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Software · head to head

Apollo.io vs People.ai

Apollo.io logo

Apollo.io

Software

Revenue intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
People.ai logo

People.ai

Software

AI Revenue Intelligence

From
$50/month
Rated
-

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; People.ai pricing per user adds up quickly for large sales teams
  • They diverge on capability: Apollo.io covers Contact database, People.ai covers Activity capture.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apollo.io and People.ai actually diverge.

Attributes where Apollo.io and People.ai differ
AttributeApollo.ioPeople.ai
Starting priceFree$50/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
Founded20202016

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 People.ai

  • Activity capture
  • Contact management
  • Deal intelligence
  • AI coaching
  • Revenue analytics
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Zoom

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Apollo.io

  • Lead generationnot People.ai
  • Prospect researchnot People.ai
  • Sales automationnot People.ai

People.ai

  • Customer Successnot Apollo.io
  • Ai Intelligencenot Apollo.io
  • Activity Capturenot 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

People.ai

  • Pricing per user adds up quickly for large sales teams
  • Setup requires deep CRM configuration and change management
  • Activity capture can generate noise without proper filtering and customization
  • Forecasting accuracy depends on data quality and proper configuration

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

People.ai

$50/month

No published plan breakdown. See the People.ai review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Apollo.io if

  • You need contact database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email finder.

Choose People.ai if

  • You need activity capture.
  • You also want contact management.

Questions people ask

Is Apollo.io or People.ai better?
Neither clearly leads. Apollo.io starts at Free and People.ai at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or People.ai?
Apollo.io has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apollo.io and $50/month for People.ai.
Does Apollo.io or People.ai run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Apollo.io for free?
Yes. Apollo.io has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. People.ai starts at $50/month.
What is Apollo.io best used for?
Apollo.io is most often used for lead generation, prospect research, sales automation. Of those, lead generation and prospect research are not what People.ai is typically brought in for.
What can Apollo.io do that People.ai cannot?
Apollo.io covers Contact database, Email finder, Lead search, Automation. People.ai covers Activity capture, Contact management, Deal intelligence, AI coaching. Both handle Salesforce, Slack, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

People.ai: What is People.ai's core functionality?

People.ai automates activity capture from emails, calls, and meetings, then uses AI to provide pipeline visibility, forecasting insights, and engagement analytics.

Source
People.ai: What is the starting price for People.ai?

People.ai pricing starts at 50 USD per user per month, with free PeopleGlass tier available for Salesforce users.

Source

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