Borks vs Apollo: managed service vs DIY platform.
Apollo gives you the tools. Borks runs the operation. Many of our clients use Apollo's data inside our campaigns -- they're not mutually exclusive.
The short version
Apollo is a sales engagement platform with a built-in contact database. You get email sequencing, a dialer, LinkedIn automation, and access to 265M+ contacts. It's powerful, but it's a tool -- you still need someone to run it. Borks is a managed service. We handle strategy, infrastructure, copy, targeting, sending, reply handling, and optimization. You get meetings on your calendar without managing the stack yourself.
What Borks does that Apollo doesn't
- Managed sending infrastructure with dedicated domains and warmup
- Done-for-you campaign strategy, copy, and optimization
- Waterfall enrichment across 16+ sources (not just Apollo's database)
- AI-powered reply classification and automated booking
- Dedicated campaign manager and weekly strategy calls
- Deliverability engineering and daily seed testing
- No headcount needed -- we are your outbound team
When you'd pick Apollo instead
- You have an in-house SDR team that just needs better tooling
- You want a single platform for prospecting, sequencing, and calling
- You need self-serve access to a massive contact database
- Your budget is under $3k/month and you have time to run it yourself
- You want to own the entire outbound process internally
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Apollo and Borks together?
Yes, and many clients do. We often use Apollo as one of our data sources for list building while managing the sending infrastructure, copy, and optimization ourselves.
Is Borks more expensive than Apollo?
Borks is a managed service, so it costs more than a software subscription. But when you factor in the SDR salary, the time to manage campaigns, and the cost of poor deliverability, Borks is usually cheaper than running Apollo in-house.
What if I outgrow Borks?
Some clients eventually build in-house teams and take over. We'll help with the transition -- including transferring domains, documentation, and playbooks. No lock-in.
Want the results without running the tool?
Book a call and we'll show you what managed outbound looks like for your ICP.