Apollo.io and ZoomInfo both provide B2B contact/company data with free entry tiers, but they emphasize different parts of the sales workflow: Apollo.io…
Best for Apollo.io: Best for sales teams that want prospecting, multichannel outbound sequencing, inbound lead routing, and deal execution (call summaries, pipeline boards) natively in one platform, with a free-forever Starter plan after the trial.
Best for ZoomInfo: Best for teams that primarily need a large, established, publicly verified B2B contact/company database with optional add-on modules for conversation intelligence (Chorus) or AI prospecting (Copilot), from a company with a disclosed 2007 founding and public-market status.
At a Glance
Apollo.io
ZoomInfo
Primary category
Sales
Sales
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
custom
Starting price
Free
Custom annual contracts; SalesOS plans commonly cited from approximately 15,000 dollars per year
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Yes
Not documented
Platforms
Web
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Public API
Yes
Not documented
Key Differences
Contact database size
Apollo.io: Apollo.io states access to 230M+ contacts and 30M+ company profiles with verified contact information.
ZoomInfo: ZoomInfo's facts describe a comprehensive contact & company database with real-time data verification and advanced filtering, without a specific contact/company count disclosed.
A documented contact count gives buyers a concrete sense of database breadth before committing.
ZoomInfo: ZoomInfo's Chorus (conversation intelligence) and Copilot (AI prospecting) are described as separate add-on modules rather than native core features.
Native workflow tools versus paid add-ons affects both cost and how tightly integrated the outbound/deal-execution experience feels.
Company transparency and history
Apollo.io: Apollo.io's founding year and headquarters are not disclosed in the facts provided.
ZoomInfo: ZoomInfo discloses a 2007 founding year (originally as DiscoverOrg, rebranded after acquiring Zoom Information, Inc. in 2019), headquarters in Vancouver, Washington, and public-market status on Nasdaq under ticker GTM.
Disclosed company history and public-market status give buyers independently verifiable information about vendor stability.
Free tier structure
Apollo.io: Apollo.io offers a free-forever Starter plan available after the trial.
ZoomInfo: ZoomInfo Lite is a permanent free tier limited to 10 monthly credits (25 with Community Edition), with no credit card required.
A credit-limited free tier (ZoomInfo Lite) suits light, occasional lookups, while a free-forever plan without a stated credit cap (Apollo.io Starter) may support more regular light usage.
ZoomInfo: ZoomInfo states it is GDPR and CCPA compliant, without listing SOC 2 or ISO/IEC 27001 in the facts provided.
The specific certifications disclosed can matter for security questionnaires during vendor onboarding.
Feature-by-Feature
Data & Enrichment
Feature
Apollo.io
ZoomInfo
Contact/company database
Available
Available
Buying-intent signals
Not documented
Available
Anonymous website visitor identification
Available
Available
Real-time form enrichment
Available
Not documented
Outreach & Deal Execution
Feature
Apollo.io
ZoomInfo
Multichannel outbound automation
Available
Not documented
Conversation intelligence (call analysis)
Available
Available
AI prospecting assistant
Not documented
Available
CRM sync (Salesforce, HubSpot)
Available
Not documented
Company & Access
Feature
Apollo.io
ZoomInfo
Free tier
Available
Available
Published paid pricing
Unavailable
Unavailable
Founding year / headquarters disclosed
Unavailable
Available
Publicly traded
Not documented
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Apollo.io
Free — $0 N/A
Basic — $49/user/month (annual) or $59/user/month (monthly) Monthly or annual
Professional — $79/user/month (annual) or $99/user/month (monthly) Monthly or annual
Organization — $119/user/month (annual) or $149/user/month (monthly) Monthly or annual, minimum 3 users
ZoomInfo
SalesOS Professional — Approximately 14,995 dollars per year (estimated) annual contract
SalesOS Advanced — Approximately 24,995 dollars per year (estimated) annual contract
SalesOS Elite — 39,995 dollars per year and above (estimated) annual contract
Pros & Cons
Apollo.io
Pros
Free-forever plan gives access to the core contact database without a paid subscription
Combines database, outreach automation, enrichment, and deal tools in one platform
