Comparison
Exa vs Apollo.io
A B2B prospecting database with sequencing and a dialer, compared with an AI CRM for working and closing the leads you already have.
Last reviewed · Sources
The short answer
Apollo.io is built to find and contact new B2B prospects — a large contact and company database with enrichment, multi-step sequences and a parallel dialer. Exa doesn't have a contact database. It's a CRM for working and closing inbound and existing leads across email, SMS, WhatsApp and AI voice calls, with an AI assistant that acts after you confirm. Many outbound teams would use Apollo to source leads and a CRM to close them.
Who it's for
Who each tool is best for
Exa is best for
- Teams whose leads come from inbound forms, calls, ads and referrals
- Businesses that follow up by SMS, WhatsApp and phone as well as email
- Owners who want missed calls answered and booked by an AI receptionist
- Teams that want native iPhone and Android apps
Apollo.io is best for
- SDR and BDR teams doing outbound B2B prospecting
- Founders who need contact data, enrichment and sequences in one tool
- Teams that run high-volume calling with power and parallel dialing
- Companies that keep Salesforce or HubSpot as their CRM and add Apollo for data
Feature by feature
Exa and Apollo.io compared
What each product offers today, based on Apollo.io's public product pages and help docs. Features can depend on plan, edition or add-ons — check with each vendor for your case.
| Feature | Exa | Apollo.io |
|---|---|---|
| B2B contact database & data enrichment | Not offeredNot offered — bring your own leads | Yes240M+ contacts and 30M+ accounts, with waterfall enrichment |
| AI assistant that acts with confirmation | YesAnswers questions with charts and record links; every change waits for your confirmation | YesBuilds lists, sequences and workflows; confirms before spending credits |
| Call recording, transcripts & AI summaries | PartialFor AI calls via Vapi; no recorder for Zoom, Meet or Teams meetings | YesRecordings, transcripts and AI summaries for dialer calls and meetings |
| Built-in calling / dialer for reps | Not offeredNo rep dialer; calls are AI voice calls via Vapi | YesPower and parallel dialing, voicemail drop, local presence |
| Multi-step email & SMS follow-up | PartialAutomations with wait steps and messages; no dedicated sequence builder | YesMulti-step email, call and LinkedIn task sequences |
| Visual Kanban pipeline | YesMultiple pipelines, stage probabilities, rotting alerts | YesDeals board grouped by stage |
| Workflow automations | Yes25 triggers incl. quote and invoice events; actions incl. messages, tasks, waits, webhooks, AI calls | YesWorkflows with branches, AI steps and a send-webhook action |
| Lead capture forms | YesEmbeddable forms with UTM/click-ID attribution and consent fields | YesForm Builder with hosted or embedded forms and routing |
| Built-in messaging compliance (consent, STOP, quiet hours) | YesPer-channel consent, STOP/START/HELP, quiet hours — enforced server-side on every send | YesDo-not-call screening in several countries, call opt-out list, email unsubscribe |
| Native iOS & Android apps | YesNative iPhone and Android apps | Not offeredMobile app retired in August 2026; use the web app in a mobile browser |
| Reporting & forecasting | YesKPI dashboard, monthly revenue forecast, funnel, rep and lead-source reports | YesDashboards, reports, goals and forecasted revenue |
| API & webhooks | YesREST API, scoped API keys, HMAC-signed webhooks with retries | YesAPI on all plans; webhooks through workflow actions; MCP server |
| Multiple workspaces, roles & audit log | YesFive roles, record visibility, audit log with old/new values | Varies by planPermission profiles; custom profiles depend on plan |
| App marketplace | Not offeredFocused native integrations plus API and webhooks | Yes200+ integrations, including Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier |
Pricing: plans and prices change and differ by region, so we don't quote them here. SeeExa pricing andApollo.io's pricing page.
Key differences
How Exa and Apollo.io differ
Finding leads vs. closing them
Apollo.io’s center of gravity is data: a database of hundreds of millions of contacts and tens of millions of companies, with enrichment, list building and an AI assistant that builds lists and sequences. Exa starts later in the funnel. It assumes leads arrive from your website forms, ads, calls, inbound messages, imports and partners, and focuses on responding fast and following up until the deal closes. If you need someone to sell to, that’s Apollo’s job; Exa doesn’t include a prospect database or enrichment.
Channels
Apollo’s sequences are built around email, calls and LinkedIn tasks, with a power and parallel dialer for reps. Exa is built around conversations your leads start or reply to: two-way SMS from your Twilio numbers, WhatsApp through the Business Cloud API, email and AI voice calls in one inbox, threaded per contact. Exa has no dialer for reps — its calls are AI voice calls via Vapi.
AI
Apollo’s AI assistant helps with research, list building, sequences and workflows. Exa’s assistant works on your pipeline: it answers questions with charts and record links, ranks next best actions, summarizes deals and drafts replies, and turns every change into a confirmation card. With Vapi connected, an AI receptionist answers inbound calls, qualifies callers and books appointments.
