Apollo
- Starting price: Free / $49 annual or $59 monthly /seat (post-2026 price increase)
- Free plan: Yes (Free forever)
- Founded: 2015
- HQ: San Francisco, CA
Updated
Apollo vs AeroLeads vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?
- Short answer
- Apollo vs AeroLeads vs Derrick: Apollo is a b2b sales intelligence and outreach, AeroLeads is a b2b email and phone finder pulling data from linkedin, crunchbase, angellist and xing. Derrick is a B2B enrichment platform with three surfaces - a Google Sheets add-on, a REST API, and an MCP server (Claude and ChatGPT drive enrichment for you). Hit rates are noticeably higher (more emails + phone numbers returned per query than Apollo or AeroLeads) and pricing is lower - free forever with 100 credits/month, paid plans from €9/month. Most teams pair Derrick for the data layer with Apollo or AeroLeads for outreach.
Apollo is a B2B database vendor - seat-time + record access charged per user, per year. The side-by-side comparison below tracks Apollo's total-cost-of-ownership across team growth and lookup volume against Derrick's credit-pool model where the cost moves with usage, not headcount.
Free plan Yes - 100 credits/mo
Starts at €9/mo
Setup time 30 seconds
Where it lives Google Sheets
✓ Free forever · ✓ No credit card · ✓ Cancel anytime · ✓ Your data stays in your Sheet
Trusted by 31,000+ users worldwide.
CURSOR Quick Facts
Apollo vs AeroLeads vs Derrick at a glance
AeroLeads
- Starting price: Free trial · Take Off $49/mo (2K credits)
- Free plan: Free trial available (no credit card)
- Founded: 2015
- HQ: Bangalore, India
Derrick
★ Recommended- Starting price: Free · Paid from €9/mo
- Free plan: Yes - 100 credits/mo permanent
- Founded: 2023
- HQ: Marseille, FR
Why Derrick wins 01
02
03
Why teams pick Derrick over Apollo and AeroLeads
3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.
01 Real-time validation without data quality gaps
Real-time validation is a strength where Apollo and AeroLeads often fall short, as they struggle with ensuring every record is current during rapid prospecting. Derrick delivers real-time validation directly within 100% native Google Sheets, eliminating the data quality gaps that can plague external tools. Teams can trust immediate accuracy on each contact, reducing wasted outreach and improving deliverability by ensuring every record is validated as it’s created. With Derrick, you avoid batch gap risks and keep your pipeline consistently clean for faster, more reliable campaigns.
02 Flexible 3x data depth with 50+ enrichment attributes across accounts
Apollo and AeroLeads often fall short on depth and enrichment breadth, offering limited 50+ attributes or deeper, account-wide context across all accounts. Derrick delivers Flexible 3x data depth with 50+ enrichment attributes across accounts by fully leveraging 100% native Google Sheets workflows to unify multiple data sources without complex integrations. This results in tangible efficiency gains, such as saving 5-10 hours per month in data enrichment and faster account profiling. A practical use case: enrich entire accounts with consistent firmographic and contact attributes in a single sheet, ready for segmentation and outreach.
03 Unified data quality governance for compliant enrichment outcomes
In contrast to Apollo and AeroLeads, which struggle with inconsistent data quality and limited enrichment depth, Derrick App delivers unified data quality governance for compliant outcomes. Derrick centralizes validation, normalization, and governance within 100% native Google Sheets workflows, avoiding export gaps and fragmented enrichment. This results in measurable confidence: up to 30% faster cleanup cycles and 20% fewer compliance red flags during enrichment, with all credits reportable and auditable. Use cases like enterprise account profiling become faster and legally safer, thanks to integrated validation and unified governance.
Honest Comparison 
derrick
What each tool does better
We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where Apollo, AeroLeads, and Derrick each genuinely win.
