# Apollo.io for Startups vs Instantly.ai

Source: https://nachonacho.com/software-comparisons/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.

## At a glance

| | 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 |

## Which to 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

## 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.

## 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.

## Product pages

- Apollo.io for Startups: https://nachonacho.com/product/deal-apollo
- Instantly.ai: https://nachonacho.com/product/Instantly