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 Surfe vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?
- Short answer
- Apollo vs Surfe vs Derrick: Apollo is a b2b sales intelligence and outreach, Surfe is a linkedin-to-crm chrome extension for one-click contact sync + enrichment. 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 Surfe) 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 Surfe 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 Surfe vs Derrick at a glance
Surfe
- Starting price: Free 20 emails + 5 phones · Essential $39/mo
- Free plan: Yes - 20 emails + 5 phones/yr permanently
- Founded: 2020
- 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 Surfe
3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.
01 Time saved with real-time validation, fueled by Derrick App
Derrick App delivers real-time validation inside Google Sheets, a capability that Apollo and Surfe struggle to match due to their reliance on separate verification steps and platform constraints. Unlike Surfe’s LinkedIn-centric approach or Apollo’s broader but sometimes inconsistent data validation, Derrick keeps validation live as you work, eliminating back-and-forth checks. This translates to measurable time savings, with teams often reclaiming 5-10 hours per month on data quality tasks. A typical use case: confirm emails and update records on the fly, without leaving Sheets or exporting/importing data.
02 3000+ integrations for flexible automation and workflows
Derrick unlocks flexible automation by offering 3000+ integrations through Zapier, Make, and n8n, bridging workflows that Apollo and Surfe can’t fully automate across multi-tool stacks. Apollo excels at data and verification but struggles with seamless, large-scale workflow orchestration beyond its own funnels, while Surfe focuses on LinkedIn data without deep multi-source automation. Derrick consolidates these capabilities, letting teams trigger actions and enrich records automatically within Google Sheets and downstream apps, reducing manual handoffs. Expect measurable gains: up to 20-35% faster pipeline movement and consistent data propagation across systems.
03 Deeper Data Enrichment Through Inline AI Insights
Apollo and Surfe struggle to deliver deep, inline AI-driven enrichment beyond basic contact data and surface-level company intel. Derrick differentiates by weaving AI-powered scoring, segmentation, and summaries directly inside Google Sheets, enriching each record with 50+ attributes and real-time insights without leaving the workflow. This results in faster, more complete profiles and improved targeting, with measurable impact such as higher deliverability and reduced research time. A practical use case is instant auto-summarization of a company profile as you prospect, streamlining decision-making without extra tools.
Honest Comparison 
derrick
What each tool does better
We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where Apollo, Surfe, and Derrick each genuinely win.
What Apollo does better
- Massive 250M+ contact database
- All-in-one stack at SMB price
- Intuitive list-builder
What Surfe does better
- Cleanest LinkedIn-to-CRM sync extension in the category
- Compatible with multiple CRMs (not locked to one)
- Speed + simplicity (top G2 mention pattern)
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 | Surfe | Derrick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (monthly) | Free / $49 annual or $59 monthly /seat (post-2026 price increase) | Free 20 emails + 5 phones · Essential $39/mo | €0 (free) · €9/mo paid |
| Annual cost (base) | ~€588/yr | ~€240/yr | €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid |
| Free plan? | Yes (Free forever) | Yes - 20 emails + 5 phones/yr permanently | ✓ 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 Surfe vs Derrick: full feature comparison
| apollo | Derrick App | Surfe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 29$/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 →
LinkedIn → CRM Sync (Chrome Extension)
Apollo vs Surfe 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 scalable pricing model with a free tier and paid plans starting at an entry-level price, plus additional tiers for teams and enterprises; 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.
LinkedIn → CRM Sync (Chrome Extension) Surfe
Free 20 emails + 5 phones · Essential $39/mo
Best for: SDRs whose entire workflow lives inside LinkedIn
Surfe offers entry-level plans with a free tier and paid options, with pricing details available on the dedicated pricing page. See the full pricing breakdown for all plans and usage details.
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 Surfe if…
- You specifically need sdrs whose entire workflow lives inside linkedin
- Cleanest LinkedIn-to-CRM sync extension in the category
- Compatible with multiple CRMs (not locked to one)
- You're already invested in the Surfe 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 Surfe
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 automation and data enrichment?
