RocketReach vs Apollo: The Real Differences That Matter
If you're comparing RocketReach and Apollo.io, you're probably trying to figure out which B2B contact database will actually help you close deals—not just burn through credits. Both tools promise millions of contacts and accurate data, but they take fundamentally different approaches to sales prospecting.
Here's the short version: Apollo is an all-in-one sales engagement platform with built-in email sequences, dialer, and CRM features. RocketReach is a focused contact-finding tool that specializes in email and phone lookup with higher data accuracy claims. Your choice depends on whether you need a complete outreach platform or just clean contact data.
Let me break down the real differences.
Database Size and Coverage
Both platforms boast massive databases, but the numbers tell different stories:
RocketReach: Over 700 million professional profiles and 60 million companies. They claim to make approximately 170 million updates per month from thousands of sources.
Apollo: Around 210-275 million contacts and 60-73 million companies (the numbers vary depending on the source). Apollo maintains a network of over 2 million data contributors that help verify and update information.
RocketReach has the larger raw database, but Apollo's data network approach means their information gets validated through actual user engagement—when someone sends an email through Apollo and it bounces, that data point gets flagged.
Data Accuracy: Where It Gets Interesting
This is where the tools diverge significantly, and it's worth paying attention to.
RocketReach claims:
- 90-98% deliverability on verified emails
- A-grade emails have a 98% deliverability rate
- Users typically report bounce rates between 5-10% on cold campaigns
- Color-coded probability ratings on verified emails/phones
Apollo claims:
- 91% email accuracy rate through their 7-step verification process
- Less than 1% invalid direct phone numbers
- Real-time verification when you request contact numbers
However, user reviews paint a more nuanced picture. Some Apollo users report bounce rates up to 35% in certain campaigns. Multiple G2 reviews mention concerns about outdated information and declining data quality over time. RocketReach reviews also mention occasional accuracy issues and requests for more cell phones and direct dials.
The honest truth? Neither tool is perfect. If you're running high-volume cold email, plan to use a separate email verification tool regardless of which platform you choose.
Features Comparison
This is where the philosophical difference between these tools becomes clear.
RocketReach Features
- Contact lookup (emails, phone numbers, social profiles)
- Person and company search with advanced filters
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn prospecting
- Basic email outreach (25 emails/day on lower tiers)
- Bulk lookups and list building
- CRM integrations (Pro plan and above)
- Org charts and company trends (higher tiers)
- Intent data (Ultimate plan)
- Technographics (Ultimate plan)
Apollo Features
- Contact database with 65+ search filters
- Multi-step email sequences with A/B testing
- Built-in dialer (US calls on Professional+, international on Organization)
- LinkedIn automation
- Task management and workflows
- CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
- Lead scoring
- Analytics and reporting dashboards
- Intent data and buying signals
- Call recording with AI insights
Apollo is clearly the more feature-rich platform. If you want one tool to handle prospecting, outreach, and pipeline management, Apollo makes more sense. If you just need accurate contact data to feed into your existing sales stack (like a dedicated tool such as Instantly or Smartlead for email outreach), RocketReach keeps things simpler.
Pricing Breakdown
Both platforms use credit-based systems, which can get confusing. Here's what you're actually looking at.
RocketReach Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price (per month) | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 5 lookups/month |
| Essentials | $69/mo | ~$48/mo | Email only, 1,200 exports/year, 100 lookups/mo |
| Pro | $119/mo | ~$83/mo | Email + phone, 3,600 lookups/year, CRM integrations |
| Ultimate | $209/mo | ~$149/mo | 10,000 lookups/year, intent data, technographics |
Annual plans offer unlimited lookups (with fair usage limits around 10,000/month) but capped exports. Overage fees run $0.30-$0.45 per additional lookup.
Want more details? Check out our full RocketReach pricing breakdown.
