After testing Apollo, lemlist, and SalesRobot extensively - running outreach campaigns and analyzing their impact on deliverability and engagement - the differences became clear:
Apollo.io stands out as a comprehensive all-in-one sales platform with an impressive database of over 275 million contacts.
While its vast lead generation capabilities make it popular among enterprise sales teams, its lack of built-in email warm-up features can affect deliverability rates.
The extensive feature set provides value but comes with a steeper learning curve and requires careful management to maintain email reputation.
lemlist excels in personalized cold email outreach with impressive customization options including dynamic images and videos.
Its Lemwarm feature provides solid email deliverability protection, making it an excellent choice for marketing teams focused primarily on email campaigns.
However, its limited LinkedIn automation capabilities and smaller contact database make it less suitable for sales teams requiring multi-channel outreach at scale.
Neither platform fully addresses the critical need for safe and reliable LinkedIn automation, which is why I've included SalesRobot in this comparison.
Founded in 2020 specifically to solve LinkedIn account suspension issues plaguing other automation tools, SalesRobot uses dedicated residential IP addresses and LinkedIn's mobile APIs to keep accounts secure.
With smart daily throttling that automatically adjusts activity when LinkedIn shows warning signs, it's become the go-to solution for B2B founders, sales professionals, and lead generation agencies who prioritize account safety while automating LinkedIn outreach.
In this article, I compare Apollo vs lemlist vs SalesRobot in four key areas:
- LinkedIn Automation Capabilities
- Email Outreach Features
- Database and Lead Generation
- Ease of Use & Integration
I'll also cover pricing models and integration options to give you the full picture and help you choose the right tool for your specific needs.
Apollo vs lemlist vs SalesRobot: Summary Comparison
What is Apollo.io?
"Your one-stop B2B sales intelligence platform" 🔍💼
Founded in 2015 by Tim Zheng, Roy Chung, and Ray Li, Apollo.io emerged from the founders' frustration with existing lead generation tools that were either too limited in data or prohibitively expensive.
They set out to democratize access to high-quality B2B data and sales intelligence. Today, Apollo has evolved into a comprehensive sales platform that combines an extensive database of over 275 million contacts with sophisticated outreach capabilities.
Its sleek dashboard lets you search for prospects using detailed filters like industry, company size, technology stack, and dozens of other criteria - all designed to help sales teams identify the perfect prospects for their outreach campaigns.
Apollo's strength lies in its ability to consolidate multiple sales tools into one platform: lead generation, email sequencing, phone dialing, and analytics.
However, Apollo's focus on breadth of features means it doesn't specialize in any single outreach channel, which can affect capabilities like LinkedIn automation safety and email deliverability.
What is lemlist?
"Personalization that drives meaningful conversations" 💌🎯
lemlist was founded in 2018 by Guillaume Moubeche, Vianney Lecroart, and François Lecroart, who were struggling with cold outreach at their previous startups.
Frustrated by the impersonal nature of existing email tools, they created lemlist to put personalization at the center of outreach.
The platform stands out with its visual email customization features that let you include dynamic images, videos, and personalized text in each message.
Its clean, user-friendly interface allows marketers to create sophisticated email sequences without requiring technical expertise.
lemlist's email warm-up feature, lemwarm, systematically builds email sender reputation by exchanging messages with other accounts in their network - gradually increasing sending volume to improve deliverability.
This focus on overcoming inbox placement challenges makes it particularly valuable for marketing teams who rely heavily on email campaigns.
While it has expanded to include LinkedIn outreach capabilities, its primary strength remains in email personalization and deliverability.
What is SalesRobot?
"LinkedIn automation that protects your digital reputation" 🛡️🔄
Founded in May 2020 by a team of sales automation experts, SalesRobot was created to address a critical problem in the market: LinkedIn accounts being suspended due to unsafe automation practices.
The founder recognized that existing tools were putting users' professional digital identities at risk and set out to build a safer alternative.
SalesRobot's distinctive approach uses dedicated residential IP addresses and LinkedIn's mobile APIs on the backend to keep automation activities undetectable.
The platform's smart throttling system automatically adjusts activity levels when LinkedIn starts showing warning signals - a feature that has helped it grow to over 3,700 users in just four years.
