AeroLeads vs Apollo.io (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Apollo.io: it is third in our ranking of lead and email finders, though AeroLeads grades higher (2.6 against 2.4) on value for money.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Apollo.io grades higher on features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AeroLeads
B2B contact search sold as one-time credit packs
Apollo.io
B2B contact database with built-in email sequences and a dialer
Which one is for you
Pick AeroLeads if
- Fits if you want to pay once for a small batch of contacts
- Works for recruiters who work from LinkedIn in Chrome
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: only 10 credits on signup
- Watch out: credits expire 12 months after your latest purchase
- Watch out: unused credits are refundable only within 7 days of buying
- Watch out: phone numbers cost 5 extra credits each
Pick Apollo.io if
- Fits if you want to find people and email them from the same account
- Works for founders trying outbound on a free plan with 2 sequences and 250 emails a day
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you call a lot, since each phone number eats 8 credits
- Tight if your usage is lumpy, as unused credits expire at the end of each cycle
- Not for you if you want some reps on cheaper seats, since every seat must be on the same plan and Organization needs 3
- Watch out: downgrades take effect at once with no refund, and annual plans can't move to monthly mid-term
- Pricey if you want inbound visitor identification, at $119 to $639 a team a month on top of a plan, billed yearly
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAAeroLeadsGood | 2.4GPAApollo.ioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$49 one-time for 2,000 credits, under a year of the lead-finders middle ($49 a month). A phone number takes 6 credits, so the pack covers fewer contacts. | C$245 a month for five on Basic, billed yearly: $49 a seat, right at this category's dearer quarter ($49). That buys 30,000 credits a seat a year, about 2,500 a month each, pooled, at 1 credit an email and 8 a phone number. |
| Free plan and trial | C10 free credits on signup, no card needed. No free plan. | CA free plan for good with 900 credits a seat a year, 2 sequences and 250 emails a day, plus a 14-day trial of the paid plans. But 900 a year is 75 a month, a cap you'll hit if you prospect every day. |
| Features | CContact search, LinkedIn extension, enrichment, credit pricing and CRM connections. But packs top out at 20,000 credits and bigger volumes go through sales. | BAbout 240 million contacts with emails and phone numbers, waterfall enrichment, unlimited sequences, a dialer, call recording and a Chrome extension. It covers the whole job, and the outreach after it. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You install the extension and connect your CRM. | CNo App Store rating on record. It's a big web app with a database, sequences, mailboxes and a dialer, so expect a learning curve before it pays off. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and a Chrome extension, with Claude, ChatGPT, HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive and Zoho CRM. | BWeb and a Chrome extension that works on LinkedIn, Gmail and CRMs, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Outreach, Salesloft and Slack. No desktop or phone apps on record. |
| Best for | buying B2B contacts in one-off credit packs | contact data and outreach in one account |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AeroLeads and Apollo.io. How we grade
Where they differ
- AeroLeads also covers research.
- Apollo.io also covers web clipper, sales pipeline and email campaigns.
At a glance
| AeroLeads | Apollo.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49 one-time for 2,000 credits | $49 per seat / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | 900 credits per seat a year, granted monthly, 2 sequences, basic filters, 250 emails a day from 1 mailbox, and the Chrome extension. |
| Free trial | 10 free credits on signup, no credit card required | 14-day trial of Basic or Professional with 75 credits |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | AeroLeads | ZenLeads Inc. (Apollo.io) |
| Price read from | aeroleads.com | apollo.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AeroLeads
- Credits expire 12 months after your latest purchase, and unused credits are refundable only within 7 days of buying a pack.
- Phone numbers cost 5 extra credits each, so a pack covers far fewer contacts when phones are included.
- Packs top out at 20,000 credits; larger volumes or custom datasets go through sales.
- Payment is through Razorpay or PayPal, in US dollars.
Apollo.io
- Phone numbers cost 8 credits each against 1 for an email, and unused credits expire at the end of each billing cycle.
- All seats on an account must be on the same plan, and Organization requires at least 3 seats.
