Apollo.io for Startups vs Instantly.ai
Choose Apollo.io for Startups if your eligible team wants prospect data and sales engagement in one platform; choose Instantly.ai if your priority is running cold-email campaigns across many sending accounts. Both products are available, and both support prospecting and outreach. The deciding differences are Apollo’s startup eligibility and per-seat pricing versus Instantly’s outreach plans, which are organized around uploaded-contact and monthly-email limits.
Last updated October 31, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | Apollo.io for Startups | Instantly.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Primary scope | B2B prospect data and sales engagement | Cold-email outreach; separate data-credit plans |
| Prospect database | 240M+ B2B contacts | 450M+ B2B leads through data-credit plans |
| Published entry price | Basic: $49 per seat/month, billed annually | Growth outreach: $47/month |
| Startup offer | 50% off Basic or Professional for one year, up to five seats | Not published |
| Startup eligibility | Fewer than 20 employees; other conditions apply | No startup eligibility requirement published |
| Paid-plan licensing | Priced per seat | Outreach plans priced per month |
| Connected email accounts | Plan-dependent mailbox connections | Unlimited on paid outreach plans |
| Email warmup | Plan- and credit-dependent | Unlimited on paid outreach plans |
| Entry-plan outreach limits | Monthly email limit not published | Growth: 5,000 emails/month |
| Entry-plan data limits | Basic: 30,000 credits per seat/year | Growth outreach: 1,000 uploaded contacts |
| Integrations | Salesforce, HubSpot and major email providers | Zapier and API on paid outreach plans |
| Support | One-to-one support for accepted startups | Growth: chat support; Hypergrowth: priority support |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose Apollo.io for Startups if
- Eligible early-stage teams seeking a first-year startup discount
- Sales teams combining B2B contact search with outreach
- Reps who need calling features on Apollo Professional
- Teams using Salesforce or HubSpot alongside prospecting
Choose Instantly.ai if
- Teams managing many cold-email sending accounts
- Buyers planning around monthly email and uploaded-contact limits
- Teams that want unlimited email warmup on a paid outreach plan
- Buyers who prefer outreach and lead-finding credits as separate plans
The verdict
Pick Apollo.io for Startups when your team qualifies for its first-year discount and needs contact discovery alongside email sequences and broader sales workflows. Pick Instantly.ai when the main job is scaling cold-email outreach with unlimited connected email accounts and warmup on a paid outreach plan. Compare total costs carefully: Instantly lists lead-finding credits separately from its outreach plans, while Apollo’s paid plans include a credit allowance per seat.
Apollo.io for Startups vs Instantly.ai: common questions
- Is Apollo.io for Startups still available?
- Yes. Apollo accepts applications for Apollo for Startups and publishes a 50% discount on Basic or Professional for one year, covering up to five seats for accepted startups.
- Who qualifies for Apollo.io for Startups?
- Apollo says applicants should have fewer than 20 employees, no existing Apollo subscription, a valid company domain and an affiliation with a startup ecosystem partner. Teams without a partner affiliation can apply to discuss next steps.
- How do the starting prices compare?
- Apollo lists Basic at $49 per seat per month when billed annually, before any startup discount. Instantly lists Growth outreach at $47 per month. These are different billing models, and Instantly’s lead-finding credits have separate plans.
- Does Instantly.ai include a lead database?
- Instantly publishes a database of more than 450 million B2B leads through its data-credit plans. Its Growth outreach plan is priced separately from lead-finding credits.
- Which offers unlimited email accounts and warmup?
- Instantly lists unlimited connected email accounts and unlimited warmup on its paid outreach plans. Apollo offers email warmup, but mailbox enrollment depends on the plan and available credits.
- What are Instantly.ai’s entry-plan sending limits?
- Instantly’s Growth outreach plan allows 5,000 emails per month and 1,000 uploaded contacts. The uploaded-contact limit applies across campaigns rather than resetting each month.
- Can I make sales calls with either product?
- Apollo lists dialing and call-recording features on its Professional plan. Instantly offers calling through its CRM product; buyers should check that product’s subscription separately from an outreach plan.
- Do Apollo.io for Startups and Instantly.ai integrate with other tools?
- Apollo publishes integrations including Salesforce, HubSpot and major email providers. Instantly lists integrations, Zapier and API access on paid outreach plans.