With a clean interface designed specifically for LinkedIn outreach, SalesRobot displays key safety metrics prominently so users can monitor their account health at a glance.
This focus on account protection has made it the tool of choice for B2B founders, sales professionals, and LinkedIn lead generation agencies who can't afford to have their primary networking platform compromised.
Apollo vs lemlist vs SalesRobot: LinkedIn Automation
SalesRobot excels with dedicated safety features, Apollo offers basic functionality, while lemlist provides limited LinkedIn capabilities
LinkedIn automation allows you to scale your outreach efforts on the platform by automatically sending connection requests, messages, and engaging with prospects.
When implemented correctly, it can dramatically increase your network and lead generation while protecting your account from restrictions.
Connection Request Functionality
SalesRobot:
- Offers highly customized connection notes with dynamic variables (industry, job title, mutual connections)
- Provides multiple template options for A/B testing acceptance rates
- Features natural pacing that mimics human behavior
- Allows for detailed targeting parameters
Apollo:
- Includes basic connection request templates
- Supports some AI personalization through custom fields
- Treats connection requests as one step in broader sequences
- Works directly with Sales Navigator search results
lemlist:
- Has the most basic connection request capabilities
- Offers good personalization options
- Doesn't adapt as effectively to LinkedIn's changing environment
- Focuses more on email integration than native LinkedIn features
Message Sequencing
SalesRobot:
- Purpose-built for LinkedIn conversation flows
- Creates conditional branches based on prospect actions (profile views, connection acceptance)
- Sets natural delays between messages that mimic human behavior
- Offers LinkedIn-specific message templates optimized for response rates
Apollo:
- Provides comprehensive multi-channel sequencing that includes LinkedIn
- Lacks LinkedIn-specific optimizations for natural platform engagement
- Allows LinkedIn messages to be included in broader outreach sequences
- Offers solid integration between LinkedIn and email follow-ups
lemlist:
- Features basic follow-up sequences after connection requests
- Has limited conditional logic compared to competitors
- Focuses more on email-to-LinkedIn integration than pure LinkedIn sequences
- Provides adequate but not specialized LinkedIn messaging capabilities
Safety Features
SalesRobot:
- Assigns dedicated residential IP addresses to each account
- Implements smart daily throttling that adjusts to LinkedIn signals
- Uses LinkedIn's mobile APIs instead of detectable browser automation
- Distributes activity throughout working hours with natural variations
- Provides real-time safety monitoring dashboard
Apollo:
- Offers basic daily activity limits for connections and messages
- Lacks dedicated IP protection or advanced safety mechanisms
- Doesn't adapt automatically to LinkedIn's changing algorithms
- Provides standard compliance with LinkedIn's published limits
lemlist:
- Features simple daily limits similar to Apollo
- Has been mentioned in user reviews as potentially risking account restrictions
- Doesn't specialize in LinkedIn safety protocols
- Offers limited protection against LinkedIn's detection systems
Profile Engagement Options
SalesRobot:
- Automates multiple engagement types:
- Profile views with customizable timing
- Post engagement (likes and comments)
- Skill endorsements
- Company and profile following
- Creates natural relationship-building sequences
Apollo:
- Offers automated profile views
- Has limited options for other engagement types
- Focuses more on direct outreach than relationship building
lemlist:
- Provides basic profile view automation
- Has the most limited engagement options of the three tools
- Lacks advanced interaction capabilities beyond messaging
Apollo vs lemlist vs SalesRobot: Email Outreach
lemlist excels at personalization and deliverability, Apollo offers comprehensive multi-channel sequences, while SalesRobot provides complementary email capabilities
Email outreach remains one of the most effective channels for B2B prospecting, allowing you to reach decision-makers directly with personalized messages.
Effective email outreach balances personalization, deliverability, and scalability to generate responses without damaging your sender reputation.
