Introduction: Why People Are Looking for an Alternative to Apollo
Apollo.io is one of the most widely used B2B tools in the world. With over 230 million contacts, built-in email sequences, a dialer, and a freemium model that allows you to start without investment.
Despite this, "Apollo alternative" is among the most searched terms in this category. The reasons are usually threefold: inaccurate data outside the USA, a credit system that runs out quickly, and per-seat pricing that dramatically increases costs for teams.
This article explores seven alternatives with a focus on the European market — what each does well, where it falls short, and for whom it is suitable.
1. DataSend.ai — for the Central European Market
DataSend.ai is a platform specifically built for Central Europe.
What it offers: 12.5 million companies in 7 countries — Germany 5.92 million, Poland 2.58 million, Austria 1.28 million, Switzerland 1.03 million, Czech Republic 725 thousand, Slovakia 647 thousand, Hungary 287 thousand. Additionally, 8 million verified contacts with a bounce rate below 5 percent. Email campaigns, automated follow-ups, warmup, Unibox with AI classification of responses, and built-in Pipeline.
Main advantage over Apollo: Data comes from the business registers of individual countries, not from global aggregation. And AI Grammar Variables generate grammatically correct forms in six languages — "in Bratislava", "im Bauwesen", "w Warszawie" — which Apollo does not address at all.
Pricing: Free for $0, Freelancer for $89 per month, Founder for $199 per month. Flat rate, no per-seat fees, and no credits.
For whom: Freelancers, agencies, and teams targeting companies in Central Europe.
2. Cognism — for Western Europe and Cold Calling
What it offers: Phone-verified mobile numbers (Diamond Data), strong coverage of the UK, DACH region, France, and Benelux, Bombora intent data, GDPR-first approach.
Where it is better than Apollo: Accuracy of phone contacts in Western Europe and compliance framework.
Where it falls short: Pricing starting from €15,000 per year, exclusively annual contracts, shallow coverage of V4 countries, no built-in email campaigns.
For whom: Enterprise teams doing cold calling in Western Europe.
3. Lusha — Simple Replacement for Smaller Teams
What it offers: Over 100 million contacts, Chrome extension, direct phone lines, freemium model, real-time CRM enrichment.
Where it is better than Apollo: Ease of use and speed when working with individual profiles.
Where it falls short: Same issue as Apollo — stronger in North America than in Europe, Central Europe is marginal. Per-seat pricing and credit system. No email campaigns or CRM.
For whom: Smaller teams that need quick contact and have their own email tool.
4. Dealfront — for DACH and Visitor Identification
What it offers: A European platform created by merging the German Echobot and Finnish Leadfeeder. Identification of companies that visited your website, in-depth company data for DACH, business signals, and triggers.
Where it is better than Apollo: Data for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a unique feature for identifying website visitors.
Where it falls short: No built-in email campaigns. Modular pricing where costs increase with added features. Shallower data for V4 countries.
For whom: Companies with existing web traffic that want to know who is visiting them.
5. Kaspr — for LinkedIn Workflow in Europe
What it offers: Chrome extension for extracting contacts from LinkedIn and Sales Navigator, European phone numbers through Cognism's infrastructure, bulk processing of saved lists.
Where it is better than Apollo: Accuracy of European emails and phones in a LinkedIn-centric workflow.
Where it falls short: It is not a database — it won't tell you whom to target. No campaigns or CRM. Credit system. Works only with people who are actually on LinkedIn.
For whom: Teams that primarily prospect through LinkedIn in Western Europe.
6. BizMachine — for Business Signals in CEE
What it offers: 11.7 million companies in five countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Germany), over 55 types of real-time business signals, ICP scoring, visitor identification.
Where it is better than Apollo: Depth of data for Central European markets and signals indicating when is the right moment to reach out.
Where it falls short: No built-in outreach sequences. Custom pricing with a higher entry level. Does not cover Austria or Switzerland. Focus on larger teams.
For whom: Sales teams of four or more people who can work with signals.
7. Instantly — if You Primarily Need Sending
What it offers: Unlimited email accounts, built-in warmup, sequences, Unibox, and a custom Lead Finder as a standalone module.
Where it is better than Apollo: Unlimited sending accounts and a simpler interface for clean cold emailing.
Where it falls short: Database and CRM are separate modules for an additional fee — a complete stack costs between $131 and $220 per month. Lead Finder is not focused on European registers.
For whom: Teams that have their own source of contacts and primarily need sending infrastructure.
How to Choose: Quick Guide
If you are targeting companies in Central Europe — DataSend.ai. The deepest coverage of the region plus the entire outreach process in one.
If you are doing cold calling in Western Europe — Cognism, if you have an enterprise budget.
If you need quick contact from a LinkedIn profile — Kaspr for Europe, Lusha for a broader reach.
If you have web traffic and want to know who is visiting you — Dealfront.
If you need business signals and have a larger team — BizMachine.
If you have your own data and only need to send — Instantly or Smartlead.
What to Check When Choosing
Coverage of your specific market. The total number of contacts is a marketing number. What matters is how many there are in the country and industry where you sell. During the trial version, filter your exact target group and compare the result with how many such companies actually exist in the registry.
Bounce rate. Independent reviews indicate a bounce rate of 15 to 25 percent for Apollo in Europe. This means that out of a thousand emails, 150 to 250 will not be delivered — and your domain will pay for it with a worsened reputation.
The real price, not the advertised one. Per-seat models and credit systems mean that actual costs are often significantly higher than the base price. Calculate the cost for your team and your monthly volume.
Whether the tool covers the entire process. The database is the first step out of five. If you need an email tool, warmup, and CRM, expect three subscriptions and data transfer between them.
Language personalization. If you are targeting markets where declension is used, check how the tool inserts variables. An email with an incorrect form will immediately reveal a mass campaign.
Conclusion: Apollo Is Not Bad, It Just Isn't European
Apollo is a quality tool that works excellently in the American market. The problem arises when you use it in a market for which it was not built.
If you are targeting companies in Central Europe, you need data from local registries, a low bounce rate, and personalization that handles the grammar of your language. None of this will be provided by a global database built for North America.
Looking for an alternative for the European market? DataSend.ai — 12.5 million companies in 7 countries, bounce rate below 5%, AI personalization in 6 languages, campaigns and CRM in one.
