ZoomInfo vs Apollo: Which B2B Contact Data Provider is Right for You?

If you’re searching for a B2B contact data provider to fuel your cold email outreach campaigns, ZoomInfo is likely one of the first platforms that comes to mind. But is it truly the best choice for your sales team’s unique needs and goals?

As a leading expert in the sales tech space with over a decade of experience consulting with hundreds of B2B companies, I can confidently say that ZoomInfo alternatives like Apollo offer compelling advantages that may make them a better fit for certain teams and strategies.

In this comprehensive, side-by-side comparison, we’ll dive deep into the key differences between ZoomInfo and Apollo, including:

• Contact database size & quality
• Core features & capabilities
• Pricing models & plans
• Pros, cons & overall suitability

By the end, you’ll have all the insider knowledge you need to make an informed decision about which B2B data provider aligns best with your sales process, team structure, and outreach goals. Let’s get started!

Contact Database Size

One of the first factors to consider when evaluating any B2B data provider is the sheer size and scope of their contact database. The more robust their database, the easier it will be for your sales reps to find accurate, up-to-date contact information for your ideal buyer personas. So how do ZoomInfo and Apollo stack up? Let’s take a look at the numbers:

ZoomInfo’s Database

According to ZoomInfo’s website, their B2B database currently includes:

• 100M+ companies
• 100M+ verified email addresses
• 63M+ direct dial phone numbers

This makes ZoomInfo’s database one of the largest in the industry. However, quantity doesn’t always equal quality. We’ll dive into data accuracy in the next section.

Apollo’s Database

In comparison, Apollo’s database contains:

• 200M+ individual contacts
• 10M+ company profiles
• Email addresses (amount not disclosed)
• Phone numbers (amount not disclosed)

While Apollo’s database is smaller than ZoomInfo’s overall, they do have 2x as many individual contacts. If your outreach strategy focuses heavily on targeting specific decision-makers vs. companies as a whole, this could be an advantage.

Data Quality & Accuracy

Of course, the size of a provider’s database is a moot point if the contact information within it is outdated, incomplete, or riddled with errors. Poor data quality leads to high bounce rates, wasted time for sales reps, and potential damage to your sender reputation and email deliverability.

So when it comes to data quality, which provider comes out on top? Here’s what the evidence shows:

ZoomInfo’s Data Quality

• Anecdotal bounce rates: Over the course of hundreds of research calls with sales and marketing leaders in 2020-2021, our team consistently heard complaints about ZoomInfo’s data quality and high bounce rates. Depending on the audience targeted, some reported bounce rates as high as 20-50%.
• Claimed accuracy: ZoomInfo claims their data is “95% accurate” but does not cite sources or studies to back this up.
• Reddit reviews: Conversations on Reddit generally view ZoomInfo as the industry’s “best of breed” data provider, primarily due to their database size. However, many still cite issues with duplicates, outdated contacts, and incomplete information.

Apollo’s Data Quality

• Past data breach: In 2018, Apollo suffered a major data breach that exposed 200M+ B2B emails and their attached data points. While concerning from a security standpoint, the breach did not speak to the accuracy or validity of the data itself.
• User reviews: Anecdotally, Apollo users seem largely satisfied with their data quality based on reviews on sites like G2 Crowd. Many cite high accuracy rates and minimal bounces compared to other providers they’ve tried.
• Claimed accuracy: Like ZoomInfo, Apollo does not disclose a claimed accuracy rate or cite any third-party studies/audits.

Overall, Apollo seems to have a slight edge in terms of data quality based on user reviews, but neither provider publicly backs up their accuracy claims with hard evidence. As always, it’s best to test samples of each database against your own internal data before committing to a contract.

Key Features Comparison

Data aside, both ZoomInfo and Apollo offer a robust set of sales enablement features designed to streamline prospecting, outreach, and pipeline management for B2B sales teams. However, their specific capabilities and core use cases do differ in a few key ways:

ZoomInfo’s Top Features

• In-platform prospecting: Users can search for contacts directly within ZoomInfo’s platform, without the need to scrape LinkedIn or company websites.
• Chrome extension: A Chrome extension is also available to enable fast prospecting while browsing LinkedIn.
• Buyer intent data: ZoomInfo provides intent signals that indicate when prospects are actively researching topics related to your solution.
• Company insights: Get alerted to relevant company events and news articles to personalize outreach.
• Contact management: Organize, tag, and manage all prospect interactions within ZoomInfo.
• CRM integration: Sync contact and account data seamlessly with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and other popular CRMs and sales tools.

For a more in-depth look at ZoomInfo’s capabilities, check out our comprehensive ZoomInfo review.

Apollo’s Top Features

• Contact data sourcing: Apollo offers many of the same prospecting and list building capabilities as ZoomInfo.
• Chrome extension: An Apollo Chrome extension is also available for LinkedIn prospecting.
• Email sequences: Apollo includes a native email sequencing tool to automate outreach and follow-ups.
• Built-in dialer: Call prospects from within Apollo using their power dialer feature.
• Lead scoring: Set up custom lead scoring models in Apollo based on demographic, firmographic, and behavioral data.
• Enrichment: Instantly enrich contacts with 200+ data points like job title, location, social profiles, etc.
• CRM integration: Apollo also offers native integrations with popular CRMs and sales tools.

To dive deeper into Apollo’s platform and capabilities, read our full Apollo.io review.

The biggest difference is that Apollo positions itself as more of an “all-in-one” sales engagement platform, with native tools for email outreach, calling, and more. ZoomInfo is primarily focused on data and insights, with integrations to enable outreach in other channels.

