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Every business owner, founder, sales rep, and lead generation specialist dreams of scaling their business.
You, me, everyone.
But there’s a significant challenge that only a few manage to conquer.
It’s generating enough high-quality leads.
Sure, you might be using different tools for lead generation, but so is your competition.
So, how do you gain an edge?
If you're a founder, sales rep, agency, or lead generation specialist, you've likely heard the buzz around Apollo.io.
Many SDRs recommend it, but does it truly live up to the hype?
Or is it just another overhyped tool?
As a cold email outreach specialist, I understand the daily challenges we face:
- dealing with email deliverability issues,
- setting up email infrastructure, and
- ensuring the tool is easy to use.
In this blog, I’m sharing insights based on real experiences from over 1000 Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) who have used Apollo.io extensively for cold email outreach.
We'll explore:
- What Apollo.io is and how it works.
- Apollo.io features and user insights on its effectiveness.
- Apollo.io Pricing, Apollo.io customer service reviews, and how it integrates with other tools.
- Top likes and dislikes from actual users.
By the end of this article, you'll know whether Apollo.io is the right tool for your cold email outreach and lead generation strategies.
But If you're in a hurry, here’s a quick summary of Apollo.io.
Key Takeaways:
- Apollo.io is best if you need a large contact database and basic outreach features.
- Salesforge is best if you want better email deliverability, personalization, and AI-driven outreach.
So, let’s dive in and uncover the truth about Apollo.io.
What is Apollo.io?
Apollo.io is an all-in-one sales platform designed to help you find, email, call, and close your ideal customers effortlessly. With the functionalities of tools like ZoomInfo, Clearbit, and Icypeas combined, Apollo.io offers a robust solution for sales teams.
It’s popular because it has a vast database of over 275 million B2B contacts, enabling you to target the right people using 65+ filters like buyer intent and job postings.
But a lot of Apollo.io users, including myself, were unhappy with its quality of data. Users have experienced high bounce rates, up to 35% in some cases.
We will cover this in detail later in this blog.
Apollo.io offers three core solutions:
- Prospect & Enrich: This feature provides accurate and rich buyer data. For example, you can target 275+ million verified contacts based on criteria like headcount growth or job postings, ensuring you reach potential buyers effectively.
- Engage: This tool helps you build sequences, make calls, and send emails to connect with prospects. For instance, you can set up a sequence to send 100 emails per day, follow up with calls, and connect on social platforms, filling your pipeline with quality meetings.
- End-to-End Workflows: This solution automates your entire sales process, offering AI insights to help you close deals faster. For example, it can automatically update your CRM with new lead information, saving you hours each week and reducing errors in data entry.
By integrating these solutions, Apollo.io simplifies your sales process, making it easier to start cold outreach journeys, and start generating leads for your business.
How does Apollo.io work?
Apollo.io is designed to streamline your cold email outreach and lead generation process.
Let’s break down how you can use Apollo.io to prospect effectively and send cold emails that get results.
1. How to Prospect in Apollo.io
Here are the steps you can follow to start prospecting in Apollo.io:
- Identify Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
- Save Searches and Build List
- Research Your Contacts and Accounts
- Build a Lead Scoring Model
- Use the Apollo Chrome Extension
2. How to Do Cold Emailing with Apollo.io
Here's how you can send cold emails with Apollo.io
- Link Your Mailbox
- Send Emails While Prospecting on LinkedIn
- Send Individual Emails from Apollo
- Personalize Email at Scale
- Write Emails with AI.
Apollo.io 1000+ Users Experience Demystified
When considering a tool like Apollo.io, customer service reviews on platforms like G2, GetApp, Reddit and Capterra provide valuable insights.
Let's delve into what customers appreciate about Apollo.io and where they think it falls short.
Top 5 Things Users Liked About Apollo.io
1. Comprehensive Database
Many users appreciate Apollo.io's extensive database of over 275 million contacts. This feature is popular because it provides a vast pool of potential leads, making it easier for sales teams to find and connect with the right people.
- Huge Contact List: The database includes over 275 million contacts.
