Tool Comparisons

    Apollo.io vs folk: Data Enrichment Tool vs CRM Platform Comparison

    Compare Apollo.io (data enrichment tool) and folk (CRM platform) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.

    September 2, 20265 min read
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    The short answer

    Compare Apollo.io (data enrichment tool) and folk (CRM platform) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.

    Reviewed and updated September 2, 2026

    Apollo.io vs folk: Data Enrichment Tool vs CRM Platform Comparison

    Apollo.io (data enrichment tool) and folk (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 data enrichment tool for B2B lead data and contact enrichment; folk is a CRM platform for customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking. By each vendor's own wording, Apollo.io lists 210m+ contacts database and 30m+ companies, 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 finding accurate contact data for target accounts, 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 platform with 210M+ contacts, AI-powered campaigns, and built-in email sequencing.

    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

    FreeApollo.io entry plan

    Free

    $30/mofolk entry plan

    Standard

    Entry pricing for Apollo.io and folk, 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

    folk Pricing (as of September 2026)

    PlanPrice
    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 B2B lead data and contact enrichment 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

    Apollo.io lists
    • 210M+ contacts database
    • 30M+ companies
    • AI-powered multichannel campaigns
    • Email deliverability guardrails
    • Anonymous visitor identification
    • Real-time form enrichment
    • and 4 more listed below
    folk lists
    • Pipeline management
    • Email campaigns
    • Contact enrichment
    • Magic fields (AI)
    • LinkedIn extension
    • Email, calendar & WhatsApp sync
    • and 2 more listed below
    What Apollo.io and folk 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

    • 210M+ contacts database
    • 30M+ companies
    • AI-powered multichannel campaigns
    • Email deliverability guardrails
    • Anonymous visitor identification
    • Real-time form enrichment
    • Contact and company enrichment
    • Advanced filtering
    • CRM data cleansing
    • Pipeline boards

    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

    • 210M+ contacts database
    • 30M+ companies
    • AI-powered multichannel campaigns
    • Email deliverability guardrails
    • Anonymous visitor identification
    • Real-time form enrichment
    • Contact and company enrichment
    • Advanced filtering
    • CRM data cleansing
    • Pipeline boards

    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, Outreach, SalesLoft, Marketo, SendGrid, LinkedIn.

    folk Integrations

    folk connects with: Gmail, Outlook, Google calendar, Google contacts, WhatsApp, Zapier, Make, Pandadoc, Apollo, Clearbit.

    Integrations listed only by Apollo.io: Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, SalesLoft, Marketo, SendGrid, LinkedIn.

    Integrations listed only by folk: Gmail, Outlook, Google calendar, Google contacts, WhatsApp, Zapier, Make, Pandadoc, Apollo, Clearbit.

    Use Case Recommendations

    Best Fit for Apollo.io

    • Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable data enrichment tool
    • Teams that need a wide feature set (10 capabilities listed)
    • 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
    • Organizations with complex tech stacks needing broad integration support (10 integrations)
    • Sales teams tracking deals from first touch to close
    • Managers who need pipeline visibility and forecasting

    Feature Comparison Summary

    FeatureApollo.iofolk
    Starting PriceFree$30/mo
    Top Tier Price$119/mo$100/mo
    Total Features Listed108
    Integrations710

    Getting Started Checklist

    1. Define your B2B lead data and contact enrichment and customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking requirements and monthly budget
    2. Estimate your expected data credits or contact lookups 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 B2B lead data and contact enrichment 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.

    Apollo.iofolkData Enrichment ToolCRM PlatformComparisondata-enrichmentcrm
    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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