Apollo.io vs Lead Gibbon (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, and it grades higher too, 2.4 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Apollo.io grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Apollo.io
B2B contact database with built-in email sequences and a dialer
Lead Gibbon
Email finder and B2B lead database that charges per verified email
Which one is for you
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
Pick Lead Gibbon if
- Fits if you are a small team that wants to pay only for emails that verify
- Works for people who want a no-contract monthly plan
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for 15 credits a week, if you do more than a few lookups
- Not for you if you need phone numbers or an API, as the pages list neither
- Skip it if you want to send at volume, as sending uses your Gmail and its limits
- Watch out: team discounts are by email request, and no annual plan is shown
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAApollo.ioFair | 2.0GPALead GibbonFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | C$39 a month for 1,000 verified emails is just above the $33.25 the cheaper quarter charges. Pro is $99 for 10,000. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | C15 free credits a week with no card, which runs out quickly if you do any real volume. |
| Features | 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. | CA lead database with 10 search filters, an email enricher and Gmail sending. The pages list no phone numbers or public API. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. You connect a Gmail account to send, and import a CSV to enrich. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | CWeb only, with no API or integrations listed. |
| Best for | contact data and outreach in one account | a cheap pay-per-verified-email finder |
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: Apollo.io and Lead Gibbon. How we grade
Price against what you get
Apollo.io starts at $49 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Lead Gibbon starts at $39 a month and scores 2.0.
Apollo.io scores higher, and starts $10 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other lead and email finders on the chart, 1 scores higher than Apollo.io for less, and 19 score higher than Lead Gibbon for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Apollo.io also covers web clipper and email campaigns.
- Lead Gibbon also covers workflow automation and email verification.
At a glance
| Apollo.io | Lead Gibbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49 per seat / month, billed annually | $39 per month for 1,000 verified emails |
| Free plan | 900 credits per seat a year, granted monthly, 2 sequences, basic filters, 250 emails a day from 1 mailbox, and the Chrome extension. | 15 free credits every week with no credit card; paid plans add monthly credits. |
| Free trial | 14-day trial of Basic or Professional with 75 credits | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | ZenLeads Inc. (Apollo.io) | LeadGibbon |
| Price read from | apollo.io | leadgibbon.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Lead Gibbon
- Email sending uses your connected Gmail account, so Gmail sending limits still apply.
- Free credits are 15 a week; you need a subscription once they run out.
- Pages do not list phone numbers or a public API.
- Team discounts are by email request; the page shows no annual plan.
Key features
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.
Lead Gibbon
- Lead Database
- Search by position, industry and other filters (10 search parameters), then reveal contact emails.
- Email Enricher
- Upload a CSV with names and domains and get validated email addresses back.
- Pay per verified email
- Credits are used only for verified emails; unverified results are free and credits roll over each month.
- Built-in sending
- Send emails from a connected Gmail account, within Gmail's own limits.
- Same features on every plan
- Email verification, data enhancement, duplicate detection and unlimited saved searches come with every plan.
Plans
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.
Lead Gibbon
Free$0
15 free credits per week, no credit card required.
Basic$39
per month for 1,000 verified emails, billed monthly
1,000 verified emails and 5,000 email sends a month.
Pro$99
per month for 10,000 verified emails, billed monthly
10,000 verified emails and 25,000 email sends a month.
Business$299
per month for 30,000 verified emails, billed monthly
30,000 verified emails and 75,000 email sends a month.
Ways to pay less
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.
Lead Gibbon
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Lead Gibbon?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apollo.io starts at $49 per seat / month, billed annually, and Lead Gibbon starts at $39 per month for 1,000 verified emails. One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Apollo.io or Lead Gibbon?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Apollo.io and Lead Gibbon have a free plan.
Which platforms do Apollo.io and Lead Gibbon run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Apollo.io lists a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.