Lemlist or Apollo io — which one’s right for you?
Both tools are built to help you:
Discover the right leads
Send personalized cold email campaigns
Book more meetings and keep your sales pipeline flowing
But here’s the real question: which one actually fits your workflow and goals?
Unless you’ve got the budget (and a solid reason) to invest in both, you’ll need to pick one.
If you're stuck deciding between the two, you're in the right place.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through a side-by-side comparison of Lemlist vs Apollo — their strengths, their downsides, and which one’s better suited for you.
Lemlist vs. Apollo
TL;DR: Lemlist vs. Apollo in Under a Minute
Lemlist vs. Apollo Core Features Breakdown
Lemlist vs. Apollo Pricing Comparison
Final Verdict – Which is Better: Lemlist or Apollo io
FAQs
TL;DR: Lemlist vs. Apollo in Under a Minute
Let’s keep it quick!
Lemlist is a solid option if your main focus is to:
Sending highly personalized cold outreach emails.
Improve email deliverability so your messages land in inboxes, not spam or promotions tabs.
Find relevant prospects quickly using a built-in lead database
On the other hand, Apollo io is great if you want to:
Find a large volume of prospects along with their valid contact information,
Enrich existing prospect data and use advanced intent filters,
And run outreach campaigns all from one platform,
Lemlist Vs. Apollo: Quick Comparison
Lemlist vs. Apollo Core Features Breakdown
In this section, I’ll compare both tools across key features crucial for B2B cold outreach.
This will give you a clear understanding of how Lemlist and Apollo io differ and help you decide which one fits your needs better.
B2B Lead Database
Cold Outreach Sequence Automation
Personalization Features
Deliverability Features
Agency Support and Client Management
Integrations
1. B2B Lead Database
One of the biggest advantages of using an outreach tool with a built-in B2B lead database is that you can find, enrich, and contact the right people — all in one place.
No switching between tools. No extra subscriptions.
Luckily, both Lemlist and Apollo io offer integrated databases.
But… which one actually helps you find better leads, faster?
After testing both, here's what I found:
✅ Quick Comparison: B2B Lead Database
✅ What Stands Out in Each Platform?
🔹 Lemlist
Larger database: Access to 450M+ contacts across 63M+ companies.
Simpler UI/UX: Easier navigation, less cluttered experience.
Waterfall enrichment: Automatically finds valid emails by checking multiple sources — great for improving accuracy and reducing bounces.
🔹 Apollo io
More credits: 2.5x the monthly credits compared to Lemlist.
Deeper filters: Over 60 filters for hyper-targeted prospecting.
Intent data + customization: Ideal for advanced segmentation and targeting.
✅ Which One’s Better for Lead Sourcing?
It depends on what matters more to you:
Choose Lemlist if you value data accuracy, simplicity, and want to reduce bounced emails through waterfall enrichment.
Go with Apollo io if you need more credits and highly advanced filtering to narrow down your ideal prospects.
Both are solid choices — the right one comes down to your workflow.
2. Cold Outreach Sequence Automation
Once you’ve found your ideal leads, the next big step is reaching out at scale, without losing that personal touch. That’s where email sequence automation comes in.
Let’s break down how Lemlist and Apollo io stack up when it comes to building and managing automated cold outreach campaigns.
✅ Quick TL;DR of Cold Outreach Sequence Automation Comparison
✅ What’s the Real Difference?
Both platforms are strong when it comes to the basics: scheduled sending, reply detection, A/B testing, and managing replies in one place.
But here’s where Lemlist stands out:
Condition-Based Sequences: Lemlist lets you set up smart branches based on recipient behavior:
→ Opened an email? Send follow-up A.
→ Didn’t click the link? Try a different message.
→ Bounced? Trigger a cleanup workflow.
This means your outreach adapts to how your prospect engages.
Visual Sequence Builder: Lemlist's drag-and-drop interface makes it super intuitive to design complex, multi-step sequences — even if you’re new to outreach automation.
