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 TexAu vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?
- Short answer
- Apollo vs TexAu vs Derrick: Apollo is a b2b sales intelligence and outreach, TexAu is a cloud automation platform with 180+ spices (automations) and recipes (workflows). 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 TexAu) 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 TexAu 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 TexAu vs Derrick at a glance
TexAu
- Starting price: Free 14-day trial · Solo $79/mo (annual)
- Free plan: 14-day free trial (no credit card)
- Founded: 2017
- HQ: Thane, Maharashtra, 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 TexAu
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 during enrichment, preventing data gaps that Apollo and TexAu often encounter due to delayed updates and partial records. Apollo’s breadth can miss continuous validation across records, while TexAu focuses on text augmentation with limited enrichment accuracy in dynamic datasets. Derrick ensures immediate verification as data is enriched, reducing false positives and improving deliverability metrics. For example, teams can realize up to a 15% lift in valid contact rates month over month with live validation embedded in Sheets.
02 Cost-effective setup with 50+ attributes per contact
Apollo and TexAu both struggle to deliver 50+ attribute enrichment per contact within a single workflow, often relying on separate tools or incomplete records. Derrick provides a 100% native Google Sheets setup that delivers 50+ attributes per contact without exporting data or juggling multiple platforms. This translates to tangible savings: up to 5-10 hours per month saved and a more complete, actionable profile ready for immediate prospecting. A typical use case: enrich a contact in-app, validate instantly, and segment for targeted outreach in minutes.
03 Unified data model across tools for seamless automation
Apollo and TexAu often struggle with unified data models across disparate tools, leaving gaps when automating multi-tool workflows. Derrick addresses this by providing a 100% native Google Sheets solution that harmonizes enrichment across LinkedIn, company intelligence, and AI-powered scoring within a single data model. This coherence reduces manual re-entry and data mismatches, saving up to 5-10 hours per month while improving data consistency. With Derrick, teams can orchestrate seamless automation end-to-end, without switching between incompatible platforms.
Honest Comparison 
derrick
What each tool does better
We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where Apollo, TexAu, and Derrick each genuinely win.
What Apollo does better
- Massive 250M+ contact database
- All-in-one stack at SMB price
- Intuitive list-builder
What TexAu does better
- 180+ Spices vs PhantomBuster's 130+ at similar pricing
- Faster execution than most cloud automation competitors
- Built-in email verification (no separate tool needed)
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 | TexAu | Derrick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (monthly) | Free / $49 annual or $59 monthly /seat (post-2026 price increase) | Free 14-day trial · Solo $79/mo (annual) | €0 (free) · €9/mo paid |
| Annual cost (base) | ~€588/yr | ~€168/yr | €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid |
| Free plan? | Yes (Free forever) | 14-day free trial (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 TexAu vs Derrick: full feature comparison
| apollo | Derrick App | TexAu | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 49$/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 →
Cloud Automation Platform (Spices + Recipes)
Apollo vs TexAu 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 structure with an entry-level plan starting at affordable monthly credits and a free tier where applicable; detailed pricing is available on the dedicated pricing page-view complete pricing details for all plans and limits. See full pricing breakdown.
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.
Cloud Automation Platform (Spices + Recipes) TexAu
Free 14-day trial · Solo $79/mo (annual)
Best for: Growth hackers + automation enthusiasts on a budget
TexAu offers entry-level pricing with a free tier and paid plans starting at accessible monthly rates; details vary by usage and credits, with a full pricing breakdown available on the dedicated page. See full pricing breakdown for complete 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 TexAu if…
- You specifically need growth hackers + automation enthusiasts on a budget
- 180+ Spices vs PhantomBuster's 130+ at similar pricing
- Faster execution than most cloud automation competitors
- You're already invested in the TexAu 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 TexAu
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
What’s the Derrick vs Apollo main difference for teams?
