# Apollo Evaluate Apollo prospect search, enrichment credits, exports, data sharing and CRM handoffs. Canonical page: https://quillwell.com/guides/software/apollo/ Updated 2026-11-05 Publisher: Quillwell Guides (https://quillwell.com/guides/about/). Editorial standards: https://quillwell.com/guides/editorial/ ## The short answer - Consider Apollo when prospect discovery and outreach in the same workspace matter; validate the records and permissions for your own market. - [Apollo lists](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/4409728608525-Create-and-Use-a-List) can move from search to enrichment, sequences, CSV or CRM export. Each step has its own settings and costs. - [Apollo’s waterfall](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/34071121664781-Use-Waterfall-Enrichment) checks Apollo first; third-party provider charges can also apply. A listed person is not proof of current employment, deliverability or permission to contact. ## From prospect search to a usable list [Apollo describes](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/4409728608525-Create-and-Use-a-List) filtering people or companies, saving them to lists and using lists for enrichment, sequences or exports. Discovery is the selection step; revealing contact details and executing outreach are separate decisions. Compare this with [FullEnrich](https://quillwell.com/guides/software/fullenrich/) when the starting list already exists, or [Clay](https://quillwell.com/guides/software/clay/) when a configurable workflow is the main requirement. An address in a database is not a substitute for assessing the appropriate basis and preferences for outreach. Separate suppression records and consent or other relevant permissions from the prospect list; a business contact is still personal data. [Apollo Sheets](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/48990429289997-Sheets-Overview) also combines sources, transformations and destinations, but Apollo describes it as a beta available to select users. Confirm access and the required plan before relying on it. [Apollo’s people-search API](https://docs.apollo.io/reference/people-api-search) does not return emails or phone numbers and caps results at 50,000 records; revealing or enriching details is a separate step. ## Read the meter at the point of action [Apollo’s CSV export guide](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/4409237712141-Export-Contacts-to-a-CSV) says exporting saved contacts does not consume credits, while saving a net-new search result with a verified email for export uses one credit. Its [credit usage guide](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/9527776320781-Review-Credit-Usage-in-Apollo) also describes export credits for some plans or legacy configurations. Confirm the actual account configuration and billable event instead of treating either statement as universal. [CSV enrichment](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/4409226361229-Use-CSV-Enrichment) may have a total record limit that does not reset each billing cycle. A record limit and the credit balance are different constraints. Apollo’s [trial guide](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/5288168088205-Access-a-Free-Trial-of-Apollo) differentiates Basic and Professional features and says the trial has limited credits. Request a current quote with seats, billing term, credits, renewal and API or fair-use limits; a reliable public price for the exact configuration was not established here. [Apollo pricing](https://www.apollo.io/pricing) says team credits are pooled for the billing cycle without rollover and recurring add-on credits continue until removed. Confirm the plan, term and current credit package at checkout. ## Set provider order and reconcile spend [Apollo’s waterfall documentation](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/34071121664781-Use-Waterfall-Enrichment) says Apollo is always first, followed by the administrator’s chosen sources. The report covers Apollo credits and natively integrated sources, but not charges by providers connected with their own API keys. Compare the provider invoices and the Apollo usage report for the same run. Start with a small, authorized set of records. Save identifiers and returned statuses, then review uncertain matches and the fields before they enter a CRM. A verification status is a vendor result at a point in time, not a guarantee of future delivery or that the person is still in the same role. ## Review connections before CRM writes [Apollo’s data overview](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/45824429846669-Apollo-Data-Overview) says linking a business mailbox or calendar can allow automated extraction of certain personal information and metadata for its contributor network when multiple separate users and accounts hold the same verified information. Review the current connection permissions, data-sharing options and contract with your organization before connecting a mailbox, calendar or CRM. Do not assume private source records and contributed data have identical treatment. [Apollo’s import guidance](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/4409161532045-Import-a-CSV-of-Contacts) recommends identifiers such as name, company website and profile URL to help matching. Agree on the matching key, duplicate handling, sync direction, field mapping and overwrite rules for the chosen integration. Preserve