10 Cognism Alternatives & Competitors For SMBs And ICs

Cognism has gained popularity for its high-quality data, but it might not be for you if you’re on a tighter budget or don’t need additional data points like intent.
 
Perhaps you’re looking for quality B2B data to expand into Europe or exploring Cognism alternatives that require a quick sign-up for immediate selling. 

This article explores tools that fit these requirements for SMBs and ICs.

But before we start the list, let’s take a Cognism refresher: 

What is Cognism?

Cognism helps boost customer revenue in Europe by providing high-quality B2B data and compliant prospecting tools.

Its key features include:

• Phone-verified cell phone number accuracy to help you connect with 87% of your list.
• Exclusive on-demand verified cell phone and email data set Diamond Data®.
• Unrestricted access to person and company-level data*.
• Instant and scheduled CRM enrichment and on-demand CSV enrichment. 
• Intent data by Bombora.
• International coverage: EMEA, NAM, APAC.
• Easy platform setup.
• Integrations with CRMs and sales engagement tools.
• Focus on quality GDPR and CCPA-compliant data. 
• Database checked and cleaned against global DNC lists.
• Find prospects using ChatGPT-style textual or voice prompts with Cognism AI Search.
• Fast and friendly support team.

Many enterprise businesses use Cognism to enhance prospecting and outbound sales campaigns.

Sales teams use its rich data for personalized outreach, ensuring messages resonate with the right audience at the right time.

So why look for Cognism alternatives?

While Cognism ticks all the boxes of a great sales intelligence tool, it can be expensive for small to medium-sized businesses. Plus, it’s a team tool, so it’s not suitable for individual contributors. 

Another reason might be that some small businesses prefer a plug-and-play style setup with features for niche markets and fewer specialized features.

If this is the case, you’ll want to take a look at our list 👇

1. Kaspr

Kaspr is a plug-and-play lead gen tool that gives you European contact data for fast and effective prospecting.

Like Cognism, Kaspr offers accurate and verified contact data that’s updated in real-time. Its Chrome extension makes it easy for teams to prospect on LinkedIn and Sales Nav, and you have access to unlimited B2B emails.*  

Unlike Cognism, Kaspr has a self-service business model, so you can start selling on day one. Buyers will enjoy straightforward pricing and sign up without a credit card.

While Cognism isn’t suited for ICs, Kaspr is! And you won’t even need to change your workflow because it seamlessly integrates with the most popular CRMs. 

This makes Kaspr the best Cognism alternative for SMBs and individual contributors. 

🔎 Take a deep dive into Cognism vs Kaspr. 

Here’s what Uptoo have to say about using Kaspr: 

“At Uptoo, before using Kaspr, we were afraid of having medium-quality data and not having long-term results.”

“Kaspr allows us to qualify our database better and to be more efficient in addressing our target accounts.”

Lyes Boukeroui

Head of Sales Operations

Features:

• Free version.
• Contact enrichment from a LinkedIn people search, group or event.
• Seamless experience across the Chrome Extension and web app.
• Integrations with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Lemlist, Salesforce, and more.
• Data is checked and verified against 150 sources.
• 120M+ European contacts.
• Data coverage spans the US, Europe and APAC.
• GPDR and CCPA aligned.
• Lead organization using lists and notes.
• Team analytics.
• Request data with a waitlist.

*Subject to fair usage policy

Price:

Kaspr provides a free plan for all new users. The paid plan’s starting price is $49 per user per month.

2. D&B Hoovers

D&B Hoovers™ is a B2B sales intelligence provider and Cognism competitor. The tool identifies and targets buyers for revenue opportunities.

Using the Dun & Bradstreet Data Cloud, you can build AI-driven prospect lists, combine your first-party customer data and develop a comprehensive understanding of your entire audience.

Features:

• Customizable AI lead list building.
• Risk management analytics.
• Intent data.
• CRM, MAP, ERP, and MDM platform integrations.
• Business firmographics and corporate family tree relationships.

Price: 

D&B Hoovers Essentials starts at $49/month or $529/year.

3. Adapt

Cognism alternative, Adapt is a lead generation and prospecting tool designed to streamline finding and connecting with potential customers. The platform is known for its ease of use and integration with LinkedIn.

The tool is best suited for B2B companies that rely heavily on LinkedIn for networking and lead generation.

Features:

• Filter and contacts list builder based on specific criteria such as industry, job title, and location.
• Chrome Extension.
• CSV and CRM export.

