Comparison
Event Captain vs. Apollo.io for Corporate Events (2026): Service vs. Tool Compared
Event Captain vs. Apollo.io for corporate events: a done-for-you service vs. a prospecting tool, pricing checked November 2026, and when Apollo wins.
By Kevin Ho 7 min read Updated
Prices checked November 14, 2026, and every price links to its source.
In this article
Apollo.io is the better pick if someone on your team has a few hours every week to build lists, write emails, and follow up, because it costs less. Event Captain is the better pick if that time keeps getting eaten by service, because we do the prospecting for $400/month per location and your team handles the tours and the close. Event Captain is our own service, so we've laid out exactly when Apollo wins.
Quick picks
- Best if you have time and a tight budget: Apollo. Free plan; Basic from $49/seat/month billed annually.
- Best if you want the prospecting done for you: Event Captain. $400/month per location, no setup fees, cancel anytime.
- Best if you sell more than events: Apollo, used for wholesale or catering accounts across a wider area.
What's the difference between Event Captain and Apollo.io?
Apollo is a tool: a contact database with email sequences that you run yourself. Event Captain is a done-for-you corporate event booking service for restaurants, venues, and catering companies: we find nearby companies, reach the people who plan their events, and follow up until they're ready to book. With either one, your team takes the inquiry and closes it.
Event Captain vs. Apollo.io pricing and features compared (2026)
| Event Captain | Apollo.io | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Done-for-you corporate event booking service | Contact database plus email sequencing tool |
| Built for | Restaurants, venues, and catering companies | B2B sales teams in any industry |
| Price | $400/month per location (source) | Free plan; Basic $49/seat/month billed annually or $65 month to month; Professional $79 or $99 (source) |
| Contract | No setup fees, no long-term contracts, cancel anytime | Monthly or annual; annual can't switch to monthly mid-term |
| Who builds the list | We do | You do |
| Who writes the emails | We do | You do |
| Who follows up | We do | You do (sequences help) |
| Who closes the booking | Your team | Your team |
| Extra costs | None. Google review requests and newsletters are included | Credits for phone numbers and enrichment |
| Who owns the contacts | You do. Every planner we find is yours | You can use the data for your own business |
1. Event Captain
Best for: Restaurants, venues, and caterers that want more corporate events without anyone on the team running prospecting.
Every week, we find nearby companies, reach the people who plan their events (office managers, EAs, HR leads), and follow up until they're ready to book. Past clients and leads come back when their event season returns, and every inquiry, follow-up, and booking is tracked in your dashboard. Sending accounts are set up for your venue and used only for your venue.
Strengths
- Done for you: lists, emails, and follow-ups every week, including through your busy season.
- Built only for corporate events at restaurants, venues, and caterers.
- One monthly price with no credits to manage. Google review requests and newsletters are included.
- Every planner we find is yours to keep.
Drawbacks
- Costs more per month than Apollo's free or Basic plan.
- Focused on corporate events, so it won't run sales for other parts of your business.
- You hand over the copy and the list building, so you have less hands-on control than with your own tool.
Pricing: $400/month per location. No setup fees, no long-term contracts, cancel anytime. Source
2. Apollo.io
Best for: Owners or team members who enjoy prospecting and have a few hours every week to run it.
Apollo is a database of business contacts with an email tool attached. You filter for nearby companies, pick job titles, use credits to get emails, and load contacts into follow-up sequences.
Strengths
- Affordable to start, with a free plan.
- Big database you can filter by location, size, and industry.
- Sequences send follow-ups on a schedule you set.
- Full control over every word and every company on the list.
Drawbacks
- Someone has to run it every week. When the holiday rush hits, prospecting is usually the first thing to slip, right when planners are booking.
- Writing emails planners answer is a skill. A template reads like a template.
- Sending is its own job. Cold email from your main domain can hurt deliverability for guest confirmations and invoices.
- A planner who says "not this quarter" needs a note when their season comes back. Apollo can remind you; someone still has to write it.
- Contact data tends to be thinner for small, owner-run local companies.
Pricing: Free plan. Basic $49/seat/month billed annually or $65 month to month. Professional $79/seat/month billed annually or $99 month to month. Source
When is Apollo.io the better pick?
- You or someone on your team likes prospecting and has the hours for it every week.
- Budget is tight and the free or Basic plan covers what you need.
- You sell more than events, like wholesale or office catering programs across a wide area, and want one tool for all of it.
- You already have a sales process that works and just need more contacts.
When is Event Captain the better pick?
- You want more corporate events but nobody has time to run prospecting consistently.
- You'd rather spend your time on tours and closing than on lists and email copy.
- You want follow-ups that keep going through your busy season.
- You want one monthly price with no credits to manage.
How we compared them
We compared both on what matters to a restaurant, venue, or caterer looking for corporate events: who does the work each week, the real cost including billing terms and credits, how planners get reached and followed up with, and who keeps the contacts. Apollo's prices come from its own pricing page, checked November 14, 2026. Event Captain is our own service, and we compared it on the same criteria.
FAQ
What's the best Apollo.io alternative for restaurants and venues?
It depends on whether you want another tool or want the work done. If you want a tool, LinkedIn Sales Navigator (Core from US$119.99/month) is better for researching specific companies, though it has no email addresses (source). If nobody has time to run a tool, Event Captain is a done-for-you corporate event booking service: we find nearby companies, reach the people who plan their events, and follow up until they're ready to book, for $400/month per location.
Is Event Captain an Apollo alternative?
For restaurants, venues, and caterers focused on corporate events, yes. Apollo is a tool you run yourself. Event Captain is a service: we do the prospecting, and your team takes the inquiry and closes it.
Is Apollo good for small businesses?
It can be. The free plan costs nothing to try, and Basic is $49 per seat per month billed annually, so a one-person team can start small. The catch for a small business is time: someone has to build the lists, write the emails, and handle replies every week. If that person exists, Apollo is good value.
Is Apollo.io good for restaurants and venues?
It can be, if someone has time to build lists, write emails, and follow up every week. It's built for B2B sales teams in general, not for hospitality specifically.
How much does Apollo.io cost?
Apollo has a free plan. Basic is $49 per seat per month billed annually or $65 month to month. Professional is $79 per seat per month billed annually or $99 month to month, as of November 14, 2026.
How much does Event Captain cost?
$400/month per location, with no setup fees, no long-term contracts, and cancel anytime. Google review requests and newsletters are included.
Can I use Apollo and Event Captain together?
Yes. You could use Apollo for other sales work, like wholesale or catering accounts, while Event Captain handles corporate event prospecting.
What's the difference between Apollo and LinkedIn Sales Navigator?
Apollo gives you email addresses and sequences. LinkedIn Sales Navigator gives you LinkedIn search and InMail. We compare them side by side in Apollo vs. LinkedIn Sales Navigator for corporate events and catering.
Event Captain or Apollo.io: which should you choose?
If time is free and money is tight, start with Apollo. It's a solid tool, and the free plan costs nothing to try. If money is available and time isn't, Event Captain does the prospecting for you at $400/month per location with no long-term contract, and your team takes it from the inquiry.
Related reading
- Apollo vs. LinkedIn Sales Navigator for corporate events and catering
- Best ways to get more corporate events in 2026
Keep reading
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