What Apollo does better
- Massive 250M+ contact database
- All-in-one stack at SMB price
- Intuitive list-builder
What AeroLeads does better
- Guaranteed phone numbers per tier (unique positioning)
- Multi-source prospect data (LinkedIn + Crunchbase + AngelList + Xing)
- Solid CRM integration ecosystem
What Derrick does better
- Free forever - €0/mo with 100 credits permanent in Google Sheets
- 100+ data points per lead - verified emails, phones, LinkedIn, tech stack, SIRET
- Zero LinkedIn ban risk + real-time email verification built in
- Pair with any sequencer - LaGrowthMachine, Smartlead, Lemlist, HeyReach
Real Annual Cost
True cost over 12 months
Headline pricing rarely tells the whole story. Here's the real cost of running each tool for a year.
| Apollo | AeroLeads | Derrick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (monthly) | Free / $49 annual or $59 monthly /seat (post-2026 price increase) | Free trial · Take Off $49/mo (2K credits) | €0 (free) · €9/mo paid |
| Annual cost (base) | ~€588/yr | ~€588/yr | €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid |
| Free plan? | Yes (Free forever) | Free trial available (no credit card) | ✓ Forever - 100 credits/mo |
| Setup cost | Hours to days | Hours to days | 30 seconds via Marketplace |
| Switching cost | CSV export + retraining | CSV export + retraining | Zero - works alongside any stack |
💡 Most teams pay 2-5x more on add-ons (extra seats, phone credits, integrations) than on the headline base price. Derrick keeps everything in one transparent tier.
Feature-by-Feature
Apollo vs AeroLeads vs Derrick: full feature comparison
| apollo | Derrick App | AeroLeads | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works natively in Google Sheets | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Requires LinkedIn Sales Navigator ($100/month) | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Sales Navigator 1-click import | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email finder with real-time validation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Phone finder from LinkedIn | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Company tech stack lookup | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| SimilarWeb & G2 insights integrated | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| AI integration (Claude & ChatGPT) | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Automatic AI Lead Scoring | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Data cleaning & normalization | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-platform scraping (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Zapier, Make, n8n integrations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Public API available | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Native CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce) | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Entry price (paid plan) | 59$/mois | 9€/mois | 39$/mois |
| Permanent free plan | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rollover credits to next month | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Simple and transparent credit system | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Simple setup & onboarding | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Complete documentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing in a nutshell Sales Intelligence derrick
best value for money
Results first.
Discover Derrick →
B2B Email + Phone Finder (LinkedIn-First)
Apollo vs AeroLeads vs Derrick pricing breakdown
Sales Intelligence Apollo
Free / $49 annual or $59 monthly /seat (post-2026 price increase)
Best for: SMB & mid-market outbound
Apollo pricing starts with a free tier providing access to core features and credits, with paid plans from a competitive entry price; see full pricing breakdown for complete details and tiers. View the complete pricing details for all plans and usage options.
Results first.
Complexity removed.
Free · Paid plans from €9/mo
While other tools pile on features, complex setups, and pricing tiers that grow faster than your results, Derrick focuses on what actually matters:
getting usable leads, directly in Google Sheets.
No heavy workflows, No endless configuration. No learning curve.
B2B Email + Phone Finder (LinkedIn-First) AeroLeads
Free trial · Take Off $49/mo (2K credits)
Best for: Solo SDRs needing guaranteed phone numbers + email finder bundle
AeroLeads offers affordable entry pricing with a free tier and scalable paid plans starting at a competitive level, with the full pricing details available on the dedicated pricing page. See the full pricing breakdown for all plans and exceptions.
Migration Guide
How to switch from Apollo to Derrick in 3 steps
Derrick is a Google Workspace app - no formulas to learn, no pipelines to migrate, no engineering work. Add it to Google Sheets and you're enriching in under a minute.
1
~30 sec Install Derrick from Google Workspace Marketplace
Click the install button on our Marketplace listing and grant Google Sheets access. No credit card required - you start with 100 free credits per month.
