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CRM · head to head

Apollo.io vs Customerly

Apollo.io logo

Apollo.io

CRM

Revenue intelligence platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Customerly logo

Customerly

Customer Support

Customer service suite with live chat and automation

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apollo.io everything is metered in credits, and the free Starter plan runs on them too, so prospecting volume is capped rather than the feature set; Customerly usage-based pricing of 0.50 EUR per conversation can become expensive at scale
  • They diverge on capability: Apollo.io covers Contact database, Customerly covers Live chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apollo.io and Customerly actually diverge.

Attributes where Apollo.io and Customerly differ
AttributeApollo.ioCustomerly
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded20202015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apollo.io

  • Contact database
  • Email finder
  • Lead search
  • Engagement tracking
  • Reporting
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Outlook

Only in Customerly

  • Live chat
  • Email marketing
  • Customer surveys
  • Help center
  • Video chat
  • WordPress
  • Shopify
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Automation
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apollo.io

  • Sales prospecting and lead generationnot Customerly
  • Contact database management for sales teamsnot Customerly
  • Email outreach and workflow automationnot Customerly

Customerly

  • Customer supportnot Apollo.io
  • Lead generationnot Apollo.io
  • Email marketingnot Apollo.io
  • Customer feedbacknot Apollo.io

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apollo.io

  • Everything is metered in credits, and the free Starter plan runs on them too, so prospecting volume is capped rather than the feature set
  • Plans described as unlimited are capped in the fair use policy at 10,000 credits a month for non-paying accounts
  • Connecting a mailbox that is not Gmail or Microsoft requires a paid plan
  • How many records can be selected at once varies by tier
  • Running out of credits means buying more rather than waiting for a reset

Customerly

  • Usage-based pricing of 0.50 EUR per conversation can become expensive at scale
  • Limited to 11-50 employees according to company size metrics

Pricing, plan by plan

Apollo.io

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic contact search
    • Limited searches
  • Starter$49/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced search
    • Email finder
  • Professional$149/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Automation
    • Advanced analytics

Customerly

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 teammates
    • Live chat
    • Basic surveys
  • Essential$9/month
    • Unlimited chat
    • Help center
    • Automation
  • Startup$29/month
    • Video chat
    • Funnels
    • Priority support
  • Pro$79/month
    • White label
    • Advanced analytics
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Apollo.io if

  • You need contact database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email finder.
Apollo.io review

Choose Customerly if

  • You need live chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want email marketing.
Customerly review

Questions people ask

Is Apollo.io or Customerly better?
Neither clearly leads. Apollo.io starts at Free and Customerly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Customerly?
Apollo.io starts at Free and Customerly at Free.
Does Apollo.io or Customerly run on more platforms?
Apollo.io runs on Web. Customerly runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Apollo.io for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apollo.io best used for?
Apollo.io is most often used for sales prospecting and lead generation, contact database management for sales teams, email outreach and workflow automation. Of those, sales prospecting and lead generation and contact database management for sales teams are not what Customerly is typically brought in for.
What can Apollo.io do that Customerly cannot?
Apollo.io covers Contact database, Email finder, Lead search, Engagement tracking. Customerly covers Live chat, Email marketing, Customer surveys, Help center. Both handle Automation, Slack, GDPR, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apollo.io: Does Apollo offer a free plan?

Yes, Apollo offers a Starter plan that is free forever and includes unlimited email addresses for contacts. Gmail and Microsoft email account linking are available on the free plan with limited third-party email account linking.

Source
Customerly: Where is Customerly's data stored?

All data is stored exclusively in the EU, providing GDPR compliance and data residency in European servers.

Source
Apollo.io: How does Apollo's credit system work?

Apollo uses a credit-based system for exporting contact data outside the platform. Free and non-paying accounts have a monthly credit limit of 10,000 credits. Paid accounts receive limits based on their plan pricing, calculated as the lesser of annual commit divided by $0.025 or 1 million credits annually.

Source
Customerly: What messaging channels does Customerly support?

Customerly integrates live chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and mobile apps into a single unified inbox for managing customer conversations.

Source
Apollo.io: How much do trial plans cost on Apollo?

Apollo trial plans include 50 credits and 5 mobile credits to test paid features at no charge. Trial versions do not support non-Gmail/Microsoft email account linking. Upgrades take effect immediately while downgrades take effect at the end of the billing cycle.

Source
Customerly: How much of customer support can Customerly automate?

Customerly's AI assistant (Aura) handles up to 60 percent of customer conversations automatically, with the platform designed to handle 71 percent of support volume through automation.

Source
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