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Derrick excels at automation and data enrichment directly within Google Sheets without requiring external platforms or CSV exports, whereas Apollo prioritizes contact database scale and verification accuracy. For automation, Derrick's integrated AI using both Claude and ChatGPT enables intelligent scoring and segmentation, while Apollo focuses on multi-channel outreach workflows. Derrick enriches records with 50+ attributes natively and offers rollover credits with no credit card required for the free tier, making it more flexible for teams seeking streamlined, sheet-based enrichment workflows compared to Apollo's traditional sales intelligence approach.
How does Derrick compare to Surfe in pricing and features?
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Derrick operates entirely within Google Sheets, eliminating the need for external platforms or CSV exports that Surfe requires. While Surfe excels at LinkedIn data extraction, Derrick provides 50+ enrichment attributes per contact and company with real-time email validation, offering deeper data intelligence. Pricing-wise, Derrick starts free with 100 credits and no credit card required, with rollover credits monthly, whereas Surfe operates on standard subscription tiers. For teams seeking comprehensive B2B enrichment directly in their workflow without LinkedIn dependency, Derrick delivers greater flexibility and cost efficiency at scale.
Derrick vs apollo vs Surfe: which offers the best overall value?
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The best value depends on your specific needs. Apollo excels at large-scale contact databases and verified email finding, making it ideal for high-volume prospecting teams. Surfe specializes in LinkedIn-native workflows with quick contact extraction, perfect for teams already embedded in LinkedIn. Derrick App stands out for teams prioritizing cost efficiency and ease of use, offering native Google Sheets integration with fifty-plus enrichment attributes, AI-powered scoring, and rollover credits starting at just nine dollars monthly. Derrick eliminates expensive LinkedIn Navigator subscriptions and complex CSV workflows, saving five to ten hours monthly while requiring no credit card for the free tier. Choose based on your primary workflow: Apollo for database scale, Surfe for LinkedIn speed, or Derrick for integrated, affordable enrichment without technical overhead.
Is apollo a better alternative to Surfe for outreach and data?
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Yes, Apollo is a strong alternative to Surfe for outreach and data, especially for teams needing a large, verified contact database and multi-channel outreach, with strong CRM integrations and fast prospecting workflows. Apollo shines in breadth and real-time verification, making it great for outbound scale. However, Surfe excels at real-time LinkedIn data capture and quick contact discovery with robust accuracy directly in your browser. If you want deeper enrichment and automation beyond LinkedIn, Derrick App complements Apollo and Surfe by adding 50+ enrichment attributes, real-time email validation, AI scoring, and extensive automation via Google Sheets-native workflows. For a purely LinkedIn-first approach, Surfe may be preferable; for broad data and rapid outbound at scale, Apollo is compelling, and for fully integrated enrichment and automation within Sheets, Derrick adds unique value.
What’s the difference between Derrick and Surfe in review scores?
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Derrick and Surfe take fundamentally different approaches to review scores. Surfe excels in LinkedIn-specific contact extraction with strong real-time accuracy for basic profile data, but reviewers consistently note its limited enrichment depth and single-source dependency. Derrick, by contrast, delivers comprehensive B2B enrichment with 50+ attributes per contact, integrated AI scoring, and real-time email validation-all natively within Google Sheets without requiring external platforms or LinkedIn dependency. While Surfe works best for quick contact discovery, Derrick provides deeper data intelligence and automation flexibility that reviewers value for complete prospecting workflows.
Can Derrick replace both apollo and Surfe for B2B data enrichment?
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Derrick cannot be a direct one-to-one replacement for both Apollo and Surfe, but it can substantially complement and, in many cases, replace distinct gaps they leave. Apollo excels at large-scale contact databases and outreach workflows, while Surfe specializes in real-time LinkedIn-enabled contact extraction. Derrick, by contrast, is a 100% native Google Sheets data enrichment platform with 50+ attributes per contact, real-time email validation, AI-driven scoring and segmentation, and extensive Zapier/Make/n8n integrations, all without LinkedIn dependence. For teams seeking comprehensive enrichment, multi-source data validation, and automation inside Sheets, Derrick can reduce the need for separate enrichment tools and CSV exports, while Apollo or Surfe may still be preferred for rapid prospecting or LinkedIn-driven lead discovery. If your priority is deep enrichment and cost-efficient automation inside a familiar workflow, Derrick provides a compelling alternative or complement, especially when you want to avoid data handoffs and leverage reportable credits.
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-oneSurfe vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how Surfe 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