- Variety of Industries: It covers a wide range of industries, ensuring that users can find leads relevant to their specific market.
- Ease of Access: With so many contacts available, users can quickly locate the information they need to initiate their sales outreach.
2. Advanced Search and Filtering
Customers love the advanced search and filtering capabilities, which allow them to use specific criteria like buying intent and job postings to find the most promising leads. This feature streamlines the prospecting process, making it more efficient and targeted.
- Precise Targeting: Users can filter leads based on detailed criteria such as job titles, company size, and location.
- Buying Intent: Filters include indicators of buying intent, helping users focus on leads that are more likely to convert.
- Job Postings: By identifying companies that are hiring, users can target organizations that are growing and may need their products or services.
3. Email Automation
Apollo.io’s email automation tools are highly valued by users. These tools help in setting up email sequences and follow-ups, saving time and ensuring consistent communication with leads. This automation is crucial for maintaining a steady outreach without manual intervention.
- Automated Sequences: Users can create email sequences that automatically send follow-up messages.
- Time-Saving: Automation saves users from having to manually send each email, freeing up time for other tasks.
- Consistency: Ensures that all leads receive timely and consistent communication, improving the chances of engagement.
4. CRM Integration
The ability to integrate seamlessly with popular CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot is another popular feature. Users appreciate how this integration helps in maintaining a smooth workflow and ensures that all data is synchronized across different platforms, enhancing overall efficiency.
- Seamless Syncing: Data from Apollo.io syncs automatically with CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot.
- Enhanced Workflow: Integration means that users can manage their sales process in one place without needing to switch between different tools.
- Data Accuracy: Keeps contact and lead information up-to-date across all platforms, reducing the risk of errors.
5. User-Friendly Interface
Despite some users mentioning that the UI can be complex, many find Apollo.io’s interface easy to navigate once they get used to it. The platform’s layout and design help users access its various features and functionalities without too much hassle.
- Intuitive Design: Users often find the interface easy to learn and use, despite initial complexities.
- Efficient Navigation: The design helps users quickly find and use the tools they need.
- Supportive Layout: The layout is structured in a way that guides users through their tasks, making the overall experience smoother.
While these features are praised, it's important to note that some users have criticized the data quality of Apollo.io.
There are reports of outdated or inaccurate contact information, which can lead to wasted efforts and frustration.
Therefore, while Apollo.io offers robust tools and capabilities, potential users should consider these limitations regarding data reliability.
Top 5 Things Users Disliked About Apollo.io
While Apollo.io offers several popular features, there are also notable downsides that users frequently mention in their reviews.
Here are the top five worst features based on user feedback, along with explanations of why they are often criticized.
1. Poor Customer Service
Many users are frustrated with Apollo.io's customer service, describing it as the worst they've experienced in the tech industry.
- Unresponsive Support: Customers often wait days or even weeks for a response, which is highly inconvenient.
- Lack of Resolution: Issues are frequently escalated without resolution, leading to ongoing frustration.
- Impolite Representatives: Some users report interactions with customer service representatives as disrespectful and unhelpful.
2. High Bounce Rates and Inaccurate Data
Users commonly criticize the quality of Apollo.io's data which leads to high bounce rates, noting that it is often outdated or incorrect.
- High Error Rate: Users report that up to 60% of contact information is wrong, especially for the UK and US markets.
- Spam Risks: A significant portion of the data is flagged as spam, risking users' email deliverability and reputation.
- Inefficient Prospecting: Inaccurate data leads to wasted time and resources, as efforts to contact leads often fail.
3. Buggy Software
Apollo.io is frequently described as having numerous bugs that disrupt user experience.
- Dialer Issues: Users face frequent problems with the dialer not working, cutting out, or not connecting calls properly.
- Chrome Extension Problems: The Chrome extension is often buggy, causing errors and slowdowns in the browser.
- Data Enrichment Bugs: Users report many issues with the data enrichment feature, which are acknowledged but not promptly fixed.
4. Restrictive and Expensive Plans
Apollo.io's pricing and plan restrictions are another common point of contention.