Compliance
Apollo’s compliance tools are strong for outbound calling, including do-not-call screening in several countries. Exa focuses on messaging compliance: consent tracked per channel with evidence, STOP/START/HELP handled automatically, quiet hours in the recipient’s time zone and WhatsApp’s 24-hour rule — enforced on the server for every send.
Making the call
Which one should you choose?
When to choose Apollo.io
- You need to find new B2B prospects — Exa has no contact database or data enrichment.
- Your motion is outbound email, calls and LinkedIn tasks in multi-step sequences.
- Your reps make high volumes of calls and want power or parallel dialing — Exa has no rep dialer.
- You want national do-not-call registry screening before calls — Exa respects do-not-call flags on records but doesn't screen registries.
- You already use Salesforce or HubSpot as your CRM and want a data and engagement layer on top.
When to choose Exa
- Your leads arrive from your website, ads, calls and referrals, and speed to lead matters more than list building.
- Customers reply by text and WhatsApp, and you want those threads with email and calls in one inbox.
- You want an AI receptionist (via Vapi) to answer inbound calls, qualify callers and book appointments.
- You need consent per channel, STOP/START/HELP keywords and quiet hours enforced on every message.
- You want native iPhone and Android apps for working leads in the field.
Migration
Switching from Apollo.io to Exa
Apollo exports contacts and deals to CSV. Import contacts into Exa as leads or contacts and recreate open deals in your pipeline. If you keep Apollo for prospecting, send new prospects to Exa through the lead API or a CSV import when they're ready to work.
- 1
Export your data from Apollo.io
Export the people and companies you want to keep from Apollo.io to CSV files. Keep the column headers — Exa uses them to suggest a mapping.
- 2
Import with column mapping and duplicate handling
Upload a CSV as leads or contacts, preview the rows and check the suggested mapping (custom fields included — create them first). Choose whether rows that match an existing record are skipped, update it, or are created anyway. Progress, counts and row errors are shown as the import runs.
- 3
Rebuild your pipeline and price book
Create pipelines with your own stages, probabilities and rotting rules, then recreate open deals by hand or through the REST API — CSV import covers leads and contacts, not deals. If you send quotes, add your products, services and tax rates to the price book, and connect QuickBooks Online if you use it.
- 4
Reconnect your lead sources
Embed Exa forms on your website, and send leads from other systems to the server-to-server lead API with a scoped API key — a lead with a matching email or phone is updated instead of duplicated. Signed webhooks push CRM events to your own tools.
- 5
Connect channels and invite your team
Connect Twilio for SMS, the WhatsApp Business Cloud API, Postmark or SMTP for email, Vapi for AI calls, Google Calendar and QuickBooks Online, then invite teammates as owner, admin, manager, rep or viewer. Exa only texts people with SMS consent (or who texted you first), so plan how you will record consent for imported contacts.
Questions about moving over? Our team is happy to help.
Contact us
FAQ
Exa vs Apollo.io: common questions
Quick answers for teams weighing Exa against Apollo.io.
Still have questions?
Start a free trial and see Exa with your own leads and pipeline, or email our team.
Can Exa replace Apollo.io?
Not for prospecting. Apollo's core is its B2B contact database and enrichment, which Exa doesn't have. Exa replaces the CRM side — working, following up and closing leads across email, SMS, WhatsApp and calls.
Can I use Apollo and Exa together?
Yes. Source and sequence prospects in Apollo, then send interested leads into Exa through CSV import or the lead API with a scoped API key. A lead with a matching email or phone is updated rather than duplicated.
Does Exa have a dialer like Apollo?
No. Exa doesn't include a dialer for reps. Its calling is AI voice through Vapi — an AI receptionist for inbound calls and outbound AI calls to people with call consent — with transcripts, recordings and summaries saved to the lead.
Does Apollo have a mobile app?
According to Apollo's help center, its mobile app was retired in August 2026 and users access Apollo from a mobile browser. Exa has native iPhone and Android apps.
Does Exa support SMS and WhatsApp?
Yes. Two-way SMS runs through your Twilio numbers and WhatsApp through the WhatsApp Business Cloud API, both in the unified inbox with consent, opt-outs and quiet hours enforced.
Sources
Apollo.io details were checked against Apollo.io's own website and help documentation. Last reviewed . Spotted something out of date?Let us know and we'll correct it.
- Apollo — Product overview (database, enrichment, integrations)
- Apollo — AI Assistant overview
- Apollo — Dialer
- Apollo — Dialer overview
- Apollo — Conversations overview
- Apollo — Multichannel outreach sequences
- Apollo — Create a workflow
- Apollo — Form Builder
- Apollo — Do Not Call (DNC) phone screening
- Apollo — Access Apollo from a mobile browser
- Apollo — Analytics overview
- Apollo — Use the Apollo API
- Apollo — Permission profiles
- Apollo — Export contacts to CSV
Product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Comparison based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Exa is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apollo.io.
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