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 Captain Data vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?
- Short answer
- Apollo vs Captain Data vs Derrick: Apollo is a b2b sales intelligence and outreach, Captain Data is a api-first data infrastructure platform for product builders (formerly no-code workflow automation). 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 Captain Data) 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 Captain Data 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 Captain Data vs Derrick at a glance
Captain Data
- Starting price: €399/mo (post-pivot API tier) · €29.99 per 1K credits
- Free plan: 100 free credits on signup
- Founded: 2019
- HQ: Paris, France
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 Captain Data
3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.
01 Get enrichment depth without LinkedIn-only limits
Derrick expands enrichment depth beyond LinkedIn-only limits that Apollo and Captain Data impose by relying on 50+ attributes per contact and company, plus native Google Sheets integration for holistic prospect Intelligence. Apollo often struggles with deeper enrichment completeness and niche industries, while Captain Data focuses on LinkedIn-driven data, leaving gaps in non-LinkedIn sources. Derrick delivers richer profiles by combining multi-source enrichment with AI-driven scoring and segmentation, all within Sheets, reducing manual verification and speeding insight generation. Expect measurable gains like 5-10 hours saved monthly per user and more complete firmographic profiles for targeted outreach.
02 Fast, scalable automation without complex setup processes
Apollo and Captain Data demonstrate fast data retrieval, but both require setup steps that slow scaling and complicate automation. Derrick delivers fast, scalable automation with a 100% native Google Sheets experience-no CSV exports, no complex config, and over 3000+ integrations via Zapier/Make/n8n. Teams typically save 5-10 hours per month and reduce setup friction while refreshing data in real-time, improving throughput without manual rework. A quick use case: auto-enrich and route new leads in Sheets at scale with one-click onboarding, no credit card required for the free tier.
03 Real-time data quality across entire profile universe
Apollo and Captain Data both struggle with real-time, universal profile coverage beyond their core sources, often yielding incomplete or stale records. Derrick delivers real-time data quality across the entire profile universe by continuously enriching and validating across 50+ attributes, not limited to LinkedIn, with native Google Sheets workflows. Users see measurable gains: up to 20-30% higher profile completeness and faster confidence in outreach, plus immediate correction of discrepancies as profiles update. A practical use case: auto-refreshing enrichment on every prospect entry during a live session to maintain accurate, action-ready data.
Honest Comparison 
derrick
What each tool does better
We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where Apollo, Captain Data, and Derrick each genuinely win.
What Apollo does better
- Massive 250M+ contact database
- All-in-one stack at SMB price
- Intuitive list-builder
What Captain Data does better
- Strong API-first architecture (post-pivot)
- Workflow library was best-in-class (legacy)
- Strong integration breadth
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 | Captain Data | Derrick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (monthly) | Free / $49 annual or $59 monthly /seat (post-2026 price increase) | €399/mo (post-pivot API tier) · €29.99 per 1K credits | €0 (free) · €9/mo paid |
| Annual cost (base) | ~€588/yr | ~€4,788/yr | €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid |
| Free plan? | Yes (Free forever) | 100 free credits on signup | ✓ 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 Captain Data vs Derrick: full feature comparison
| apollo | Derrick App | Captain Data | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 399$/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 →
Workflow Automation API (Pivot from No-Code)
Apollo vs Captain Data 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 offers a free tier with limited access and paid plans starting at a competitive monthly rate; detailed pricing breakdown covers tiers, usage caps, and add-ons-see full pricing breakdown for complete details.
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.
Workflow Automation API (Pivot from No-Code) Captain Data
€399/mo (post-pivot API tier) · €29.99 per 1K credits
Best for: Engineering teams building data infrastructure (not SDRs)
Captain Data offers entry-level plans with a free tier and paid options that scale with usage, though exact prices vary by plan. See full pricing breakdown for complete details and to compare features and tiers.
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 Captain Data if…
- You specifically need engineering teams building data infrastructure (not sdrs)
- Strong API-first architecture (post-pivot)
- Workflow library was best-in-class (legacy)
- You're already invested in the Captain Data 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 Captain Data
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
Which Derrick vs apollo comparison highlights key differences?