Personalization Options
lemlist:
- Offers advanced visual personalization
- Dynamic images with prospect's name and company logo
- Custom screenshots of prospect's website integrated into emails
- Personalized videos with custom thumbnails
- Customized landing pages that continue the personalized experience
- Features an intuitive visual editor for creating personalized elements
- Requires no design skills to implement advanced personalization
Apollo:
- Provides solid text-based personalization with many variable options
- Supports conditional content blocks based on prospect attributes
- Offers AI assistance for generating personalized opening lines
- Lacks visual personalization tools but excels at text customization
SalesRobot:
- Includes text variables, images, and GIFs for LinkedIn personalization
- Focuses on simple, effective templates
- Designed to complement LinkedIn outreach rather than replace email tools
- Offers limited customization for email compared to dedicated email platforms
Email Deliverability Features
lemlist:
- Features built-in Lemwarm email warm-up system
- Provides domain health monitoring with DKIM, SPF, and DMARC guidance
- Offers sending schedule optimization to avoid spam triggers
- Includes automatic bounce detection and invalid email removal
- Implements engagement-based sending priorities
Apollo:
- Lacks built-in email warm-up capabilities
- Includes basic deliverability features like bounce handling
- Requires integration with external warm-up tools
- Needs additional verification services for optimal deliverability
SalesRobot:
- Doesn't offer native warm-up or advanced deliverability features
- Focuses on LinkedIn rather than email as primary channel
- Provides basic deliverability compliance
Sequence Capabilities
Apollo:
- Offers powerful multi-channel sequencing combining email, LinkedIn, calls
- Provides branching logic based on prospect actions
- Includes time-based rules and intelligent delays
- Features automatic sequence enrollment based on CRM triggers
- Creates tasks for sales team follow-up
lemlist:
- Provides robust email-focused sequences
- Conditional sending based on engagement
- A/B testing of email variations
- Easy sequence cloning and modification
- LinkedIn touchpoints integrated alongside emails
- Features a user-friendly visual sequence builder
SalesRobot:
- Offers basic email sequencing
- Focuses primarily on following up LinkedIn interactions
- Lacks advanced conditional logic or branching
- Designed for simple follow-up sequences rather than complex campaigns
Templates and Design
lemlist:
- Provides extensive template library specifically for cold outreach
- Features professional designs optimized for engagement
- Balances simplicity and flexibility in the email editor
- Allows creation of professional emails without HTML knowledge
- Supports dynamic content blocks while maintaining clean design
Apollo:
- Offers functional, text-focused templates
- Prioritizes simplicity over design flexibility
- Works well for straightforward business emails
- Has more limited design options compared to lemlist
SalesRobot:
- Includes basic email templates
- Provides limited customization options
- Focuses on simple follow-up messages
- Designed as a secondary channel to LinkedIn
Analytics and Testing
Apollo:
- Features comprehensive cross-channel analytics
- Tracks open rates, click rates, and reply rates
- Identifies best performing templates and subject lines
- Determines optimal sending times based on engagement
- Integrates with CRM data to track meetings and deals
lemlist:
- Provides detailed email-specific analytics dashboard
- Tracks sequence performance with conversion rates at each step
- Includes A/B test results with statistical significance indicators
- Monitors deliverability metrics including bounces and spam complaints
- Makes it easy to identify and optimize underperforming emails
SalesRobot:
- Offers basic email tracking (opens, replies)
- Focuses analytics more on LinkedIn than email
- Provides limited email optimization tools
- Designed for supplementary email tracking rather than primary analysis
Apollo vs lemlist vs SalesRobot: Lead Generation
Apollo dominates with its massive database, lemlist offers solid lead sourcing options, while SalesRobot focuses on LinkedIn data extraction
Lead generation is the foundation of any successful outreach campaign. Finding the right prospects with accurate contact information can make the difference between wasted effort and productive conversations.
Each platform takes a different approach to sourcing and managing prospect data.
