Cold email outreach platform with unlimited sending accounts, warmup and B2B lead database.
Apollo.io vs HubSpot
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Editor’s verdict
Apollo.io is a prospecting and outreach tool with its own contact database, while HubSpot is a full CRM platform where sales outreach is one part of a larger system. Choose Apollo.io if your priority is finding new contacts, enriching records and running outbound sequences with a dialer, especially for a small SDR team on a budget. Choose HubSpot if you need a CRM of record for deals, marketing automation and customer service in one place, and outreach mainly targets leads already in your system. Many teams use both, with Apollo.io feeding enriched contacts into HubSpot through the native integration. Neither is ideal for agencies running high-volume cold email across many mailboxes; dedicated senders like Instantly or Smartlead handle warm-up and rotation better.
Both Apollo.io and HubSpot offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which should you choose?
Choose Apollo.io if…
- You need sales teams that want a B2B contact database and outreach sequences in one platform
- You're one of: sdr and bdr teams, startup founders doing outbound, small sales teams without a data vendor
- Database, sequencing and dialer in one tool
Choose HubSpot if…
- You need companies that want CRM, sales sequences and marketing on one connected platform
- You're one of: smb and mid-market sales teams, companies consolidating marketing and sales, teams needing a crm of record
- Full CRM included, with a usable free tier
At a glance
| Apollo.io | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Sales teams that want a B2B contact database and outreach sequences in one platform | Companies that want CRM, sales sequences and marketing on one connected platform |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $49/user/mo | From $15/seat/mo |
| Learning curve | Medium | Medium |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome extension, iOS, Android, API | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome extension, API |
| Ideal for | SDR and BDR teams, Startup founders doing outbound, Small sales teams without a data vendor | SMB and mid-market sales teams, Companies consolidating marketing and sales, Teams needing a CRM of record |
Feature comparison
| Apollo.io | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|
| B2B contact database | 200M+ contacts | Limited |
| Email sequences | Yes | Starter plan and above |
| Email warm-up | No | No |
| Unlimited sending accounts | No | No |
| LinkedIn steps | Manual task steps | Requires Sales Navigator |
| Built-in CRM | Yes | Yes |
| AI personalization | Yes | Yes |
| Dialer / calling | Professional plan and above | Yes |
| Email verification | Yes | — |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Apollo.io | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Organization plan | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | Via Okta |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | US, EU, Canada, Australia |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | Enterprise plan |
| Admin controls | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Apollo.io
Apollo.io combines a large B2B contact and company database with multichannel sequences, a dialer, deal tracking and AI research tools. Reps search and filter prospects, enrich records, and run email, call and LinkedIn task steps from the same account. It is widely used by startups, SDR teams and small sales organizations as an all-in-one prospecting tool.
Key features- B2B database of 200M+ contacts with 65+ search filters
- Multichannel sequences with email, call and LinkedIn task steps
- Built-in dialer with recording and local presence (Professional and up)
- AI research, AI email writing and lead scoring
- Deals, pipeline and CRM enrichment
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn and Gmail
HubSpot
HubSpot is a CRM platform with Sales, Marketing and Service Hubs, and Breeze AI features including a copilot and agents. Sales Hub adds sequences, calling, meeting scheduling and deal pipelines, with a Prospecting Agent on higher tiers. It is used by small to large businesses that want outreach and customer records in the same system.
Key features- Free CRM with contacts, companies and deal pipelines
- Sales sequences with email and task steps
- Built-in calling with minutes included on paid plans
- Breeze AI copilot and Prospecting Agent (Professional and up)
- Breeze Intelligence data enrichment using credits
- Sales Navigator integration for LinkedIn activity
Pricing
Apollo.io
Free forever plan; paid from $49/user/mo annual ($59 monthly) Basic
HubSpot
Free plan: yes (free CRM + limited Breeze). Paid from ~$15/seat/mo billed annually (Starter)
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Apollo.io
Strengths- Database, sequencing and dialer in one tool
- Useful free plan for light prospecting
- Syncs with Salesforce and HubSpot
- AI research speeds up personalization
- No true email warm-up; its ramp-up only paces sending volume
- Credit limits restrict exports and mobile numbers
- Data accuracy varies by region and industry
- Dialer is limited to Professional plan and above
Not ideal for: Agencies sending high-volume cold email across many domains will get better deliverability tooling from Instantly or Smartlead.
HubSpot
Strengths- Full CRM included, with a usable free tier
- Outreach, marketing and support data in one place
- Large app marketplace
- Reporting and pipeline management are mature
- Not built for high-volume cold email; no warm-up or inbox rotation
- Prospecting Agent and advanced automation need Professional or higher
- Costs rise quickly as seats and hubs are added
- LinkedIn actions require a separate Sales Navigator subscription
Not ideal for: Lead-gen agencies running cold email at scale across many mailboxes should use a dedicated sender like Instantly or Smartlead.
Integrations
Apollo.io
HubSpot
FAQ
What is the main difference between Apollo.io and HubSpot?
Apollo.io is built for sales teams that want a B2B contact database and outreach sequences in one platform; HubSpot is built for companies that want CRM, sales sequences and marketing on one connected platform.
Is Apollo.io or HubSpot cheaper?
Apollo.io starts from $49/user/mo and HubSpot starts from $15/seat/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, HubSpot is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Apollo.io and HubSpot have free plans?
Both Apollo.io and HubSpot offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Apollo.io or HubSpot?
Both have a medium learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Apollo.io and HubSpot?
Other sales & outreach tools worth comparing include Instantly.ai, lemlist and Smartlead.
