Apollo and Instantly are often compared, but they start from opposite ends. Apollo is a sales platform built around a huge B2B database. Instantly is a sending platform built around unlimited inboxes and warm-up, with a lead database on the side.
Prices were last checked on October 1, 2026.
Prices at a glance
Side by side
| Apollo | Instantly | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per seat: Basic $49, Professional $79, Organization $119 (billed yearly) | By volume: outreach from $47/month |
| Free plan | Yes: 900 credits a year, 2 sequences | Sign up without a card |
| Data | 240M contacts, 30M companies, intent and job changes | 450M+ B2B contacts on separate leads plans |
| Sending | Sequences; unlimited Gmail and Microsoft mailboxes on Professional | Up to 500,000 emails/month, unlimited inboxes |
| Warm-up | Basic and up | Included |
| Calls | US dialer, recordings | Not listed |
| AI | AI assistant, research, lead scoring | AI sales, reply, research and writer agents |
Prices from each vendor’s pricing page, last checked October 1, 2026: Apollo, Instantly. Prices change often, so check before you buy.
Choose Apollo if…
- you need deep B2B filters (role, size, intent);
- your team calls as well as emails;
- you want CRM-style deal tracking.
Choose Instantly if…
- you send high volume from many inboxes;
- you already have your lists;
- you want to pay by volume, not per seat.
And if you don’t have a list yet?
Both are built for B2B lists. If your customers are small or local businesses (clinics, shops, contractors, agencies), they are often missing from those databases. LeadGen.tools finds them live for any niche and city, finds the person who decides at each, and writes one email per prospect.
FAQ
Is Apollo or Instantly better for cold email?
For sending at volume, Instantly. For finding B2B contacts and running a full sales process, Apollo. Many teams use Apollo for data and Instantly for sending.
Which one is cheaper?
It depends on team size and volume: Apollo charges per seat, Instantly by sending volume. A single person sending a lot usually pays less with Instantly.
Does either have a free plan?
Apollo has a free plan (900 credits a year, 2 sequences). Instantly lets you sign up without a card.