Apollo.io Review Insights on Features, Pros, and Cons (2024)
Apollo.io is a universal sales engagement tool primarily used for lead generation, data collection, and outreach.
Businesses use it to:
- Expand their reach
- Target specific types of leads
- Manage outreach campaigns efficiently,
- Enhance existing customer and prospect data
- Simplify their sales activities.
- Perform Automation for LinkedIn and email sequences.
We have already mentioned Apollo as an alternative to Sales Navigator, and we will now conduct an in-depth review of it in this blog post.
Getting Started with Apollo:
When I first started using Apollo.io, I was immediately struck by how user-friendly the platform is.
The interface is clean and intuitive, making navigating through the various features easy.
The initial setup process is straightforward, and the platform provides helpful guides and tutorials to get you up and running quickly.
The main dashboard is divided into several key sections:
- Control Center: This is the central hub where you can manage tasks, view alerts, and monitor your activity.
- Cockpit: Here, you can examine your calls, tasks, and emails more closely, providing a more detailed view of your sales activities.
Connecting your email accounts and setting up your profile is a breeze, allowing you to start exploring Apollo.io’s features almost immediately.
Features that Stand Out
Apollo.io is packed with features that make it a powerful tool for sales and outreach.
Here are some of the most notable ones:
Lead Database and Search
Apollo.io boasts an extensive lead database with over 275+ million contacts. This feature is invaluable for businesses looking to expand their reach.
The advanced search filters enable you to pinpoint leads based on various criteria, such as:
- Industry
- Job Title
- Location
- Company size
You can also create buyer personas to target specific types of leads, either manually or with the help of Apollo AI.
Apollo leads database offers similar search filters to sales navigator. However, Apollo relies on cashed data, so information might not be as up-to-date as what you can scrape directly from LinkedIn with a tool like Phantombuster.
List Management
Managing lists in Apollo.io is remarkably efficient. You can select thousands of contacts at once and add them to organized lists, which is essential for large-scale outreach campaigns.
- Segmentation: This feature allows you to segment your contacts based on various criteria, such as industry, job title, location, or engagement level.
- Custom Lists: Create custom lists of leads for targeted outreach campaigns.
- Filtering: Apply filters to find specific contacts within your lists quickly.
- Enrichment: Automatically update and enrich contact information to ensure data accuracy.
- Tagging: Add tags to categorize and identify contacts easily.
- Bulk Actions: Perform bulk actions like sending emails, updating contact information, or exporting data.
Direct Outreach Integration
Direct Outreach Integration in Apollo.io enables users to engage directly with their leads and contacts from the platform.
Here are some of its capabilities:
- Email Campaigns: Create, schedule, and send personalized email campaigns to your lists.
- Templates: Utilize pre-built email templates or create your own to save time and maintain consistency.
- Sequences: Set up automated email sequences that send follow-up messages based on recipient actions or schedules.
- Tracking: Monitor email opens, clicks, and replies to measure the effectiveness of your outreach.
- Dialer: Make calls directly from Apollo.io using the integrated dialer, allowing seamless voice communication.
- Task Management: Assign tasks to follow up with contacts, ensuring no lead falls through the cracks.
- Calendar Integration: Sync with your calendar to schedule meetings and calls directly from Apollo.io
Data Enrichment
Apollo.io offers robust data enrichment capabilities. This feature improves your existing customer and prospect data.
Fresh, Accurate Data
- Updates stale, incomplete, and inaccurate data using a large B2B database.
Data Health Center
- Monitors and updates data health.
- Tracks job changes and merges duplicate records.
Data Deduplication
- Eliminates duplicate contact records.
- Configures detection rules for duplicates.
CRM Enrichment
- Keeps CRM data up-to-date.
- Enriches records with new data or fills in missing fields.
CSV Enrichment
- Uploads CSV files to enrich contacts and accounts.
- Provides a report on the updates made.
API Enrichment
- It uses an open API to enrich data in any system. Syncs tasks, sequences, and opportunities to streamline processes.
Email Sequences
Creating and managing email sequences in Apollo.io is straightforward and intuitive.
The platform allows you to set up automated email campaigns and customize each message.
- Automated Follow-ups: Set up emails that automatically follow up with your contacts at specified intervals.
- Personalization: Customize each email in the sequence with personalized fields such as the recipient’s name, company, or job title.