a before export with record IDs; neither a CSV export nor an integration automatically proves the ability to reverse a bad write. ## Test discovery and exit separately Define a target segment and compare the returned people to a permitted reference set for role, region and freshness. Track selected, revealed, usable and suppressed records separately, alongside credit and staff time. If sequences matter, verify the plan, mailbox connection, sending limits and authentication with both Apollo and the mailbox provider. Export a small saved list and inspect identifiers, fields and statuses. Record what is available after cancellation, unused credit expiry, retention and deletion terms in the contract; the sources checked here do not establish a universal post-cancellation retention period. See [Apollo alternatives](https://quillwell.com/guides/compare/apollo-alternatives/) for ways to replace only the missing layer. ## Alternatives to consider Compare the starting input, the task and the handoff before replacing a product. The options below serve different parts of the workflow. - [Apollo alternatives](https://quillwell.com/guides/compare/apollo-alternatives/) ### Other contact enrichment software we checked **** [ClayClay combines data sources, enrichment, AI and destinations in configurable workflows.](https://quillwell.com/guides/software/clay/) Consider Clay when a team can own a configurable workflow. **** [FullEnrichFullEnrich finds contact details through a waterfall and can push results to HubSpot.](https://quillwell.com/guides/software/fullenrich/) Consider it for waterfall enrichment with field rules. [The contact enrichment software guide](https://quillwell.com/guides/contact-enrichment-software/) ## Common questions ### Does Apollo export use credits? [Apollo](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/4409237712141-Export-Contacts-to-a-CSV) says CSV export of saved contacts does not use credits, but saving a net-new person with a verified email for export uses one. Its [usage guide](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/9527776320781-Review-Credit-Usage-in-Apollo) notes export credits on some plans or legacy configurations; confirm the account rules. ### Does Apollo use other data providers? [Apollo](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/34071121664781-Use-Waterfall-Enrichment) checks its own data first in its waterfall and can then use configured providers. API-connected provider charges are not included in Apollo’s waterfall credit reporting. ### Does a found address authorize outreach? No. Assess the appropriate basis, preferences and applicable rules for the specific use; a vendor record alone does not establish permission. ## Sources and scope We read the linked vendor documentation on November 5, 2026. Vendor statements are not independent measurements of accuracy or coverage. We have not tested these products, connected accounts or changed CRM records. Confirm current plan terms, processing and availability for your account. Inclusion and corrections are free; editorial conclusions are independent of paid placements. Sponsorship never changes this page. [How we research](https://quillwell.com/guides/editorial/). ## Sources 11 vendor pages, checked November 5, 2026 [Apollo: lists](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/4409728608525-Create-and-Use-a-List) Checked 2026-11-05. Search, lists and credit use. [Apollo: CSV export](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/4409237712141-Export-Contacts-to-a-CSV) Checked 2026-11-05. Export and new contact charges. [Apollo: waterfall settings](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/34071121664781-Use-Waterfall-Enrichment) Checked 2026-11-05. Provider order and reporting. [Apollo: CSV enrichment](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/4409226361229-Use-CSV-Enrichment) Checked 2026-11-05. Enrichment record limits. [Apollo: data overview](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/45824429846669-Apollo-Data-Overview) Checked 2026-11-05. Mailbox, calendar and contributor data. [Apollo: credit usage](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/9527776320781-Review-Credit-Usage-in-Apollo) Checked 2026-11-05. Credit categories and configuration. [Apollo: trials](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/5288168088205-Access-a-Free-Trial-of-Apollo) Checked 2026-11-05. Trial features and plan differences. [Apollo: CSV import](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/4409161532045-Import-a-CSV-of-Contacts) Checked 2026-11-05. Matching inputs and import estimates. [Apollo: Sheets overview](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/48990429289997-Sheets-Overview) Checked 2026-11-05. Select-user beta workflow. [Apollo: pricing](https://www.apollo.io/pricing) Checked 2026-11-05. Plans and pooled credits. [Apollo: people search API](https://docs.apollo.io/reference/people-api-search) Checked 2026-11-05. Search API results and limits. ### Images in the header [Waterfall enrichment dashboard showing team activity](https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us/articles/34071121664781-Use-Waterfall-Enrichment) Apollo's own image from knowledge.apollo.io, fetched November 5, 2026. Figures in it are the vendor's examples, not our results. [Suggest a correction or send a vendor fact update](https://quillwell.com/guides/request/?type=correction&page=/software/apollo/)