Migration Guide

Switch from Apollo to Cleanlist

Stop paying per seat for 73% accuracy. Get 98% verified data from 15+ sources.

TL;DR

Apollo's single database delivers roughly 73% email accuracy — meaning more than 1 in 4 emails bounce. Cleanlist's waterfall enrichment queries 15+ sources for 98% verified accuracy. No per-user pricing means your 5-person team costs $99/month total instead of Apollo's $295/month (5 seats at $59/each). Migration is simple: export Apollo contacts, re-enrich through Cleanlist, import to your CRM.

Why Teams Leave Apollo

The frustrations that drive the switch.

01

73% Email Accuracy Hurts Deliverability

Independent tests show Apollo's email accuracy around 73%. That means more than 1 in 4 emails bounce. At scale, this damages your domain reputation and triggers spam filters across your entire outbound operation.

02

Per-User Pricing Punishes Growth

Apollo charges $49-119 per user per month. A 5-person team on the Professional plan pays $295/month. Hire 3 more reps and your data bill jumps to $472/month — before you send a single email.

03

Single Database Limitations

Apollo relies on one proprietary database supplemented by user-contributed data. Coverage gaps are inherent in any single source — especially for SMBs, non-tech industries, and international markets.

04

Platform Complexity for Simple Needs

Apollo bundles prospecting, email sequences, call dialing, and analytics into one platform. If you just need clean, accurate data for your existing outbound tools, you are paying for features that add complexity without value.

How to Switch

Step-by-step migration from Apollo to Cleanlist.

1

Export Your Apollo Data

20 minutes

Download saved lists and enriched contacts from Apollo's People and Company tabs. Export as CSV for re-enrichment.

2

Sign Up for Cleanlist

5 minutes

Create your account at app.cleanlist.ai. Free tier includes 100 credits — test on a sample of your Apollo contacts to compare accuracy before committing.

3

Re-Enrich Your Contacts

1-3 hours

Upload your Apollo export to Cleanlist. Waterfall enrichment will re-verify emails, find phone numbers Apollo missed, and fill firmographic gaps from 15+ sources.

4

Import to Your CRM or Outbound Tool

15 minutes

Push enriched data to Salesforce, HubSpot, or export CSV to your email sequencer. Cleanlist-verified data works with any outreach tool.

What You Gain

MetricApolloCleanlist
Email Accuracy~73%98%
Data Sources1 database15+ providers
Monthly Cost (5 users)$295/mo ($59/user)$99/mo (unlimited users)
Bounce Rate15-27%<2%

Pricing Comparison

Real cost scenarios based on typical team sizes and volumes.

3-person team, basic enrichment

Apollo$177/mo ($59/user x 3)
Cleanlist$29/mo (unlimited users)
Savings$1,776/year

5-person team, professional tier

Apollo$295/mo ($59/user x 5)
Cleanlist$99/mo (unlimited users)
Savings$2,352/year

10-person team, professional tier

Apollo$590/mo ($59/user x 10)
Cleanlist$99/mo (unlimited users)
Savings$5,892/year

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Cleanlist's accuracy higher than Apollo's?

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Apollo uses a single proprietary database. Cleanlist uses waterfall enrichment — querying 15+ data providers in sequence and verifying every email in real-time before returning results. No single source is perfect, but multiple sources covering each other's gaps consistently deliver higher accuracy. The architectural difference is why Cleanlist achieves 98% vs Apollo's ~73%.

Does Cleanlist have email sequencing like Apollo?

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No. Cleanlist focuses on data enrichment and verification. If you use Apollo's email sequencing, you will need a separate outreach tool like Instantly, Smartlead, or Lemlist. Many teams prefer this separation because it lets them use best-in-class tools for each function rather than a bundled platform that compromises on each.

Can I test Cleanlist before canceling Apollo?

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Yes. Sign up for Cleanlist's free tier (100 credits, no credit card required). Export a sample of your Apollo contacts and run them through Cleanlist. Compare email deliverability, phone number coverage, and firmographic completeness side by side. Most teams see the accuracy difference within their first test batch.

How does per-user pricing compare?

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Apollo charges $49-119 per user per month depending on your plan. Cleanlist charges per credit used with unlimited team members. A 5-person team on Apollo Professional costs $295/month. The same team on Cleanlist costs $99/month for 2,000 credits — and adding 5 more reps costs $0 extra.

Ready to make the switch?

Try Cleanlist free and compare the results on your own data. No credit card required.

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GTM strategy?

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