Updated

Apollo vs LeadIQ vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?

Short answer
Apollo vs LeadIQ vs Derrick: Apollo is a b2b sales intelligence and outreach, LeadIQ is a enterprise lead intelligence platform with waterfall enrichment and ai message writer. 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 LeadIQ) 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 LeadIQ 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.

Quick Facts

Apollo vs LeadIQ vs Derrick at a glance

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
4.7/5 G2 4.5/5 Capterra

LeadIQ

  • Starting price: Free 50 credits/mo · Pro $150/mo (annual)
  • Free plan: Yes - 50 credits/mo permanently free
  • Founded: 2015
  • HQ: San Francisco Bay Area, CA (with Singapore engineering)
4.2/5 G2 4.4/5 Capterra

Derrick

★ Recommended
  • Starting price: Free · Paid from €9/mo
  • Free plan: Yes - 100 credits/mo permanent
  • Founded: 2023
  • HQ: Marseille, FR
4.8/5 G2 4.8/5 Capterra
Why Derrick wins

Why teams pick Derrick over Apollo and LeadIQ

3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.

01

Real-time validation without data gaps in enrichment

Derrick delivers real-time validation without data gaps in enrichment, addressing Apollo and LeadIQ’s limitations in keeping records instantly current. While Apollo emphasizes scale and LeadIQ focuses on rapid contact verification, neither guarantees continuous, gap-free enrichment across all attributes in real time. Derrick provides immediate validation within 100% native Google Sheets, reducing bounce rates and preserving data integrity as you prospect. This translates to faster outreach and measurable efficiency gains, such as improved deliverability and time saved per week.

02

Streamlined onboarding with 0 credit card required for trial

LeadIQ and Apollo both require more friction for trial access or rely on paid starts to unlock full data flows, creating onboarding delays. Derrick eliminates this barrier by offering a free tier with 0 credit card required, while enabling immediate access to 100% native Google Sheets workflows. This translates to measurable time savings and faster time-to-value for teams, with up to 5-10 hours saved per month on setup and experimentation. Derrick's trial experience streamlines sign-up, directly addressing the onboarding bottleneck without compromising data richness.

03

Unified AI-driven enrichment for deeper account insights

Unified AI-driven enrichment for deeper account insights reveals how Apollo and LeadIQ often deliver surface-level contact data or limited account intelligence, leaving gaps in firmographic context and dynamic insights. Derrick differentials here by integrating AI-powered profiling with 50+ enrichment attributes directly in Google Sheets, enabling deeper segmentation and automated summaries without leaving the platform. Expect measurable impact: faster cadence setup and a 20–40% improvement in meeting-quality data due to real-time AI scoring and enrichment. A quick use-case: Derrick auto-generates enriched account briefs for target accounts during discovery, accelerating qualification and outreach planning.

Honest Comparison

What each tool does better

We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where Apollo, LeadIQ, and Derrick each genuinely win.

What LeadIQ does better

  • Waterfall enrichment from 9 data providers
  • Scribe AI message writer for personalization
  • Job-change tracking creates warm re-engagement
Read full LeadIQ review →
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 LeadIQ Derrick
Starting price (monthly) Free / $49 annual or $59 monthly /seat (post-2026 price increase) Free 50 credits/mo · Pro $150/mo (annual) €0 (free) · €9/mo paid
Annual cost (base) ~€588/yr ~€600/yr €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid
Free plan? Yes (Free forever) Yes - 50 credits/mo permanently free ✓ 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 LeadIQ vs Derrick: full feature comparison

apollo Derrick App LeadIQ
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

Apollo vs LeadIQ 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 scalable pricing with an accessible entry point and tiered plans; details on features and limits vary by plan, with a full pricing breakdown available on the dedicated pricing page. See full pricing breakdown for complete details.

Enterprise Lead Intelligence + AI Personalization

LeadIQ

Free 50 credits/mo · Pro $150/mo (annual)

Best for: Enterprise SDR teams running Salesforce/HubSpot motions

LeadIQ offers entry-level plans with accessible pricing and a free tier for limited usage, with more feature-rich paid tiers available; see full pricing breakdown for details. View complete pricing details to compare plans, credits, and add-ons.

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
Read full Apollo review →

Pick LeadIQ if…

  • You specifically need enterprise sdr teams running salesforce/hubspot motions
  • Waterfall enrichment from 9 data providers
  • Scribe AI message writer for personalization
  • You're already invested in the LeadIQ ecosystem
Read full LeadIQ review →

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
Try Derrick free →

What teams say after switching from Apollo vs LeadIQ

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

Reviewed on Product Hunt

"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

Reviewed on Product Hunt

"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

Reviewed on Capterra

"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

Reviewed on Capterra

"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

Reviewed on Capterra

"This app is fantastic. Brilliantly created to help small and mid sized businesses."