2
~30 sec Open any Google Sheet → Extensions → Derrick
Open a Sheet with your prospect list (paste a CSV from Apollo, scrape from LinkedIn Sales Navigator, or import from your CRM). Click Extensions → Derrick and the sidebar opens with all enrichment features ready to use.
3
~1 min Enrich your list with one click
Select the column with names, LinkedIn URLs, or company domains. Pick what you want - emails, phone numbers, LinkedIn data, company info, tech stack - and click "Enrich". Derrick fills the columns directly in your Sheet. No exports, no pipelines, no waiting.
Install Derrick free →
100 free credits / month · No credit card · Cancel anytime
Decision in 60 seconds
Which one is right for you?
Pick Apollo if…
- You specifically need smb & mid-market outbound
- Massive 250M+ contact database
- All-in-one stack at SMB price
- You're already invested in the Apollo ecosystem
Pick AeroLeads if…
- You specifically need solo sdrs needing guaranteed phone numbers + email finder bundle
- Guaranteed phone numbers per tier (unique positioning)
- Multi-source prospect data (LinkedIn + Crunchbase + AngelList + Xing)
- You're already invested in the AeroLeads ecosystem
Pick Derrick if…
- You want B2B enrichment directly in Google Sheets
- You need a usable free plan (100 credits/mo, no card)
- You don't want long contracts, lock-in, or sales calls
- You need 100+ data points per lead in one tool
What teams say after switching from Apollo vs AeroLeads
See what our customers say about Derrick.
"This app saved me so much time and effort. Great for anyone looking to build a contact list or network at scale quickly. As a start-up it's been invaluable."
Alex Clark
Director | SaaS GTM Leader
"Working pretty nifty compared to Snov.Io. Price wise it does give a fair shake, and IMO better interface since it's google sheets."
David Sire
Mortgage Broker at Zero Point Mortgage
"Derrick is a very simple and user-friendly app to enrich your contacts database. Best thing: you can test it for free. And then the price is so low, it's a no brainer."
Etienne Grange
CEO Form'actions
"Super easy to enrich linkedin urls using this tool. Both personal and company url data can be easily enriched with a click of a button."
Zaid Bilal
RevOps Professional
"Amazing Tool, I would like to advocate this to my colleagues. So that you can get more users. Keep it Up. 5 Stars!"
Asif Hanzala
Lead Generation Specialist at IdeaPeel
"This app is fantastic. Brilliantly created to help small and mid sized businesses."
Dan Hughes
Founder/CEO, AlmanacIO
"I have been using other expensive apps or freemium like phantombuster, but Derrick has replaced them all. I love the simplicity of the Google sheet add-in, but what is best is the efficiency it delivers."
Julien Walon Cohen
CEO & Co-founder @ Diffly | B2B Sales Advisor
"The LinkedIn scraping and email finder combo is incredibly powerful. I can build a complete prospect list with contact info in under an hour. Absolute must-have for outbound."
Michael Kim
SDR Team Lead at CloudScale
"Have tested over 10+ LI scraper apps, Derrick beats them all. Simple to use, accurate data, and affordable price."
AJ Alexander
Opportunity Prospector
Frequently Asked Questions
Derrick vs apollo: which is better for data enrichment?
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Both platforms serve different enrichment priorities. Apollo excels at scale with its 250 million contact database and real-time verification, making it ideal for high-volume prospecting campaigns. However, Apollo users frequently report requiring manual data validation, particularly for niche industries, and face limitations in customization for complex workflows. Derrick takes a different approach by operating natively within Google Sheets with 50+ enrichment attributes per contact, integrated AI scoring via Claude and ChatGPT, and real-time email validation for superior deliverability. Derrick's rollover credits and no-credit-card free tier provide greater flexibility for variable prospecting needs. For teams prioritizing data accuracy combined with seamless workflow integration without external platforms, Derrick complements Apollo's database strength with automation efficiency and reduced manual verification overhead.
Is Derrick a good alternative to apollo for teams?
