Cognism Review: Pricing, Features & What the Data Shows
GDPR-compliant B2B data provider with the strongest European contact coverage in the market.
What Cognism Does
Cognism is the leading B2B data provider for European markets, offering GDPR-compliant contact and company data with a unique phone verification feature — Diamond Data — that delivers manually verified mobile numbers with 87%+ connect rates. Founded in London in 2015, Cognism has positioned itself as the ZoomInfo alternative for teams that sell into Europe, where data privacy regulations make US-centric data collection methods problematic and ZoomInfo's European coverage is notably weaker.
The Diamond Data feature is Cognism's most distinctive capability. While competitors rely on automated scraping and algorithmic inference for phone numbers, Cognism employs a research team that manually calls and verifies mobile numbers. The result is a smaller but significantly more accurate phone number database — 87%+ accuracy on Diamond Data numbers versus 60-70% for typical B2B data providers. For outbound sales teams where phone connect rates directly impact pipeline generation, this accuracy premium translates to measurable productivity gains.
Cognism's platform covers the standard B2B data provider feature set: contact search, company intelligence, Chrome extension for LinkedIn prospecting, CRM enrichment, and Salesforce/HubSpot integrations. Intent data is available through a Bombora partnership, providing topic-level buying signals similar to what ZoomInfo offers natively. The platform's UI is clean and the Chrome extension works well for LinkedIn-based prospecting workflows. However, the feature set is narrower than ZoomInfo's — no website visitor tracking, no conversation intelligence, and no built-in sales engagement.
The practical buyer consideration is geographic fit. If your sales team targets European markets — UK, DACH, Nordics, France, Benelux — Cognism offers materially better coverage than ZoomInfo or Apollo. If your market is primarily US-based, ZoomInfo will serve you better for comparable or lower pricing. For teams selling globally, some organizations run dual subscriptions — ZoomInfo for US coverage and Cognism for Europe — which is expensive but optimizes coverage across both regions.
Cognism Key Features
Diamond Data (Phone-Verified Mobiles)
Cognism's signature feature. A dedicated research team manually calls and verifies mobile phone numbers, achieving 87%+ accuracy on verified numbers. Diamond Data is available as a premium tier with limited credits — each verified number consumes a credit, and credit packs are part of the subscription. The accuracy advantage over competitors is significant for phone-heavy outbound motions: connecting on 87% of dials versus 60-70% means dramatically fewer wasted calls. The limitation is coverage — Diamond Data doesn't exist for every contact, so you'll still encounter unverified numbers.
European Data Coverage
Significantly stronger European contact data than US-centric competitors. Cognism's data collection is designed for GDPR compliance from the ground up, with data processing agreements, opt-out handling, and consent tracking built into the platform. Coverage is strongest in the UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, and Nordics. For teams prospecting into European enterprises, Cognism's database typically yields 30-50% more results than ZoomInfo or Apollo for the same search criteria.
Chrome Extension for LinkedIn
A browser extension that overlays Cognism data on LinkedIn profiles and Sales Navigator results. When viewing a prospect's LinkedIn profile, the extension shows verified email addresses, phone numbers (including Diamond Data availability), and company details. Contacts can be exported directly to CRM or added to Cognism lists. The extension is well-designed and fast — comparable to Lusha or LeadIQ's LinkedIn tools but with the added benefit of accessing Cognism's phone-verified data.
Intent Data (Bombora Partnership)
Cognism integrates Bombora's intent data to identify accounts researching topics relevant to your product. Intent signals are based on B2B content consumption across publisher networks. The integration surfaces intent scores within Cognism's platform and can push signals to CRM. The intent data quality is identical to what Bombora sells directly — Cognism acts as a distribution channel rather than generating proprietary intent signals. Useful for ABM prioritization but not a substitute for dedicated intent platforms like 6sense.
CRM Enrichment & Integration
Bi-directional sync with Salesforce and HubSpot for ongoing contact and account enrichment. Enrichment can be configured to run on new leads, scheduled for existing records, or triggered manually. The integration also pushes Cognism's GDPR compliance metadata (consent status, opt-out dates) to the CRM, which helps legal and compliance teams track data processing obligations. Integration quality with Salesforce and HubSpot is solid; other CRM integrations may require Zapier or API work.
Prospector Search
Advanced search across Cognism's contact and company database with filters for job title, seniority, department, company size, industry, technology stack, location, and more. Results display email addresses, phone numbers (with Diamond Data indicators), and company firmographics. The search interface is intuitive — comparable to ZoomInfo's — with saved searches and list-building capabilities. Search results are subject to credit consumption, with different credit costs for standard contacts versus Diamond Data-verified numbers.
