Apollo vs Instantly

Two Outbound tools side by side: what each does, what it costs and who it suits.

The verdict Side by side Plans and pricing Who each is for Other options

The verdict

On the data we hold, Apollo comes out ahead. Here is why, point by point.

What the data says

Both cover 7 of the 7 features we compared.
Only Apollo has a free plan to start on.
Apollo starts lower, at $49/mo against $85/mo.
Both have an API and an MCP server, so either works with AI employees.
In our Outbound ranking, Apollo places 2 and Instantly 3 of 33.

Side by side

Apollo and Instantly compared
11 points compared	Apollo	Instantly
Starts at	$49/mo	$85/mo
Free plan	Yes	No
API	Yes	Yes
MCP server	Yes	Yes
Built-in email warmup	Yes	Yes
Built-in lead database	Yes	Yes
Built-in outreach (sequences/dialer)	Yes	Yes
Buyer intent data	Yes	Yes
Strong EU/GDPR coverage	Yes	Yes
Unified inbox	Yes	Yes
Website visitor de-anonymisation	Yes	Yes
Links	Visit	Visit

Plans and pricing

Apollo

FreeFree forever with limited credits; connect Gmail accounts only.Free
BasicPer seat per month billed monthly; email sequencing and core integrations for individual sellers.$49/mo/seat
ProfessionalPer seat per month billed monthly; higher credit limits, AI features, call recording and advanced CRM integrations.$99/mo/seat

Instantly

StarterBundle with 5,000 emails per month, 1,000 uploaded contacts and 1,500 credits.$94/mo
ScaleBundle with 100,000 emails per month, 25,000 uploaded contacts and 5,000 credits.$194/mo
AgencyBundle with 500,000 emails per month, 100,000 uploaded contacts and 10,000 credits.$555/mo

Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.

Who each is for

Choose Apollo if…

Lean B2B sales teams and founders running outbound who want a contact database, email sequences and a dialler in one place instead of three separate subscriptions.

Visit Read the review

Choose Instantly if…

B2B founders, agencies and outbound teams that run cold email at volume across many mailboxes and need warmup, rotation and one reply inbox without building the sending infrastructure themselves.

Visit Read the review

Other options worth a look

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Automates outreach across email, LinkedIn, calls and SMS to coordinate your sales prospecting in one place.
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Smartlead
Run cold email outreach at scale with unlimited mailboxes, warm-up automation and lead verification.
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Builds sender reputation for new email accounts by warming them through a network of real inboxes.
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Dealfront
Identifies website visitors by company and provides EU-based B2B contact data with buyer intent signals.
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From €79/mo yearlyFree planAffiliate link
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Hunter
Finds and verifies professional email addresses and sends cold email sequences from one workspace.
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From €34/mo yearlyFree plan
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