Tomba vs Apollo.io for Startups
Choose Tomba if your startup mainly needs to find and verify business contact details; choose Apollo.io for Startups if you want prospecting and outreach in one platform. Both offer contact discovery, but Tomba centers on search, verification and bulk data work, while Apollo adds email sequences, sales workflows and calling features.
Last updated October 26, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | Tomba | Apollo.io for Startups |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use | Contact finding, verification and enrichment | Prospecting, enrichment and sales engagement |
| Email outreach | Contact data and CRM integrations | Email campaigns and sequences |
| Startup offer | Not published | 50% off Basic or Professional for one year; up to five seats |
| Offer eligibility | Not published | Fewer than 20 employees; new subscriber; company domain; ecosystem-partner affiliation |
| Published paid entry price | Basic: $49/month, or $37/month billed yearly | Basic: $49/user/month billed annually before startup discount |
| Free access | Free plan: 25 search credits every 30 days | Free Starter plan with no time limit |
| Usage allowances | Basic: 2,500 searches and 2,500 verifications monthly | Team-pooled credits; allowance depends on plan |
| Bulk work | Bulk finder, verifier and enrichment jobs | Bulk lead selection and export |
| Calling | Phone-number finder | Dialer on Professional |
| Integrations | HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zapier and Make | Salesforce, HubSpot, Gmail and Microsoft email providers |
| Access methods | Web app, browser extensions, Sheets and Excel add-ons, REST API | Web app and Chrome extension; custom API access on Custom plans |
| Support | Help center; named account manager on Enterprise | One-to-one support for accepted startups |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose Tomba if
- Teams focused on finding and verifying work emails
- Startups processing contact lists in bulk or through an API
- Teams using Google Sheets or Excel for prospect data
Choose Apollo.io for Startups if
- Eligible startups seeking a first-year plan discount
- Teams that want prospecting and email sequences together
- Sales reps who need calling and workflow tools
The verdict
The deciding factor is whether you need contact data to use in your existing workflow or a platform that also runs outreach. Tomba fits teams building lists, checking addresses and working through an API or spreadsheets. Apollo.io for Startups fits eligible teams that want to find prospects and engage them in the same product. Apollo’s startup offer requires an application and applies to qualifying Basic or Professional seats for one year.
Tomba vs Apollo.io for Startups: common questions
- Is this comparison worth considering?
- Yes. Tomba and Apollo.io for Startups both help teams find B2B contacts, and both are available. The choice becomes meaningful when a startup decides whether it also needs outreach tools in the same product.
- Can I send prospecting emails from both products?
- Apollo includes email campaigns and sequencing. Tomba publishes contact-finding, verification and integrations for using contact data in other workflows.
- Who qualifies for Apollo.io for Startups?
- Apollo says applicants need fewer than 20 employees, no existing Apollo subscription, a valid company domain and an affiliation with one of its startup ecosystem partners. Accepted startups receive 50% off Basic or Professional for one year, for up to five seats.
- What do the free plans include?
- Tomba publishes 25 search credits every 30 days on its free plan. Apollo offers a free Starter plan without a time limit; its available credits and features differ from paid plans.
- How do paid plans charge for usage?
- Tomba publishes separate monthly search and verification allowances, with Basic priced at $49 per month. Apollo prices seats and uses a team-pooled credit allowance for data and other actions; unused credits do not roll over.
- Which product fits a spreadsheet-based prospecting process?
- Tomba offers Google Sheets and Excel add-ons alongside bulk contact-finding and verification. Apollo supports lead export, but its broader offering also includes outreach workflows.
- Can either product connect to our CRM?
- Tomba publishes integrations including HubSpot and Pipedrive. Apollo publishes integrations including HubSpot and Salesforce; available capabilities depend on the Apollo plan.
- Which should a startup choose for calling?
- Apollo’s Professional plan includes a dialer. Tomba publishes a phone-number finder, which serves contact discovery rather than the same calling workflow.