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CRM · head to head

Apollo.io vs Gladly

Apollo.io logo

Apollo.io

CRM

Revenue intelligence platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Gladly logo

Gladly

Customer Support

Radically personal customer service

From
$180/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Apollo.io has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Gladly no pricing is published at any level, and the pricing page states no per agent cost, per conversation rate, minimum commitment or feature tiers
  • They diverge on capability: Apollo.io covers Contact database, Gladly covers Lifelong conversation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apollo.io and Gladly differ
AttributeApollo.ioGladly
Starting priceFree$180/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded20202014

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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
  • Automation
  • Engagement tracking
  • Reporting
  • HubSpot
  • Outlook

Only in Gladly

  • Lifelong conversation
  • Omnichannel support
  • Customer timeline
  • Task management
  • Knowledge base
  • IVR
  • Shopify
  • Magento

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • SOC2
  • 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 Gladly
  • Contact database management for sales teamsnot Gladly
  • Email outreach and workflow automationnot Gladly

Gladly

  • Customer service built around a single customer record rather than ticketsnot Apollo.io
  • Handling support conversations across voice, messaging and emailnot 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

Gladly

  • No pricing is published at any level, and the pricing page states no per agent cost, per conversation rate, minimum commitment or feature tiers
  • The pricing page presents outcome statistics in place of any cost information
  • Every route to a figure goes through a demo or sales conversation

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

Gladly

$180/month
  • Hero$180/month
    • All channels
    • Customer timeline
    • Knowledge base
  • Superhero$210/month
    • Everything in Hero
    • Custom reporting
    • Advanced rules

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 Gladly if

  • You need lifelong conversation.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want omnichannel support.
Gladly review

Questions people ask

Is Apollo.io or Gladly better?
Neither clearly leads. Apollo.io starts at Free and Gladly at $180/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Gladly?
Apollo.io has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apollo.io and $180/month for Gladly.
Does Apollo.io or Gladly run on more platforms?
Apollo.io runs on Web. Gladly runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Apollo.io for free?
Yes. Apollo.io has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gladly starts at $180/month.
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 Gladly is typically brought in for.
What can Apollo.io do that Gladly cannot?
Apollo.io covers Contact database, Email finder, Lead search, Automation. Gladly covers Lifelong conversation, Omnichannel support, Customer timeline, Task management. Both handle Salesforce, SOC2, 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
Gladly: How much does Gladly cost?

Gladly does not publish pricing on its website. The vendor directs prospective customers to request a demo or contact the sales team for custom pricing tailored to organizational needs.

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
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
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Related pages

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