Comparison · Independent · Updated June 2026
Apollo vs Cognism
In short
Cognism edges it overall at 8.1/10 to Apollo's 7.4/10. Apollo leads on pricing & transparency, while Cognism leads on compliance. Apollo publishes its pricing; Cognism is demo-gated.
Scorecard, side by side
| Our rubric | Apollo | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.4 | 8.1 |
| Data accuracy | 6.5 | 8.5 |
| Coverage | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Ease of use | 9.1 | 9.4 |
| Pricing & transparency | 8.5 | 5.5 |
| Compliance | 6.0 | 9.0 |
Scores come from the same rubric applied to every provider. Higher value in each row is highlighted.
Third-party ratings
| Public rating | Apollo | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | 4.7/5 (9,665) | 4.5/5 (1,333) |
| Capterra | 4.5/5 (394) | 4.7/5 (257) |
Pricing & data, side by side
| Attribute | Apollo | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | from $588/yr | ~£12,000/yr |
| Pricing transparency | Published | Demo-gated |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Verified email | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile / direct dials | ✓ | ✓ |
| Intent data | ✓ | ✓ |
| Website visitor ID | – | – |
| CRM enrichment | ✓ | – |
Feature by feature
A union of both vendors' documented features. A dash means the vendor doesn't list that attribute, not necessarily that it's missing.
| Feature | Apollo | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Verified work email | yes | yes |
| Mobile / direct dials | Yes (credit-based) | Phone-verified (Diamond) |
| Intent / buying signals | yes | Add-on (Bombora) |
| Website visitor ID | no | no |
| CRM enrichment | yes | yes |
| Multichannel sequencer | Yes (email + call + LinkedIn) | no |
| Built-in dialer | Yes (higher tiers) | no |
| Chrome extension | yes | yes |
| Free plan | Yes, generous | no |
| Contract | Monthly or annual (Org: 3-seat min) | Annual only |
| GDPR / compliance | GDPR/CCPA stated; community-data model | Compliance-first; notified-jurisdiction checks |
| US coverage | Strong | Moderate |
| UK / EU coverage | Weaker: accuracy drops outside the US | Excellent |
| CRM & sales integrations | no | Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, SalesLoft |
| Free trial | no | Limited sample (~25 leads) |
Visit Apollo
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Apollo
Pros
- All-in-one, with a large contact database, multichannel sequencer and dialer in one subscription, replacing a multi-tool stack.
- Strong value for money, among the lowest price-per-seat in the category, with a genuinely usable free plan.
- Ease of use is the
- 200M+ contacts claimed with strong US coverage and 65+ search filters.
Cons
- Data accuracy is the recurring complaint, especially outside the US, where independent tests put UK/EU accuracy well below the headline 98.5% claim.
- Bounce rates on Apollo-sourced emails are reported at 15–25%+, higher internationally.
- Its crowdsourced "living data network" model raises GDPR-consent questions for European outreach.
- Support is slow on lower tiers, and billing and account-suspension disputes are a recurring complaint.
Cognism
Pros
- Phone-verified "Diamond" mobiles deliver markedly higher connect rates than most rivals.
- Compliance-first, with GDPR treated as an engineering concern and notified-jurisdiction screening across 15+ countries.
- Strongest UK & EMEA coverage in the category; reps can build usable lists on day one.
- Ease of use is the most-praised aspect across G2 (4.5/5) and Capterra (4.7/5) reviews.
Cons
- Pricing is sales-led and opaque, with annual-only contracts, prohibitive for small teams.
- US, Canada and APAC coverage is weaker than its UK/EMEA core.
- Diamond verification covers only a subset of records; "accuracy" claims apply to that subset, not the whole database.
- A US right-of-publicity class action (Kis v. Cognism) settled in 2025 over contact data shown to free-trial users; Cognism denied wrongdoing.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Apollo or Cognism better?
- Cognism edges it overall at 8.1/10 to Apollo's 7.4/10. Apollo leads on pricing & transparency, while Cognism leads on compliance. Apollo publishes its pricing; Cognism is demo-gated.
- Which is cheaper, Apollo or Cognism?
- On entry pricing, Apollo is the cheaper way in (from $588/yr vs ~£12,000/yr). Credit models differ, so compare what you actually pay per 1,000 contacts, not just the headline.
- Can I use Apollo and Cognism together?
- Yes, teams often pair a broad database with a specialist tool. Just avoid paying twice for the same coverage; check where Apollo and Cognism overlap before buying both.