Tool Comparisons

    Apollo.io vs Salesflare: Sales Engagement Platform vs CRM Platform Comparison

    Compare Apollo.io (sales engagement platform) and Salesflare (CRM platform) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.

    Editorial illustration for Apollo.io vs Salesflare
    August 31, 2026Updated September 2, 20266 min read
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    The short answer

    Apollo.io is a sales engagement platform built for multi-channel outreach across email, phone, and LinkedIn, starting free at $0/mo. Salesflare is a CRM platform for organizing contacts, tracking deals, and forecasting revenue, starting at $39/mo. Teams prioritizing outreach volume favor Apollo.io, while those needing pipeline tracking favor Salesflare. Many teams use both.

    Key takeaways

    • Apollo.io's Free plan starts at $0/mo, while Salesflare's entry-level Growth plan costs $39/mo.
    • Apollo.io lists a B2B contact and company database of more than 275 million contacts.
    • Apollo.io offers four pricing tiers (Free, Basic at $49/mo, Professional at $79/mo, Organization at $119/mo) compared to Salesflare's three tiers (Growth at $39/mo, Pro at $64/mo, Enterprise at $124/mo).
    • Apollo.io integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, LinkedIn, Zapier, and Slack.
    • Salesflare works inside Gmail, Outlook, and LinkedIn and automatically gathers contact and company info from emails, email signatures, and social profiles.

    Reviewed and updated September 2, 2026

    Apollo.io vs Salesflare: Sales Engagement Platform vs CRM Platform Comparison

    Apollo.io (sales engagement platform) and Salesflare (CRM platform) sit next to each other in many outbound stacks. They are not substitutes for each other on every job, so this comparison covers pricing, features, and integrations for each and points out where the two meet.

    The Quick Answer

    Apollo.io is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking; Salesflare 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 Salesflare lists automate your crm data input and track emails, links and website visits.

    Apollo.io offers a lower entry point at $0/mo compared to Salesflare at $39/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 Salesflare. 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.

    Salesflare is Salesflare is a CRM for small and medium-sized businesses selling B2B. It automatically gathers contact and company info from emails, email signatures and social profiles, logs meetings and phone calls, and works inside Gmail, Outlook and LinkedIn.

    The two platforms take different approaches to solving the same core challenge.

    Pricing Comparison

    Pricing panels: Pricing Comparison (Apollo.io, Salesflare, Free, Growth)

    FreeApollo.io entry plan

    Free

    $39/moSalesflare entry plan

    Growth

    Entry pricing for Apollo.io and Salesflare, as published on each vendor's own pricing page.

    Apollo.io Pricing (as of September 2026)

    PlanPriceContacts
    FreeFree900 credits per seat per year, granted monthly
    Basic$49/mo30,000 credits per seat per year, granted upfront
    Professional$79/mo48,000 credits per seat per year, granted upfront
    Organization$119/mo72,000 credits per seat per year, granted upfront

    Source: Apollo.io Pricing

    Salesflare Pricing (as of September 2026)

    PlanPriceContacts
    Growth$39/mo5 lead credits
    Pro$64/mo100 lead credits
    Enterprise$124/mo250 lead credits

    Source: Salesflare Pricing

    Pricing Analysis

    Apollo.io is more affordable at the entry level ($0/mo vs $39/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 Salesflare'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

    Apollo.io lists
    • 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
    Salesflare lists
    • Automate your CRM data input
    • Track emails, links and website visits
    • LinkedIn sidebar, email sidebar and mobile app
    • Send personalized email campaigns
    • Send workflows of multiple emails
    • Set user permissions
    • and 2 more listed below
    What Apollo.io and Salesflare each list on their own pages. The split is by exact wording, so a capability both offer can appear on both sides under different names.

    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+)

    Salesflare Key Features

    • Automate your CRM data input
    • Track emails, links and website visits
    • LinkedIn sidebar, email sidebar and mobile app
    • Send personalized email campaigns
    • Send workflows of multiple emails
    • Set user permissions
    • Create custom dashboards
    • Lead search with email address lookup

    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 Salesflare

    • Automate your CRM data input
    • Track emails, links and website visits
    • LinkedIn sidebar, email sidebar and mobile app
    • Send personalized email campaigns
    • Send workflows of multiple emails
    • Set user permissions
    • Create custom dashboards
    • Lead search with email address lookup

    Integration Ecosystem

    Integration grid: Integration Ecosystem (Apollo.io, Salesflare, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook)

    Apollo.io Integrations

    Apollo.io connects with: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, LinkedIn, Zapier, Slack, Sendgrid, Outreach, Salesloft, Webhooks API.

    Salesflare Integrations

    Salesflare connects with: Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, Google Sheets, Slack, MailChimp, QuickBooks Online, Intercom, Zapier, Make.

    Shared Integrations

    Both tools integrate with: Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Zapier, Slack.

    Integrations listed only by Apollo.io: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, LinkedIn, Sendgrid, Outreach, Salesloft, Webhooks API.

    Integrations listed only by Salesflare: Google Calendar, Google Sheets, MailChimp, QuickBooks Online, Intercom, Make.

    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 Salesflare

    • 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

    FeatureApollo.ioSalesflare
    Starting PriceFree$39/mo
    Top Tier Price$119/mo$124/mo
    Total Features Listed108
    Integrations1210
    Founded2015N/A

    Getting Started Checklist

    Step sequence: Getting Started Checklist (Define multi-channel sales, Estimate expected sequences, List integrations, Sign up)

    1. Define your multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking and customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking requirements and monthly budget
    2. Estimate your expected sequences and engagement actions and contacts and deals to find the right tier
    3. List the integrations your team currently relies on
    4. Sign up for free trials or demos of both platforms
    5. Run a small test with each tool before making a commitment
    6. 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 Salesflare the customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking side. Apollo.io offers a more accessible entry point, while Salesflare starts at $39/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 Salesflare for current information.

    Questions

    Frequently asked questions.

    Frequently asked questions
    What's the main difference between Apollo.io and Salesflare?
    Apollo.io is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel outreach and engagement tracking, while Salesflare is a CRM platform for customer relationship management and pipeline tracking. Apollo.io focuses on coordinating outreach across email, phone, and social channels, while Salesflare focuses on organizing contacts, tracking deals, and forecasting revenue.
    How much does Apollo.io cost compared to Salesflare?
    Apollo.io starts free at $0/mo, with paid tiers at $49/mo for Basic, $79/mo for Professional, and $119/mo for Organization. Salesflare starts at $39/mo for Growth, with Pro at $64/mo and Enterprise at $124/mo, making Apollo.io the more affordable entry point.
    Can I use Apollo.io and Salesflare together?
    Yes, the article notes that many teams run one of each tool since Apollo.io and Salesflare take different approaches to solving different core challenges. Apollo.io handles multi-channel outreach and engagement tracking, while Salesflare handles CRM data and pipeline tracking, so they complement rather than replace each other.
    Which tool is better for small B2B sales teams?
    Salesflare is built specifically as a CRM for small and medium-sized businesses selling B2B, automatically gathering contact and company info from emails, signatures, and social profiles. Apollo.io suits teams that need multi-channel outreach and access to a database of over 275 million contacts.
    What integrations does Apollo.io support?
    Apollo.io connects with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, LinkedIn, Zapier, and Slack, according to the article's listed integrations. This lets it plug into existing CRM and communication tools that a sales team already uses.
    Apollo.ioSalesflareSales Engagement PlatformCRM PlatformComparisonsales-engagementcrm
    Byline

    About the author.

    Tim Carden

    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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