Dan Hughes

Founder/CEO, AlmanacIO

Reviewed on Product Hunt

"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

Reviewed on G2

"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

Reviewed on Capterra

"Have tested over 10+ LI scraper apps, Derrick beats them all. Simple to use, accurate data, and affordable price."

AJ Alexander

Opportunity Prospector

Reviewed on Capterra

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the Derrick vs apollo difference for pricing and features?

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Derrick operates as a native Google Sheets platform focused on data enrichment and automation, eliminating the need for CSV exports or complex integrations that Apollo and LeadIQ require. Pricing-wise, Derrick starts at zero dollars with two hundred credits and scales affordably up to one hundred seventy-five dollars for one hundred thousand credits, with rollover flexibility. Apollo emphasizes its vast contact database and outreach tools, while LeadIQ prioritizes real-time verification and CRM integration. Derrick differentiates through built-in AI capabilities using Claude and ChatGPT for scoring and segmentation, plus fifty plus enrichment attributes per contact, making it ideal for teams seeking streamlined prospecting directly within their existing spreadsheet workflows without external platform dependencies.

Is Derrick a better alternative to LeadIQ for accuracy?

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Derrick and LeadIQ both prioritize data accuracy, but they serve different needs within B2B prospecting. LeadIQ excels at real-time contact verification and rapid lead discovery through its native CRM integrations. However, Derrick distinguishes itself through its 100% native Google Sheets environment, eliminating export friction while delivering 50+ enrichment attributes per contact. Derrick's real-time email validation ensures superior deliverability, and its integrated AI capabilities with Claude and ChatGPT enable automated scoring and segmentation that LeadIQ doesn't natively provide. For accuracy combined with workflow efficiency and cost-effectiveness, Derrick offers a compelling alternative that streamlines your entire prospecting process without external platform switching.

Derrick vs apollo vs LeadIQ: which has stronger reviews?

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All three platforms maintain solid review ratings, but they excel in different areas. Apollo receives strong marks for its massive contact database and email verification accuracy, while LeadIQ earns praise for real-time data refresh and CRM integration simplicity. Derrick stands out in reviews for its native Google Sheets functionality, eliminating CSV exports and complex setup workflows. Users particularly appreciate Derrick's rollover credits, integrated AI capabilities with Claude and ChatGPT, and no credit card requirement for the free tier, which reduces friction compared to competitors. For teams prioritizing data enrichment directly within existing workflows, Derrick's approach generates notably positive feedback on efficiency gains and ease of use.

How does apollo compare to LeadIQ for data enrichment?

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Apollo excels at scale with a vast 250M contacts database, strong email verification, and multi-channel outreach, but its data enrichment can be uneven for niche industries and may require supplementary tools. LeadIQ shines in real-time contact verification and seamless CRM integration, delivering solid prospect data but offering more limited depth in enrichment and account intelligence. Derrick complements both by providing 100% native Google Sheets enrichment, rich attributes per contact, real-time email validation, and AI-driven scoring-delivering deeper, customizable enrichment without leaving Sheets, with flexible credit-based pricing.

Is Derrick a good pricing option compared to apollo or LeadIQ?

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Derrick offers significantly better pricing flexibility compared to Apollo and LeadIQ, with rollover credits, no credit card required for the free tier, and plans starting at just nine dollars monthly. While Apollo excels at large-scale database access and LeadIQ focuses on contact verification, Derrick delivers comprehensive enrichment with fifty plus attributes directly within Google Sheets, eliminating expensive third-party tools and integration costs. For teams prioritizing affordability and native workflow integration without technical overhead, Derrick provides exceptional value without long-term commitments or hidden fees.

Can Derrick replace both apollo and LeadIQ in our workflow?

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Derrick cannot be a complete one-to-one replacement for both Apollo and LeadIQ in every workflow, but it can cover core needs and simplify many processes. Derrick excels as a native Google Sheets-based enrichment and outreach hub with 50+ enrichment attributes per contact, real-time email validation, AI-driven scoring and segmentation, extensive integrations, and a cost-effective, credit-based model with rollover credits and no credit card required for the free tier. Apollo provides a broad contact database and outbound automation, strong for high-volume prospecting, but may require enrichment work beyond its scope. LeadIQ shines in real-time verification and CRM-friendly lead discovery with smooth onboarding, though its enrichment and advanced analytics can be more limited. If your workflow relies on heavy multi-asset enrichment, advanced account profiling, and seamless Google Sheets-based orchestration, Derrick can replace or significantly reduce reliance on both by handling data enrichment, scoring, and automated outreach within a familiar sheet-centric environment, while Apollo/LeadIQ can still be used selectively for dedicated data sources or deep account intelligence where needed.
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