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Yes, Derrick is an excellent alternative to Apollo for teams, especially those already using Google Sheets for their workflows. While Apollo excels at large contact databases and multi-channel outreach, Derrick operates natively within Google Sheets, eliminating the need for CSV exports and complex integrations that consume five to ten hours monthly. Derrick provides fifty plus enrichment attributes per contact, real-time email validation for better deliverability, and integrated AI using both Claude and ChatGPT for automated scoring and segmentation. Unlike Apollo's rigid structure, Derrick's rollover credits offer greater flexibility for variable prospecting needs, and the free tier requires no credit card. For teams prioritizing efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and seamless spreadsheet workflows over massive databases, Derrick delivers comparable prospecting power with significantly less operational overhead.
Derrick vs apollo vs AeroLeads: which is best overall?
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The best choice depends on your specific needs. Apollo excels with its massive 250 million contact database and strong CRM integrations, making it ideal for high-volume prospecting at scale. AeroLeads offers budget-friendly email verification but suffers from documented accuracy issues and GDPR compliance concerns that require manual validation workflows. Derrick stands out for teams already using Google Sheets, offering 100% native integration, rollover credits, integrated AI with Claude and ChatGPT, real-time email validation, and no credit card required for the free tier. If you prioritize cost efficiency and native spreadsheet workflows without external platforms, Derrick delivers faster implementation and lower overhead than both alternatives while maintaining strong data enrichment capabilities across 50+ contact and company attributes.
apollo vs AeroLeads: which offers better pricing?
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Between Apollo and AeroLeads, pricing clarity and value vary by feature focus. Apollo tends to skew higher for its extensive database, multi-channel outreach, and advanced enrichment, which can be costlier at scale. AeroLeads offers affordable entry points with strong email verification and quick list-building but may require supplementary tools for deeper enrichment. Derrick App provides a compelling alternative: a fixed, transparent credits-based model within Google Sheets, with roll-over credits, 50+ enrichment attributes per contact, real-time email validation, and AI-driven scoring-all without credit card for the free tier. If you prioritize predictable costs and seamless native integration with your existing Sheets workflow, Derrick often delivers better value relative to Apollo and AeroLeads, especially for teams aiming to optimize cost-to-prospect across scalable prospecting.
What are Derrick’s key features vs Apollo's core capabilities?
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Derrick operates as a fully native Google Sheets platform, eliminating the need for CSV exports and complex integrations that Apollo and AeroLeads require. While Apollo excels with its massive 250 million contact database and AeroLeads focuses on email verification speed, Derrick differentiates through integrated AI capabilities using both Claude and ChatGPT for automated scoring and segmentation directly within your spreadsheet. Derrick also offers rollover credits, real-time email validation, and requires no credit card for the free tier, providing greater flexibility and cost efficiency for teams prioritizing seamless workflow integration over database scale alone.
How does Derrick replace both apollo and AeroLeads effectively?
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Derrick replaces both Apollo and AeroLeads effectively by unifying data enrichment, real-time email validation, and AI-driven prospecting directly within Google Sheets, eliminating the need for separate platforms or CSV exports. Unlike Apollo, Derrick adds native 100% Google Sheets integration plus built-in AI for scoring, segmentation, and summaries, reducing tool fragmentation. Compared to AeroLeads, Derrick offers richer enrichment (50+ attributes per contact), real-time verification, and a scalable credit system with rollover credits, while requiring no credit card for the free tier. This combination streamlines workflows, saves 5–10 hours per month, and maintains cost efficiency with transparent tiered pricing and extensive integrations through Zapier/Make/n8n.
One-on-one
apollo vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how apollo compares to Derrick alone.
Open the head-to-head → One-on-oneAeroLeads vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how AeroLeads compares to Derrick alone.
Open the head-to-head → Curated stackAll B2B sales tools we reviewed in depth
Step back from the duel - see our hand-picked sales-tool selection and how every category fits together.
See the full curation → Keep Exploring
