Best Cognism Alternatives in 2026
Cognism built its reputation on European data coverage and GDPR compliance. It's a strong choice for teams selling into EMEA. But it's not the right fit for everyone. Common reasons teams look elsewhere: limited US data depth compared to competitors, pricing that climbs fast as you add seats, phone-verified mobile numbers that are valuable but expensive per contact, and a product that's still catching up to larger platforms on intent data and workflow automation. If you're primarily selling into North America, or you need more than a contact database, these alternatives are worth evaluating.
At a Glance
| Tool | Price | Best For | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZoomInfo | $14,995 - $39,995/yr | US-focused enterprise sales teams that need the deepest North American contact and company database available | ZoomInfo has the largest B2B contact database, particularly in North America. It's the market leader for a reason. If your ICP is US-based mid-market and enterprise companies, ZoomInfo's data depth is hard to beat. It also bundles intent data, website visitor tracking, and conversation intelligence into higher tiers. |
| Apollo.io | $0 - $119/user/mo | Growth-stage companies that want a contact database and sales engagement tool in one platform at an accessible price | Apollo is the value play. For under $100/user/month, you get a 275M+ contact database, email sequencing, a dialer, and basic CRM functionality. It's the closest thing to an all-in-one sales tool at a price point that doesn't require VP-level approval. Data quality is solid for US contacts but thinner in Europe compared to Cognism. |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | $99.99 - $179.99/user/mo | Sales teams that prioritize account mapping and relationship intelligence over raw contact data export | Sales Navigator gives you access to LinkedIn's 1B+ member profiles with advanced search, lead recommendations, and InMail. You can't export the data natively, but the search filters and account mapping features are unmatched. It's complementary to a data provider rather than a direct replacement, but some teams use it as their primary prospecting tool. |
| Clay | $134 - $720/mo (based on credits) | Revenue ops teams that want to build custom data enrichment workflows pulling from multiple providers instead of relying on a single source | Clay isn't a database. It's a data orchestration platform that connects to 75+ data providers (including Cognism's API) and lets you build enrichment waterfalls. If one provider doesn't have a phone number, Clay automatically tries the next one. This approach consistently produces higher match rates than any single provider alone. |
| Seamless.AI | $0 - custom (typically $125 - $200/user/mo) | High-volume outbound teams that need real-time contact lookups and aren't concerned about European data coverage | Seamless.AI finds contact data in real-time using AI rather than maintaining a static database. This means data is often more current, but results can be inconsistent. It's aggressive on pricing for annual contracts and offers unlimited credits on higher tiers, which appeals to teams doing massive outbound volumes. |
| LeadIQ | $0 - $79/user/mo | SDR teams that prospect primarily from LinkedIn and need one-click capture into their CRM and sequences | LeadIQ is built around a LinkedIn-first workflow. Its Chrome extension lets reps capture contacts directly from LinkedIn profiles into Salesforce or Outreach with one click, including verified emails and phone numbers. It's narrower than Cognism but faster for the specific workflow of LinkedIn prospecting. |
| Verum | $49 - $149/user/mo | European-focused sales teams that need GDPR-compliant B2B data with strong phone verification at a lower price than Cognism | Verum positions itself as the budget-friendly Cognism competitor with a focus on European data and compliance. It offers phone-verified mobile numbers, which is Cognism's signature feature, at a lower per-seat cost. The database is smaller, but for teams targeting specific European markets, the coverage-to-price ratio can be better. |
1. ZoomInfo
Coverage & Capabilities
260M+ professional profiles, 100M+ company profiles, direct dials and mobile numbers, org charts, technographics, intent signals (via Bidstream data), website visitor identification, FormComplete, and Engage for sales sequences. Strongest in US and Canada. European data exists but isn't as comprehensive as Cognism's.
The default choice if you're selling into North America and can absorb the premium pricing. Overkill for teams under 10 sales reps.
2. Apollo.io
Coverage & Capabilities
275M+ contacts, email and phone data, buyer intent signals, email sequences with A/B testing, LinkedIn extension, basic CRM, deal management, and call recording. Global data with strongest coverage in North America.
