If you’re running sales or marketing at a mid-sized B2B company, you know that picking the right go-to-market (GTM) software can feel like choosing a phone plan: too many options, too much hype, and way too many hidden fees. This guide cuts through the noise. We’ll look at how Apollo stacks up against other big names in B2B GTM—like HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft, and ZoomInfo—so you can make a call that fits your team, your budget, and your sanity.
Who Should Read This?
If you’re…
- Leading sales, marketing, or revenue ops at a company with 50–500 employees
- Tired of bouncing between tools (and tabs)
- On the hook for results, not just “activity”
- Skeptical of big promises and want the straight story
…then you’re in the right place. Let’s dive in.
What Is B2B GTM Software (And Why Does It Matter)?
GTM (Go-To-Market) software is a catch-all term for tools that help you find, engage, and land business customers. The usual suspects:
- Lead databases (who to contact)
- Engagement platforms (how to reach them)
- Analytics (what’s working, what’s not)
- Workflow tools (keeping teams moving in the same direction)
The reality? No tool “does it all.” You’re looking for the best mix for your team—without paying for a bunch of fluff you’ll never use.
Apollo: The Basics
Before we compare, here’s what Apollo brings to the table:
- B2B contact database: 275M+ contacts, with emails and phone numbers. (Always take these numbers with a grain of salt.)
- Sales engagement: Built-in email sequences, dialer, and task management.
- Enrichment and tracking: Pulls in data to keep your CRM up to date, tracks who’s opening and clicking.
- All-in-one pitch: Apollo wants to be the only tool you need for prospecting, outreach, and a chunk of your sales workflow.
Who likes Apollo? Scrappy sales teams, early-stage startups, and mid-sized companies who want a lot of features for a lower price.
The Main Contenders: Who Else Is in the Mix?
Let’s look at the other tools that usually come up for mid-sized B2B GTM:
- HubSpot Sales Hub: CRM + email + automation + reporting. More “inbound” than “outbound” but can do both.
- Outreach: Sales engagement powerhouse. Sequences, analytics, integrations. Priced for teams who live and breathe sales development.
- Salesloft: Similar to Outreach. Focus on pipeline management, heavy analytics, and coaching tools.
- ZoomInfo: The king of the contact database hill. Big emphasis on data accuracy and enrichment. Expensive, but plugs into almost everything.
Honorable mentions: Groove (lean engagement), Close (CRM + calling), Reply.io (automation for outbound).
Feature-by-Feature: How Does Apollo Stack Up?
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Let’s break it down:
1. Contact Data Quality
- Apollo: Plenty of contacts, but don’t expect 100% accuracy. You’ll get bounces and wrong numbers, especially outside the U.S. Data is updated regularly, but not always as fast as you’d like.
- ZoomInfo: Generally has the edge on data accuracy, especially for direct dials and org charts. But you’ll pay (a lot) for it.
- HubSpot: Weakest database of the bunch. You’ll need to bring your own leads or buy a data add-on.
- Outreach/Salesloft: No built-in database. You connect your own data sources.
Pro tip: No database is perfect. Always plan to verify key contacts before big campaigns.
2. Sales Engagement & Automation
- Apollo: Sequences, auto-dialer, LinkedIn tasks, and some basic automation out of the box. Not as slick as Outreach or Salesloft, but good enough for most mid-market teams.
- Outreach/Salesloft: Deep, customizable workflows, A/B testing, analytics, and integrations with just about everything. If sales engagement is your religion, these are your temples.
- HubSpot: Automation is strong but designed more for nurturing than true cold outbound.
- ZoomInfo: Has “Engage” add-on, but it’s not the reason people buy ZoomInfo.
3. Integrations & Workflow
- Apollo: Connects with Salesforce, HubSpot, and a handful of other CRMs. Zapier support fills in some gaps, but not as deep as the more mature tools.
- Outreach/Salesloft: Gold standard for integrations. If you have a Frankenstack, they’ll probably fit.