Price: 

Paid plan starting price is $49 per user per month. There’s also a free plan available.

4. RocketReach

RocketReach is a contact database tool that provides access to email addresses, phone numbers, and social media links. It’s designed to ease direct connections with decision-makers and influencers. However, the cost can escalate quickly with the need for more searches or advanced features.

As a Cognism alternative, RocketReach is ideal for medium—to large businesses that need lots of contact information and have the resources to use this data effectively.

Startups and smaller companies might benefit from the basic plan. Yet, larger organizations with diverse outreach needs best realize RocketReach’s full potential.

🔎 Check out these RocketReach alternatives.

Features:

• Provides detailed contact information, including B2B emails, phone numbers, and social media profiles. 
• Multi-platform search.
• Bulk lookups.
• API access.

Price:

Paid plan starting price is $48 per user per month. The free plan is also available.

 5. Snov.io

Snov.io is a CRM platform and competitor to Cognism that includes tools to streamline the lead generation and outreach process. You can create email lists, explore leads in its database, and perform bulk domain searches.

Like Kaspr, it provides a Chrome extension to find contact data on LinkedIn. However, the credit-based system may limit usage for larger teams or extensive campaigns, and its integration capabilities, while extensive, can be complex to set up and may require technical knowledge.

Features:

• Email finder.
• Email verification.
• Automation of follow-up emails based on recipient actions.
• Technology checker.
• CRM integration.

Price:

Paid plan starting price is $30 per user per month. The free plan is also available.

“What we like most about Kaspr is the ease of use, the speed of getting the information, and the quality of the data.”

“Kaspr is simple and very convenient to use. It’s quick for extracting and transferring data to our CRM. Time-consuming searches for contact details is a thing of the past!”

Jennifer Sitruk

Sales Director at Gymlib

6. UpLead

UpLead is a B2B lead generation platform designed to help businesses grow their sales pipeline by providing contact and company data.

UpLead is best suited for mid-sized to large businesses that need robust lead generation and data enrichment to support a sophisticated sales process.

Some of UpLead’s cons are that it might be costlier than other Cognism alternatives on this list, and the platform’s extensive options and capabilities may require extra training. 

Features:

• Real-time email verification.
• Automatically updates and enriches contact and company profiles with the latest available data.
• Advanced filtering by industry, company size, geographical location, job role, and technology usage.

Price:

Paid plan starting price is $99 per user per month. A free plan is not available, but you can try UpLead for 7 days for free.

7. Hunter.io

Hunter.io is a Cognism alternative ideal for small to medium-sized businesses that rely heavily on email for outbound efforts and communication. The tool simplifies the process of finding and verifying email addresses.

However, it is limited to a domain search and may require pairing with other tools for full marketing and sales strategies. What’s more, the free plan is quite restrictive, with essential features locked behind paid plans.

Features:

• Search for email addresses associated with a domain.
• Email verification.
• Bulk tasks.
• Chrome Extension.

Price: 

The planned starting price is $34 per user per month. A free plan is also available.

8. AeroLeads

Next on our list of Cognism competitors is AeroLeads. It’s a lead generation tool used by sales and marketing teams to find B2B emails and phone numbers of people and companies across various industries.

AeroLeads is best for small—to medium-sized businesses that prioritize quick growth and need to expand their sales pipeline rapidly with qualified leads.

However, it can become costly. Additional features and more data access are gated behind higher-tier plans.

Features:

• Prospect generation with filters such as job title, location, and industry.
• Contact export to CRM software.
• Email verifier.
• Bulk search.

Price: 

Paid plan starting price is $39 per user per month. The free plan is also available.

9. Apollo.io

Apollo.io is a sales engagement platform that merges lead generation, sales intelligence, and email outreach into one integrated system.

It’s ideal for medium to large businesses that need robust sales engagement tools to handle complex sales and large volumes of leads.

As a Cognism alternative, Apollo is limited by credits, and its wealth of features and options can be overwhelming to new users.

What’s more, because of the credit limits, the cost can increase quickly as you add more advanced features and greater database access.

🔎 Here are some Apollo.io alternatives.

Features:

• Machine learning is used to score leads based on the likelihood of conversion.
• Access to millions of contacts with detailed firmographic data.
• Automated outreach campaigns.

Price:

Paid plan starting price is $49 per user per month. There is a free plan is also available.

10. Lusha

Lusha is a lead generation and contact information platform that provides access to cell phone numbers, email addresses and Salesforce data enrichment.

