Apollo wins for most B2B prospecting teams in 2026: larger database (270M+ contacts), built-in email sequencing, enrichment API, and a free tier that costs nothing to start. Lusha wins for European GDPR-compliant prospecting and teams that need high mobile phone match rates in specific markets. If you are building an outbound motion from scratch, start with Apollo and add Lusha only if you hit Lusha specific data quality gaps.
How Apollo and Lusha Are Different Products
Apollo and Lusha are both B2B contact data tools, but they serve different primary use cases. Apollo is an all-in-one sales intelligence and engagement platform: it combines a prospecting database with built-in email sequencing, CRM sync, enrichment API, and analytics. Lusha is primarily a contact data provider with a browser extension focus: it gives you direct dials and emails for individual contacts as you browse LinkedIn, without a sequencing layer built in.
The comparison is slightly unfair to Lusha because Apollo is trying to do more — which is why the right question is not "which is better?" but "which is right for my team's specific use case?"
Apollo: What You Get
Database: 270M+ contacts and 70M+ companies with work email, direct dial, and mobile in many cases. Data accuracy varies by industry and geography but is consistently strong for US-based SaaS, tech, and services companies.
Sequencing: Built-in email sequences, LinkedIn tasks, phone call tasks, and multi-step cadences without needing a separate tool like Smartlead or Outreach.
Enrichment: Apollo enrichment API allows you to push Apollo data into CRMs, spreadsheets, or Clay as a data source.
Intent data: Apollo intent signals surface accounts showing buying behavior around specific topics.
Pricing: Free tier (limited credits), Basic at $59/user/month, Professional at $99/user/month, Organization tier custom. Free tier is sufficient to evaluate quality before committing.
Best for: Early-stage SaaS and B2B companies under $5M ARR that want to start outbound without stitching together multiple tools. One login, one bill, one interface for 80% of outbound tasks.
Lusha: What You Get
Database: 100M+ business profiles with a strong emphasis on direct dials and mobile numbers. Lusha particularly strong for European contact data with GDPR compliance documentation.
Browser extension: Lusha primary differentiator is its LinkedIn browser extension that surfaces contact data as you browse profiles. No need to switch tools — data appears inline.
Enrichment API: Lusha enrichment API is available on higher tiers, allowing bulk enrichment of CRM records.
GDPR compliance: Lusha holds GDPR, CCPA, and ISO 27701 certifications — important for teams selling into European markets where contact data compliance is audited.
Pricing: Starts at $36/user/month (2 users minimum). Professional tier at $59/user/month. Scale and Custom tiers for higher volume.
Best for: Teams with significant European outbound, SDRs who do individual research on LinkedIn rather than bulk list building, and sales teams that prioritize direct dial quality over sequence automation.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Database size: Apollo 270M+ contacts vs Lusha 100M+ — Apollo wins.
US data quality: Both strong. Apollo edges Lusha on email accuracy for US tech sector.
European data quality: Lusha wins, particularly for UK, DACH, and Benelux markets where GDPR-compliant data is scarce.
Phone number quality: Lusha has historically led on mobile phone match rates for European contacts. Apollo improved significantly in 2025-2026 but still trails Lusha in European mobile.
Email sequencing: Apollo has built-in sequencing. Lusha does not — you need to push Lusha data to a separate sender like Outreach or Smartlead.
Pricing: Apollo free tier wins for evaluating at zero cost. Both products are similarly priced at the $59/user/month paid tier.
Ease of use: Lusha LinkedIn extension is faster for individual prospect research. Apollo prospecting search is better for bulk list building.
Which Tool to Choose
Choose Apollo if: You are building outbound from scratch, your ICP is primarily US-based, you want sequencing and prospecting in one tool, or you are under $2M ARR and want to minimize tool cost.
Choose Lusha if: Your outbound includes significant UK or European markets, your SDRs do individual LinkedIn research rather than bulk list builds, or GDPR compliance documentation is a procurement requirement.
Use both if: You run a mixed US and European outbound motion, you need Lusha European phone quality for calling campaigns while using Apollo for US email sequences.
The Enrichment Stack Context
Neither Apollo nor Lusha replaces Clay for enrichment orchestration. If your outbound stack includes Clay for waterfall enrichment and AI personalization, both Apollo and Lusha serve as data sources feeding into Clay rather than standalone platforms.