Pricing & Plans

Of course, all of these features and capabilities mean nothing if they don’t fit into your budget. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to pay for ZoomInfo vs. Apollo:

ZoomInfo Pricing

• Starts at $8,000/year for a basic plan
• ZoomInfo is tailored for business teams rather than individual users
• Pricing scales up with database access and features
• Add-ons like intent data cost extra

Apollo Pricing

• Starts at $59/user/month
• Included with unlimited email credits in all plans
• The Basic Plan includes 75 mobile credits per month, and these credits increase with higher-tier plans​
• Annual discounts available

Apollo is clearly the more affordable option, especially for smaller teams, but keep in mind that things like email sends and phone numbers are an additional cost on top of the base platform fee. ZoomInfo’s pricing can also vary widely based on your specific database and feature needs.

ZoomInfo Pros and Cons

Pros

✔️ One of the largest, most comprehensive B2B databases available

✔️ Highly accurate and reliable contact data (based on reviews)

✔️ Robust company insights and buying signals

✔️ Seamless integration with sales engagement tools

✔️ Hands-on customer support and training

Cons

❌ High annual contract costs

❌ Additional costs for add-ons and extra features

❌ Not cost-effective for small teams with low outreach volume

❌ User interface can be clunky and slow

❌ Limited customization options for alerts and lead scores

Apollo Pros and Cons

Pros

✔️ Affordable, flexible month-to-month pricing

✔️ All-in-one sales engagement and acceleration tools

✔️ High quality contact data (based on reviews)

✔️ Intuitive, modern user interface

✔️ Highly customizable lead scoring and alerts

✔️ Excellent customer support

Cons

❌ Smaller overall database compared to ZoomInfo

❌ Past data breach raises security concerns

❌ Extra costs for high email volume and phone numbers

❌ Some CRM integrations are more limited

❌ Reporting and analytics capabilities fall short of other tools

ZoomInfo vs Apollo: Which is Better?

As with most sales tech stack decisions, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to which B2B contact data provider is definitively “better.” The right choice depends on your team’s unique needs, goals, and constraints.

If you have a large or fast-growing sales organization that relies heavily on cold outreach to fill the pipeline, ZoomInfo’s unparalleled database size and direct CRM integration likely make it the better choice – as long as you have the budget to support the high annual contract costs. For smaller, more cost-conscious teams, Apollo’s affordable pricing, flexible plans, and all-in-one sales engagement features offer compelling value.

Ultimately, the best way to evaluate any data provider is to test them yourself. Both ZoomInfo and Apollo offer free trials, so you can compare the quality and capabilities of each against your own data and workflow before making a final decision. You may also want to test other popular alternatives like Cognism vs Apollo or Lusha vs Apollo to find the best fit.

No matter which provider you choose, investing in a reputable B2B contact data platform is sure to have a positive impact on your connect rates, pipeline, and overall sales productivity. For more guidance, check out our other head-to-head comparisons like Apollo vs RocketReach or explore our full list of Apollo.io alternatives.

If you’re considering other options beyond these two, our ZoomInfo vs RocketReach comparison is another helpful resource.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How accurate is ZoomInfo data? ZoomInfo claims their data is 95% accurate, but does not provide clear evidence to support this. User reviews suggest the accuracy is generally high but some report issues with outdated or incomplete records.
2. How accurate is Apollo data? Apollo does not publicly claim a specific accuracy rate. However, user reviews consistently praise the high quality and accuracy of Apollo’s contact data, with many reporting low bounce rates.
3. Does Apollo offer phone numbers? Yes, Apollo does provide phone numbers, but only on their Professional plan and above. Phone credits are an additional cost on top of the base platform fee.
4. How much does ZoomInfo cost? ZoomInfo pricing starts at around $10,000 per year for a basic plan with 3 user minimum. Costs increase with greater database access and features. Add-ons like intent data cost extra.
5. How much does Apollo cost? Apollo starts at $19 per user per month with a 3 user minimum. Apollo requires an additional cost for email credits, and phone number access is limited to higher tier plans. Annual discounts are available.
6. Which has better CRM integrations, ZoomInfo or Apollo? Both ZoomInfo and Apollo offer integrations with popular CRMs like Salesforce. However, ZoomInfo’s tend to be more robust and comprehensive, while some of Apollo’s are more limited in functionality.
7. Does ZoomInfo have an email sequencing tool? No, ZoomInfo does not have a native email sequencing tool. They integrate with sales engagement platforms like Outreach and SalesLoft that provide this functionality.
8. Does Apollo have a Chrome extension? Yes, Apollo offers a Chrome extension that allows users to easily find contact information and save it to Apollo while prospecting on LinkedIn.
9. Which is better for small sales teams, ZoomInfo or Apollo? In general, Apollo is the more cost-effective choice for small sales teams due to the flexible month-to-month pricing and lower entry-level costs. However, it depends on the specific needs and budget of the team.
10. Which is better for large sales teams, ZoomInfo or Apollo? Larger sales teams with more complex data needs and higher outreach volumes will likely find ZoomInfo to be the better choice, thanks to the size and scope of their database and seamless CRM integrations. However, the high annual contract cost must be considered.

Key Takeaways

• ZoomInfo has a larger overall B2B database than Apollo
• Apollo has 2x as many individual contacts in their database
• User reviews suggest Apollo has higher quality, more accurate data
• ZoomInfo offers company insights and buying intent signals
• Apollo includes email sequencing and a power dialer
• ZoomInfo pricing starts at $10K/year, Apollo starts at $19/user/mo
• Apollo is more affordable for small teams, ZoomInfo suits larger teams
• Both offer CRM integrations, but Apollo’s are more limited
• Test both with a free trial to compare quality and capabilities