Lusha is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses that need fast access to contact info for sales or recruiting.

It is especially useful for startups and companies in the tech and digital sectors, where quick and efficient communication is essential.

Pricing can be a concern as it may escalate quickly with increased usage. 

🔎 Check out these Lusha alternatives.

Features:

• Data accuracy and compliance.
• Detailed insights into company roles and structures.
• Bulk data enrichment.
• CRM integration.

Price:

Paid plan starting price is $36 per user per month. The free plan is also available.

“We used to use Lusha, but the feedback from the team was that the data available on Kaspr is much more accurate.”

“The renewal costs for Lusha were double what we were already paying them.”

Lloyd Gordon

CEO of Focus Cloud Group

Tips for choosing a Cognism alternative

Now you know the top Cognism competitors for SMBs and ICs. What should you look out for when choosing a lead generation tool? Let’s break it down into bite-sized pieces:

1. Identify your needs

First things first: what do you really need? Start by assessing your business’s specific requirements.

Are you looking for a tool that excels in data enrichment, or are you more concerned with seamless CRM integrations? Maybe your team thrives on automation to streamline those repetitive tasks.

Pinpointing exactly what you need will guide you in choosing a tool that aligns with your sales strategies.

2. Consider your budget 

Have you found the perfect tool but are worried about the price tag? It’s crucial to balance the features you need with the cost you can afford.

Look for options that offer scalable pricing plans that grow with your business. This means starting with basic features at a lower cost and adding more advanced capabilities as your needs evolve and budgets allow.

Consider the total cost of ownership, including setup, training, and extra fees for integration or data. An ideal tool gives good value for money, directly linking the price paid and the rise in sales.

Transparency in pricing is key — no hidden fees, no surprises!

3. Look at features

When choosing a Cognism alternative, think about what’s important to you. Do you just want to be able to find contact info, or are intent data and outreach features important, too?

The quality of the data should stand out from everything else. Real-time data updates are also essential to keep your strategies fresh and relevant.

Don’t forget about the reporting features. Are they comprehensive enough to provide insights? These insights should drive decisions. Effective tools transform data into actionable strategies that boost your sales pipeline.

4. Think about integration capabilities

The right sales intelligence tool should easily connect with your existing CRM systems, email platforms, social media, and any other tools your sales team relies on. This connectivity ensures that data flows freely between systems, boosting efficiency and cutting the risk of errors from manual data entry.

Look for tools that support API access for custom integrations. This will ensure that you can connect all your tech stack components.

5. Is the tool easy to use?

A user-friendly interface, clear navigation, and logical workflows make a tool accessible for all team members, no matter how tech-savvy they are. Tools that require minimal training mean faster adoption and less downtime.

Also, look for platforms with easy dashboards and visuals. They make it simple to track performance and gain insights at a glance.

A good tool should simplify your processes, not complicate them. Remember, the simpler the tool, the more likely your team will use it effectively.

6. Don’t forget about customer support

Cognism alternatives might support differently, particularly if you’re looking at lower-cost options. Consider what you’d need. You might not have a CSM, but there will be helpful resources like tutorials and community forums to solve immediate problems.

With something that has fewer features, finding your way around is likely to be easier. This is why free trials are important: to gauge the ease of use and reliability. You don’t want a prospecting tool that crashes all the time.

7. Trial and error

Ever bought something that looked great on paper but didn’t quite fit once you got it home? That’s where free trials and demos come into play. They are your best friends in the decision-making process.

Engaging with a tool during a trial period lets you see if it clicks with your team’s workflow and meets your expectations. Make the most of these opportunities to test before you invest.

8. Read reviews and case studies

What better way to gauge a tool’s effectiveness than hearing directly from those who have walked this path before you?

Look for feedback from businesses like yours in terms of size or industry. This can provide invaluable insights into a particular tool’s performance in real-world scenarios.

Success stories can be enlightening, especially those that resonate with your company’s challenges and goals.

Final Cognism competitor recommendation

So, which Cognism alternative should you choose?

If you’re steering a smaller business, consider Kaspr as your go-to.

Why Kaspr?

Well, it’s not just about the simplicity and direct integration with your sales pipeline and workflow, which are big wins on their own. It’s about growing your European pipeline with accurate B2B data. All without a big budget.

Kaspr hits the sweet spot of functionality and ease of use. It is ideal for those who need a practical, simple, and cost-effective solution without all the extra features that larger businesses might need.

👉 Try Kaspr for free today!