So you’re already deep into the B2B sales prospecting tools rabbit hole. Dappling around trying to find the best platform for your needs, but you’ve realised that it’s an impossible job to find a one-size-fits-all solution.

You hear Apollo.io pop up everywhere, and you start a trial at the platform, then start to hear stuff about another provider like ZoomInfo that also sounds like a valid option.

And then you’re back at square one, trying to figure out which to go with.

We’ve spent years testing both platforms, running campaigns comparing the data accuracy, coverage, and connect rates, and honestly, gotten really frustrated at times using either of the tools.

That’s what led us to build A-Leads in the first place, because neither Apollo.io nor ZoomInfo is perfect, because they’re built for different purposes,s solving specific problems that certain markets have. And that can differ.

In this comparisson we’ll show you the raw and honest takes on Apollo.io vs ZoomInfo. Both platforms’ features, pricing, data quality, ease of use, etc.

And yes, you guessed right: We’ll also give you the full breakdown of why we think there’s a better alternative (spoiler alert: it’s us at A-Leads)

But we’ll keep it balanced and give you the full explanation for why that is.

Let’s get into it.

👉 TLDR: What platform should you pick?

If you don’t have time to go through each option, here’s the quick breakdown:

• You should pick Apollo.io if you’re a small startup, freelancer, or SMB that wants an all-in-one prospecting and outbound platform with transparent pricing, built-in email sequence features, but not highly focused on data accuracy and quality.
  
• You should pick ZoomInfo if you’re a bigger organization or an enterprise looking for high-quality leads with solid intent signals and good firmographic, geographical, and demographic data, but quality like this through a platform like ZoomInfo comes at a very expensive price tag too (reported to start at high 4 figures per year and normal to go up to multiple 5 figures per year)
  
• You should pick A-Leads if you’re just looking for a reliable data provider that falls into the bucket of a middle ground between Apollo.io and ZoomInfo. You’ll have the highest quality of data, with daily, weekly, and monthly data refreshes, real-time verified emails, and the market’s best phone connect rates. The difference is that you’re paying less than what Apollo.io is charging, and you’re getting the quality that ZoomInfo would get you, if not better. We’re obviously biased, but this is what users of our platform have reported after trying the platform out.

👉 If you want to try out A-Leads too and get 50 free leads, click here

ZoomInfo Overview

If you’ve ever been in enterprise sales, chances are you’ve bumped into ZoomInfo, the go-to behemoth or so called ‘‘god tier’’ of B2B sales intelligence platforms.

At its core, ZoomInfo still does what it’s best known for and what you probably know it for, which is massive contact and company data paired with tools that can turn that data into cold outbound campaigns that then turn that into sales for bigger enterprises, typically.

Today, in 2026, you’re looking at access to well over 500 million contact profiles and 100 million+ companies through the platform.

Key Features

ZoomInfo isn’t just a list vendor. It’s an entire sales and marketing stack:

• Huge B2B database, searchable contacts, and company profiles at scale
• Buyer intent signals, see which accounts are actively researching topics relevant to you
• ZoomInfo Copilot AI-powered recommendations and prioritisation
• Sales engagement tools, sequences, dialer, cadences, etc.
• Conversation intelligence (Chorus) call recording and insights
• Website visitor and real-time tracking
• Deep CRM integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics, and more

There’s no getting around the obvious: ZoomInfo tries to be everything GTM, not just a database. For large, revenue-driven teams, this layered feature set can actually move the needle — assuming you’re prepared for the complexity.

Pricing and Plans

Here’s where things stay complicated.

ZoomInfo still doesn’t publish transparent pricing, and there’s a good reason for that, as it would scare 95% of the population away if it were displayed bluntly on the front page. This tool isn’t meant for small business owners or people starting out. It’s meant for the big enterprise customers that have pockets that reach deep.

Users of the platform have reported that the platform is heavily built around customization on the packages, which is a really good thing, as you’re really getting a tailored experience.

The problem is that you’re paying the top premium for it. Sometimes, we’ve seen cases of contracts ranging from $15,000-$25,000 a year to get access to pretty basic features that other data providers also provide at a fraction.

