Cold email outreach platform with unlimited sending accounts, warmup and B2B lead database.
Apollo.io vs Hunter.io
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Apollo.io is best for sales teams that want a B2B contact database and outreach sequences in one platform, while Hunter.io is best for finding and verifying professional email addresses, with simple cold email campaigns. Apollo.io has a medium learning curve, compared with low for Hunter.io. Both Apollo.io and Hunter.io 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 Hunter.io if…
- You need finding and verifying professional email addresses, with simple cold email campaigns
- You're one of: marketers and link builders, recruiters, sdrs running low-volume targeted outreach
- You want something quicker to learn
- Accurate email finding and verification
At a glance
| Apollo.io | Hunter.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Sales teams that want a B2B contact database and outreach sequences in one platform | Finding and verifying professional email addresses, with simple cold email campaigns |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $49/user/mo | From $34/mo |
| Learning curve | Medium | Low |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome extension, iOS, Android, API | Web, Chrome extension, API |
| Ideal for | SDR and BDR teams, Startup founders doing outbound, Small sales teams without a data vendor | Marketers and link builders, Recruiters, SDRs running low-volume targeted outreach |
Feature comparison
| Apollo.io | Hunter.io | |
|---|---|---|
| B2B contact database | 200M+ contacts | Yes |
| Email sequences | Yes | Yes |
| Email warm-up | No | No |
| Unlimited sending accounts | No | No |
| LinkedIn steps | Manual task steps | No |
| Built-in CRM | Yes | Lead lists only |
| AI personalization | Yes | Yes |
| Dialer / calling | Professional plan and above | No |
| Email verification | Yes | Yes |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Apollo.io | Hunter.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | — |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Organization plan | — |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | — |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | EU (default) |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | 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
Hunter.io
Hunter.io is an email finding and verification tool that searches by domain or person and returns addresses with confidence scores. It also includes a B2B lead database (Discover), lead lists, and Campaigns for sending sequences from Gmail, Outlook or SMTP accounts. It is used by marketers, recruiters, SDRs and link builders.
Key features- Domain Search and Email Finder
- Email Verifier with bulk verification
- Discover B2B lead database with intent signals
- Campaigns with automated follow-ups from connected inboxes
- AI Writing Assistant for cold emails
- Chrome extension and Google Sheets add-on
Pricing
Apollo.io
Free forever plan; paid from $49/user/mo annual ($59 monthly) Basic
Hunter.io
Free plan (50 credits/mo); paid from $34/mo billed yearly ($49 monthly) 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.
Hunter.io
Strengths- Accurate email finding and verification
- Free plan with monthly credits
- Unlimited team members on all plans
- Simple to learn
- No email warm-up or inbox rotation
- No phone numbers and no LinkedIn steps
- Connected email accounts capped per plan
- Campaign features are basic compared with dedicated senders
Not ideal for: Teams running multichannel or high-volume cold outreach should look at lemlist, Instantly or Smartlead.
Integrations
Apollo.io
Hunter.io
FAQ
What is the main difference between Apollo.io and Hunter.io?
Apollo.io is built for sales teams that want a B2B contact database and outreach sequences in one platform; Hunter.io is built for finding and verifying professional email addresses, with simple cold email campaigns.
Is Apollo.io or Hunter.io cheaper?
Apollo.io starts from $49/user/mo and Hunter.io starts from $34/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Hunter.io is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Apollo.io and Hunter.io have free plans?
Both Apollo.io and Hunter.io offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Apollo.io or Hunter.io?
Hunter.io is generally quicker to learn (Apollo.io: medium, Hunter.io: low learning curve).
What are good alternatives to Apollo.io and Hunter.io?
Other sales & outreach tools worth comparing include Instantly.ai, HubSpot and lemlist.
