Apollo.io vs folk: Sales Engagement Platform vs CRM Platform Comparison
Compare Apollo.io (sales engagement platform) and folk (CRM platform) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.
Apollo.io is a sales engagement platform built for multi-channel outreach across email, phone, and LinkedIn, starting free. folk is a CRM platform for pipeline management and contact tracking, starting at $30/mo. Apollo.io suits prospecting at scale, folk suits organizing relationships and deals, and many teams run both together.
Key takeaways
- Apollo.io offers a free plan while folk's entry plan, Standard, costs $30/mo.
- Apollo.io has 4 pricing tiers (Free, Basic $49/mo, Professional $79/mo, Organization $119/mo) compared to folk's 3 tiers (Standard $30/mo, Premium $60/mo, Enterprise $100/mo).
- Apollo.io's database includes more than 275 million B2B contacts and companies.
- Both platforms integrate with Gmail and Zapier, but Apollo.io also connects with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive, while folk connects with WhatsApp and Apollo.
- Apollo.io lists 10 key features including a built-in dialer with call recording, while folk lists 8 features including pipeline management and Magic fields AI.
Reviewed and updated September 4, 2026
Apollo.io vs folk: Sales Engagement Platform vs CRM Platform Comparison
Sales teams building an outbound stack often weigh Apollo.io, a sales engagement platform for multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking, against folk, a CRM platform for customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking. They cover different parts of the workflow, so this comparison covers what each one does, what each one costs, and where they overlap.
The Quick Answer
Apollo.io is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking; folk is a CRM platform for customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking. By each vendor's own wording, Apollo.io lists b2b contact and company database (275m+ contacts) and multi-channel sequences (email, phone, linkedin), and folk lists pipeline management and email campaigns.
Apollo.io offers a lower entry point at $0/mo compared to folk at $30/mo.
If your priority is coordinating outreach across email, phone, and social channels, Apollo.io is the one built for it; for organizing contacts, tracking deals, and forecasting revenue, that is folk. Many teams run one of each.
Understanding the Core Difference
Apollo.io is All-in-one sales intelligence and engagement platform combining a 275M+ contact database with automated sequences, email outreach, dialer, and AI-powered workflows for prospecting at scale.
folk is folk is a CRM that captures the context of a team's relationships, with AI Assistants that work from that data. It syncs email, calendar and WhatsApp, imports profiles through a LinkedIn extension, and runs pipelines and email campaigns on top.
The two platforms take different approaches to solving the same core challenge.
Pricing Comparison
Free
Standard
Apollo.io Pricing (as of September 2026)
| Plan | Price | Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 900 credits per seat per year, granted monthly |
| Basic | $49/mo | 30,000 credits per seat per year, granted upfront |
| Professional | $79/mo | 48,000 credits per seat per year, granted upfront |
| Organization | $119/mo | 72,000 credits per seat per year, granted upfront |
Source: Apollo.io Pricing
folk Pricing (as of September 2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard | $30/mo |
| Premium | $60/mo |
| Enterprise | $100/mo |
Source: folk Pricing
Pricing Analysis
Apollo.io is more affordable at the entry level ($0/mo vs $30/mo). For teams with tight budgets or those just getting started with multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking and customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking, this price difference matters.
Apollo.io offers 4 pricing tiers compared to folk's 3, giving you more granularity as you scale.
Apollo.io includes a free tier, letting you test the platform before committing financially.
Features Breakdown
- B2B contact and company database (275M+ contacts)
- Multi-channel sequences (email, phone, LinkedIn)
- AI-powered email writing and optimization
- Built-in dialer with call recording
- Automated workflows and engagement rules
- A/B testing for email sequences
- and 4 more listed below
- Pipeline management
- Email campaigns
- Contact enrichment
- Magic fields (AI)
- LinkedIn extension
- Email, calendar & WhatsApp sync
- and 2 more listed below
Apollo.io Key Features
- B2B contact and company database (275M+ contacts)
- Multi-channel sequences (email, phone, LinkedIn)
- AI-powered email writing and optimization
- Built-in dialer with call recording
- Automated workflows and engagement rules
- A/B testing for email sequences
- Buying intent signals and job change alerts
- Advanced lead scoring and filtering
- Email deliverability tools and mailbox rotation
- Conversation intelligence (Professional+)
folk Key Features
- Pipeline management
- Email campaigns
- Contact enrichment
- Magic fields (AI)
- LinkedIn extension
- Email, calendar & WhatsApp sync
- Custom objects & Deals
- Email sequences
The two lists below are a diff of each vendor's own feature list by exact wording, so a capability both tools offer can appear on either side under a different name.
