Spear vs Apollo (2026): which tool fits your team?
By the Spear team · Updated November 2026. We make Spear; Apollo facts are from apollo.io, checked November 9, 2026.
Quick answer: Apollo is a sales platform built around a large contact database, with email and phone sequences and a dialer. Spear starts from buying signals instead of a list: it finds people with a reason to talk now and runs the outreach on LinkedIn and email from your own or your executives' profiles, with a person approving every message. Pick Apollo if you want high-volume email and calling from a self-serve database. Pick Spear if you want signal-timed outreach that reaches senior buyers.
Spear vs Apollo at a glance
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams that want signals, data and outreach in one tool, sent from their own profiles | Teams that want a large contact database with email and phone sequences |
| Setup | Self-serve (Starter) or built with a Spear GTM engineer and account manager (Growth) | Self-serve |
| Where prospects come from | Search 200M+ contacts and 40M+ companies, plus new prospects delivered daily from 35+ buying signals, each with a reason to reach out now. Included, no credits | You search a database of 240M+ contacts and 30M+ accounts; exports and enrichment use credits |
| Buying signals | 35+ built in, new prospects every day | Intent, job changes and website visits |
| Events and field marketing | Event campaigns end to end: finds attendees, speakers and sponsors weeks ahead (networking apps, attendee lists, social posts), runs outreach in a set window, adds people you meet onsite and follows up within 24 to 48 hours | No event-specific feature found; you use its general search filters |
| Channels | LinkedIn, email, X and Reddit in one multichannel sequence | Email, calls with a built-in dialer, LinkedIn tasks through a Chrome extension |
| Sending | From your own or your executives' profiles, with a person approving every message | AI agents can write and follow up; per-message approval not documented |
| Price | Starter $500/profile/mo ($400 yearly), all-in, no commitment | Free plan; paid plans from $49/user/mo billed annually |
| Free trial | 14 days, extendable via referral link | 14 days on Basic or Professional |
Where Apollo wins
- Free to start: a free plan with no time limit, plus a 14-day trial.
- Phone: a built-in dialer next to email sequences.
Where Spear wins
- Built for events and field marketing: Spear finds attendees, speakers and sponsors weeks before a conference, books meetings before you arrive, enrolls people you meet onsite and follows up within 24 to 48 hours after. In Spear data, event triggers booked 4.72 meetings per 100 accepted connections, about twice company news (2.33). See event campaigns.
- Signals first: outreach starts from a reason to talk now, on LinkedIn and email, from your or your executives' profiles, with a person approving each message.
- All-in price: no credits: data and signals are included in the Starter price.
- Why now, not just who: 35+ triggers deliver new prospects daily. In Spear data, podcast appearances booked 7.82 meetings per 100 accepted connections vs 2.33 for company news.
Who should pick which
- Apollo: you want a large database and run high-volume email and phone outreach.
- Spear Starter: you want signal-based outreach on LinkedIn and email that you approve, in one tool.
- Spear Growth: you want a Spear GTM engineer and account manager to build and run the engine with you.
FAQ
Is Spear an Apollo alternative?
Yes, for signal-based outreach across LinkedIn and email. If phone dialing at volume is central, Apollo is the closer fit.
Does Apollo automate LinkedIn?
Apollo runs LinkedIn steps as tasks through its Chrome extension. Its sequences center on email and calls.
How much does Spear cost vs Apollo?
Spear Starter is $500 per profile per month ($400 yearly), with data and signals included and no credits. Apollo has a free plan, and paid plans start at $49 per user per month billed annually, with credits.
Can I use Spear and Apollo together?
Yes. Some teams keep Apollo for email and calling and use Spear for signal-based outreach on LinkedIn and email.
Which is better for conference and event outreach?
Apollo has no event-specific feature on its site; you would build lists with its general search filters. Spear runs the whole event campaign from your LinkedIn profile: finding attendees, speakers and sponsors weeks ahead, outreach before the event, onsite adds and follow-up after.
Is there a free trial?
Both offer 14 days. Spear's can be extended by sharing your referral link.
Apollo facts checked November 9, 2026 on its own site (Apollo pricing, Apollo homepage). Spear figures: anonymized platform data through October 31, 2026; meetings include those awaiting confirmation. Something out of date? Tell us.
