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CRM · head to head

Apollo.io vs Nooks

Apollo.io logo

Apollo.io

CRM

Revenue intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nooks logo

Nooks

Sales Enablement

AI parallel dialler and virtual sales floor for outbound teams making high call volume

From
On request
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; Nooks no pricing is published and third-party figures put list around 4,000 to 5,000 US dollars per seat per year, so the evaluation requires a sales cycle before you know whether the payback maths works at your connect rate.
  • They diverge on capability: Apollo.io covers Contact database, Nooks covers Parallel dialler.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apollo.io and Nooks differ
AttributeApollo.ioNooks
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Chrome extension
CategoryCRMSales Enablement
Founded2020Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Nooks

  • Parallel dialler
  • Answering machine detection
  • Virtual salesfloor
  • Voicemail drop
  • Call recording and coaching
  • Spam and number health
  • Signal-based dialling
  • CRM and sequencer sync

What people use each for

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

Apollo.io

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

Nooks

  • An SDR team of twenty whose connect rate is low enough that reps spend most of the day listening to ring tones and voicemail greetingsnot Apollo.io
  • A fully remote outbound floor that lost the ambient coaching of an office and wants managers listening in during power hoursnot Apollo.io
  • A sales development group whose outbound numbers keep getting flagged as spam and needs number rotation and health monitoring built innot Apollo.io
  • A revenue team running a call blitz on a specific account list where signal-based prioritisation decides call order rather than a static listnot 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

Nooks

  • No pricing is published and third-party figures put list around 4,000 to 5,000 US dollars per seat per year, so the evaluation requires a sales cycle before you know whether the payback maths works at your connect rate.
  • Phone numbers are provisioned and billed separately at roughly 10 to 15 US dollars each per month, and parallel dialling at volume needs a large pool, which is a recurring cost buyers routinely omit from the business case.
  • Parallel dialling carries real regulatory exposure, including abandoned-call rules in several jurisdictions, and the tool does not absorb that obligation on your behalf.
  • There is a short delay when a connection is passed to the rep, and prospects who hear that pause at the start of a call are more likely to hang up, which partially offsets the volume gain.
  • The economics only work above a certain team size and call volume, so a team of three or a field sales motion with long research-heavy calls will pay a premium seat price for throughput they cannot use.

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

Nooks

On request
  • Nooks$undefined/year
    • AI parallel dialler
    • Virtual salesfloor
    • Answering machine detection and voicemail drop

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 Nooks if

  • You need parallel dialler.
  • You work on Web, Chrome extension.
  • You also want answering machine detection.
Nooks review

Questions people ask

Is Apollo.io or Nooks better?
Neither clearly leads. Apollo.io starts at Free and Nooks at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Nooks?
Apollo.io has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apollo.io and On request for Nooks.
Does Apollo.io or Nooks run on more platforms?
Apollo.io runs on Web. Nooks runs on Web, Chrome extension.
Can I use Apollo.io for free?
Yes. Apollo.io has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Nooks 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 Nooks is typically brought in for.
What can Apollo.io do that Nooks cannot?
Apollo.io covers Contact database, Email finder, Lead search, Automation. Nooks covers Parallel dialler, Answering machine detection, Virtual salesfloor, Voicemail drop.

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
Nooks: What does Nooks actually cost?

Nothing is published. Third-party analyses report list pricing near 4,000 to 5,000 US dollars per user per year, with negotiated deals landing lower, plus separate charges for phone numbers.

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
Nooks: Is parallel dialling legal?

It is regulated rather than banned, with abandoned-call rules and consent requirements varying by jurisdiction. Compliance remains your responsibility.

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
Nooks: Does it replace Outreach or Salesloft?

No. It handles the calling channel and logs back to them. Most teams run Nooks alongside a sequencer rather than instead of one.

Nooks: How small a team can justify it?

Realistically ten reps and up. Below that the seat price rarely pays back against the additional connections it produces.

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Related pages

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