Holds recognized security certifications including SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001
Chrome extension integrates prospecting into LinkedIn, Gmail, and CRM workflows
Cons
Higher-tier features like the international dialer and API access require the Organization plan, which has a 3-user minimum
Monthly billing costs meaningfully more per user than annual billing
Data, mobile, and export credits are capped by plan, and add-ons or overages can raise total cost
ZoomInfo
Pros
Large, frequently updated B2B contact and company database
Combines data, engagement, and conversation intelligence in one platform
AI-driven Copilot helps prioritize accounts most likely to convert
Deep integrations with major CRM and sales engagement tools
Established, well-known brand in the sales intelligence category
Cons
No public self-serve pricing; requires a custom annual sales contract
Significant per-seat add-on costs can push total spend well above the base package price
No monthly billing option, requiring an annual commitment
Total cost can be prohibitive for small businesses and startups
Use Cases
Choose Apollo.io: Best for sales teams that want prospecting, multichannel outbound sequencing, inbound lead routing, and deal execution (call summaries, pipeline boards) natively in one platform, with a free-forever Starter plan after the trial.
Choose ZoomInfo: Best for teams that primarily need a large, established, publicly verified B2B contact/company database with optional add-on modules for conversation intelligence (Chorus) or AI prospecting (Copilot), from a company with a disclosed 2007 founding and public-market status.
Need both: Revenue teams sometimes run ZoomInfo as the system of record for verified contact/company data while using Apollo.io's built-in sequencing and deal-execution workflow tools for day-to-day outbound execution, since the two facts sets emphasize different strengths (data provenance vs. workflow automation).
Apollo.io
Prospecting and building outbound lists — Sales teams search Apollo's contact database and build targeted lists for outbound campaigns.
Running multichannel outreach sequences — Account executives and SDRs automate email and multichannel outreach with AI-assisted sequencing and deliverability safeguards.
Enriching inbound leads and routing them automatically — Revenue operations teams use Apollo to enrich form submissions and identify anonymous website visitors for automated lead routing.
Managing pipeline and deal execution — Sales leaders use pipeline boards, AI call summaries, and conversation analytics to track and advance deals.
ZoomInfo
Outbound sales prospecting — Sales development teams use ZoomInfo's contact database and SalesOS engagement tools to build and run outbound campaigns.
Account-based marketing — Marketing teams use intent data and firmographic data to identify and target high-value accounts.
Sales call coaching — Sales managers use Chorus conversation intelligence to review calls and coach reps on deal risk and messaging.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is each platform's contact database?
Apollo.io states access to 230M+ contacts and 30M+ company profiles. ZoomInfo describes a comprehensive, real-time-verified database without disclosing a specific contact count in the facts available.
Does either tool have a free plan?
Yes, both. Apollo.io offers a free-forever Starter plan after the trial. ZoomInfo Lite is a permanent free tier limited to 10 monthly credits (25 with Community Edition), with no credit card required.
Are Chorus and Copilot included in ZoomInfo's core plan?
No — Chorus (conversation intelligence) and Copilot (AI prospecting assistant) are described as separate add-on modules rather than native core features.
When was ZoomInfo founded and is it publicly traded?
ZoomInfo was founded in 2007 (originally as DiscoverOrg, rebranded after acquiring Zoom Information, Inc. in 2019) and trades publicly on Nasdaq under ticker GTM.
What compliance certifications does each platform have?
Apollo.io lists SOC 2, GDPR, ISO/IEC 27001, and CCPA. ZoomInfo states GDPR and CCPA compliance; SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 aren't listed in the facts available for ZoomInfo.
Does Apollo.io include outbound sequencing tools natively?
Yes — Apollo.io includes AI-powered multichannel outbound campaigns and workflow automation as native features, rather than as separate add-ons.