Apollo.io vs. 6sense: Which should you choose?

About Apollo.io

Apollo.io combines a 200+ million contact database with email sequencing and basic CRM functions — targeting startups and small businesses with transparent pricing starting at $49 per user per month. The platform merges prospecting data with sales engagement tools, but struggles with data accuracy due to its crowd-sourced approach and faces limitations with email deliverability and integrations.

About 6sense

6sense tracks anonymous buying signals and third-party intent data to predict where accounts are in their buying journey — using AI to score account fit and timing for enterprise ABM strategies. The platform integrates deeply with CRMs and marketing tools to orchestrate multi-channel outreach based on predictive insights, though it requires custom enterprise pricing and extensive setup.

What do users say?

Users describe Apollo.io as a powerful lead generation and sales automation tool with an extensive database and advanced search capabilities — making it particularly valuable for B2B sales teams targeting specific industries and demographics. Many praise it as offering the best value for money compared to competitors like ZoomInfo and Seamless.ai, with strong filtering options and multi-channel outreach capabilities. However, users frequently report significant issues: data accuracy problems, emails landing in spam or bouncing, billing difficulties, and limited LinkedIn outreach functionality that can kill campaign effectiveness.

Users express mixed experiences with 6sense — highlighting both significant benefits and notable limitations. Many appreciate 6sense's ability to identify anonymous website visitors and provide intent data that helps prioritize accounts for sales outreach, with several noting it transforms prospecting from "shooting in the dark" to having actionable insights. But here's the catch: users consistently criticize the accuracy and reliability of 6sense's intent data. Many report that prospects often deny having the activity or engagement that 6sense claims to detect — leading some companies to abandon the platform entirely due to unreliable data and poor customer experience.

Comparison

Apollo.io

Apollo.io offers cost-effective prospecting with a large contact database of 200+ million records and all-in-one sales engagement features. The downside? Data accuracy challenges due to its crowd-sourced nature and limited integration options with some CRM systems.

6sense

6sense provides advanced predictive analytics and comprehensive ABM capabilities with strong intent data tracking for enterprise buyers. The trade-off: expensive with complex implementation requirements and lacks comprehensive contact data coverage compared to dedicated databases.

Apollo.io serves startups, SMBs, and cost-conscious teams who need an accessible all-in-one prospecting and engagement platform with transparent pricing and extensive contact data. Its freemium model and user-friendly interface make it ideal for smaller teams that want to quickly build lead lists and execute outbound campaigns without enterprise-level complexity.

6sense targets enterprise and high-growth mid-market companies focused on account-based marketing who can invest in sophisticated predictive analytics and coordinated sales-marketing efforts. While both tools offer contact-based marketing capabilities, Apollo excels at individual contact outreach while 6sense focuses on account-level insights — meaning marketers seeking comprehensive contact-based campaigns may need to supplement either platform with additional contact data sources for optimal coverage.

Do you need account-based marketing, or something else?

Here's what's flipping ABM on its head: your funnel isn't about anonymous accounts. It's about the decision-makers and influencers within those accounts.

That's what makes contact-based marketing (CBM) a game-changer. Instead of focusing on broad account intent signals, contact-based marketing pinpoints the EXACT people engaging with your content in real-time — even when they don't convert.

How does this solve the traditional tension of intent-based marketing? It clears up the ambiguity.

With contact-level data, you can reveal high-priority leads by identifying the individuals behind key touchpoints. Deliver hyper-targeted ads based on specific contact behaviors. Bridge the gap between marketing and sales alignment with actionable, lead-level insights.