- High Costs for Small Businesses: Many small business users find the plans too expensive for the value provided.
- Low Credit Limits: Users often find the monthly credit limits too restrictive, leading to additional costs.
- Rigid Pricing Policies: There is little flexibility in upgrading plans or adjusting terms to better suit user needs.
5. Poor Email Deliverability
Users note that their emails are mostly landing on spam because of no availability to warmup your accounts.
These recurring issues highlight significant areas where Apollo.io could improve to better meet user expectations and provide a more reliable and efficient service.
Apollo.io Review: Is Apollo.io Worth a Cold Email Tool?
When evaluating Apollo.io as a cold email tool, it’s crucial to understand both its strengths and weaknesses.
Apollo.io offers a comprehensive platform for sales prospecting and engagement, but it does have some notable limitations, especially for those new to cold email outreach.
One major drawback is that Apollo.io does not provide a complete email infrastructure which leads to emails landing on Spam.
For effective cold email campaigns, you need to ensure two things: a strong email infrastructure, email warmup and hyper-personalization.
Unfortunately, Apollo.io falls short in these areas.
1. Strong Email Infrastructure:
- Setting Up Domains and Email Accounts: Apollo.io doesn’t allow you to configure domains and email accounts within its platform. You need to manage these settings separately, which can be complex and time-consuming, especially for beginners.
- SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: For better email deliverability, you need to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Apollo.io doesn’t streamline this process, leaving users to handle it on their own.
- Inbox Ramp-up Feature: Although Apollo.io has introduced an Inbox Ramp-up feature to improve deliverability, it is still in beta and might not be user-friendly for newcomers.
For example, if you’re just starting with lead generation and need to set up email accounts for better deliverability, you might struggle with the technical aspects.
Ensuring all emails land in your prospects' inboxes requires precise configuration that Apollo.io doesn’t streamline within its platform.
2. Email Warmup:
Apollo.io previously offered an email warm-up feature, but it was discontinued due to compliance issues with Gmail's policies.
In response, Apollo introduced the "Inbox Ramp Up" feature, which gradually increases outbound email volume over time to improve deliverability.
Unlike traditional warm-up services that use simulated interactions, Inbox Ramp Up relies on real emails sent through Apollo's sequences.
For users seeking traditional email warm-up services, third-party alternatives like Warmforge and Automated Email Warmup are available. These platforms offer automated solutions to enhance email deliverability and sender reputation.
3. Database Accuracy:
- Accuracy Rate: Apollo.io’s database has an accuracy rate of about 65%, meaning users often encounter outdated or incorrect contact information. This can lead to high bounce rates, negatively impacting your sender reputation and overall email deliverability.
For instance, if you rely solely on Apollo.io’s database to build your email list, you might find that 35% of your emails bounce back, reducing the effectiveness of your campaigns and potentially getting your email domain flagged as spam.
Who Should Use Apollo.io?
If you’re new to lead generation with a limited budget, Apollo.io might still be a viable option due to its all-in-one approach and cost-effectiveness.
For those who require robust email deliverability and personalization features, alternatives like Salesforge might be a better choice.
Salesforge allows you to set up a strong email infrastructure in one place and provides advanced tools for writing hyper-personalized messages, ensuring your emails land in your prospects' inboxes effectively.
In summary, while Apollo.io offers a range of useful features, it lacks the comprehensive email infrastructure and advanced personalization capabilities that are crucial for cold email success.
Depending on your needs and experience level, it might be worth considering other tools like Salesforge.ai to complement or replace Apollo.io for better results in your cold email outreach efforts.
Now, let’s take a closer look at Apollo.io core features and see how this tool can help you in lead generation.
Apollo.io Features Detailed Review
Apollo.io is a sales platform with a range of features designed to streamline and enhance your sales processes.
Let’s explore some of the top features of Apollo.io and how you can utilize them effectively.
1. Comprehensive Contact Database
One of Apollo.io’s key features is its extensive contact database. With access to over 275 million contacts and more than 60 million companies, you can find and connect with potential leads across various industries and regions.