Best price-to-value ratio in the category. Pick Apollo if you want 80% of Cognism's capability at 30% of the cost and you're primarily targeting US accounts.
3. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Coverage & Capabilities
Advanced lead and company search, saved lead lists, real-time alerts on job changes and company news, InMail credits, TeamLink for warm introductions, CRM sync (Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics), and buyer intent signals based on LinkedIn activity.
Not a standalone Cognism replacement, but the best complement to any data provider. Essential for teams doing consultative selling into enterprise accounts.
4. Clay
Coverage & Capabilities
Waterfall enrichment across 75+ data sources, automated prospecting workflows, AI-powered research agents, CSV enrichment, CRM integration, and Claybooks (pre-built templates). Coverage depends on which data providers you connect, but the waterfall approach means you're not limited by any single provider's gaps.
The smartest approach to data enrichment if you have a technically capable ops team. Not for buyers who want a simple search-and-export workflow.
5. Seamless.AI
Coverage & Capabilities
Real-time email and phone number discovery, company search, Chrome extension, Autopilot for automated list building, buyer intent data, job change alerts, and CRM integrations. Strongest in US data. European and APAC coverage is limited compared to Cognism.
Good for US-focused teams that burn through contact data fast. Avoid it if data accuracy on every record matters more than volume.
6. LeadIQ
Coverage & Capabilities
Contact capture from LinkedIn profiles, email verification, phone numbers, Salesforce and HubSpot CRM sync, Outreach and Salesloft integration, AI email writing, account tracking, and job change notifications. Data coverage is decent in North America but limited elsewhere.
The best tool for SDRs who live in LinkedIn and need a fast capture-to-sequence workflow. It doesn't replace Cognism's breadth but nails one specific use case.
7. Verum
Coverage & Capabilities
European and global B2B contact data, phone-verified mobile numbers, email addresses, company firmographics, GDPR-compliant data sourcing, Chrome extension, CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot), and basic email sequencing. Strongest in Western Europe, particularly UK, DACH, and Nordics.
Worth evaluating if you're a Cognism customer who finds the price too high for the volume of European data you consume. Run a side-by-side match rate test before committing.
How We Chose These Alternatives
We assessed each alternative across six dimensions: contact database size and accuracy, geographic coverage (US vs. Europe vs. global), phone number verification quality, GDPR and compliance features, pricing transparency, and integration depth with CRMs and sales engagement tools. We gave extra weight to data accuracy and geographic coverage because those are the main decision factors for teams evaluating Cognism alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Cognism alternative has the best European data?
For Western Europe, Cognism is still the leader. Among alternatives, Verum offers the closest European coverage at a lower price point. ZoomInfo has been investing in European data but still trails Cognism in DACH and Nordics. Apollo's European data is growing but inconsistent for phone numbers. If EMEA is your primary market, test Verum as a direct competitor and consider Clay's waterfall approach to combine multiple European data sources.
Is Apollo's free tier a viable Cognism replacement?
For individual reps doing light prospecting, yes. The free tier gives you 10K email credits per year, basic search filters, and limited sequence functionality. It won't replace Cognism for a full sales team, but it's enough for a founder or early SDR to prospect without spending anything. The paid tiers at $49-$119/user/mo are where Apollo starts competing with Cognism on capability.
How do I evaluate data accuracy across these providers?
Run a match rate test. Take 200-300 contacts you already have verified data for (existing customers or recent closed deals) and run them through each provider. Compare email accuracy, phone number accuracy, and company data correctness. Most providers will let you do this during a trial. Don't trust self-reported accuracy numbers on their websites. Real match rates are always lower than the marketing claims.
Can I use multiple data providers together instead of picking one?
Yes, and it's often the best approach. Clay makes this easy by orchestrating waterfall enrichment across providers. Without Clay, many teams use a primary provider (like Apollo or ZoomInfo) for day-to-day prospecting and a secondary provider (like Cognism or LeadIQ) for specific regions or when the primary misses. The combined cost of two mid-tier tools is sometimes less than one enterprise contract with a single provider.