Smartlead vs Apollo.io
Both sit in lead generation. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: Smartlead starts $10 a month cheaper than Apollo.io ($39 against $49, 20% less) on its Base tier. Paying annually takes Smartlead to $32.5/mo (17% off). Both figures were read from the vendors' own pricing pages on the dates shown below.
Smartlead
smartlead.ai
Cold email infrastructure with unlimited sender accounts, automated warm-up and a master inbox, aimed at agencies running many clients.
Apollo.io
apollo.io
A very large B2B contact database bundled with sequencing, dialling and a light CRM — one subscription covers finding prospects and emailing them.
| Smartlead | Apollo.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $39/mo | $49/mo |
| Entry plan | Base | Basic |
| Paid annually | $32.5/mosave 17% | $49/mo |
| Price checked | 21 Sept 2026 | 25 Aug 2026 |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Free plan |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Category | Lead Generation | Lead Generation |
| Around since | 2021 | 2015 |
Every price here was read from the vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 21 Sept 2026. Entry tier only — vendors change pricing without notice.
Smartlead vs Apollo.io, answered
- Is Smartlead cheaper than Apollo.io?
- Yes. Smartlead starts at $39 a month against Apollo.io's $49, 20% less. Apollo.io's figure is its annual rate — the vendor publishes no month-to-month price we could read.
- Do Smartlead or Apollo.io have a free plan?
- Apollo.io publishes an ongoing free plan; Smartlead does not.
- What is the difference between Smartlead and Apollo.io?
- Smartlead: Cold email infrastructure with unlimited sender accounts, automated warm-up and a master inbox, aimed at agencies running many clients. Apollo.io: A very large B2B contact database bundled with sequencing, dialling and a light CRM — one subscription covers finding prospects and emailing them.
- Which one is cheaper paid annually?
- Smartlead, at $32.50 a month against Apollo.io's $49. Smartlead drops to $32.50 a month paid yearly (17% off), while Apollo.io's $49 is already its annual rate — it publishes no month-to-month price.