2. Advanced Search Filters
Apollo.io offers powerful tools to navigate its vast database. The advanced search filters allow you to refine your search criteria to find the most relevant leads. These filters include:
- Job title
- Location
- Years of experience
- Specific technologies used by the companies
3. Personalized Outreach Sequences
Apollo.io also supports the creation of personalized outreach sequences. You can design custom email sequences tailored to different stages of the buyer's journey.
For instance, you might start with an introductory email, followed by a product benefits email, and then a call-to-action email.
These sequences can be personalized with dynamic variables, making each prospect feel that the message is uniquely crafted for them, which can significantly improve your response rates.
4. Email and Call Integration
Apollo.io integrates email and call capabilities directly into the platform. This integration allows you to send personalized emails at scale and track their opens, clicks, and replies.
Additionally, the built-in dialer enables you to make calls directly from the platform. This means that you can manage your outreach activities in one place, enhancing efficiency.
For example, after sending an email, you can follow up with a call without switching between different tools.
5. CRM Integration
This feature syncs data between Apollo.io and your CRM, ensuring that your contact records are always current. Benefits include:
- Elimination of manual data entry
- Reduction in errors
For instance, if a contact changes their job title, Apollo.io updates this information automatically in your CRM, keeping your sales team informed and efficient.
6. Real-time Data Enrichment
Apollo.io’s data enrichment feature enhances your existing contact lists with additional information.
This additional data helps you understand your prospects better and craft more compelling outreach messages.
7. Multi-channel Engagement
Engaging prospects through multiple channels can significantly boost your outreach efforts. Apollo.io supports email, phone, and social media engagement.
For instance, you can start with an email, follow up with a LinkedIn message, and then make a call.
This multi-channel approach ensures that you reach your prospects where they are most active, increasing the likelihood of a positive response.
8. Analytics and Reporting
Apollo.io also provides robust analytics and reporting tools. These tools help you track key metrics such as:
- Open rates
- Click-through rates
- Conversion rates
For example, if you notice that a particular email template has a high open rate but a low response rate, you can tweak your messaging to improve engagement.
The real-time analytics allow you to make data-driven decisions, optimizing your sales strategy as needed.
In summary, Apollo.io offers a suite of features that enhance your ability to find and connect with leads while streamlining your entire sales process.
With a comprehensive contact database, advanced search filters, personalized outreach sequences, CRM integration, real-time data enrichment, multi-channel engagement, and analytics, Apollo.io equips your sales team with the tools needed to succeed.
Now let’s take a look at Apollo.io Pricing.
Apollo.io Pricing
Understanding Apollo.io's pricing plans can help you determine if it's the right fit for your business. Here’s a breakdown of the various plans offered:
Free Plan: At $0 per month
This plan includes:
- 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
This plan is ideal for individuals or very small teams testing the waters but may feel restricted for more advanced needs.
Basic Plan: Priced at $49 per user per month, billed annually
This plan offers:
- 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
This plan is suitable for medium-sized businesses needing more robust tools but can become expensive quickly if your team grows.
Professional Plan: At $79 per user per month, billed annually
This plan includes:
- 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
This plan is designed for larger teams requiring comprehensive capabilities, but its cost might be prohibitive for startups or small businesses.
Organization Plan: Costing $119 per user per month (minimum 3 users), billed annually
This plan offers:
- 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
This plan is best suited for large enterprises needing the most features and customization but is the most expensive option and may not be necessary for smaller businesses.
Each plan has its strengths and limitations. The Free Plan is a good starting point but quickly becomes limited as your needs grow.
The Basic and Professional Plans offer more advanced features but at a higher cost, making it essential to evaluate your budget and requirements carefully.
For the most comprehensive features, the Organization Plan provides everything you might need, but its high cost means it’s best suited for large teams and enterprises.
Apollo.io Review Summary
In summary, while the Apollo.io Chrome extension offers a range of features to enhance productivity and streamline workflows, it falls short in several critical areas, especially for those relying heavily on cold email outreach.