Database Size and Quality
Apollo:
- Houses an extensive database of 275+ million contacts across 65+ million companies
- Covers multiple industries, regions, and company sizes
- Updates data regularly through web scraping and verification processes
- Provides detailed company information including technology stack and funding data
- Offers varying levels of data verification (verified vs unverified emails)
lemlist:
- Maintains a moderate-sized database with good quality contacts
- Focuses more on importing and working with your own leads
- Provides lead source options through partnerships
- Offers less extensive company data compared to Apollo
- Emphasizes quality over quantity in its database approach
SalesRobot:
- Doesn't maintain its own contact database
- Focuses exclusively on working with data you import or extract from LinkedIn
- Specializes in extracting and organizing LinkedIn profile data
- Provides tools for building lists from LinkedIn Sales Navigator searches
- Optimized for working with LinkedIn's data structure
Lead Filtering/Targeting Options
Apollo:
- Offers advanced filtering with 50+ search criteria
- Provides AI-powered search suggestions
- Features saved search templates for consistent targeting
- Includes buying intent signals to identify active prospects
lemlist:
- Provides solid filtering options
- Allows segmentation based on standard parameters
- Focuses more on managing imported leads than discovering new ones
- Offers good organization tools for existing lead databases
SalesRobot:
- Leverages LinkedIn Sales Navigator's powerful filtering system
- Allows importing of saved Sales Navigator searches
- Provides additional tagging and segmentation after import
- Focuses on LinkedIn-specific targeting parameters
- Lacks the breadth of filtering options in standalone databases
Contact Verification
Apollo:
- Labels emails as verified or unverified based on validation checks
- Users report mixed results with verification accuracy
- Provides confidence scores for contact information
- Allows manual verification of important contacts
- Updates verification status periodically
lemlist:
- Offers built-in email verification tools
- Provides clear deliverability metrics for contacts
- Features bounce detection and automatic removal of invalid addresses
- Focuses on maintaining clean contact lists
- Allows manual import of pre-verified contacts
SalesRobot:
- Doesn't provide native email verification
- Can integrate with third-party verification tools
- Focuses more on LinkedIn profile validation
- Ensures contacts match specified targeting criteria
- Relies on data quality from LinkedIn and Sales Nav/ CSVs
Data Compliance Features
Apollo:
- Provides basic GDPR compliance tools
- Offers opt-out tracking and management
- Includes data retention policies
- Allows deletion of contact data upon request
- Features compliance documentation and resources
lemlist:
- Emphasizes strong GDPR compliance
- Provides clear opt-in/opt-out management
- Offers robust consent tracking features
- Includes built-in compliance templates
- Features automatic suppression list management
SalesRobot:
- Focuses on compliance with LinkedIn's terms of service
- Provides tools for responsible data extraction
- Offers compliance guidelines for LinkedIn automation
- Features clear data handling policies
- Emphasizes ethical use of LinkedIn data
Apollo vs lemlist vs SalesRobot: User Experience
lemlist offers the most intuitive interface, SalesRobot provides streamlined LinkedIn-focused workflows, while Apollo packs powerful features in a more complex UI
The user experience of a sales engagement platform significantly impacts adoption, productivity, and overall results.
An intuitive interface with streamlined workflows can make the difference between a tool that transforms your sales process and one that sits unused after the initial setup.
UI/UX Design
lemlist:
- Features a clean, modern interface with intuitive navigation
- Uses clear visual elements and consistent design patterns
- Organizes features logically in a user-friendly layout
- Provides visual campaign builders that make sequence creation intuitive
- Balances simplicity with functionality
SalesRobot:
- Offers a straightforward, task-oriented interface
- Focuses on LinkedIn-specific workflows with clear navigation
- Displays safety metrics prominently for quick account monitoring
- Provides visual campaign status indicators
- Some users suggest UI improvements could make it even more user-friendly
Apollo:
- Features a comprehensive dashboard with dense information display
- Organizes extensive features into multiple navigation levels
- Provides powerful functionality and visual simplicity
- Uses a more traditional SaaS interface design
Setup Process
SalesRobot:
- Offers the quickest initial setup focused on LinkedIn integration
- Provides clear step-by-step guidance for connecting LinkedIn accounts
- Features safety-first onboarding with account protection emphasis
- Includes setup wizards for creating first campaigns
- Users praise the straightforward implementation process
lemlist:
- Features a guided setup process with clear instructions
- Focuses on email configuration with deliverability checks
- Provides templates and examples during onboarding
- Offers interactive tutorials for key features
- Some users note DNS setup can take up to 72 hours
Apollo:
- Has the most complex setup process due to broader functionality
- Requires configuration across multiple channels
- Provides comprehensive onboarding materials
- Features template libraries to accelerate implementation
- Users report needing more time for full platform utilization
CRM Integrations
Apollo:
- Offers the most extensive CRM integration options:
- Native Salesforce integration with bi-directional sync
- HubSpot integration with custom field mapping
- Pipedrive, Zoho, and other CRM connections
- Custom webhook options for proprietary systems
- Provides detailed activity logging to CRMs
- Features advanced mapping options for custom fields
lemlist:
- Provides solid integration with popular CRMs:
- HubSpot with good data synchronization
- Pipedrive with workflow automation
- Salesforce with basic contact syncing
- Some users wish it could function as a standalone CRM
- Offers webhook options for custom integrations
SalesRobot:
- Features growing CRM integration capabilities:
- HubSpot integration (some users note improvement opportunities)
- Pipedrive connection for lead management
- Salesforce basic integration
- Focuses on LinkedIn data syncing to CRM systems
- Provides webhook options for custom connections
API Access
Apollo:
- Offers comprehensive API access for custom integrations
- Provides detailed API documentation with examples
- Supports custom data flows and automation
- Features OAuth authentication for secure connections
- Used by enterprises for complex integration scenarios
lemlist:
- Provides solid API capabilities for basic integrations
- Offers webhook support for event-driven processes
- Features documentation for common integration patterns
- Less extensive than Apollo's API offerings
- Sufficient for most standard integration needs
SalesRobot:
- Offers API access for essential functions
- Provides webhooks for key events and triggers
- Focuses API capabilities on LinkedIn data extraction
- Features growing documentation for developers
Apollo vs lemlist vs SalesRobot: Pros & Cons
After extensive testing of all three platforms, here's a comprehensive breakdown of the pros and cons for each LinkedIn automation tool:
Apollo Pros & Cons
lemlist Pros & Cons
SalesRobot Pros & Cons
Final Verdict: Apollo vs lemlist vs SalesRobot
After thoroughly testing all three platforms across various use cases and analyzing real user feedback, clear patterns emerged about which tool excels for specific needs and team types.
Choose Apollo if:
- You need a vast B2B database with advanced filtering to identify highly specific prospect segments
- Your sales process requires coordinated outreach across multiple channels
- You want detailed buyer intent data to prioritize companies actively in-market
- You have the resources to invest in proper training and setup for a feature-rich platform
- You're willing to supplement with additional tools for email deliverability
Apollo's ecosystem of integrations with enterprise CRMs like Salesforce makes it particularly valuable for larger organizations with established sales processes.
However, be prepared for a steeper learning curve and the need to potentially supplement with specialized tools for optimal email deliverability.
Try Apollo's free plan - no card required
Choose lemlist if:
- Email is your primary outreach channel and you want industry-leading personalization options
- Deliverability is a major concern and you want built-in warming and optimization
- You prefer an intuitive, user-friendly interface that doesn't require extensive training
- You need efficient campaign creation tools that don't require technical expertise
- You want to blend email outreach with supplementary LinkedIn touchpoints
lemlist's balanced approach to functionality and usability makes it particularly well-suited for marketing teams, agencies, and smaller sales teams that value efficiency and ease of use.
While its LinkedIn capabilities aren't as robust as specialized tools, its email prowess more than compensates for teams focused on that channel.
Try lemlist free for 14 days - no card required
Choose SalesRobot if:
- LinkedIn is your primary prospecting and outreach channel
- Account safety is a top priority and you can't risk restrictions or suspensions
- You need real-time co-browsing capabilities for high-touch prospect engagement
- You value responsive, solution-oriented support from LinkedIn automation experts
- You want a straightforward tool focused on doing one thing exceptionally well
SalesRobot's dedicated residential IPs, smart throttling, and mobile API integration make it the safest choice for LinkedIn automation by a significant margin.
While it lacks the breadth of all-in-one platforms, its specialized approach delivers superior results specifically for LinkedIn campaigns.
Try SalesRobot free for 7 days - no card required
The ideal approach for your organization may involve combining tools based on channel priorities – for instance, using SalesRobot for LinkedIn automation while leveraging lemlist for email campaigns, with Apollo providing the underlying database for lead generation.
Ultimately, the right choice depends on your specific outreach strategy, channel priorities, and team capabilities. All three platforms offer free trials or demo options, making it worthwhile to test each against your specific use cases before committing.
See ya!
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