Softwr

CRM · head to head

Apollo.io vs Zillow

Apollo.io logo

Apollo.io

CRM

Revenue intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zillow logo

Zillow

Real Estate

Consumer property search site whose actual product, Premier Agent, is paid lead placement sold to agents and brokers, not the free listings buyers browse

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; Zillow leads are frequently sold to multiple agents at once, so an agent is often bidding against competitors for the same buyer rather than buying an exclusive introduction.
  • They diverge on capability: Apollo.io covers Contact database, Zillow covers Consumer listing search.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Apollo.io and Zillow differ
AttributeApollo.ioZillow
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryCRMReal Estate
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 Zillow

  • Consumer listing search
  • Premier Agent placement
  • Lead connections
  • Performance dashboards
  • Zillow Flex
  • Agent profile and reviews

What people use each for

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

Apollo.io

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

Zillow

  • An agent in a competitive metro wanting listing-page visibility on homes they do not personally representnot Apollo.io
  • A team wanting predictable lead volume to feed a follow-up system, accepting shared, non-exclusive leadsnot Apollo.io
  • A brokerage evaluating Zillow Flex as a pay-on-closing alternative to upfront advertising spendnot Apollo.io
  • A buyer or renter using the free consumer search, who is not Zillow paying customer at all and should understand that agent placement on a listing does not mean that agent represents the sellernot 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

Zillow

  • Leads are frequently sold to multiple agents at once, so an agent is often bidding against competitors for the same buyer rather than buying an exclusive introduction.
  • Reported lead-to-close conversion of roughly 1 to 3 percent means most paid connections do not become closed transactions, and the advertising spend has no guaranteed return.
  • Cost per connection varies heavily by ZIP code and competition, so budgeting is unpredictable and can spike in desirable areas without warning.
  • The agent shown as a contact on a listing is frequently not the listing agent, which has drawn criticism for consumer confusion about who actually represents the seller.
  • Placement is rented, not owned; an agent who stops paying loses visibility instantly, unlike a website or CRM investment that continues to compound in value.

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

Zillow

On request
  • Premier Agent$undefined/month
    • Consumer search and listings are free; agents pay for lead placement
    • Average cost per connection roughly $139 (non-major metro) to $223+ (major metro)
    • Monthly spend commonly $200-600 small markets, $1,500-5,000+ major metros

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 Zillow if

  • You need consumer listing search.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want premier agent placement.
Zillow review

Questions people ask

Is Apollo.io or Zillow better?
Neither clearly leads. Apollo.io starts at Free and Zillow at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apollo.io or Zillow?
Apollo.io has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apollo.io and On request for Zillow.
Does Apollo.io or Zillow run on more platforms?
Apollo.io runs on Web. Zillow runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Apollo.io for free?
Yes. Apollo.io has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zillow 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 Zillow is typically brought in for.
What can Apollo.io do that Zillow cannot?
Apollo.io covers Contact database, Email finder, Lead search, Automation. Zillow covers Consumer listing search, Premier Agent placement, Lead connections, Performance dashboards.

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
Zillow: Do home buyers or sellers pay Zillow?

No. Consumer search, Zestimates and listing browsing are free. Zillow revenue comes from agents and brokers paying for Premier Agent placement and leads.

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
Zillow: Does the agent shown on a Zillow listing represent the seller?

Not necessarily. Premier Agent placement can show a paying advertiser as the contact even when they are not the actual listing agent.

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
Zillow: Is there a cheaper alternative to paid placement?

Zillow Flex offers a pay-on-closing model instead of upfront ad spend in select markets, trading a lower risk of wasted spend for a referral fee on closed deals.

Share

Related pages

More on Apollo.io

More on Zillow

Keep looking

Other head to heads