Apollo wins on cost and self-serve simplicity. Outreach wins on enterprise capability and AI depth. The right pick depends on team size and sales motion complexity.
The 30-second comparison
| Apollo.io | Outreach | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $59-$149/seat | Custom (typically $130-$200/seat) |
| Database | 275M+ contacts included | Need separate (ZoomInfo) |
| Best for | SMB + solo sellers | Mid-market + enterprise |
| Dialer | Included | Add-on |
| AI sequences | Yes (newer) | Yes (mature) |
| Salesforce integration | Good | Best in class |
When Apollo wins
SMB and solo sellers. Bundled data + sequences + dialer + AI for $59-$99/seat. Outreach charges separately for each.
Self-serve simplicity. Apollo's onboarding is hours; Outreach is weeks.
Cost-conscious teams. At 5-20 reps, Apollo is 30-50% cheaper for similar capability.
International prospecting. Apollo's European and APAC data has improved dramatically in 2025-2026.
When Outreach wins
Enterprise sales orgs. Multi-touch sequences across 8+ channels, complex playbook automation, granular admin controls.
Deal forecasting AI. Outreach's Pipeline Insights and Deal Insights features outperform Apollo's forecasting.
Salesforce-native workflows. Outreach has the deepest SFDC integration in sales engagement.
Coaching and call analysis. Outreach Conversation Intelligence + Kaia rival Gong on some dimensions.
Pricing math at common workloads
5-rep SMB team:
- Apollo Professional ($99 × 5 = $495/mo) — all included
- Outreach (
$130 × 5 = $650/mo) + ZoomInfo ($10K/year) = much more - Winner: Apollo by $5K+/year
25-rep mid-market team:
- Apollo Organization ($149 × 25 = $3,725/mo)
- Outreach + ZoomInfo bundle (~$50K-$100K/year)
- Winner: depends on workflow complexity
75-rep enterprise:
- Apollo at $149 × 75 = $11K/mo = $134K/year
- Outreach + ZoomInfo + Gong = $200K-$400K/year
- Winner: Outreach for capability; Apollo for cost
For exact comparison see the TCO calculator.
The verdict
- Solo seller or 1-5 person team → Apollo
- 5-25 reps, growth-stage → Apollo (cost wins)
- 25-100 reps, mature org → Compare carefully; Outreach for complex workflows
- 100+ rep enterprise → Outreach (capability wins)
For other sales AI options see Best AI sales agents in 2026, Gong vs Outreach, and Lavender vs Regie.