Softwr

CRM · head to head

Apollo.io vs Really Simple Systems

Apollo.io logo

Apollo.io

CRM

Revenue intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
R

Really Simple Systems

CRM

Easy CRM for small businesses

From
$15/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; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apollo.io and Really Simple Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where Apollo.io and Really Simple Systems differ
AttributeApollo.ioReally Simple Systems
Starting priceFree$15/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20202009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CRM).

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

  • Sales prospecting and lead generationnot Really Simple Systems
  • Contact database management for sales teamsnot Really Simple Systems
  • Email outreach and workflow 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.
Apollo.io review

Choose Really Simple Systems if

  • You need contact management.
  • You also want sales pipeline.
Really Simple Systems review

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 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 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.

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
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
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
Share

Related pages

More on Apollo.io

More on Really Simple Systems

Keep looking

Other head to heads