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CRM · head to head

Apollo.io vs Gong

Apollo.io logo

Apollo.io

CRM

Revenue intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gong logo

Gong

CRM

Revenue intelligence platform

From
$1600/user-per-year
Rated
-
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; Gong pricing not published; custom quotes and high platform fees make budget forecasting difficult
  • They diverge on capability: Apollo.io covers Contact database, Gong covers Call recording.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apollo.io and Gong differ
AttributeApollo.ioGong
Starting priceFree$1600/user-per-year
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Cloud-based SaaS
Founded20202016

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (CRM).

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
  • Outlook
  • Gmail

Only in Gong

  • Call recording
  • AI transcription
  • Deal intelligence
  • Market intelligence
  • Team coaching
  • Zoom
  • Microsoft Teams
  • SOC 2 Type II

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Slack
  • 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 Gong
  • Contact database management for sales teamsnot Gong
  • Email outreach and workflow automationnot Gong

Gong

  • Call analysisnot Apollo.io
  • Deal forecastingnot Apollo.io
  • Sales coachingnot Apollo.io
  • Win/loss analysisnot 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

Gong

  • Pricing not published; custom quotes and high platform fees make budget forecasting difficult
  • Built for sales calls only; limited contact center and multi-channel conversation coverage
  • Forecasting and Engage modules use keyword-based analysis with 20-30 minute processing delay, not generative AI
  • Conversation analysis cannot capture internal buyer meetings or decision-making discussions

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

Gong

$1600/user-per-year

No published plan breakdown. See the Gong review.

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 Gong if

  • You need call recording.
  • You work on Web, Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want ai transcription.
Gong review

Questions people ask

Is Apollo.io or Gong better?
Neither clearly leads. Apollo.io starts at Free and Gong at $1600/user-per-year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Gong?
Apollo.io has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apollo.io and $1600/user-per-year for Gong.
Does Apollo.io or Gong run on more platforms?
Apollo.io runs on Web. Gong runs on Web, Cloud-based SaaS.
Can I use Apollo.io for free?
Yes. Apollo.io has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gong starts at $1600/user-per-year.
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 Gong is typically brought in for.
What can Apollo.io do that Gong cannot?
Apollo.io covers Contact database, Email finder, Lead search, Automation. Gong covers Call recording, AI transcription, Deal intelligence, Market intelligence. Both handle Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, 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
Gong: How much does Gong cost?

Gong pricing starts around $1,600 per user per year, with a mandatory platform fee of $5,000-$50,000 annually. Exact pricing is custom and requires a sales consultation.

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
Gong: Does Gong integrate with Salesforce?

Yes. Gong integrates with Salesforce via REST API to import account data and export conversation summaries, enabling searchable calls by CRM fields.

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
Gong: What conversations can Gong capture?

Gong was built primarily for sales call analysis and captures calls through integrations with major dialer systems. Coverage for contact center and multi-channel conversations is limited.

Source
Gong: Does Gong have an on-premise option?

Gong is a cloud-based SaaS platform without an on-premise deployment option. All conversation analysis and storage occurs in Gong's cloud infrastructure.

Source
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