Comparisons
Apollo.io vs Close: Which Is Right for Your Sales Team?
Quick answer: Close is the better fit if you want one tool that's both your CRM and your outreach engine, while Apollo.io is the better fit if you already have a CRM and just need a dedicated prospecting and sales-engagement layer on top of it.
Apollo.io vs Close at a glance
| Apollo.io | Close | |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Prospecting database + sales engagement | Full sales CRM with calling and sequences |
| Best for | Teams that already have a CRM and need outbound tooling | Teams that want one tool for pipeline and outreach |
| Contact/lead database | Yes, large built-in B2B database | No built-in prospecting database |
| Deal/pipeline management | Limited, not a full CRM | Full pipeline and deal tracking |
| Free tier | Yes, limited free plan | No |
| Pricing model | Per-seat, credits for data/email; contact sales for higher tiers | Per user/month, published pricing |
Choose Close if...
You want a single system of record for your entire sales process — pipeline stages, deal tracking, calling, and email sequencing — without stitching together a separate CRM and a separate prospecting tool. Close is a full CRM first, with calling and sequencing built directly on top of the same contact and deal records, which keeps everything in one place for a lean sales team that doesn't want to manage two systems and keep them in sync.
Choose Apollo.io if...
You already have a CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, or otherwise) and what you actually need is a dedicated prospecting and outbound engine on top of it — a large searchable B2B contact database, list building, and multi-channel sequencing that syncs data back into your existing CRM. Apollo.io is primarily a sales engagement and data platform, not a CRM replacement, and it's usually deployed alongside one rather than instead of one.
These aren't quite the same category
It's worth being direct about this: Apollo.io and Close aren't really competing head-to-head, even though they both come up in the same buying searches. Close is a CRM — it owns your pipeline, deal stages, and customer record. Apollo.io is a sales engagement and prospecting platform — it's built to help you find and reach new contacts at scale, and it assumes a CRM exists somewhere else to hold the resulting pipeline (though its own light deal-tracking has improved over time, it's not a substitute for a dedicated CRM's reporting and customization). The honest recommendation: if you need one tool that's both your CRM and your outreach engine, Close is the more complete answer. If you already run a CRM and specifically need a stronger top-of-funnel prospecting and sequencing layer, Apollo.io fills that gap without asking you to replace what you have.
Pricing (entry-level plans)
| CRM | Starting price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Close | Solo $9 · Essentials $35 · Growth $99 · Scale $139 | Per user/month. Free 14-day trial, no credit card required. |
Prices above are current as of writing and shown for the entry-level tiers — always confirm the latest numbers on each provider's pricing page before buying, since SaaS pricing changes often.
Apollo.io's pricing is seat-based with usage credits for contact/email data, and its higher tiers require contacting sales directly — check its current pricing page for exact numbers, since it changes the credit and seat structure periodically.
“There isn't a single 'best' CRM for sales reps... it really depends on what you expect it to do for you.”
Try Close for an all-in-one sales CRM
Try Apollo.io for prospecting and engagement
Frequently asked questions
Is Apollo.io or Close better for small teams?
It depends on workflow: Apollo.io and Close both work for small teams, but they differ in setup speed, pricing structure, and built-in features — see the comparison table above for the specifics that matter most for a small team.
Can I switch from Apollo.io to Close later?
Yes. Both Apollo.io and Close support CSV import/export and most competitors provide migration guides or support to help move contacts, deals, and pipeline stages.
Which one is cheaper?
Pricing changes often on both sides, so check each provider's current pricing page for exact numbers before deciding — this guide focuses on fit rather than fixed prices, since list prices shift throughout the year.