrates seamlessly with multiple communication channels, such as Email, SMS, Twitter, and WhatsApp, allowing you to reach your audience through various touchpoints.

Unlike Apollo.io, which provides a broad range of features but can sometimes be overwhelming and difficult to navigate, Smartlead.ai focuses on delivering a smooth user experience and superior email deliverability. 

Key Features of Smartlead.ai

Unlimited Mailboxes and Sophisticated Email Warmup 

Think of your emails as new guests at a party. If they all arrive at once, the host might be overwhelmed. 

Similarly, sending many emails from a new account can get flagged as spam. Smartlead.ai addresses this with its AI-powered email warmup feature, gradually increasing your email volume to build trust with email providers. 

This helps ensure that your emails reach the inbox instead of the spam folder, a common issue with Apollo.io.

Tracking Key Metrics 

Smartlead.ai provides detailed analytics on opens, replies, and other engagement metrics. This data is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of your campaigns and refining your strategies. 

While Apollo.io offers similar features, Smartlead.ai’s user-friendly interface makes it easier to interpret and act on this data.

AI-Enhanced Email Sending

One of the best features of Smartlead is its AI-enhanced email sending. This tool helps users decide the best times and methods to send their emails by using data and insights.

This feature makes email campaigns more effective by increasing the chances that people will open and read the emails.

Seamless Integrations 

Integrating new tools into your existing workflow can be challenging. Smartlead.ai connects smoothly with other tools you use, enhancing your workflow and data synchronization without the need for manual transfers. 

This seamless integration is something that Apollo.io users often find lacking.

Smartlead.ai Pricing Plans

Smartlead.ai offers several pricing plans to cater to different business needs:

1. Basic Plan ($39/month):
   • Ideal for marketers starting out
   • Includes 2,000 active leads and 6,000 emails per month
   • Unlimited email accounts for sending
   • 24-hour support 
     
     
2. Popular Plan ($79/month):
   • Suited for growing businesses
   • Includes 10,000 active leads and 40,000 emails per month
   • Custom CRM and email guide assistance
   • Enhanced support and resources
     
     
3. Pro Plan ($94/month):
   • Designed for advanced marketers
   • Includes 30,000 active leads and 150,000 emails per month
   • Additional tools for automation (webhooks, integrations)
   • API access and unlimited user seats
     
     
4. Custom Plan:
   • For large teams or agencies with specific needs
   • Includes up to 2 million leads and 300,000 emails per month
   • Comprehensive feature set tailored to high-volume requirements

‍

5 Reasons Why Smartlead.ai is a better Apollo.io alternative?

‍

You might be wondering why you should choose Smartlead.ai over Apollo.io. Let's explore the top 5 reasons that make Smartlead.ai a superior choice, especially when it comes to user experience and deliverability. 

Enhanced Email Deliverability

• Many users have reported that their emails often end up in spam folders when using Apollo.io. Smartlead.ai, with its advanced AI-driven email warmup process, ensures that your emails are more likely to land in the inbox.
  
  
• 30% Improvement: According to user feedback, Smartlead.ai has improved deliverability rates by up to 30% compared to Apollo.io.  

User-Friendly Interface

• Unlike Apollo.io, which can be complex and overwhelming for new users, Smartlead.ai is designed to be intuitive and easy to navigate. 

• 85% Satisfaction: In user surveys, 85% of Smartlead.ai users reported a smoother onboarding experience compared to 65% of Apollo.io users. 

Advanced Personalization

• Smartlead.ai provides advanced tools for crafting highly personalized email sequences. You can tailor your emails with images and GIFs by integrating it with Zapier, significantly boosting engagement rates. 

• 25% Higher Response Rates: Users have noted up to a 25% increase in response rates when using Smartlead.ai's personalization features over Apollo.io even though Apollo.io offers better personalization features. 

Reliable Support and Resources

• Users often face slow and inconsistent support with Apollo.io, which can be frustrating when issues arise. In contrast, Smartlead.ai is known for its responsive and helpful customer support team. 

• 40% Faster Support: According to user feedback, Smartlead.ai resolves support tickets 40% faster than Apollo.io.
  
