The Apollo.io alternative with pay-as-you-go credits and built-in LinkedIn outreach
FUNEL is a B2B sales-intelligence workspace that finds verified contacts, enriches them with AI and sends email and automated LinkedIn outreach. Compared with Apollo, it charges by credit instead of a monthly seat, and it can pull profiles live when your search runs rather than relying only on a stored database.
Who each tool fits
Apollo
Apollo is a strong default for teams that want a very large stored database, a free tier and email sequencing under one monthly subscription.
FUNEL
FUNEL fits teams that want to pay only for what they use, want LinkedIn invites and messages automated in the same tool as email, and want fresh data pulled live.
FUNEL vs Apollo
Reviewed October 5, 2026.
| Feature | FUNEL | Apollo |
|---|---|---|
| Contact and email discovery | Yes | Yes |
| Company discovery | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in email sequences | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in automated LinkedIn invites and messages | Yes | No (manual LinkedIn tasks) |
| Paid usage without a monthly subscription | Yes (pay-as-you-go credits never expire) | No (free tier excluded) |
| Contact data source | Live fresh pulls plus stored pool | Stored B2B database |
This is a desk-research summary of public information, not a live paid benchmark. Features, plans and prices change, and no equal-results claim is made. Verify current details with each vendor. Sources: Apollo pricing · Apollo data overview · Apollo sequences.
Why teams choose FUNEL
Pay for what you use
No seats to buy for people who only run a few searches a month. Credits are spent per action, and pay-as-you-go credits do not expire.
Email and LinkedIn in one sequence
Run email steps and automated LinkedIn invites and messages from the same workspace instead of stitching a second tool onto your database.
Fresher data on demand
Fresh pulls collect profiles when the search runs, and records are re-verified when you export, with a freshness date on every field.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best alternative to Apollo.io?
- It depends on what you need. FUNEL is a good fit if you want credit-based pricing with no monthly seat, live fresh data pulls, and automated LinkedIn outreach alongside email in one workspace. Apollo remains a strong choice for a large stored database and a free tier.
- Does FUNEL include email outreach like Apollo?
- Yes. FUNEL includes built-in email campaigns and multi-step sequences, and it also automates LinkedIn invites and messages, which Apollo handles as manual tasks.
- How does FUNEL pricing work?
- FUNEL is credit-based. You buy credits yearly (about 15% off), monthly (about 11% off) or pay-as-you-go, and pay-as-you-go credits never expire. Pricing starts from about $2.25 per 500 credits, with roughly 1 credit per basic contact and about 8 credits per fully email-verified lead. New accounts get bonus credits with no credit card required.