Apollo
Run permissioned outbound sequences from an uploaded list without supplying contact data
A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Apollo, run permissioned outbound sequences from an uploaded list without supplying contact data. The hard boundary is massive proprietary contact database, enrichment, intent data, and deliverability tooling, plus proprietary data, deliverability, and network effects.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- massive proprietary contact database, enrichment, intent data, and deliverability tooling
- proprietary contact database
- inbox warm-up network
- deliverability reputation
- large-scale enrichment and compliance tooling
Why people still pay
People still pay for Apollo because the durable value is accurate contact data and deliverability infrastructure; a sequence editor alone is not the product. The recurring cost buys consent records, suppression lists, DNS, bounces, reputation, abuse complaints, provider limits, and changing email rules, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- legally obtained contact list
- sending-domain authentication
- email provider credentials
- PostgreSQL
- public HTTPS endpoint
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule, data: Model contacts, companies, activities, stages, and follow-up history; store source IDs and timestamps for each.
Project rule, behavior: Show deliverability warnings, daily send totals, and a mandatory preview before activation.
Project rule, recovery: Record delivery failures and retries by message ID; never duplicate a send after restart.
Implementation plan
Phase 1, architecture and data
Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Drizzle ORM, and a user-chosen transactional email provider. Model contacts, companies, activities, stages, and follow-up history; store source IDs and timestamps for each.
Phase 2, implement
Show deliverability warnings, daily send totals, and a mandatory preview before activation.
Phase 3, implement
Import a permissioned lead list, personalize a modest outbound sequence, enforce sending limits, and track replies without supplying proprietary contact data.
Phase 4, review and output
Run permissioned outbound sequences from an uploaded list without supplying contact data.
Phase 5, recovery and acceptance
Record delivery failures and retries by message ID; never duplicate a send after restart. Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: An opt-out suppresses every future step; retrying a timed-out send cannot silently duplicate it. State the practical limit: massive proprietary contact database, enrichment, intent data, and deliverability tooling.
Build me a focused lead discovery and outbound sequences workflow for the personal core of Apollo. Requirements: - Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Drizzle ORM, and a user-chosen transactional email provider. Model contacts, companies, activities, stages, and follow-up history; store source IDs and timestamps for each. - Paid product context: Run permissioned outbound sequences from an uploaded list without supplying contact data. Build only this DIY scope: Import a permissioned lead list, personalize a modest outbound sequence, enforce sending limits, and track replies without supplying proprietary contact data. - Show deliverability warnings, daily send totals, and a mandatory preview before activation. - Import a permissioned lead list, personalize a modest outbound sequence, enforce sending limits, and track replies without supplying proprietary contact data. - Run permissioned outbound sequences from an uploaded list without supplying contact data. - Use a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views. Required input or access: legally obtained contact list; sending-domain authentication. - Recovery: Record delivery failures and retries by message ID; never duplicate a send after restart. - Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: An opt-out suppresses every future step; retrying a timed-out send cannot silently duplicate it. - Out of scope: massive proprietary contact database, enrichment, intent data, and deliverability tooling; proprietary contact database. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow. - Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
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Apollo pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/user | $0/user | 900 credits per seat per year granted monthly; trial plans include 50 credits and 5 mobile credits.Free plan is also called Starter in FAQ after a trial ends. |
| basic | $59/user | $49/user | 30,000 credits per seat per year granted upfront; paid email-provider connections unlocked.Official search result exposed $49 billed annually; monthly value from current public pricing. |
| professional | $99/user | $79/user | Paid sales-engagement tier; includes broader automation/dialer features, with credit usage governed by Apollo fair-use rules.Official crawled page did not expose the full card table; kept public tier price but limited numeric feature claims. |
| organization | $149/user | $119/user | Organization tier; minimum 3 users, advanced controls/security/reporting; credit usage governed by Apollo fair-use rules.Official crawled page did not expose the full card table; kept public tier price but limited numeric feature claims. |
| custom | — | — | Custom enterprise or external-product/data-resale use cases.Contact sales. |
free tier$0; 900 credits per seat per year granted monthly; non-paying trial plans include 50 credits and 5 mobile credits.
billingmonthly + annual; cancellations take effect at end of current term; add-on downgrades at end of billing cycle
hidden costsAdd-on credits are recurring, charged immediately without proration, and unused credits expire at end of billing cycle; Unlimited plans have fair-use caps; custom terms required for data resale/external-product use.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-10 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Apollo
Can you build your own Apollo with AI?
A full replacement is not the recommended project. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Apollo, run permissioned outbound sequences from an uploaded list without supplying contact data. The hard boundary is massive proprietary contact database, enrichment, intent data, and deliverability tooling, plus proprietary data, deliverability, and network effects.
What does the Apollo build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Import a permissioned lead list, personalize a modest outbound sequence, enforce sending limits, and track replies without supplying proprietary contact data. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: massive proprietary contact database, enrichment, intent data, and deliverability tooling; proprietary contact database; inbox warm-up network. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Apollo prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Apollo project take?
The catalogue estimate is closest consolation build: one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Apollo?
massive proprietary contact database, enrichment, intent data, and deliverability tooling; proprietary contact database; inbox warm-up network; deliverability reputation; large-scale enrichment and compliance tooling. People still pay for Apollo because the durable value is accurate contact data and deliverability infrastructure; a sequence editor alone is not the product. The recurring cost buys consent records, suppression lists, DNS, bounces, reputation, abuse complaints, provider limits, and changing email rules, not just the visible interface.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Basic plan is $59/mo per seat (monthly per user), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Apollo?
Mautic: Import your own list, send a timed SMTP campaign, branch on replies and suppress bounces; enormous machinery for a small sequence. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.