The main issues include poor customer service, inaccurate data, buggy software, restrictive and expensive plans, and a lack of robust mobile functionality. These limitations can significantly impact the effectiveness of your outreach efforts.
One major concern is the platform's lack of comprehensive email infrastructure. Effective cold email campaigns require strong email deliverability and hyper-personalization, areas where Apollo.io doesn't excel.
Users often face high bounce rates and spam risks due to outdated or incorrect data, which can harm your email sender reputation.
For those looking for a better alternative for cold email outreach, Salesforge.ai might be the solution.
Salesforge.ai provides a robust email infrastructure and advanced personalization tools, ensuring your emails reach your prospects' inboxes effectively.
It offers seamless integration, accurate data, and reliable customer support, addressing the key shortcomings of Apollo.io.
In the next section, we'll explore how Salesforge.ai is a superior alternative to Apollo.io for cold email outreach.
We'll dive into its features, benefits, and why it might be the right tool for your business. Let’s see how.
Apollo.io Alternative - Salesforge.ai
Salesforge is an advanced sales execution platform designed to help businesses maximize their cold email outreach with AI-driven automation, superior email deliverability, and a fully optimized infrastructure.
Unlike Apollo.io, which primarily focuses on lead generation and data enrichment, Salesforge provides an end-to-end solution that includes email warm-up, domain reputation management, AI-driven personalization, and automation at scale.
With Salesforge, you don’t just get access to a large contact database—you get a complete cold email ecosystem, including private email infrastructure (Infraforge), distributed email infrastructure (Mailforge), and enhanced email deliverability (Warmforge).
This ensures that every aspect of your email outreach is optimized for better results.
How is Salesforge Better Than Apollo.io?
Apollo.io offers a vast contact database and basic outreach features, but it falls short in several critical areas, especially for businesses serious about cold email campaigns. Here’s why Salesforge is the superior alternative:
1. Premium Email Deliverability
- Apollo.io: Lacks built-in email warm-up and deliverability tools, leading to high bounce rates and emails landing in spam.
- Salesforge: Includes Warmforge, a built-in email warm-up tool, ensuring your emails land in the primary inbox rather than spam.
2. Private Email Infrastructure
- Apollo.io: Uses shared sending infrastructure, leading to poor domain reputation and increased spam risks.
- Salesforge: Offers Infraforge, a private email infrastructure that ensures optimal email deliverability by allowing users to control their sending environment.
3. Advanced AI-Powered Outreach
- Apollo.io: Provides basic email sequencing but lacks deep AI-driven personalization and automation.
- Salesforge: Features AI-generated hyper-personalized emails with unique tonality, ensuring better engagement and higher reply rates
4. Seamless Mailbox Management
- Apollo.io: Limited mailbox management with no central control over multiple domains.
- Salesforge: Allows easy management of all mailboxes in one dashboard, with options to create new mailboxes using Mailforge.
5. Comprehensive Contact Verification
- Apollo.io: Users often report outdated or incorrect data, leading to high bounce rates.
- Salesforge: Includes built-in contact validation, reducing bounce rates and improving sender reputation.
6. Multi-Language Outreach
- Apollo.io: Supports only English email templates.
- Salesforge: Allows users to send emails in multiple languages without hiring translators, expanding outreach to international markets.
7. Better Pricing Flexibility
- Apollo.io: Expensive plans with restrictive credit limits.
- Salesforge: Transparent pricing with cost-effective options, offering more value for serious cold emailers.
Salesforge vs. Apollo.io
Final Verdict: Should You Choose Salesforge Over Apollo.io?
If your primary goal is simply finding contact data, Apollo.io might suffice. However, if you want a complete cold email outreach solution with superior deliverability, AI personalization, private email infrastructure, and seamless mailbox management, Salesforge is the best choice.
Salesforge doesn’t just help you send emails—it ensures your emails reach the inbox and generate responses. Whether you’re an SDR, founder, or lead generation agency, Salesforge provides the right tools to scale your outreach without scaling your team.
Ready to experience Salesforge? Book a demo now and take your cold email outreach to the next level
