CRM & Sales · head to head
Apollo.io vs Really Simple Systems
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; Really Simple Systems the vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 22 October 2019 listed four CRM tiers billed annually: Free at $0 for up to 2 users, Starter at $14 per user per month, Professional at $30 per user per month, and Enterprise at $46 per user per month (each roughly 7 to 10 percent higher if billed monthly); the Marketing add-on was $22 per month for up to 5,000 emails and Advanced Marketing scaled to 50,000 emails per month, though this capture is over five years old
- They diverge on capability: Apollo.io covers Contact database, Really Simple Systems covers Contact management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apollo.io and Really Simple Systems actually diverge.
| Attribute | Apollo.io | Really Simple Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $15/month |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2020 | 2009 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CRM & Sales).
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
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Outlook
Only in Really Simple Systems
- Contact management
- Sales pipeline
- Task management
- Email integration
- Zapier
- Google Workspace
Both cover
- Reporting
- GDPR
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- English language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apollo.io
- Lead generationnot Really Simple Systems
- Prospect researchnot Really Simple Systems
- Sales automationnot Really Simple Systems
Really Simple Systems
- Sales managementnot Apollo.io
- Contact trackingnot 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
Really Simple Systems
- The vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 22 October 2019 listed four CRM tiers billed annually: Free at $0 for up to 2 users, Starter at $14 per user per month, Professional at $30 per user per month, and Enterprise at $46 per user per month (each roughly 7 to 10 percent higher if billed monthly); the Marketing add-on was $22 per month for up to 5,000 emails and Advanced Marketing scaled to 50,000 emails per month, though this capture is over five years old
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
Really Simple Systems
$15/month- Essential$15/month
- Contact management
- Task tracking
- Professional$25/month
- Everything in Essential
- Sales pipeline
- Reporting
- Professional Plus$35/month
- Everything in Professional
- Advanced customization
Which should you pick?
Choose Apollo.io if
- You need contact database.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want email finder.
Choose Really Simple Systems if
- You need contact management.
- You also want sales pipeline.
Questions people ask
- Is Apollo.io or Really Simple Systems better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apollo.io starts at Free and Really Simple Systems at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Really Simple Systems?
- Apollo.io has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apollo.io and $15/month for Really Simple Systems.
- Does Apollo.io or Really Simple Systems 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. Really Simple Systems starts at $15/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 Really Simple Systems is typically brought in for.
- What can Apollo.io do that Really Simple Systems cannot?
- Apollo.io covers Contact database, Email finder, Lead search, Automation. Really Simple Systems covers Contact management, Sales pipeline, Task management, Email integration. Both handle Reporting, GDPR, Cloud deployment, Web support.
Related pages
More on Really Simple Systems
Other head to heads
- Apollo.io vs Outreach
- Apollo.io vs Gong
- Apollo.io vs Seismic
- Apollo.io vs Pipedrive
- Apollo.io vs HubSpot
- Apollo.io vs Salesforce
- Apollo.io vs Bitrix24
- Apollo.io vs Capsule
- Apollo.io vs Clari
- Apollo.io vs Freshsales
- Apollo.io vs Streak
- Apollo.io vs Zoho CRM
- Apollo.io vs Affinity
- Apollo.io vs Agile CRM
- Apollo.io vs Capsule CRM
- Apollo.io vs Clay
- Apollo.io vs Clearbit
- Apollo.io vs Cloze
- Really Simple Systems vs Outreach
- Really Simple Systems vs Gong
- Really Simple Systems vs Seismic
- Really Simple Systems vs Pipedrive
- Really Simple Systems vs HubSpot
- Really Simple Systems vs Salesforce
- Really Simple Systems vs Bitrix24
- Really Simple Systems vs Capsule
- Really Simple Systems vs Clari
- Really Simple Systems vs Freshsales
- Really Simple Systems vs Streak
- Really Simple Systems vs Zoho CRM
- Really Simple Systems vs Affinity
- Really Simple Systems vs Agile CRM
- Really Simple Systems vs Capsule CRM
- Really Simple Systems vs Clay
- Really Simple Systems vs Clearbit
- Really Simple Systems vs Cloze