Pros and Cons

The good things:

• One of the largest B2B databases available
• Intent data and predictive signals that actually inform targeting
• AI-driven prospecting and workflow tools
• Robust integrations and automations
• Scales with larger teams and complex GTM stacks

The not-so-good things:

• Pricing and contracts are opaque and often very expensive
• Annual minimums lock you in before you really know the tool, and if it’s something you or the organization actually even gets to enjoy using
• Steep learning curve for new users
• You still hear complaints about outdated or inaccurate contacts at times

Apollo.io Overview

Apollo has carved out its position as the accessible all-in-one GTM platform.

Instead of chasing six-figure enterprise contracts, it leans into usability, transparent pricing, and speed.

You can sign up and start prospecting in the same minute you access the platform, making it a far quicker experience than ZoomInfo.

Key Features

Apollo covers most of what companies need:

• Large B2B database of 275M+ contacts
• Built-in email sequencing and dialling with multi-step outbound campaigns
• LinkedIn Chrome extension for real-time enrichment
• CRM integrations with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and others

Pricing and Plans

This is where Apollo clearly differentiates itself from ZoomInfo.

Pricing is public, user-based, and monthly billing is available, and it starts at approximately $49/month if you’re on the annual plan.

Pros and Cons

The good things:

• Transparent, accessible pricing is more accessible for startups and SMBs
• Free plan that’s actually usable
• Clean interface with minimal learning curve
• True all-in-one outbound setup
• Monthly billing available

The not-so-good things:

• Smaller database compared to enterprise vendors like ZoomInfo
• Data accuracy can be very inconsistent, depending on the region and segment
• Intent signals are lighter than dedicated intent platforms
• Engagement tools aren’t as advanced as specialized systems
• Deliverability concerns reported by some outbound teams
• Lacking behind on data refreshes, which resulted in outdated information and invalid leads often

So, What Platform to Choose?

A-Leads: The Hidden Contender

Look, we’re obviously biased, but if ZoomInfo is enterprise-heavy and Apollo is the accessible all-in-one, A-Leads.co is what we’ve tried to fit right in between those two.

It wasn’t built to be a bloated sales intelligence platform.

It was built to solve one problem extremely well: giving any level of company access to high-quality, campaign-ready B2B data at competitive rates, without locking them into oversized contracts or feature overload.

Because let’s be honest for a second.

Data should be of very high quality, as that’s the whole point of it when used for sales and prospecting.

But that doesn’t mean data has to cost multiple 5 figures per year.

It’s a platform where you get everything you’ve been looking for in data.

• Real-time verified and enriched data
• Daily, weekly, and monthly refreshes of the database
• High connect rates on direct dial phone numbers
• Competitive rates starting at $50/mo for 5000 leads per month (incl. triple verification)

Key Features

A-Leads has been built to focus on what the platform is good at: data.

• Large global B2B database covering companies and decision-makers
• Frequent data refresh cycles (daily, weekly, monthly updates depending on source)
• Strong phone connect rates across multiple markets, averaging all the way up to +20%
• Chrome extension included in any paid plan for LinkedIn prospecting
• API access included for all paid plans

Instead of bundling heavy engagement tooling, we built A-Leads to purely concentrate on delivering clean, ready-to-use data that can plug directly into your existing outbound stack.

Pricing and Plans

Unlike enterprise-first vendors, A-Leads operates with transparent and scalable pricing.

Instead of large annual seat contracts, pricing is typically structured around data volume and usage — often at a significantly lower cost per 1,000 contacts compared to legacy providers.

There are no mandatory multi-year lock-ins to access the core dataset. Teams can scale usage up or down depending on campaign demand.

For high-volume outbound teams, this pricing model can materially reduce overall data spend while maintaining quality.

Pros and Cons

The good things:

• Prices per email as low as $0.0055
• Prices per phone as low as $0,0825
• Strong phone connection rates of +20%
• Real-time verified and enriched data
• No charges for additional users
• Unlimited credit roll over
• Frequent data updates daily, weekly, and monthly
• Native integrations with API integrations too

The not-so-good things:

• Not positioned as a full, all-in-one sales engagement suite
• Smaller brand recognition compared to legacy vendors

👉 Start with 50 free leads here to try us out