Who Uses Cognism
European Market Expansion
US-based B2B companies expanding into European markets use Cognism as their primary data source for European contacts. The typical scenario: a Series B SaaS company that's saturated its US market needs to build pipeline in the UK, DACH, and Nordics. ZoomInfo's European coverage is thin, and GDPR compliance requirements make scraping-based tools risky. Cognism provides the contact data, phone numbers, and compliance framework needed to prospect confidently in Europe. Teams typically start with a Platinum subscription ($15K-25K/year) and upgrade to Diamond when phone outreach becomes a significant part of the motion.
Phone-Heavy Outbound Teams
SDR teams where phone calls are the primary outreach channel use Cognism's Diamond Data to maximize connect rates. The math is straightforward: if an SDR makes 80 dials per day, connecting on 87% versus 65% means 70 conversations versus 52 — a 35% productivity improvement. Over a quarter, that gap compounds into significantly more meetings booked. This use case justifies the Diamond tier premium for teams that measure SDR productivity by conversations per day rather than emails sent. The credit-based model means Diamond Data is best used selectively for high-priority prospects rather than every contact in the database.
GDPR-Compliant Data Operations
Organizations with strict data governance requirements — particularly in financial services, healthcare, and enterprise software — use Cognism because its GDPR compliance is built into the platform rather than bolted on. Legal and compliance teams can audit data processing records, track opt-outs, and demonstrate consent frameworks for regulatory reviews. The compliance metadata that Cognism pushes to CRM provides an audit trail that US-centric data providers don't offer. This use case is driven by risk management rather than sales productivity — the cost of a GDPR violation ($20M+ or 4% of global revenue) dwarfs the Cognism subscription.
Cognism Pricing
Platinum
Full contact and company data, Chrome extension, CRM integrations
Diamond
Everything in Platinum plus phone-verified mobile numbers (Diamond Data)
Cognism doesn't publish pricing, and quotes vary based on team size, Diamond Data credits, and contract scope. Based on buyer reports, the Platinum tier — which includes full contact and company data, Chrome extension, and CRM integrations — typically costs $15,000-25,000/year. The Diamond tier — adding phone-verified mobile numbers — runs $25,000-40,000/year. These are per-team prices, not per-user, though the number of users influences the quote.
Diamond Data credits are the key variable. Each phone-verified number reveal consumes a Diamond credit, and credit packs are finite. Running out of Diamond credits mid-contract means purchasing additional packs at premium rates — a dynamic similar to ZoomInfo's credit system. High-volume SDR teams that rely on phone outreach should carefully estimate Diamond credit needs before signing.
Annual contracts are standard. Cognism occasionally offers quarterly contracts for teams evaluating the platform, though pricing is less favorable. Multi-year commitments can reduce annual costs by 10-20%.
Compared to competitors: Cognism's pricing is broadly comparable to ZoomInfo ($15K-40K/year) but optimized for different use cases. ZoomInfo delivers more features (intent data, website tracking, Chorus) and better US coverage. Cognism delivers better European coverage and phone-verified numbers. Apollo ($588-1,428/user/year) costs significantly less but with lower data accuracy. Lusha ($29-79/user/month) is cheaper for individual use but lacks Cognism's European depth and compliance features.
Job Market Demand for Cognism
Cognism appears in 4 job postings across 3 companies in our database of 23,338+ analyzed job postings.
Department
- Sales Representative, Beeline Supplier Network
- Sales Development Representative- Data Intelligence
- Sales Development Representative- Business Intelligence + Artificial Intelligence
- actian corporation (2)
- usecure (1)
- beeline (1)
Commonly Used With Cognism
Based on job posting co-occurrence data, these tools are most frequently mentioned alongside Cognism:
Cognism Data Quality & Coverage
Cognism's data quality story has two distinct chapters: Diamond Data and everything else.
Diamond Data — the phone-verified mobile numbers — delivers 87%+ accuracy, which is the highest in the B2B data provider category. This accuracy is achieved through manual verification: Cognism's research team calls numbers to confirm they reach the intended person. The process is inherently slow and limited in scale, so Diamond Data doesn't cover every contact in the database. Coverage is strongest for senior decision-makers at mid-market and enterprise companies in Europe and the US.
