Quick answer: Apollo bundles contact data, email sequences and deal tools into one per-seat plan, while the alternatives here mostly split those jobs apart. Hunter suits email finding, Lusha suits individual lookups, ZoomInfo suits large teams on annual contracts, and LeadOcean offers data only for a one-time payment. The right pick depends on what you actually use in Apollo.
Apollo packs contact data, email sequences and deal tools into one per-seat subscription. That suits many teams, but credits, seat minimums and annual billing push others to look elsewhere. This guide lays out what Apollo charges today, then compares four alternatives on price, credits and limits, using the vendors’ own pages where they were readable and flagging third-party figures where they were not.
Disclosure: this page contains an affiliate link to AppSumo for the LeadOcean mention, and I may earn a commission if you buy through it. I have not tested any tool here. Prices come from vendor pages and third-party sources read on 28 October 2026, and they change often.
What Apollo costs today
Apollo’s pricing page lists four plans. The prices below are per seat per month on annual billing, and the page notes that introductory pricing and features may change.
| Plan | Price per seat per month (annual billing) | Credits per seat per year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 900, granted monthly | 2 sequences, basic filters |
| Basic | $49 | 30,000, granted upfront | Unlimited sequences, advanced filters |
| Professional | $79 | 48,000, granted upfront | AI research and lead scoring, A/Z testing |
| Organization | $119 | 72,000, granted upfront | Minimum 3 seats |
Two details from Apollo’s own FAQ matter. Extra credits bought as an add-on renew every billing cycle until you remove them, and the plans are for internal business use only, so reselling Apollo data to customers needs a separate agreement.
Why teams look for Apollo alternatives
Credits are the main pressure point. They belong to each seat, and on paid plans they are granted for the whole year upfront. Organization needs at least three seats, so the entry cost is 3 x $119 a month, or about $4,284 a year on annual billing (my arithmetic). Teams that only need contact data end up paying for sequences and deal tools they may never use. That last point is my inference, not an Apollo claim.
Apollo alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Entry price | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter | Finding and verifying emails | Free: 50 credits a month. Starter: $34 a month billed yearly ($49 monthly) for 2,000 credits a month | Monthly credits |
| Lusha | Quick phone and email lookups | Free: 40 credits a month. Starter: $37.45 a month billed yearly for 4,800 credits a year | Credits per reveal |
| ZoomInfo | Large sales teams | Quote only. Third-party estimates start near $15,000 a year with 3 seats | Annual contract |
| LeadOcean | Data only, one payment | $49 one-time for Tier 1 on AppSumo, with weekly limits | Lifetime deal |
Hunter
Hunter is built around finding and verifying email addresses. Its pricing page lists a free plan with 50 credits a month, then Starter at $34 a month billed yearly for 2,000 credits a month, Growth at $104 for 10,000 and Scale at $209 for 25,000. Paid plans include auto-verification, lead enrichment and sequences, with recipient limits of 2,500, 5,000 and 15,000 per sequence. The page does not list a phone-number database or a CRM, so it covers less than Apollo.
Lusha
Lusha centers on contact reveals. Its own pricing page, read on 28 October 2026, lists Free at 40 credits a month, Starter at $37.45 a month billed yearly for 4,800 credits a year, Pro at $52.45 for 7,200 credits with 2 seats, and Premium at $299.95 for 40,800 credits with 5 seats. The page does not say how many credits an email or phone reveal uses, so check that before you buy.
ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo does not publish prices. A competitor’s 2026 blog, citing buyer reports, puts the Professional plan near $14,995 a year with three seats, and describes annual contracts with auto-renewal. Treat those numbers as estimates and ask for a quote. It is aimed at larger teams more than solo prospectors.
LeadOcean
LeadOcean supplies data only. On AppSumo, Tier 1 costs $49 once and allows 20K search records per 5 hours and 100K per week, with a 60-day refund window. It does not send email or manage deals. Our LeadOcean review covers the limits and buyer tests, and you can check the current AppSumo listing for tier details.
How to choose
If you use Apollo mainly for sequences and deal tracking, switching to a data-only tool means paying for a separate sender. If you use it only to find emails, Hunter’s lower entry price is worth testing. If you want one payment and can live with usage caps, LeadOcean is the cheapest to start. For larger teams that need support and integrations, ZoomInfo is the one to price out. Whatever you pick, test a sample list in your own niche first, as described in our guide to B2B sales email verification techniques.
Frequently asked questions
Is Apollo free?
Apollo has a free plan at $0 with 900 credits per seat per year, granted monthly, plus two sequences and basic filters. Paid plans start at $49 per seat per month on annual billing, according to its pricing page read on 28 October 2026.
What is the cheapest Apollo alternative?
On paper, LeadOcean’s $49 one-time Tier 1 and Hunter’s free plan cost least to start. They do different jobs, though: LeadOcean supplies data with weekly caps, and Hunter finds emails. Compare what you need, not only the entry price.
Can I use Apollo data to resell or power a product?
Not under standard terms. Apollo’s pricing FAQ says the listed plans are for internal business use only. Powering external products, sharing data with customers or reselling it requires a separate agreement with custom pricing, so check before building a service on it.
Do extra Apollo credits renew automatically?
Extra credits do not stop on their own. Apollo says add-on credits are charged immediately and renew every billing cycle until removed, so drag the credit slider back to zero before the next renewal date if you do not want them again.
Sources: Apollo pricing, Hunter pricing, Lusha pricing and Pin on ZoomInfo pricing, all read on 28 October 2026.