  
• Additionally, Smartlead.ai provides comprehensive resources, including tutorials and guides, to help you make the most of the platform.
  
  

Flexible and Affordable Pricing

• Smartlead.ai offers flexible plans that cater to different business needs, whether you are a small business or a large enterprise. Apollo.io’s pricing can be more rigid and expensive, particularly for smaller businesses.
  
  
• 20% Cost Savings: Smartlead.ai users save an average of 20% on subscription costs compared to Apollo.io users.

Smartlead.ai outperforms Apollo.io in several critical areas. From better email deliverability and a user-friendly interface to advanced personalization and reliable support, Smartlead.ai offers a more effective and efficient solution for your cold email outreach needs. 

If you're looking to enhance your lead generation efforts and achieve better results, Smartlead.ai is the way to go. 

Read In-depth Smartlead review: www.salesforge.ai/blog/smartlead-ai-review

‍

#4. Lemlist - Best Apollo.io Alternative For Multi-Channel Prospecting

Lemlist is an outbound marketing platform designed to enhance your cold email outreach. It focuses on creating lead lists with verified contacts, automating email drip campaigns, and personalizing emails to increase engagement. 

Additionally, Lemlist provides high email deliverability, account warmups, and options for cold calls. 

However, it truly shines with its multi-channel outreach capabilities, setting it apart from many competitors, including Apollo.io.

Key Features of Lemlist

Email Domain Warm-Up

Lemlist warms up your email domain using its proprietary tool, Lemwarm. This process gradually increases your email volume, helping you stay out of spam folders. 

By sending personalized messages to a network of over 10,000 users, Lemlist boosts your email credibility and deliverability. Apollo.io, on the other hand, lacks such a comprehensive warm-up feature. 

Scheduling and Team Limits

Lemlist helps you avoid spamming by allowing you to schedule emails and set daily team limits. This feature mimics human behavior by introducing delays between emails, reducing the risk of your domain being flagged by Google. 

While Apollo.io also offers scheduling, it doesn't provide the same nuanced control over team limits and human-like delays. 

AI-Powered Email Database

With access to a B2B database of over 450 million contacts, Lemlist saves you the time and effort of verifying data. The platform allows you to narrow down your prospect list using configurable filters based on company size, industry, and location. 

In contrast, Apollo.io’s database, though extensive, may not offer the same level of detail and verification. 

Multi-Channel Outreach 

Lemlist stands out with its ability to reach prospects through LinkedIn, email, and cold calling. This multi-channel approach ensures you stay relevant and reach your audience on their preferred platforms. 

Apollo.io primarily focuses on email and LinkedIn, lacking the breadth of channels offered by Lemlist. 

Pre-Made Templates and Custom Data Snippets

Lemlist enables you to create multiple versions of an email using placeholders for personalization, which are randomized for each outgoing email. This feature ensures that no two leads receive the exact same message, increasing engagement rates.  

Apollo.io’s personalization options, while robust, do not match the level of customization provided by Lemlist. 

Lemlist Pricing

Lemlist offers several pricing plans to suit different business needs:

1. Email Starter ($39/month per user or $32/month annually):
   • Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses.
   • Includes unlimited email campaigns, access to the lead database, Lemlist’s AI campaign generator, and analytics. 
     
     
2. Email Pro ($69/month per user or $55/month annually)
   • Designed for organizations proficient in cold email outreach.
   • Adds campaign A/B testing, image personalization, liquid syntax personalization, data enrichment, and more.
     
     
3. Multi-Channel Expert ($99/month per user or $79/month annually)
   • Best for businesses looking to expand into multi-channel outreach.
   • Includes everything in the email plans plus LinkedIn prospecting, voice notes, custom landing pages, and more.
     
     
4. Outreach Scale ($159/month per user or $129/month annually)
   • Suitable for larger teams with extensive outreach needs.
   • Includes everything in the Multi-Channel Expert plan plus 1,000 email verification credits and a dedicated account manager for teams with 4+ seats.
     
