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CRM · head to head

Apollo.io vs Mailshake

Apollo.io logo

Apollo.io

CRM

Revenue intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mailshake logo

Mailshake

Sales Enablement

Email outreach and sales engagement software for cold email and multichannel sequences

From
$25/month
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; Mailshake no free trial is offered, unlike some competing outreach tools.
  • They diverge on capability: Apollo.io covers Contact database, Mailshake covers Automated Email Sequences.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apollo.io and Mailshake differ
AttributeApollo.ioMailshake
Starting priceFree$25/month
Free tierYesNo
CategoryCRMSales Enablement
Founded20202015

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), 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 Mailshake

  • Automated Email Sequences
  • Email Warmup & Verification
  • Data Finder
  • Unified Inbox
  • Power Phone Dialer
  • CRM Integrations
  • A/B Testing

What people use each for

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

Apollo.io

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

Mailshake

  • Running cold email outreach campaigns for sales prospectingnot Apollo.io
  • Automating multi-step follow-up sequences with A/B testingnot Apollo.io
  • Finding and verifying prospect contact data before outreachnot Apollo.io
  • Combining email and phone dialing in one outbound workflownot Apollo.io
  • Managing agency client outreach across separate billing teamsnot 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

Mailshake

  • No free trial is offered, unlike some competing outreach tools.
  • The phone dialer and larger data finder credit allotments are only available on the higher-priced Sales Engagement plan.
  • Pricing scales per user/email address, which can become costly for larger outbound teams.
  • CRM integrations (Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot) are limited to the Email Outreach plan and above, unavailable on Starter.

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

Mailshake

$25/month
  • Starter$25/month
    • 1 email address per account
    • 1,500 email sends per month
    • Unlimited uploaded contacts and campaigns
  • Email Outreach$45/month
    • 2 email addresses per account
    • Unlimited email sends and campaigns
    • 50 free data finder credits
  • Sales Engagement$85/month
    • 10 email addresses per account
    • 2,500 free data finder credits
    • 5 phone numbers with unlimited North America dialer minutes
  • Agency$undefined/month
    • Unlimited email addresses
    • All Sales Engagement features
    • Custom pricing for agencies

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 Mailshake if

  • You need automated email sequences.
  • You work on web.
  • You also want email warmup & verification.
Mailshake review

Questions people ask

Is Apollo.io or Mailshake better?
Neither clearly leads. Apollo.io starts at Free and Mailshake at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Mailshake?
Apollo.io has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apollo.io and $25/month for Mailshake.
Does Apollo.io or Mailshake run on more platforms?
Apollo.io runs on Web. Mailshake runs on web.
Can I use Apollo.io for free?
Yes. Apollo.io has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mailshake starts at $25/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 Mailshake is typically brought in for.
What can Apollo.io do that Mailshake cannot?
Apollo.io covers Contact database, Email finder, Lead search, Automation. Mailshake covers Automated Email Sequences, Email Warmup & Verification, Data Finder, Unified Inbox.

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
Mailshake: How am I charged for Mailshake?

Billing is paid by the team and based on the number of users purchased. Each user allows one connected mail account, so a 3-user plan enables 3 connected mailboxes.

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
Mailshake: Is there a free trial for Mailshake?

No free trial is offered. Instead, Mailshake provides concierge onboarding, deliverability training, and support resources to new customers.

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
Mailshake: Can I cancel my Mailshake subscription at any time?

Yes, subscriptions can be cancelled at any time before the renewal date without additional charges, aside from any outstanding prorated costs.

Source
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