Standard (non-Diamond) phone data is comparable to other B2B data providers — 60-70% accuracy for direct dials, with higher accuracy in markets where Cognism has deeper coverage (UK, Germany, Nordics). Email accuracy runs 85-90% for business email addresses, on par with ZoomInfo and ahead of Apollo's 80-85% range.
European data coverage is Cognism's clear advantage. In the UK, DACH, and Nordics, Cognism's database typically returns 30-50% more results than ZoomInfo or Apollo for equivalent search criteria. This gap narrows for Western European markets like France and Spain, and is less significant for Eastern Europe. For US-only prospecting, Cognism's coverage is adequate but doesn't exceed ZoomInfo's depth.
Data freshness is maintained through continuous web scraping, public record updates, and the contributor network — similar to ZoomInfo's approach but with additional GDPR-compliant sourcing channels for European data. Job change detection is available but less comprehensive than LinkedIn Sales Navigator's real-time updates.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strongest European data coverage among major B2B data providers
- Phone-verified mobile numbers (Diamond Data) with high connect rates
- Built for GDPR compliance from the ground up
- Clean UI with good Chrome extension for LinkedIn prospecting
- Intent data integration via Bombora partnership
Cons
- US data coverage isn't as deep as ZoomInfo
- Pricing is similar to ZoomInfo without the same breadth of features
- Smaller market presence means fewer integrations than ZoomInfo
- Diamond Data credits are limited, and you can burn through them quickly
- Less brand recognition in the US market
Best for: B2B sales teams targeting European markets or companies that need GDPR-compliant data sourcing
Not ideal for: Teams focused exclusively on the US market, or budget-conscious teams that can work with Apollo's accuracy level
Cognism Alternatives
| Tool | Starting Price | Job Mentions | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZoomInfo | $15,000+/yr | 85 | Mid-market to enterprise sales teams targeting US-based B2B companies |
| Apollo.io | $0 | 37 | Growth-stage startups and SMBs wanting contact data + outreach in one affordable platform |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | $99/user/mo | 61 | Any B2B sales team as a foundational prospecting tool — works for SMB through enterprise |
| Clearbit | $0 | 7 | Product-led growth companies and marketing teams that need real-time data enrichment in their signup and lead capture flows |
| LeadIQ | $0 | 3 | Individual SDRs and small outbound teams who prospect from LinkedIn and want a fast, affordable workflow for capturing contacts |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Cognism compare to ZoomInfo?
Cognism is stronger in Europe (GDPR compliance, better coverage in UK/DACH/Nordics) and offers phone-verified mobile numbers. ZoomInfo has deeper US coverage, more features (intent data, website visitor tracking), and a larger integration ecosystem. Pricing is similar for both.
What is Cognism Diamond Data?
Diamond Data is Cognism's phone-verified mobile number feature. A research team manually calls and verifies mobile numbers, resulting in 87%+ accuracy on direct dials. It's the premium tier and costs more, but connect rates are significantly higher than non-verified databases.
Is Cognism GDPR compliant?
Yes. Cognism was built with GDPR compliance as a core feature. They maintain data processing agreements, handle opt-outs, and ensure data collection meets European privacy regulations. This is a major selling point for companies with European operations.
Our Verdict on Cognism
Cognism is the clear choice for B2B sales teams targeting European markets or teams where phone outreach is a primary channel and connect rates directly impact pipeline. Diamond Data's 87%+ phone accuracy is unmatched in the category, and the GDPR-compliant data sourcing provides genuine risk mitigation for organizations selling into regulated industries. If your target market includes UK, DACH, or Nordic prospects, Cognism should be on your shortlist alongside — or instead of — ZoomInfo.
The trade-off is feature breadth and US coverage. ZoomInfo offers more capabilities (intent data natively, website visitor tracking, Chorus for conversation intelligence) and deeper US data. Cognism is a data provider with a Chrome extension and CRM integration — it doesn't try to be a platform. For US-only teams, ZoomInfo or Apollo will serve you better. And at $15K-40K/year, Cognism's pricing is comparable to ZoomInfo without the same breadth, which means it's primarily justified by the European coverage and Diamond Data advantages.
Cognism appears in only 4 job postings across 3 companies in our US-focused database, with all postings in sales roles. The low volume reflects Cognism's positioning — it's primarily adopted by European companies and US companies with European go-to-market motions, neither of which is heavily represented in US job postings. Co-occurrence with LinkedIn Sales Navigator (3 mentions) and ZoomInfo (3) confirms its position in the B2B prospecting toolkit for teams that run multiple data sources.
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