Apollo.io vs Ocean.io
Both are prospecting database tools with different strengths. Here's an honest comparison to help you choose.
Choose Apollo.io if…
- You're building outbound lists from scratch using ICP filters
- You want email sequencing and prospecting in one platform
- You have a limited budget and need the most contacts for the price
Choose Ocean.io if…
- You want to find companies similar to your best existing customers
- You need EU-GDPR-focused company intelligence at mid-market pricing
- AI-powered target account identification is a core workflow need
Apollo.io vs Ocean.io — Feature comparison
| Feature | Apollo.io | Ocean.io |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Prospecting database | Prospecting database |
| Primary use case | Outbound prospecting and email sequences | AI-powered account identification and lookalike targeting |
| Data freshness | Database — periodic refresh | Database — periodic refresh |
| Data depth | High | Medium |
| GDPR compliance | Claimed , US infra | Strong , EU infra |
| Pricing tier | Free tier + from $49/month | $100–$400/month |
| Free plan | Yes — limited | No |
Both are prospecting database tools — but with key differences
Apollo.io is built for outbound prospecting and email sequences. Apollo.io is a B2B sales intelligence platform combining a 275M+ contact database with email sequencing, AI prospecting, and CRM integrations.
Ocean.io serves a similar purpose: ai-powered account identification and lookalike targeting. Ocean.io is a B2B account intelligence platform using AI to identify target companies and lookalike audiences based on your existing customer profiles.
💶 Pricing comparison
Ocean.io ($100–$400/month) is priced lower than Apollo.io at Free tier + from $49/month.
20–30% of B2B contacts change roles every year. Neither Apollo.io nor Ocean.io is designed to continuously monitor your existing CRM for job changes and update records automatically — that's a different tool category.
🇪🇺 GDPR and data compliance
Ocean.io has a stronger GDPR posture — GDPR. Apollo.io claims GDPR compliance but relies on US infrastructure.
For European teams or those with EU customers requiring documented sub-processor chains, the compliance posture of your enrichment vendor matters. Make sure to request a DPA and sub-processor list before committing.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Apollo.io or Ocean.io?
Apollo.io and Ocean.io target different use cases. Apollo.io focuses on outbound prospecting and email sequences, while Ocean.io is built for ai-powered account identification and lookalike targeting. The best choice depends on your team's primary need. For CRM data quality and real-time enrichment, consider Enrich-CRM as a complementary or alternative tool — GDPR-native, from €29/month.
How do Apollo.io and Ocean.io compare on pricing?
Apollo.io is priced at Free tier + from $49/month. Ocean.io is priced at $100–$400/month. Ocean.io is generally more affordable. Enrich-CRM starts at €29/month with a free plan (100 credits/month, no card required).
Do Apollo.io and Ocean.io integrate with HubSpot?
Apollo.io HubSpot integration: basic sync possible. Ocean.io HubSpot integration: no native integration. Enrich-CRM integrates natively with all HubSpot plans, writing enriched data directly to CRM fields.
What is the best alternative to both Apollo.io and Ocean.io?
If your primary goal is maintaining accurate CRM data over time — job changes, current titles, company data — Enrich-CRM is a focused alternative. It uses live lookups (not a database), runs on EU servers (AWS Paris), includes job change monitoring and intent signals, and starts at €29/month with a free tier.
Enrich-CRM — real-time CRM enrichment for your existing contacts
Apollo.io and Ocean.io are both prospecting database tools. Enrich-CRM does something different: it enriches the contacts you already have in your CRM — in real-time, continuously, from the live web. Proprietary LLM on AWS EU Paris (no OpenAI, no Anthropic). 250+ company datapoints, 50+ contact datapoints, continuous job change detection, intent signals. Native HubSpot integration, plus Clay, Salesforce, Zapier, Make, n8n, CSV, and API.
From €29/month, 100 free credits, no annual contract. Full DPA and sub-processor documentation at our Trust Center.