Updated

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

Short answer
Apollo vs Zoominfo vs Derrick: Apollo is a b2b sales intelligence and outreach, Zoominfo is a enterprise b2b contact and company data. 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 Zoominfo) 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 Zoominfo 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 Zoominfo 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

Zoominfo

  • Starting price: ~$15K/yr (3 seats min)
  • Free plan: No (community edition limited)
  • Founded: 2007
  • HQ: Vancouver, WA
4.5/5 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 Zoominfo

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

01

Save time with real-time validation over outdated data gaps

Derrick addresses the real-time validation gap that Apollo and ZoomInfo struggle with, where outdated data can derail outreach timing. Unlike Apollo’s or ZoomInfo’s broader data scopes, Derrick delivers live validation directly within Google Sheets, reducing stale records before you reach out. This translates to measurable time savings and higher deliverability, with users commonly reclaiming 5-10 hours per month in manual verification efforts. A practical use case is instant email validation during list enrichment, ensuring campaigns launch only with current, actionable contacts.

02

Flexible integrations beyond core tools for diverse workflows

Derrick addresses the limitation of Apollo and ZoomInfo, which excel at data but struggle with truly flexible, cross-tool workflows and automation. Unlike these platforms, Derrick operates 100% natively inside Google Sheets, enabling diverse workflows without exporting or complex integrations. Teams gain practical value through rapid, adjustable enrichment across 50+ attributes, real-time email validation, and up to 3,000+ integration pathways via Zapier/Make/n8n, shaving hours per month. This translates to faster prospecting cycles and more adaptable outreach processes, directly aligned with flexible integrations beyond core tools.

03

Real-time, AI-driven Lead Scoring for Niche Segments

Apollo and ZoomInfo struggle with niche segments due to broad data coverage and limited real-time scoring specificity. Derrick delivers real-time, AI-driven lead scoring tailored to granular niches, using integrated AI (Claude and ChatGPT) to auto-segment and summarize profiles inside 100% native Google Sheets. This yields faster qualification and higher deliverability, with measurable improvements in match quality and prioritization-often reducing manual triage by 20-40%. A practical use case: automatically score and route niche prospects for targeted outreach within Derrick, without leaving Sheets.

Honest Comparison

What each tool does better

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

What Zoominfo does better

  • Largest US contact database (100M+ verified)
  • #1 in 142 G2 Spring 2026 reports
  • Strong CRM + outreach integrations
Read full Zoominfo 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 Zoominfo Derrick
Starting price (monthly) Free / $49 annual or $59 monthly /seat (post-2026 price increase) ~$15K/yr (3 seats min) €0 (free) · €9/mo paid
Annual cost (base) ~€588/yr ~€180/yr €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid
Free plan? Yes (Free forever) No (community edition limited) ✓ 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 Zoominfo vs Derrick: full feature comparison

apollo Derrick App zoominfo
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 15000$/an
Permanent free plan
Rollover credits to next month
Simple and transparent credit system
Simple setup & onboarding
Complete documentation
Pricing in a nutshell

Apollo vs Zoominfo 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 a free tier and paid plans starting at a base monthly rate; for exact tiers and credits, see the full pricing breakdown on the dedicated pricing page. View complete pricing details to explore plan options and any usage-based variations.

Sales Intelligence (Enterprise)

Zoominfo

~$15K/yr (3 seats min)

Best for: Enterprise US sales orgs

ZoomInfo offers scalable B2B data access with plans starting at entry-level tiers and paid options scaling for larger teams; comprehensive pricing details are available on the full pricing page-see pricing breakdown for exact plan names, credits, and limits. View complete pricing 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
Read full Apollo review →

Pick Zoominfo if…

  • You specifically need enterprise us sales orgs
  • Largest US contact database (100M+ verified)
  • #1 in 142 G2 Spring 2026 reports
  • You're already invested in the Zoominfo ecosystem
Read full Zoominfo 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 Zoominfo

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 in features and pricing?