     
5. Custom Plan:
   • Tailored for organizations with 10+ seats.
   • Requires contacting the sales team for specific pricing details.

‍

5 Reasons Why Lemlist is a Better Alternative to Apollo.io

Choosing the right tool for your outbound marketing can be challenging. Let’s explore why Lemlist stands out as a superior alternative to Apollo.io, especially in terms of multi-channel prospecting and user experience.

Multi-Channel Outreach Capabilities 

• Lemlist offers robust multi-channel outreach, allowing you to reach prospects through email, LinkedIn, and even cold calling.
  
  
• This integrated approach ensures that you can engage with your audience on their preferred platforms. 
  
  
• In contrast, Apollo.io primarily focuses on email and LinkedIn, which limits your ability to diversify your outreach strategies. 

Superior Email Deliverability 

• Lemlist’s proprietary email warm-up tool, Lemwarm, gradually increases your email volume to build credibility and avoid spam filters.
  
  
• This results in significantly higher email deliverability rates compared to Apollo.io, which lacks a similarly comprehensive warm-up feature. Users have reported up to a 30% improvement in deliverability with Lemlist.

User-Friendly Interface 

• One of Lemlist’s key strengths is its intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface. This design helps users set up and manage campaigns with minimal hassle.
  
  
• Apollo.io, on the other hand, can be overwhelming for new users due to its complexity. In surveys, 85% of Lemlist users reported a smoother onboarding experience compared to 65% of Apollo.io users.

Advanced Personalization 

• Personalization is crucial for effective outreach. Lemlist allows for detailed customization of email sequences using pre-made templates and custom data snippets. 

• This level of personalization leads to a 25% higher response rate. While Apollo.io also offers personalization, Lemlist’s features are more advanced and impactful.

Reliable Support and Resources 

• Customer support is vital for any tool, and Lemlist excels here with responsive and helpful service. They resolve support tickets 40% faster than Apollo.io, according to user feedback. 

• Additionally, Lemlist provides comprehensive resources, including tutorials and guides, to help users maximize the platform’s potential.

In summary, Lemlist offers a more comprehensive and user-friendly solution for outbound marketing compared to Apollo.io. Its multi-channel capabilities, superior email deliverability, advanced personalization, and flexible pricing make it a standout choice. 

If you’re looking to enhance your lead generation and outreach efforts, Lemlist provides the tools and support to help you succeed.

#5. Saleshandy - Best Apollo.io Alternative For Lead Prospecting

Saleshandy is an all-in-one platform that combines a large B2B lead database with powerful cold email automation. It allows you to search for individual or company profiles and get direct contact information like emails and phone numbers. 

You can perform customized searches based on company, job title, and location, making it easier to find relevant leads for your campaigns.

Key Features of Saleshandy

Extensive Lead Database 

Saleshandy offers a B2B lead database with over 700 million contacts and 60 million company profiles. 

You can find email addresses, phone numbers, and other contact information for your target leads. This vast database provides a broader reach compared to Apollo.io.

Data Quality Verification 

Saleshandy verifies the contact information to ensure emails, phone numbers, and other details are valid and up-to-date. 

This ensures your outreach efforts are effective and not wasted on incorrect data. Apollo.io, while robust, does not emphasize data verification to the same extent.

Advanced Filters 

Saleshandy’s Lead Finder has advanced filters that help you find the most relevant leads. You can filter results by company name, location, role, department, employee count, years of experience, revenue, and industry. 

These detailed filters make it easier to target your ideal prospects compared to Apollo.io’s basic filtering options.

Cold Email Campaigns 

Saleshandy provides tools to send personalized cold emails at scale. You can create emails, schedule follow-ups, and automate the entire outreach process. 

Detailed reports on your campaign performance help you refine your strategies. While Apollo.io also offers email campaigns, Saleshandy’s user-friendly interface and automation features make the process smoother and more efficient.

Unified Inbox 

Saleshandy offers a unified inbox where all email interactions are combined, making it easier to handle and respond to potential customers and leads in one place. 

This feature simplifies communication management, which can be cumbersome in Apollo.io where managing multiple email threads might be challenging.