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The main difference for teams lies in how they operate within your workflow. Derrick is 100% native to Google Sheets, eliminating CSV exports and complex setup, while Apollo relies on an external platform requiring data migration. Derrick integrates AI capabilities from both Claude and ChatGPT for automated scoring and segmentation directly in your spreadsheet, whereas Apollo focuses on contact database access and outreach automation. For teams already working in Google Sheets, Derrick saves five to ten hours monthly and requires no credit card for the free tier, making it more accessible for testing before commitment.
Is Derrick a good alternative to TexAu?
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Yes, Derrick is a strong alternative to TexAu, particularly if you're looking for comprehensive B2B data enrichment rather than just text automation. While TexAu excels at text processing, Derrick operates natively within Google Sheets and enriches contact and company data with 50+ attributes, real-time email validation, and integrated AI scoring using Claude and ChatGPT. Derrick eliminates the need for external platforms, CSV exports, and complex setup workflows, saving teams 5-10 hours monthly. Unlike TexAu's limited customization, Derrick offers flexible credit rollover, no credit card requirement for free tier access, and seamless integration with 3000+ tools via Zapier and Make, making it better suited for teams requiring deeper prospect intelligence and streamlined prospecting workflows within their existing spreadsheet environment.
Derrick vs Apollo vs TexAu: which is best overall?
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The best choice depends on your specific needs. Apollo excels at large-scale contact databases with 250+ million verified profiles, making it ideal for high-volume prospecting teams. TexAu focuses on text automation and content processing rather than B2B intelligence. Derrick stands out for teams already using Google Sheets, offering 100% native integration without CSV exports, AI-powered enrichment with Claude and ChatGPT, real-time email validation, and rollover credits starting at just 9€ monthly. If you prioritize seamless workflow integration and cost efficiency, Derrick eliminates the need for multiple tools while Apollo suits enterprises requiring massive contact databases.
Is Apollo pricing better than TexAu for SMBs?
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Is Apollo pricing better than TexAu for SMBs? Not directly comparable, as Apollo targets comprehensive B2B prospecting with millions of contacts and CRM workflows, often at a higher total cost for teams needing deep data and multi-channel outreach. TexAu focuses on automated writing and text augmentation with a simpler, more affordable setup ideal for content workflows. For SMBs, Apollo may deliver faster pipeline generation but at a bigger investment, while TexAu offers cost-effective automation for writing tasks. Derrick App can complement either by adding native Google Sheets enrichment, AI scoring, and seamless integrations, potentially delivering a lower overall cost of ownership and stronger data accuracy without complex exports or additional tools.
What are the Derrick features that beat Apollo?
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Derrick operates as a fully native Google Sheets platform, eliminating the need for CSV exports and complex external configurations that Apollo requires. Unlike Apollo's database-centric approach, Derrick combines 50+ enrichment attributes with integrated AI powered by both Claude and ChatGPT for automated scoring and segmentation. Additionally, Derrick's rollover credits system and no credit card requirement for the free tier offer greater flexibility than Apollo's traditional pricing model, making it ideal for teams prioritizing seamless workflow integration and cost efficiency.
How does TexAu compare with Derrick on automation?
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TexAu and Derrick approach automation from different angles. TexAu excels at automated text processing, data augmentation, and batch workflow tasks with a straightforward, low-friction interface. It shines for scalable writing and content-related automation, but its scope is more narrow and tooling-focused than full-scale prospecting automation. Derrick, by contrast, is a 100% native Google Sheets platform designed to automate B2B enrichment and outreach directly inside Sheets, with 50+ enrichment attributes, real-time email validation, AI scoring and segmentation, and broad integrations via Zapier/Make/n8n. If you need end-to-end prospecting automation and multi-channel workflow in a single environment, Derrick offers deeper automation capabilities and a more integrated data enrichment stack, while TexAu is a strong companion for specialized text augmentation tasks within broader processes. For teams evaluating both, TexAu is best as a writing-automation layer, whereas Derrick provides comprehensive, native automation and enrichment for scalable B2B outreach.
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-oneTexAu vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how TexAu 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