- HubSpot: Great if you’re all-in on HubSpot, but can get clunky if you’re mixing platforms.
- ZoomInfo: Designed to plug into everything, but setup can be a pain.
What to ignore: Shiny “AI” features that promise to write all your emails. They’re not magic, and you’ll still need to personalize to get results.
4. Reporting & Analytics
- Apollo: Decent out-of-the-box reports (opens, clicks, reply rates) but not much depth. You can export for deeper analysis, but don’t expect a full command center.
- Outreach/Salesloft: Powerful analytics, coaching insights, and custom dashboards. Overkill for some, but gold if you run large teams or care about rep-level data.
- HubSpot: Solid reporting, but sometimes hidden behind higher-priced tiers.
- ZoomInfo: More about data enrichment than sales activity analytics.
5. Pricing & Transparency
- Apollo: Freemium plan and clear pricing. Paid plans are affordable, especially compared to the others.
- ZoomInfo: High sticker shock. Expect to negotiate, and don’t expect simple pricing.
- Outreach/Salesloft: No public pricing. Deals are custom, and it adds up fast—think $100+/user/month.
- HubSpot: Transparent on low tiers, but advanced features cost a lot more.
Watch out for: Surprise upcharges for contact exports, API calls, or “premium” support.
The Honest Pros and Cons
Here’s the stuff you actually care about—not the marketing slides.
Apollo
Pros: - All-in-one at a price most can stomach - Quick to set up and start using - Built-in database (no need to buy leads elsewhere) - Good enough for most teams who care about speed over perfection
Cons: - Data quality can be hit-or-miss, especially internationally - Workflow automations aren’t as deep as Outreach/Salesloft - Support and integrations can lag behind more established players
Outreach / Salesloft
Pros: - Top-shelf engagement workflows and analytics - Integrates with almost anything - Built for scaling outbound teams
Cons: - Expensive, with lots of features you may never use - No built-in leads—you’ll still need a data source
HubSpot
Pros: - All-in-one CRM, email, and marketing - Easy to use if you’re already on HubSpot - Transparent pricing (to a point)
Cons: - Outbound tools are basic - Contact data is weak unless you pay extra
ZoomInfo
Pros: - Best-in-class contact data (especially in the U.S.) - Integrates well with the rest of your stack
Cons: - Pricing is opaque and sky-high - Outreach tools are an afterthought
What Actually Matters for Mid-Sized B2B Teams?
Don’t get distracted by feature charts. Here’s what actually moves the needle:
- Can your reps find the right accounts and contacts?
- Can they reach out efficiently and track what happens?
- Can you measure what’s working (without hiring a data scientist)?
- Do you get value without a 12-month onboarding death march?
If a tool can do those things—at a price that makes sense—it’s probably good enough. Chasing “best in breed” across every category usually just means more headaches and higher bills.
Real-World Scenarios: Which Tool Fits Where?
- You need speed, value, and an all-in-one feel: Apollo is tough to beat. Not perfect, but it covers the basics and won’t break the bank.
- You already have a great CRM and want deep engagement workflows: Outreach or Salesloft are worth the spend—if you have the scale and budget.
- You live and die by fresh, accurate contact data: ZoomInfo sets the standard, but you’ll pay dearly for it.
- You want everything under one roof (marketing, CRM, sales): HubSpot is the most “all-in-one,” but be honest about what you’ll actually use.
Bottom Line: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
There’s no perfect GTM software. Most mid-sized teams overthink this decision and end up juggling too many tools, or overpaying for features they don’t use.
Start with what solves your main pain points today. Don’t let “what if we grow by 10x?” guide your purchase—cross that bridge when you come to it. Most importantly: get your team using the tool, get feedback, and be ready to adapt. The best GTM platform is the one your reps will actually use, not the one with the fanciest demo.
And remember: It’s just software. Don’t let it slow you down.