Lemlist vs Apollo (2026) Compared
Apollo does everything. Lemlist does cold email better. The question is whether you need a Swiss army knife or a scalpel.
The Short Version
Lemlist is the better choice if cold email deliverability is your top priority and you already have a separate data provider. Apollo wins if you want prospecting data, email sequences, and a dialer in a single platform at a lower total cost. The risk with Lemlist is paying for it plus a data provider; with Apollo, it's slightly lower deliverability rates.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | lemlist | Apollo.io |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $39/user/mo | Free (250 emails/day) |
| Pro/Growth Price | $69/user/mo | $49/user/mo |
| Enterprise Price | $99/user/mo | $119/user/mo |
| Contact Database | No native database | 275M+ built-in |
| Email Warmup | Built-in (lemwarm) | Not included |
| Deliverability Focus | Core strength | Adequate, not primary focus |
| Multichannel | Email + LinkedIn + calls | Email + dialer + LinkedIn |
| Personalization | Dynamic images, videos, landing pages | Text personalization, templates |
| Best For | Cold email specialists | All-in-one outbound teams |
| The Big Risk | Need separate data provider | Lower deliverability focus |
Deep Dive: lemlist
What They're Selling
Lemlist positions itself as the cold outreach platform built for deliverability. The core pitch is multichannel sequences (email, LinkedIn, phone) with built-in email warmup (lemwarm) and personalization features like dynamic images and custom landing pages. They're betting that sending better emails matters more than having the biggest database.
What It Actually Costs
Starts at $39/user/mo for email outreach. Most teams land on the Multichannel Expert plan at $69/user/mo for LinkedIn steps and advanced conditions. The catch: Lemlist doesn't include contact data. You'll need a separate provider (Apollo, ZoomInfo, or similar) adding $0-$1,250+/mo depending on volume. Total cost for a 5-person SDR team with data: $4,000-$10,000/year.
What Users Say
Users consistently praise Lemlist's deliverability rates and the warmup feature. The personalization tools (custom images, video thumbnails) get positive mentions for reply rates. Common complaints: the UI can feel cluttered, reporting is basic compared to enterprise tools, and the lack of a built-in database means juggling multiple subscriptions.
Pros
- Built-in email warmup (lemwarm) improves deliverability
- Dynamic image and video personalization
- Strong multichannel sequence builder
- Custom landing pages for each prospect
Cons
- No native contact database
- Reporting is relatively basic
- UI has a learning curve
- Per-user pricing adds up for larger teams
Deep Dive: Apollo.io
What They're Selling
Apollo is the all-in-one outbound platform: 275M+ contacts, email sequences, a built-in dialer, and LinkedIn integration in a single tool. The pitch is simple: stop paying for three tools when one does it all. The free tier (250 emails/day, limited data) lets teams try before committing.
What It Actually Costs
Free tier works for solo prospectors. Most growth teams use Basic ($49/user/mo) or Professional ($99/user/mo) for uncapped sequences and better data access. A 5-person SDR team: $2,940-$5,940/year. No separate data provider needed, which keeps total cost significantly lower than Lemlist + a data tool.
What Users Say
Apollo users love the value proposition: data + outreach in one place at a fraction of ZoomInfo's price. The contact database is strong for US mid-market and tech companies. Complaints center on data accuracy (80-85% for emails, lower for direct dials), occasional deliverability issues, and customer support response times.
Pros
- Built-in database with 275M+ contacts
- Free tier is genuinely useful
- Sequences + dialer + data in one tool
- Significantly cheaper total cost of ownership
Cons
- Email deliverability isn't its core focus
- No native email warmup tool
- Data accuracy lower than premium providers
- Support can be slow for non-enterprise plans
Which Should You Pick?
The Honest Take
This comparison comes down to philosophy. Lemlist believes cold email is a craft: better personalization, warmer IPs, and smarter sequences produce better results. Apollo believes cold outreach is a numbers game: more data, more channels, more volume at lower cost. Both perspectives have merit. Teams that invest in email quality (personalized first lines, dynamic images, careful warmup) will get more from Lemlist. Teams that want to scale outbound fast without managing multiple vendors will prefer Apollo's consolidation play. The uncomfortable truth: most teams using either tool haven't optimized their copy, targeting, or timing. The tool matters less than the fundamentals.
Questions to Ask Before Buying
- Do you already have a contact data provider, or do you need one bundled in?
- What's your daily email volume per rep?
- How important is email deliverability monitoring to your workflow?
- Do you need a built-in dialer, or is email + LinkedIn sufficient?
- What's your total budget for outbound tools (data + sequences + calling)?
- How technical is your team? Can they manage multiple integrations?
- Are you running multichannel sequences today, or starting with email only?
- What CRM are you using, and does it integrate with both tools?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lemlist or Apollo better for cold email?
Lemlist is better for cold email specifically. It includes email warmup (lemwarm), deliverability tracking, and advanced personalization like dynamic images. Apollo is better as an all-in-one platform that includes cold email alongside contact data and a dialer.
Can you use Lemlist with Apollo's data?
Yes, many teams export contacts from Apollo and import them into Lemlist for outreach. This gives you Apollo's database with Lemlist's deliverability tools. The downside is managing two subscriptions and syncing data between platforms.
Which is cheaper, Lemlist or Apollo?
Apollo is cheaper on its own ($0-$49/user/mo with built-in data). Lemlist starts at $39/user/mo but requires a separate data provider, making total cost higher. For a 5-person team: Apollo runs $2,940-$5,940/year vs Lemlist + data at $4,000-$10,000/year.