- Triggers and Conditions: Define triggers and conditions to control the sequence flow based on recipient actions (e.g., emails opened, links clicked, replies received).
- A/B Testing: Test different subject lines, content, and send times to optimize your email performance.
Apollo emailing features don’t have a great deliverability rate. If you are interested in email outreach, we recommend using Woodpecker or LemList instead.
Multi-Mailbox Linking
Linking multiple email accounts to Apollo.io is simple, allowing you to manage various outreach strategies from a single platform. This feature simplifies the process of handling different email accounts.
- Multiple Accounts: Connect multiple email accounts from different providers (e.g., Gmail, Outlook) to manage all your communications in one place.
- Unified Inbox: You can view and manage emails from all linked mailboxes in a single, unified inbox, making it easier to keep track of interactions.
- Sender Flexibility: Choose which email account to send messages from when creating email campaigns or sequences, allowing for better personalization and segmentation.
Outreach Analytics
Apollo.io provides detailed analytics on your outreach campaigns, offering insights into performance metrics and areas for improvement. Real-time data helps you make informed decisions about your outreach strategies.
CRM Integration
Apollo.io integrates seamlessly with various CRM platforms, including HubSpot and Salesforce. This ensures a smooth workflow between lead generation and sales activities.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Extensive Database: Access to over 275+ million contacts makes lead generation incredibly robust.
- Advanced Search Filters: Highly targeted lead selection improves the efficiency of outreach efforts.
- Intend data: Apollo lead database can be filtered based on intend signals.
- Direct Outreach Integration: Seamless transition from lead search to outreach campaigns saves time.
- Continuous Data Refresh: Always work with up-to-date leads.
- Phone number: Apollo offers to discover phone numbers for most leads.
Cons
- Export Limitations: Exporting large volumes of data can be restricted.
- Additional Costs for Personal Phone Numbers: Accessing personal phone numbers requires extra payment.
- Less Effective for Niche Markets: Not as useful for industries with low online search volume.
- Regular Monitoring Required: Needs frequent updates for optimal performance.
- Outdated data: Information in Apollo can be several months old.
Pricing
Apollo.io offers several pricing plans to accommodate different business needs:
Free Plan
- 10,000 credits per month
Basic ($49/month)
- Unlimited email credits
- 25 mobile credits per month
- 250 export credits per month
- Ability to select 2,000 records at a time
- No limit on email sequences
- Uncapped sending limits with SendGrid
- A/B testing capabilities
- Buying intent filters
- Advanced search filters
- Integration with all email providers
- Custom fields for additional data
- Sales pipeline management
- Email open and click tracking
- Integration with Greenhouse (applicant tracking system)
- One multi-channel campaign limit
Professional ($79/month)
Includes everything in the Basic plan plus:
- 100 mobile credits per month
- 1,000 export credits per month
- Ability to select 10,000 records at a time
- Advanced reports and dashboards
Organization ($119/month)
It is ideal for large sales teams and extensive lead-generation campaigns. Includes everything in the Professional plan plus:
- Custom plans according to complex needs
- API access for advanced integrations
- Unlimited plans managed by a fair use policy
- No limit on record selection
Final Thoughts
Apollo.io is a great platform that excels in lead generation and sales engagement.
Its extensive database and advanced search filters make it a powerful tool for expanding your reach.
The platform’s smooth integration with CRM systems and detailed analytics further enhance its utility.
While some limitations exist, such as export restrictions and additional costs for accessing personal phone numbers, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
Apollo.io’s flexible pricing plans make it accessible to small and large enterprises.
If you want to explore further options in cold outreach:
If you are interested in LinkedIn automation check out our detailed article on the topic: Best LinkedIn automation tool We have in-depth reviews for most of those tools:
FAQs
Is Apollo.io suitable for small businesses?
Yes, Apollo.io offers flexible pricing plans for small and large businesses.
Can I integrate Apollo.io with my existing CRM?
Yes, Apollo.io integrates with various CRM platforms, including HubSpot and Salesforce.
Does Apollo.io offer a free trial?
Apollo.io offers a free plan with 10,000 credits per month.
Is Apollo.io a good alternative to LinkedIn sales navigator?
Apollo is one of the best alternatives to sales navigators. Check out or review the top 7 LinkedIn Sales Navigator Alternatives to learn more.