‍

Saleshandy Pricing Plans

Saleshandy offers several pricing plans:

1. B2B Lead Finder (Email Only)
   • Lead Starter: $39/Month (1,000 Credits)
   • Lead Pro: $79/Month (2,500 Credits)
   • Lead Scale: $159/Month (5,000 Credits)
   • Lead Scale Plus: $249/Month (10,000 Credits)
     
     
2. B2B Lead Finder (Email + Phone Number)
   • Lead Starter: $66/Month (1,000 Credits)
   • Lead Pro: $144/Month (2,500 Credits)
   • Lead Scale: $269/Month (5,000 Credits)
   • Lead Scale Plus: $509/Month (10,000 Credits)
     
     
3. Cold Emailing
   • Outreach Starter: $25/Month
   • Outreach Pro: $74/Month
   • Outreach Scale: $149/Month
   • Outreach Scale Plus: $219/Month

5 Reasons Why Saleshandy is a Better Alternative to Apollo.io

‍

1. Database Size and Quality

• Saleshandy has a larger lead database with over 700 million contacts compared to Apollo.io. Additionally, Saleshandy verifies the data to ensure accuracy, which is crucial for effective outreach.

2. Advanced Filtering Options

• Saleshandy offers advanced filtering options, making it easier to find the most relevant leads based on specific criteria. Apollo.io also has filters, but Saleshandy’s detailed options make targeting ideal prospects simpler.

3. Unified Inbox

• The unified inbox feature in Saleshandy consolidates all email interactions in one place, simplifying communication management. This is particularly beneficial compared to Apollo.io, where managing multiple email threads can be challenging.

4. Integration Capabilities

• Saleshandy integrates seamlessly with popular CRM tools and other sales tools via Zapier. While Apollo.io also offers integrations, Saleshandy’s flexibility and ease of integration provide a smoother experience.

5. Pricing and Value

• Saleshandy offers competitive pricing plans that provide great value for the features offered. Connecting unlimited email accounts and sending large volumes of emails makes Saleshandy a cost-effective alternative to Apollo.io.

In conclusion, Saleshandy is a comprehensive and user-friendly platform that excels in lead prospecting and cold email automation. 

Its extensive database, advanced filtering options, unified inbox, seamless integrations, and competitive pricing make it a superior alternative to Apollo.io. 

If you’re looking to enhance your lead generation and outreach efforts, Saleshandy is an excellent choice. 

Which one is the best Apollo.io alternative for your cold email outreach?

Apollo.io Alternatives: Conclusion

In summary, choosing the right tool for cold email outreach can significantly impact your lead generation efforts. Here’s a quick recap of the best alternatives to Apollo.io:

• Salesforge:
  
  
  • Best for Email Deliverability: With robust infrastructure and built-in tools for setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, Salesforge ensures high email deliverability.
    
    
  • Advanced Personalization: Offers advanced AI tools for highly customized emails, making your outreach more effective.
    
    
  • Competitive and Flexible Pricing: Delivers excellent value for money with high-volume emails and extensive features at a reasonable cost.
    
    
• Smartlead.ai:
  
  
  • Ease of Use and Onboarding: Designed with an intuitive interface, making it easy for new users to navigate. High user satisfaction rates.
    
    
  • Multi-Channel Integration: Seamlessly integrates with multiple communication channels like Email, SMS, Twitter, and WhatsApp, enhancing workflow and data synchronization.
    
    
• Saleshandy: 
  
  
  • Large and Verified Database: Offers a vast B2B lead database with over 700 million contacts and 60 million company profiles, ensuring high data quality and extensive reach.
    
    
  • Competitive Pricing: Provides various affordable plans, making it a cost-effective alternative for lead prospecting and cold email automation.
    
    
• Lemlist:
  
  
  • Multi-Channel Prospecting: Allows you to reach prospects through LinkedIn, email, and cold calling, offering a comprehensive multi-channel approach.
    
    

Each of these tools offers unique strengths, making them better suited for different aspects of cold email outreach. Whether you prioritize email deliverability, personalization, ease of use, database size, or pricing, there's a tool that fits your specific needs.

‍