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CRM · head to head

Apollo.io vs HelpCrunch

Apollo.io logo

Apollo.io

CRM

Revenue intelligence platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
HelpCrunch logo

HelpCrunch

Customer Support

Live chat, helpdesk, and AI chatbot platform for customer support

From
On request
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; HelpCrunch pricing is not fully transparent since it depends on email volume and AI usage tiers.
  • They diverge on capability: Apollo.io covers Contact database, HelpCrunch covers Live Chat Widget.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apollo.io and HelpCrunch differ
AttributeApollo.ioHelpCrunch
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebweb, ios, android
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded2020Unknown

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
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot

Only in HelpCrunch

  • Live Chat Widget
  • Shared Team Inbox
  • AI Chatbot
  • Email Marketing Automation
  • Knowledge Base
  • Auto-resend by Email

What people use each for

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

Apollo.io

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

HelpCrunch

  • Real-time website customer supportnot Apollo.io
  • Consolidating support and marketing email in one toolnot Apollo.io
  • AI-automated first-line customer responsesnot Apollo.io
  • Small business helpdesk ticketingnot 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

HelpCrunch

  • Pricing is not fully transparent since it depends on email volume and AI usage tiers.
  • AI conversation add-ons become expensive at high volume, up to $8,000/month for 100,000 conversations.
  • Exact plan prices for Basic, Pro, and Unlimited are not published directly on the pricing page.
  • Smaller teams may find the tiered add-on system harder to predict than flat per-seat pricing.

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

HelpCrunch

On request
  • Basic$undefined/month
    • Live chat
    • Shared inbox
    • Email volume tiers
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • AI conversations included
    • AI data sources included
  • Unlimited$undefined/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Highest email volume
    • Priority support

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 HelpCrunch if

  • You need live chat widget.
  • You work on web, ios, android.
  • You also want shared team inbox.
HelpCrunch review

Questions people ask

Is Apollo.io or HelpCrunch better?
Neither clearly leads. Apollo.io starts at Free and HelpCrunch at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or HelpCrunch?
Apollo.io has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apollo.io and On request for HelpCrunch.
Does Apollo.io or HelpCrunch run on more platforms?
Apollo.io runs on Web. HelpCrunch 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. HelpCrunch starts at On request.
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 HelpCrunch is typically brought in for.
What can Apollo.io do that HelpCrunch cannot?
Apollo.io covers Contact database, Email finder, Lead search, Automation. HelpCrunch covers Live Chat Widget, Shared Team Inbox, AI Chatbot, Email Marketing Automation.

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
HelpCrunch: Is there a free trial for HelpCrunch?

Yes, HelpCrunch offers a free trial with no credit card required, and includes free migration from competing tools.

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
HelpCrunch: How does HelpCrunch charge for AI features?

Pro and higher plans include a free monthly limit of AI conversations and AI data sources; additional usage is purchased in blocks, for example 100 extra conversations for $29/month.

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
HelpCrunch: Does annual billing save money?

Yes, HelpCrunch offers a 20% discount on plans and AI add-ons when billed annually instead of monthly.

Source
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