UpLead vs Apollo: credits, seat prices and Apollo.io's free plan

UpLead vs Apollo: plans on the same billing basis

UpLead vs Apollo.io comes down to credits, seats and a free plan. On the same monthly billing, UpLead Essentials is $99 a month for 170 credits and one user, while Apollo.io Basic is $65 per seat a month, and Apollo.io also has a free plan. On annual billing the pair is $74 a month for Essentials and $49 per seat a month for Basic. All prices are as read on October 30, 2026.

Apollo.io bills per seat, while UpLead Essentials and Plus each cover one user.

What one credit buys at UpLead and at Apollo.io

One UpLead credit unlocks one contact, including email and mobile direct dial, a direct phone number rather than a headquarters line.

Apollo.io splits credits into Email, Mobile and Export types, where Export credits cover moving records out of Apollo. It pools them across the team and lets unused credits expire at the end of each billing cycle. Apollo.io lists what each action costs inside the account, not on its pricing page.

On bounces, Apollo.io says it refunds credits in the next billing cycle when you email an Apollo-verified contact within 30 days of requesting it and the email bounces. That covers emails sent within Apollo only, and Apollo.io gives no refund for mobile numbers. UpLead's home page promises refunds for bounces; ask UpLead in writing how a refund is claimed.

Apollo.io's free plan and 14-day trial against UpLead's 7 days

Apollo.io Free gives 75 credits per seat a month on the monthly view. Apollo.io also offers a 14-day trial on Basic and Professional that includes 75 credits and most features of the chosen plan, and after the trial you can move to a free plan with no time limit. UpLead has no free plan: its trial lasts 7 days with 5 credits, and the help center says payment details are entered at activation.

Seats: one user at UpLead, per-seat billing at Apollo.io

UpLead Essentials and Plus are single-user accounts, and Professional is the team account. Apollo.io puts all seats on one plan and prices each seat, and its Organization plan needs at least 3 seats.

Neither vendor refunds unused time on a downgrade. Apollo.io's pricing page says refunds are not issued for unused time, and UpLead's terms say a downgrade starts at the next renewal term with no prorated refund.

Who should pick Apollo.io, and who should pick UpLead

• Apollo.io for per-seat pricing and a free plan.
• UpLead for mobile direct dials in the same credit, and the Valid Only download setting, which charges credits for valid emails only.

UpLead's trial is half as long as Apollo.io's 14 days: 7 days and 5 credits, with payment details at sign-up. Every UpLead plan is listed on UpLead pricing, other options are in Apollo.io alternatives, and ZoomInfo vs Apollo.io covers the quote-based route.