Comparison
Apollo is an all-in-one prospecting and engagement platform. Salesmotion provides deep account intelligence with AI-generated talking points. This guide explains the difference and when you need each.
| Feature | Apollo.io | Salesmotion |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Contact database + sales engagement | Deep account intelligence + selling signals |
| Core Question | Who should I contact and how? | What should I say and why now? |
| Data Focus | People (emails, phones, LinkedIn) | Accounts (earnings, strategy, leadership) |
| Engagement Tools | Built-in sequences, dialer, AI writer | Talking points + signal alerts |
| Pricing | Free tier; $49-$119/user/month | From $85/mo (account-based, unlimited users on team plans) |
| Best For | Finding contacts and running outreach | Understanding accounts and having relevant conversations |
Apollo.io is one of the fastest-growing all-in-one sales intelligence and engagement platforms in B2B. It combines a database of over 270 million contacts with built-in email sequencing, a dialer, and AI-powered personalization tools, making it a complete prospecting stack for sales teams.
Apollo's strength is its integrated approach. Reps can search the database, find verified emails and phone numbers, build targeted lists, and launch multi-step outreach sequences — all without leaving the platform. This eliminates the need for separate data and engagement tools, reducing costs and workflow complexity.
Apollo has gained particular traction with startups, SMBs, and growth-stage companies thanks to its transparent pricing, generous free tier (10,000 emails/month), and rapid feature development including AI email writing and buying intent signals. It represents the democratization of sales tools that were previously only available at enterprise price points.
Best for: SMBs and growth-stage companies that want affordable, all-in-one prospecting with a large contact database and built-in engagement tools
G2 rating: 4.7/5
Pricing: Free: 10,000 emails/month. Basic: $49/user/month. Professional: $79/user/month. Organization: $119/user/month (min 3 users). Annual discounts available.
Salesmotion is an account intelligence platform that solves a fundamentally different problem from prospecting tools. Instead of helping reps find contacts and send emails, Salesmotion helps reps understand the accounts they are selling into — providing the deep business context that transforms generic outreach into compelling, relevant conversations.
The platform synthesizes intelligence from over 1,000 sources — earnings calls, news articles, SEC filings, job postings, patent applications, leadership announcements, and more — into comprehensive account briefs. It monitors target accounts for buying signals like strategic initiative announcements, leadership transitions, funding rounds, competitive displacement, and expansion plans.
When a signal fires, Salesmotion generates contextual talking points so reps know not just who to reach, but why they should reach out now and what to discuss. The platform integrates natively with Salesforce and uses flat, account-based pricing that covers the entire sales organization.
Best for: B2B sales teams that need deep account intelligence to personalize outreach, prepare for calls, and accelerate deal velocity
G2 rating: 4.8/5
Pricing: From $85/mo — flexible account-based pricing, unlimited users on team plans
How Apollo.io and Salesmotion stack up across key capabilities.
| Feature | Apollo.io | Salesmotion |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Database | 270M+ contacts with email verification | Not a contact database |
| Account Research | Basic company profiles | Comprehensive briefs from 1,000+ sources |
| Email Sequences | Built-in multi-step campaigns | Not an engagement tool |
| Buying Signals | Basic intent signals, job changes | Earnings, leadership, funding, strategy, competitive |
| Talking Points | AI email writing from prospect attributes | AI-generated from real business events |
| Phone Dialer | Built-in click-to-call | Not included |
| CRM Integration | Salesforce, HubSpot, native CRM | Salesforce-native with embedded views |
| Pricing Model | Per-user, credit-based | Flat org-based, all-inclusive |
Apollo offers transparent per-user pricing with a generous free tier. The free plan includes 10,000 emails/month. Paid plans range from $49/user/month (Basic) to $119/user/month (Organization). A 10-person team on Professional with annual billing costs approximately $9,480/year.
Salesmotion offers flexible account-based pricing starting at $85/month, scaling by accounts monitored rather than headcount. Every rep on the team gets full access regardless of headcount. A 10-person team costs the same as a 50-person team. There are no per-seat multipliers or usage credits.
These tools are complementary, not competitive. Apollo provides the contacts and engagement engine. Salesmotion provides the account intelligence that makes outreach relevant. The combined cost — Apollo Professional for 10 users ($9,480) plus Salesmotion ($990/mo Team plan) — totals around $21,360/year, which is less than many enterprise alternatives and delivers both capabilities.
Salesmotion gives your reps the account intelligence they need to book more meetings and close bigger deals.
No. Apollo provides contact data and engagement tools (email sequences, dialer). Salesmotion provides account intelligence (deep research, signals, talking points). They solve different problems and are often used together. Apollo helps you find and reach prospects. Salesmotion helps you know what to say when you reach them.
Apollo's AI writer personalizes emails based on prospect attributes (title, company, industry). Salesmotion generates talking points from real business events — earnings call statements, strategic announcements, leadership changes. The depth and specificity are fundamentally different. Salesmotion's talking points are anchored to what is actually happening inside the account.
If your team does outbound prospecting into mid-market or enterprise accounts, using both creates a powerful combination. Apollo finds the right contacts and sends the outreach. Salesmotion ensures the outreach is relevant by providing the account intelligence and talking points. The combined cost is typically less than a single enterprise platform.
Both are valuable for SDRs, for different reasons. Apollo gives SDRs the contacts and sequences they need to run outbound campaigns. Salesmotion gives SDRs the account context to personalize their messaging. High-performing SDR teams use both: Apollo for the mechanics of outreach, Salesmotion for the intelligence that gets replies.
Apollo's intent data tells you which accounts are showing basic buying signals. Salesmotion tells you why those signals are firing by providing the full business context — what the company said on its earnings call, which executive just joined, what strategic initiative was announced. This context is what turns an intent signal into a relevant conversation.
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