- Downgrades take effect at once with no refund, and annual plans cannot move to monthly mid-term.
- Inbound visitor identification costs $119 to $639 per team a month on top of a plan, billed annually.
Key features
AeroLeads
- B2B contact search
- Searches a database the site puts at over 650 million profiles by role, company and location, and shows which contacts have an email or phone before you save them.
- Credit-based pricing
- A saved contact costs 1 credit and a contact with a phone number costs 6 in total. Packs are one-time payments with no auto-renewal.
- LinkedIn Chrome extension
- A browser extension finds contact details while you browse LinkedIn profiles, using the same credit balance as the web app.
- Data enrichment
- Adds emails and phone numbers to a CSV file or a list of LinkedIn URLs.
- AI assistant connection
- Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor can connect to AeroLeads and spend the same credits, and the page says the assistant shows the price before saving anyone.
- CRM and API connections
- Integration pages list HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM, Freshsales and Mailchimp, and there is an API for use in your own systems.
Apollo.io
- Contact and company database
- Search about 240 million contacts and 30 million companies by title, company, intent topics and other filters. Paid plans unlock advanced filters.
- Credits for emails and phones
- Revealing a verified email costs 1 credit and a phone number 8. Credits are pooled across the team, reset each billing cycle and do not roll over.
- Email sequences
- Multi-step outreach from connected mailboxes. The free plan allows 2 sequences and 250 emails a day; paid plans add unlimited sequences and any email provider.
- Chrome extension
- Shows emails and numbers for people on LinkedIn, company websites, Gmail and CRMs, and adds them to lists or sequences. Works on every plan.
- Enrichment and waterfall
- Fill in missing fields for CSV files, CRM records and API calls. From Basic, waterfall enrichment checks partner sources when Apollo has no match.
- Dialer and call recording
- A US dialer billed in credits, call recording with AI insights, and an Advanced Dialer add-on with parallel and international calling.
Plans
AeroLeads
Take Off$49
one-time, for 2,000 credits
2.45 cents per contact. Each saved contact uses 1 credit, plus 5 more if it includes a phone number.
Climb$149
one-time, for 8,000 credits
1.86 cents per contact; the page marks it as a 24% saving against the smallest pack.
Cruise$299
one-time, for 20,000 credits
1.50 cents per contact; the page marks it as a 39% saving against the smallest pack.
Apollo.io
Free$0
900 credits per seat a year, granted monthly. 2 sequences, basic filters, 25-record selection limit and 250 emails a day.
Basic$49
per seat / month, billed annually, 30,000 credits a seat a year
Unlimited sequences, advanced filters, CRM integrations, waterfall enrichment, email warmup and the US dialer (credits apply).
Professional$79
per seat / month, billed annually, 48,000 credits a seat a year
Adds A/Z testing, AI lead scoring, 4,000 minutes of call recording with AI insights and more automated workflows.
Organization$119
per seat / month, billed annually, 72,000 credits a seat a year
Minimum 3 seats. Adds 12 intent topics, 8,000 recording minutes, unlimited inbound routers, SSO and advanced security.
Ways to pay less
AeroLeads
- Startups
25% off credit packs for early-stage startups
Early-stage startups can apply for 25% off credit packs. AeroLeads checks the application and replies by email with the discounted price.
- Nonprofit
Free accounts for registered nonprofits
Registered nonprofits, charities and NGOs can apply for a free account with credits sized to their need, after AeroLeads checks their registration.
Apollo.io
- Annual discount
Save 24% with annual billing
Apollo's pricing page shows a 24% saving on paid plans when billed annually instead of monthly.
- Startups
50% off for a year for early-stage startups
Startups with fewer than 20 employees, no Apollo subscription and a link to a partner program get 50% off Basic or Professional for a year, up to 5 seats.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AeroLeads or Apollo.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, AeroLeads starts at $49 one-time for 2,000 credits, and Apollo.io starts at $49 per seat / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, AeroLeads or Apollo.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Apollo.io has a free plan. AeroLeads does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.