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Derrick operates as a native Google Sheets enrichment platform, eliminating the need for CSV exports or external tools, while Apollo and ZoomInfo function as standalone databases requiring manual integration. Apollo excels at contact verification and outreach automation with 250 million profiles, while ZoomInfo focuses on intent signals and technographic data. Derrick differentiates through built-in AI scoring with Claude and ChatGPT, rollover credits, and significantly lower pricing starting at nine dollars monthly. For teams already working in Google Sheets, Derrick eliminates switching costs and reduces manual data workflow friction that Apollo and ZoomInfo typically require.

Is Derrick a better alternative to Apollo for outreach?

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Whether Derrick is a better alternative to Apollo depends on your specific needs. Apollo excels at large-scale contact databases with 250+ million verified profiles and strong CRM integration, making it ideal for high-volume prospecting. Derrick, however, operates natively within Google Sheets without requiring CSV exports or external platforms, saving teams five to ten hours monthly. Derrick also integrates AI capabilities like Claude and ChatGPT for automated scoring and segmentation, offers rollover credits monthly, and requires no credit card for the free tier. If your team prioritizes simplicity, cost efficiency, and direct spreadsheet workflows, Derrick provides a more lightweight alternative. If you need massive contact scale and established CRM ecosystems, Apollo remains stronger. For many teams, combining both tools-using Apollo for database access and Derrick for enrichment and automation within Google Sheets-delivers optimal results.

Derrick vs Apollo vs ZoomInfo: which is the best comparison?

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Choosing between Derrick, Apollo, and ZoomInfo depends on your workflow priorities. Apollo excels at contact database scale with 250 million profiles and strong email verification, ideal for high-volume prospecting. ZoomInfo provides comprehensive B2B intelligence with intent signals and technographic data for enterprise teams. However, Derrick stands out for teams already using Google Sheets, offering native integration without CSV exports, AI-powered enrichment with Claude and ChatGPT, real-time email validation, rollover credits, and no credit card required for the free tier. If you prioritize workflow efficiency and cost-effectiveness within your existing stack, Derrick delivers faster implementation and lower overhead than both competitors.

Which is cheaper: Apollo vs ZoomInfo for mid-market teams?

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For mid-market teams, pricing varies by needs, but Apollo and ZoomInfo generally cost more upfront for comparable data and outreach capabilities. Apollo emphasizes a broad contact database with strong outreach tools, while ZoomInfo leans heavily on data breadth and enrichment, often at enterprise-level price points. Derrick, by contrast, offers 100% native Google Sheets enrichment with a lightweight pricing model (free tier plus affordable credits) and no credit card required for the free plan. If you value cost predictability and ease of use for Google Sheets-based workflows, Derrick can be cheaper while still delivering robust enrichment, email validation, and AI-powered scoring. For strict data depth and scale, Apollo or ZoomInfo may be the default, but Derrick provides a cost-effective alternative that integrates directly into your existing sheets and workflows.

Does ZoomInfo replace Derrick for data enrichment alone?

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ZoomInfo is primarily a data lookup and enrichment platform, so it can partially replace Derrick for basic contact and company enrichment. However, ZoomInfo lacks the integrated AI capabilities, real-time email validation, and Google Sheets native functionality that Derrick provides. ZoomInfo excels at scale and breadth but requires manual verification workflows and external tools for outreach automation. Derrick's advantage lies in its seamless Google Sheets integration, AI-powered scoring and segmentation with Claude and ChatGPT, and rollover credits, making it more efficient for teams seeking end-to-end prospecting workflows rather than standalone data enrichment alone.

What do reviews say about Derrick compared to Apollo and ZoomInfo?

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What reviews say about Derrick compared to Apollo and ZoomInfo is that Derrick stands out for its native Google Sheets workflow, eliminating CSV exports and complex config that Apollo and ZoomInfo often require. Reviewers note Apollo excels in breadth and speed of data but sometimes struggles with deep enrichment and real-time accuracy, while ZoomInfo shines on comprehensive data and enterprise-scale insights but at a higher price and steeper learning curve. Derrick is often described as highly actionable for outreach automation and prospect research, with advantages like real-time email validation, extensive enrichment across 50+ attributes, AI scoring and segmentation, and a generous, roll-over credits model that reduces friction for ongoing prospecting. Reviews suggest using Derrick to complement Apollo or ZoomInfo when you need efficient enrichment, seamless Google Sheets connectivity, and flexible, usage-based credits without heavy onboarding.
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