Apollo io, while powerful, doesn’t offer that same level of branching logic inside its sequences. You’ll find it solid for linear flows, but less flexible when you need nuanced follow-ups.
✅ Which One Wins for Outreach Automation?
Go with Lemlist if you want greater control, logic-based workflows, and a visual builder that makes life easier.
Pick Apollo io if your outreach is more straightforward and you’re already using the platform for lead sourcing.
If your priority is smart, adaptive cold outreach, Lemlist gives you the edge.
>> You can also read: Top 7+ Cold Email Software to Scale Your Outreach Efforts in 2025
3. Personalization Features
Personalization is the secret sauce of cold outreach.
The more your emails feel genuinely tailored to the recipient, the higher your chances of getting opens, clicks, and replies.
Let’s see how Lemlist and Apollo io compare when it comes to email personalization capabilities.
✅ Quick Comparison: Personalization Features
✅ What Sets Them Apart?
Both platforms support:
Basic personalization with tags like first name, company, or job title.
Advanced dynamic fields (e.g., using logic based on the day, time zone, industry).
AI features to generate first lines and improve email tone or structure.
But here’s where Lemlist takes it further:
Image Personalization: Add the recipient’s name, logo, or company image into a visual asset — a proven way to boost response rates.
Custom Landing Pages: Create dynamic landing pages personalized for each prospect — something Apollo io doesn’t currently offer natively.
While Apollo io is solid for standard personalization and AI-generated copy, it doesn’t have the same creative edge as Lemlist brings with visuals and branded touchpoints.
✅ Who Wins on Personalization?
Pick Lemlist if deep, creative, and visual personalization is a key part of your outreach playbook.
Go with Apollo io if you just need solid text-based personalization with AI assistance.
If you want your outreach to truly stand out in a crowded inbox, Lemlist is the clear winner here.
4. Deliverability Features
Sending cold emails is easy. Getting them into the inbox — that’s the real challenge.
If your tool doesn’t protect your sender reputation with proper deliverability features, your outreach could end up in spam… no matter how good your message is.
Let’s break down how Lemlist and Apollo io compare on this front.
✅ Quick Comparison: Deliverability Features
✅ Deliverability: Where Things Stand
Apollo io offers solid core functionality, but falls short when it comes to deliverability support.
Many users have reported deliverability issues, from emails ending up in spam to company email addresses being temporarily disabled. One key reason is that Apollo lacks essential features like:
Built-in email warm-up
Custom domain/email infrastructure setup
Deliverability testing or optimization tools
“No matter how much I optimized my cold email campaigns, Apollo kept causing email deliverability issues.” — G2 Review
Lemlist, on the other hand, was built with email deliverability in mind.
Highlights include:
Native warm-up tool (Lemwarm) to gradually build sender reputation
Custom email infrastructure setup — buy and manage domains and accounts directly from the platform
AI-powered bounce protection to prevent risky sends
Flexible scaling with multiple sender accounts to spread your sending volume and stay within healthy limits
✅ Who Wins on Deliverability?
If inbox placement is a top priority (and it should be), Lemlist is the clear winner.
It’s purpose-built for cold emailers who want reliable performance, clean sending practices, and strong deliverability from day one.
Apollo io is powerful for prospecting, but when it comes to getting your emails seen, Lemlist takes the lead.
>> You can also read: The 7 Best Email Deliverability Tools You Need in 2025 to Boost Your Email Open Rates
5. Agency Support and Client Management
A good cold email platform should work not just for individual users or in-house teams, but also for agencies managing multiple clients under one roof.
So, how do Lemlist and Apollo io stack up when it comes to agency-style operations?
✅ Which Platform Supports Agencies Better?
🔹 Apollo
Apollo is not designed with agencies in mind. There’s no centralized dashboard, no client workspace management, and no way to handle outreach for multiple clients under one login. If you're an agency, Apollo simply isn’t built for your model.