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The key differences between Derrick and Apollo center on architecture and workflow efficiency. Apollo excels as a comprehensive contact database with 250 million profiles and strong email verification, making it ideal for high-volume prospecting. Derrick, however, operates natively within Google Sheets, eliminating CSV exports and complex setup while offering 50+ enrichment attributes, AI-powered scoring with Claude and ChatGPT, and rollover credits with no credit card required for free tier. Apollo prioritizes database breadth, while Derrick prioritizes operational simplicity and integration flexibility for teams already using Google Sheets as their prospecting hub.
Is Derrick a better alternative to apollo for teams?
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Derrick is purpose-built for teams operating within Google Sheets, eliminating the need for external platforms and CSV exports that Apollo requires. While Apollo excels at large contact databases and email verification, Derrick focuses on deep data enrichment with 50+ attributes per contact, integrated AI scoring with Claude and ChatGPT, and real-time email validation for better deliverability. Derrick's rollover credits, no credit card requirement for free tier, and native Sheets integration make it ideal for teams prioritizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness over sheer database size, particularly those already relying on Google Sheets as their prospecting hub.
What’s the pricing difference Derrick vs apollo for SMBs?
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Derrick offers significantly lower entry costs for SMBs compared to Apollo. Derrick's Small plan starts at just $9 monthly with 4,000 credits and no credit card required for the free tier, while Apollo's pricing typically begins higher for comparable functionality. Derrick's rollover credits mean unused monthly allowances don't expire, providing better budget flexibility. Additionally, Derrick eliminates the need for LinkedIn Sales Navigator, saving SMBs approximately $1,200 annually compared to Apollo's ecosystem, making it substantially more cost-effective for resource-constrained teams managing prospecting directly within Google Sheets.
How do apollo and Captain Data compare on data quality?
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When it comes to data quality, Apollo emphasizes breadth and real-time contact verification across a vast database, delivering strong accuracy for outbound prospecting but sometimes showing variability in niche industries or incomplete enrichment for deeper company intelligence. Captain Data excels at LinkedIn-driven prospecting with solid enrichment of emails, phones, and social profiles, yet its depth beyond LinkedIn data can be limited and batch processing for large volumes can lag. Derrick stands out for 100% native Google Sheets enrichment with 50+ attributes per contact, real-time email validation, and AI-assisted scoring and segmentation, all without exporting to CSV or requiring a LinkedIn dependency, which can yield more consistent, actionable records and smoother automation for ongoing workflows.
Can apollo vs Captain Data replace Derrick effectively?
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Not entirely. While Apollo and Captain Data offer valuable features, they serve different primary functions and lack Derrick's integrated approach. Apollo excels at contact database scale but requires external tools for enrichment, while Captain Data focuses on LinkedIn scraping with limited firmographic depth. Derrick operates natively within Google Sheets, eliminating CSV exports and manual workflows while providing 50+ enrichment attributes, real-time email validation, and integrated AI for scoring and segmentation. For teams already working in Sheets seeking comprehensive enrichment without platform switching, Derrick delivers efficiency gains both alternatives cannot match. Neither Apollo nor Captain Data replaces Derrick's specific value proposition around native spreadsheet integration and cost-effective monthly rolling credits.
What are Derrick’s features versus apollo and Captain Data?
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Derrick differs from Apollo and Captain Data in core architecture, data approach, and workflow depth. Derrick is 100% native Google Sheets, transforming them into a full prospecting hub without CSV exports or complex setup, and it includes real-time email validation, AI scoring and segmentation (Claude and ChatGPT), plus 3000+ Zapier/Make/n8n integrations. While Apollo emphasizes a vast contact database, real-time verification, and outbound workflows, it can struggle with granular enrichment and niche industries. Captain Data excels at LinkedIn-based scraping and automation but may lack deep, multi-source enrichment and advanced data validation. Derrick uniquely combines native sheet-based workflows, rich enrichment (50+ attributes per contact), durable credit rollover, and no-credit-card required free tier, offering a cost-efficient, scalable alternative for teams prioritizing seamless Google Sheets integration and automated insights alongside robust data quality.
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-oneCaptain Data vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how Captain Data 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
