Apollo vs Lusha
Apollo vs Lusha: a full outbound platform, or credits to reveal contacts?
Apollo sells a database plus sequencer. Lusha sells published credit plans for contact and company reveals. Embers sells neither. It ranks people who already engaged on LinkedIn so you know who is worth a manual follow-up.
Last reviewed September 5, 2026. Published pricing and product pages are linked in the methodology.
Best-fit decision
Reveal a contact after you know they are worth the credit.
Apollo and Lusha both spend credits to uncover people you have not spoken to. Embers starts from public engagement, so you spend time on people who already showed up, then enrich only the ones who match.
Fast answer
- Choose Apollo when you want contacts and email sequences in one product.
- Choose Lusha when you want a lighter credit plan to reveal phones and emails.
- Choose Embers when the next lead is already in your LinkedIn engagement.
Comparison table
Apollo vs Lusha vs Embers
| Decision point |  Apollo |  Lusha | Embers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best use case | Find contacts, reveal details, and run email sequences in one login. | Reveal emails and phones from a browser extension or credit plan. | Score public LinkedIn engagers against your ICP and draft a manual message. |
| Pricing fit | Basic from $49/user/mo billed annually. Credits cover reveals, enrichment, and dialer minutes. | Starter from $49.90/mo. Pro from $69.90/mo. Credits do not roll on annual plans the same way they do on monthly plans. | $49/mo Solo once your first 2,000 free engagers are used up. Contact details are included when available, without a reveal meter. |
| Sequencing | Native email sequences, A/B tests on higher plans, and a built-in dialer option. | Not a sequencer. You take the reveal into your own outreach tool. | Suggested DM drafts. You send the LinkedIn message yourself. |
| Buying motion | Self-serve seats with a free plan. | Self-serve credit plans; Scale is custom. | Self-serve trial or a free Signal Audit with no card. |
| Signal coverage | Intent topics and in-product engagement. Weak on live LinkedIn comment context. | Intent topics on paid plans. The product is still a reveal tool, not an engagement queue. | Public LinkedIn posts, comments, keywords, and any public profile you watch. |
Compare Apollo with a warmer LinkedIn-first motion.
Embers vs ApolloJob-split: Apollo coverage plus sequencing versus a warm LinkedIn queue. Embers does not replace Apollo.
Apollo vs ZoomInfoCompare Apollo with enterprise sales intelligence.
Clay vs ApolloCompare Apollo with Clay's enrichment workflows.
LinkedIn prospecting toolsCompare LinkedIn search, data, and signal tools.
B2B sales prospecting toolsSee how contact databases sit next to signal workflows.
Methodology and disclosure
We compare the products by documented workflow, account-access model, signal source, and published pricing as of September 5, 2026. Pricing was checked on each vendor page: Apollo pricing and Lusha pricing. Confirm current prices before you buy. Embers is highlighted with colour without changing the table structure.
Embers is the qualification step before an Apollo or Lusha credit is worth spending: rank the LinkedIn engagers first, then reveal only the people you will actually contact.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lusha cheaper than Apollo?
Starter Lusha at $49.90/mo and Apollo Basic at $49/user/mo annually look similar on a one-seat spreadsheet. Apollo includes sequencing. Lusha is a reveal tool. Compare the job, not just the first month.
Can I use Apollo or Lusha with Embers?
Yes. Embers tells you who from public LinkedIn activity is worth a conversation. If you still need a phone or work email that is not already available, a reveal tool can sit downstream of that decision.
Which tool fits a founder who sells on LinkedIn?
If most of your conversations start from posts and comments, start with a qualification workflow. Apollo or Lusha help when you must go find strangers. Embers helps when the strangers already found your content.
Qualify the people who already engaged, then decide if you need more reveals.
A free Signal Audit returns public buyer signals, evidence, and one recommended manual action.