Head to head
Apollo.io vs Hunter
As a data enrichment API, Apollo.io rates higher on the APIbenchmarks Index, 80.1 to 78.9, a 1.2-point gap. Here is how they compare on each criterion.
Criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Apollo.io | Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Ecosystem & SDKs | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| APIbenchmarks Index | 80.1 | 78.9 |
Specifications
| Apollo.io | Hunter | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Sales engagement plus enrichment | Email finding and verification for outreach |
| Free tier | 10k credits/mo (verified corporate domain) or 100/mo | 50 credits/mo, API included |
| Pricing | Per credit (email 1, phone 8) | Per credit (1 per email found, 0.5 per verification) |
| Official SDKs | 6 languages | 4 languages |
Is Apollo.io better than Hunter?
On the APIbenchmarks Index, Apollo.io rates higher (80.1 vs 78.9). It leads on the four weighted criteria, but price is reported separately, so the best choice still depends on your budget.
Verdict in one line
Apollo.io leads by 1.2 points (80.1 vs 78.9) and wins 2 of 4 criteria; Hunter wins 2.
Winner by criterion
| Criterion | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | 80 | 84 | |
| Reliability | 84 | 80 | |
| Ecosystem & SDKs | 78 | 66 | |
| Accessibility | 78 | 86 |
Choose Apollo.io if… / choose Hunter if…
- →reliability matters most to you (84 vs 80)
- →ecosystem & sdks matters most to you (78 vs 66)
- →you need broad SDK coverage (6 official SDKs vs 4)
- →your use case matches its focus: sales engagement plus enrichment
- →documentation & dx matters most to you (84 vs 80)
- →accessibility matters most to you (86 vs 78)
- →your use case matches its focus: email finding and verification for outreach
Pricing side by side
- Model
- Per credit (email 1, phone 8)
- Free tier
- 10k credits/mo (verified corporate domain) or 100/mo
- Free$0
- Basic$49/user/mo (annual)
- Professional$79/user/mo (annual)
- Organization$119/user/mo (annual)
- Overage credits$0.20 / credit
- Model
- Per credit (1 per email found, 0.5 per verification)
- Free tier
- 50 credits/mo, API included
- Free$0
- StarterEUR 34/mo discounted (EUR 49 regular)
- GrowthEUR 104/mo discounted (EUR 149 regular)
- ScaleEUR 209/mo discounted (EUR 299 regular)
- Data PlatformFrom EUR 6,500
Vendor-published pricing, verified 2026-06-27 (Apollo.io) and 2026-10-07 (Hunter).
SDK and language coverage
Both · 0
None
Only Apollo.io · 6
REST API (HTTPS / JSON)OpenAPI / Swagger specificationApollo MCP serverApollo CLIllms.txt index for AI agentsCommunity-built clients (e.g. Ruby gem EnaiaInc/apollo_io), no official first-party language SDKs
Only Hunter · 4
REST API v2 (query, header or bearer key)OpenAPI JSONMCP serverCommunity libraries only (npm hunterio, Ruby gem)
Strengths and weaknesses
- +Large database (275M+ contacts, 73M+ companies) with strong US coverage (~80–88% match accuracy)
- +Aggressive pricing that undercuts ZoomInfo/Lusha-class incumbents for comparable breadth
- +Bulk enrichment endpoints (up to 10 people or companies per call) reduce call volume
- –Data accuracy drops sharply outside the US (~60–73% in EU/APAC/LATAM); stale titles common
- –Phone numbers cost 8 credits each yet user-reported direct-dial accuracy is only ~50–70%
- –Credits expire every billing cycle with no rollover and no refund on unused balance
- +API access included on the permanent Free plan
- +Published OpenAPI JSON and per-endpoint rate limits
- +Test API key for Domain Search, Email Finder and Email Verifier
- –No official SDKs found, community wrappers only
- –Narrow scope: strongest on work emails, weak on phones and non-public contacts
- –Free tier is only 50 credits/month
Apollo.io vs Hunter: questions
- Which has better documentation, Apollo.io or Hunter?
- Hunter scores higher on documentation and developer experience: 84 vs 80 out of 100.
- Which is more reliable, Apollo.io or Hunter?
- Apollo.io scores higher on reliability: 84 vs 80 out of 100.
- Do Apollo.io and Hunter have a free tier?
- Apollo.io: yes (10k credits/mo (verified corporate domain) or 100/mo). Hunter: yes (50 credits/mo, API included).
- How are Apollo.io and Hunter priced?
- Apollo.io: Per credit (email 1, phone 8). Hunter: Per credit (1 per email found, 0.5 per verification).
- Which has more official SDKs?
- Apollo.io lists 6 official SDKs, Hunter lists 4.