🔹 Lemlist
Lemlist, on the other hand, does support agencies. With its Cockpit Management feature, you can:
Create dedicated workspaces for each client
Manage all accounts centrally from your agency dashboard
Assign team members to specific workspaces as needed
However, there’s one catch: 👉 Each client workspace requires a separate paid plan — so the cost can scale up quickly as you grow.
✅ Best Platform for Agencies?
Choose Lemlist if you’re an agency that needs full control, visibility, and client-specific workspaces — and are okay with scaling costs.
Avoid Apollo io if you plan to serve multiple clients — it lacks the infrastructure for agency use cases.
If you're looking for a platform that truly supports agencies, Lemlist is the better fit.
6. Integrations
Integrations help you centralize your workflow.
The better the integration support, the less time you spend switching between tools, and the more time you can spend on converting prospects to paying customers.
✅ Which Platform Has More Integrations – Lemlist or Apollo io?
Both Lemlist and Apollo io offer native integrations with popular tools, but they serve slightly different needs.
Lemlist integrates with:
CRMs: HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive
Automation: Zapier, Make, n8n, Clay
VoIP tools: Aircall, Ringover
LinkedIn tools: Taplio
Apollo io, on the other hand, offers much more than Lemlist.
It integrates with a wide range of tools, including CRMs, calling platforms, marketing tools, enrichment platforms, and more.
In short, Apollo io wins on integration depth, but Lemlist keeps it simple and efficient for leaner teams.
But this is solely based on your use case.
Lemlist vs. Apollo Pricing Comparison (Annual Billing)
Pricing is one of the biggest deciding factors, especially for startups, solopreneurs, and agencies trying to scale.
Both Lemlist and Apollo io follow a per-user pricing model, but they differ in terms of limits, features included, and scalability.
Let’s break it down.
Lemlist offers a 14-day Free Trial and 3 paid plans.
Email Pro – Only for email outreach ($55/month/user)
Multichannel Expert – LinkedIn and Cold Calling ($79/month/user)
Custom – For large organizations (5 seats min.)
Similarly, Apollo io also has a forever-free plan and 3 paid plans:
Basic – $49/month/user
Professional – $79/month/user
Organization – $119/month/user (minimum 3 users)
FAQs - Lemlist vs Apollo io
1. What is Lemlist?
Lemlist is a cold email outreach tool with personalization, automation, and deliverability features built for sales teams and agencies. It’s ideal if you’re focused on inbox placement and client management.
2. What is Apollo.io
Apollo io is a sales intelligence platform combining a large B2B contact database with outreach tools. It’s ideal if you’re focused on lead sourcing, enrichment, and building large prospecting pipelines.
3. Are there any better alternatives to Lemlist?
Yes, there are better alternatives to Lemlist, like Smartlead AI, Instantly ai, etc.
4. What are some of the alternatives to Apollo.io?
Yes, tools like Zoominfo, Seamless AI, and UpLead offer better flexibility or data accuracy depending on your needs.
You can explore them here: Top 5 Apollo.io Alternatives for Boosting Your B2B Lead Generation
5. Is Lemlist better than Apollo io?
Lemlist wins on deliverability and personalization. Apollo io is better for lead sourcing. But a much better platform is Saleshandy — it’s more cost-effective, scalable, and built for results.
Final Verdict – Which is Better: Lemlist or Apollo io
After all the breaking down of features and pricing, it’s time to announce the winner. (Easier said than done!)
Quite honestly, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
Lemlist is undoubtedly the better pick if you’re looking for cost-effective, scalable outreach with strong deliverability features.
That said, if your primary goal is to build a high-volume prospecting pipeline, Apollo’s filters and enrichment features are definitely unbeatable.
But when it comes to actual email sending, it falls short on deliverability and flexibility.
And even with Lemlist, you’re still paying a hefty price!
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