Listed only by Apollo.io
- B2B contact and company database (275M+ contacts)
- Multi-channel sequences (email, phone, LinkedIn)
- AI-powered email writing and optimization
- Built-in dialer with call recording
- Automated workflows and engagement rules
- A/B testing for email sequences
- Buying intent signals and job change alerts
- Advanced lead scoring and filtering
- Email deliverability tools and mailbox rotation
- Conversation intelligence (Professional+)
Listed only by folk
- Pipeline management
- Email campaigns
- Contact enrichment
- Magic fields (AI)
- LinkedIn extension
- Email, calendar & WhatsApp sync
- Custom objects & Deals
- Email sequences
Integration Ecosystem
Apollo.io Integrations
Apollo.io connects with: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, LinkedIn, Zapier, Slack, Sendgrid, Outreach, Salesloft, Webhooks API.
folk Integrations
folk connects with: Gmail, Outlook, Google calendar, Google contacts, WhatsApp, Zapier, Make, Pandadoc, Apollo, Clearbit.
Shared Integrations
Both tools integrate with: Gmail, Zapier.
Integrations listed only by Apollo.io: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Microsoft Outlook, LinkedIn, Slack, Sendgrid, Outreach, Salesloft, Webhooks API.
Integrations listed only by folk: Outlook, Google calendar, Google contacts, WhatsApp, Make, Pandadoc, Apollo, Clearbit.
Use Case Recommendations
Best Fit for Apollo.io
- Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable sales engagement platform
- Teams that need a wide feature set (10 capabilities listed)
- Organizations with complex tech stacks needing broad integration support (12 integrations)
- Teams that want to start free and scale up as needs grow
Best Fit for folk
- Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable CRM platform
- Sales teams tracking deals from first touch to close
- Managers who need pipeline visibility and forecasting
- Growing teams that need scalable contact management
Feature Comparison Summary
| Feature | Apollo.io | folk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free | $30/mo |
| Top Tier Price | $119/mo | $100/mo |
| Total Features Listed | 10 | 8 |
| Integrations | 12 | 10 |
| Founded | 2015 | N/A |
Getting Started Checklist
- Define your multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking and customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking requirements and monthly budget
- Estimate your expected sequences and engagement actions and contacts and deals to find the right tier
- List the integrations your team currently relies on
- Sign up for free trials or demos of both platforms
- Run a small test with each tool before making a commitment
- Evaluate the onboarding experience and support quality
Final Thoughts
Apollo.io serves the multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking side of an outbound stack and folk the customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking side. Apollo.io offers a more accessible entry point, while folk starts at $30/mo. Your decision should weigh pricing against the specific features that matter most for your workflow.
Start with a trial of each to see which platform fits your team's daily process. The best tool is the one your team actually uses consistently.
Pricing and features verified as of September 2026. Visit Apollo.io and folk for current information.
Frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked questions- What is the main difference between Apollo.io and folk?
- Apollo.io is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel outreach and engagement tracking, while folk is a CRM platform for customer relationship management and pipeline tracking. Apollo.io focuses on prospecting and outreach at scale, and folk focuses on organizing contacts and tracking deals.
- How much does Apollo.io cost compared to folk?
- Apollo.io starts free and offers paid tiers at $49/mo, $79/mo, and $119/mo. folk starts at $30/mo for its Standard plan, with Premium at $60/mo and Enterprise at $100/mo. Apollo.io's free tier makes it the cheaper entry point.
- Do Apollo.io and folk integrate with each other?
- Yes, folk lists Apollo as one of its integrations. Both platforms also connect with Gmail and Zapier, though each has its own separate set of additional integrations beyond that overlap.
- Can I use both Apollo.io and folk together?
- Yes, the article notes many teams run one of each since they cover different parts of the sales workflow. Apollo.io handles multi-channel outreach while folk manages the CRM side, including pipeline management and contact tracking.
- Which tool has a bigger contact database?
- Apollo.io lists a B2B contact and company database with more than 275 million contacts. folk does not list a comparable contact database size, instead offering contact enrichment and syncing of existing relationship data through email, calendar, and WhatsApp.
About the author.
Tim Carden is CMO / CTO at RevenueFlow, which builds and operates outbound revenue engines for B2B companies. Studied at McGill University.
Tim Carden · CMO / CTO
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