Apollo Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price (per month) | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 50 email credits/mo, 5 mobile credits/mo, 10 export credits/mo |
| Basic | $59/user/mo | $49/user/mo | 200 email credits/mo, advanced filters, meeting scheduler |
| Professional | $99/user/mo | $79/user/mo | Unlimited email credits, 50 mobile credits/mo, US dialer, A/B testing |
| Organization | $149/user/mo | $119/user/mo | 200 mobile credits/mo, 4,000 export credits/mo, international dialer, SSO |
Important Apollo caveats:
- Additional credits cost $0.20 each with a minimum purchase of 250 monthly or 2,500 annually
- Credits expire at the end of your billing cycle—no refunds or extensions
- Mobile number lookups cost 8 credits per number
- Each CRM sync uses an export credit
- The Organization plan requires a minimum of 3 users
Apollo's pricing looks cheaper on paper, but the credit system can inflate costs quickly if you're doing heavy prospecting. Teams running large campaigns often burn through their credit allocation in the first two weeks of the month.
Which Tool Wins on Integrations?
Apollo takes this category. Their platform integrates natively with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, SalesLoft, Marketo, Sendgrid, LinkedIn, and all major email providers—even on the free plan for basic integrations.
RocketReach requires the Pro plan or higher for web app integrations. The Chrome extension works across plans, but if you want to sync data directly to your CRM without manual exports, you're paying at least $119/month.
For teams using tools like Clay for data enrichment workflows, both platforms integrate via API, but Apollo's free tier makes it more accessible for testing.
Real User Complaints You Should Know About
Common RocketReach complaints:
- Credit system feels complex; some users prefer flat-rate pricing
- Data accuracy inconsistent for certain regions (Eastern Europe, Asia)
- Limited direct dial/mobile coverage compared to competitors
- Auto-renewal policies have frustrated some users
- Export limits separate from lookup limits add confusion
Common Apollo complaints:
- Pricing changes frequently—users report the Basic plan going from $19 to $59 over a couple years
- Credits get consumed even when Apollo doesn't have the email/phone available
- Data accuracy has reportedly declined over time for some user segments
- Interface can feel overwhelming for users who just want contact data
- Annual contracts don't offer refunds for early cancellation
Who Should Use RocketReach?
RocketReach makes sense if you:
- Already have an outreach tool and just need contact data
- Prioritize data accuracy over feature breadth
- Want a simpler tool without the learning curve
- Focus on mid-market and enterprise prospecting
- Need to find hard-to-reach decision-makers
- Prefer a dedicated contact finder over an all-in-one platform
Who Should Use Apollo?
Apollo makes sense if you:
- Want one platform for data + outreach + CRM
- Need email sequencing and automation built-in
- Have a team that needs reporting and analytics
- Want a free tier that's actually useful for testing
- Value extensive filtering options (65+ attributes)
- Need dialer functionality for phone outreach
My Recommendation
For most B2B sales teams starting fresh, Apollo offers better value because you get outreach tools bundled with your data. The free plan is genuinely useful for testing, and the Basic plan at $49/month (annual) includes enough features for small teams.
However, if you're already invested in a sales stack—using something like Instantly for cold email, Reply.io for sequences, or Close CRM for pipeline management—RocketReach's focused approach might serve you better. You get cleaner data without paying for features you'll never use.
One more option worth considering: tools like Lusha start at lower price points ($22.45/month) and might be worth testing if budget is your primary concern. Check out our Lusha pricing guide for more details.
Bottom Line
Both tools solve the same core problem—finding contact information for B2B prospects. Apollo wraps that data in a full sales engagement platform. RocketReach keeps it focused on data quality and lets you use your preferred outreach tools.
Neither is objectively "better." The right choice depends on your existing tech stack, team size, and whether you value simplicity or an all-in-one approach.
Start with the free tiers on both platforms. Run the same search on each, export 50 contacts, and see which data performs better for your specific use case. That real-world test will tell you more than any comparison article.