Apollo.io vs Zeliq (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 they share a 2.4 GPA.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
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
Zeliq
Prospecting platform with contact enrichment and sequences
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 Zeliq if
- Fits if you want search, enrichment and sequences in one place
- Works for one seller who can start on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Basic, which allows 100 leads a month and 2 email-only sequences
- Pricey if you want phones, as a number costs 10 credits and Starter's monthly credits cover 75
- Watch out: extra credits are sold as a $109 monthly subscription
- Not for you if you are a team of fewer than 3 wanting Custom, which needs at least 3 licences
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAApollo.ioFair | 2.4GPAZeliqFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$59 per user a month sits between the $49 middle and $74 dearer quarter. Extra credits are 2,500 a month for $109. |
| 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. | CA free Basic plan with 100 leads a month and 2 email-only sequences, and a 14-day trial with no card. You will hit the caps. |
| 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. | BLead database, enrichment, sequences, an extension and an agent with MCP. The core job is covered. |
| 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 inboxes and build sequences. |
| 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. | BWeb app and extension, with seven listed integrations and an API. |
| Best for | contact data and outreach in one account | prospecting with credits and sequences |
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 Zeliq. 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. Zeliq starts at $59 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Apollo.io starts $10 a month lower. Of the other lead and email finders on the chart, 1 scores higher than Apollo.io for less, and 1 scores higher than Zeliq 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.
- Zeliq also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| Apollo.io | Zeliq | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49 per seat / month, billed annually | $59 per user / month, billed monthly |
| 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. | Basic: $0, import up to 100 leads a month from Zeliq Search, basic filters, 2 active email-only sequences; enrichment costs credits. |
| Free trial | 14-day trial of Basic or Professional with 75 credits | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | ZenLeads Inc. (Apollo.io) | Zeliq |
| Price read from | apollo.io | zeliq.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.
Zeliq
- Credits drive cost: a phone number is 10 credits and a plan's monthly credits cover only 75 of them on Starter.
- Extra credits are sold as 2,500 a month for $109, shown as a monthly subscription.
- The Custom plan needs at least 3 licenses and is priced per user per year.
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.
Zeliq
- Lead database
- Search the site's stated 450M+ contacts with filters such as company size, industry, location and job title.
- Contact enrichment
- A valid email costs 1 credit and a mobile number 10 credits, using data the site says comes from 40+ providers.
- Multichannel sequences
- Email, LinkedIn and call tasks in one sequence; Basic is limited to 2 email-only sequences.
- Chrome extension
- Add leads from LinkedIn and other pages to Zeliq or a CRM, and enrich them on the spot.
- Zelia agent and MCP
- An AI agent finds and engages leads on instruction, and the MCP server lets Claude or ChatGPT use Zeliq data.
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.
Zeliq
Basic$0
100 leads a month from Zeliq Search, basic filters, 2 email-only sequences; credits can be added as you go.
Starter$59
per user / month, billed monthly
750 credits a month (75 phone numbers or 750 emails), unlimited sequences and a HubSpot sync.
Custom$1.5k
per user / year and up, minimum 3 licenses
From 24k credits per user a year, shared workspace, manager dashboard and dedicated support. Sold through sales.
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.
Zeliq
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
The pricing page has an annual billing toggle labeled 'Save 20%'.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Zeliq?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Apollo.io is cheaper to start with: $49 a month for each person, against $59 a month for each person for Zeliq. Apollo.io starts at $49 per seat / month, billed annually, and Zeliq starts at $59 per user / month, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, Apollo.io or Zeliq?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Apollo.io and Zeliq have a free plan.
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.