Head to head

Apollo vs Cognism

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Apollo

$49/mo Free tier Free trial

All-in-one B2B database plus sequencer, with a free tier and paid plans from around $49/mo.

Where Apollo fits

Outbound recruiting and sales on one database
Teams that want free-tier access to start
Desks that need sequences next to the data
Consumers of the Apollo graph via MCP or API

Cognism

Sales-quoted

B2B contact and company data with phone-verified mobiles and strong EMEA coverage. Quote-based; Standard and Pro packages include 5 seats.

Where Cognism fits

EMEA sales teams that need mobiles
Enterprises replacing a ZoomInfo-class contract
Teams that want intent data with contacts
Buyers who care about GDPR positioning

At a glance

Detail	Apollo	Cognism
Starting price	$49/mo	Sales-quoted
Free tier	✓Yes	–No
Free trial	Yes	Not on record
MCP server	✓Yes	–No
Public API	✓Yes	✓Yes
Listed under	Email finders, Lead generation, Outreach	Email finders, Lead generation
Capterra	4.5 from 398 reviews	Not enough reviews

Where they pull apart

Apollo

Stands out: A large people database plus email sequences in one login, with MCP and a Chrome extension.

Watch out: Data quality varies by segment, and it does not match enterprise tools for intent data and org charts.

Not the right fit for

Buyers who need enterprise-class intent and org charts
Teams that want an ATS

Cognism

Stands out: Phone-verified mobile numbers, on-demand verification and Bombora intent data on the Pro package.

Watch out: No published price. CRM enrichment and API or bulk delivery are separate add-ons, and API access needs a prospecting seat.

Not the right fit for

Solo SDRs who need a cheap self-serve database
Teams that only want a US email finder

Pros and cons

Apollo

Free tier, then a roughly $49/mo paid start
Database plus sequences in one login
MCP and Chrome extension

Data quality varies by segment
Less depth on intent than enterprise vendors
Credit model needs watching

Cognism

Phone-verified mobile numbers
Intent data on the Pro package
Revealed contacts reusable for the contract

No public self-serve price
CRM enrichment is a paid add-on
API delivery costs extra

What each one costs

Apollo

$49/mo

Free, paid from ~$49/mo. Confirm current pricing on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

Cognism

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted. No public rate card on the vendor site. Standard and Pro prospecting packages each include 5 seats; CRM enrichment and API or bulk data delivery are priced separately by volume. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Apollo or Cognism for free?

Apollo carries a free tier on our listing. Apollo offers a free trial.

Does Apollo or Cognism have an MCP server?

Apollo ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Apollo alternatives All Cognism alternatives Every Email finders tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 7 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?