There are dozens of B2B intent data providers on the market. Most sales teams that buy one end up disappointed. According to a 2026 performance marketing report, 87% of B2B teams deal with unreliable intent signals, and only 26% of those signals ever turn into real opportunities. The problem is not intent data itself. It is choosing the wrong provider for how your team actually sells.
TL;DR: Choosing a B2B intent data provider requires understanding the difference between first-party signals (high accuracy, limited scale) and third-party signals (broad reach, variable accuracy). The 55% of B2B marketers who combine both data types outperform those using either alone. Below we break down the 12 best intent data providers for 2026, followed by evaluation criteria that separate signal from noise. Run a proof of concept with your real target accounts before signing an annual contract.
The 12 Best B2B Intent Data Providers for 2026
1. Salesmotion
Salesmotion combines account intelligence with real-time buying signals to surface accounts showing purchase intent. Rather than relying solely on third-party topic data, it aggregates hiring signals, leadership changes, funding events, technology adoption, and news triggers into a single account view. Analytic Partners cut account research from three hours to 15 minutes per account after consolidating their intelligence into Salesmotion, with qualified pipeline growing 40% year over year.
2. Bombora
Bombora operates the largest B2B intent data co-op, aggregating anonymized content consumption behavior from over 4,000 publisher websites. Its Company Surge metric identifies accounts consuming content on specific topics at a rate above their baseline. Bombora's strength is breadth of third-party coverage, making it the go-to for teams that need wide market visibility into which companies are researching a category.
Bombora aggregates anonymized browsing data from its co-op of 4,000+ publisher websites to detect Company Surge intent.
3. 6sense
6sense uses AI and predictive analytics to identify where accounts sit in their buying journey, from awareness through decision. It combines intent signals with firmographic and technographic data to score accounts and recommend engagement timing. Best suited for enterprise ABM teams running coordinated marketing and sales plays across large target account lists.
6sense uses predictive analytics to model buying stages from awareness through decision.
4. Demandbase One
Demandbase unifies first-party and third-party intent signals into an enterprise ABM platform. It tracks account engagement across your website, ads, and content, then layers third-party research behavior on top. The platform is particularly strong for marketing teams running account-based advertising campaigns informed by intent data.
Demandbase One unifies first-party and third-party intent signals for enterprise ABM campaigns.
5. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo provides a comprehensive B2B database with intent signals layered on top of contact and company data. It tracks research behavior across 300,000+ topics using its Streaming Intent feature. ZoomInfo's advantage is combining intent data with one of the largest contact databases available, making it a single-source option for teams that want both prospecting data and intent signals.
ZoomInfo combines intent signals with one of the largest B2B contact databases available.
6. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator surfaces behavioral signals based on LinkedIn activity: profile views, content engagement, job changes, and company growth indicators. Its intent signals are different from traditional third-party data because they come from professional network behavior rather than publisher content consumption. Most useful as a complement to dedicated intent platforms rather than a standalone source.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator surfaces intent signals from professional network behavior and engagement.
7. Cognism
Cognism combines global contact data with compliance-focused intent signals, powered by a Bombora partnership. Its strength is EMEA coverage and GDPR compliance, making it the preferred choice for teams selling into European markets. Contact-level data quality is a differentiator, with phone-verified mobile numbers that improve cold calling connect rates.
Cognism combines compliance-focused intent signals with phone-verified contact data for EMEA markets.
8. G2
G2 provides buyer intent data based on actual purchase research behavior on its software review platform. When a company's employees research your category or competitors on G2, that signal indicates active evaluation. G2 intent is highly actionable because it represents in-market behavior (reading reviews, comparing products) rather than general topic interest.
G2 captures high-accuracy intent from companies actively comparing software on its review platform.
9. TrustRadius
TrustRadius surfaces intent signals from buyer activity on its product review platform, including product page views, feature comparisons, and review engagement. Like G2, these signals represent active purchase evaluation rather than passive content consumption. TrustRadius tends to capture mid-market and enterprise buyer behavior more heavily than SMB.
TrustRadius surfaces intent from in-depth product reviews and feature comparisons by mid-market and enterprise buyers.
10. Apollo.io
Apollo.io combines a B2B contact database with intent signals and built-in sales engagement tools. It tracks buying signals across company news, hiring patterns, and technology changes. Apollo's advantage is its all-in-one approach: you can identify intent, find contacts, and launch outreach sequences from a single platform at a lower price point than assembling separate tools.
Apollo.io combines intent signals, contact data, and sales engagement in a single all-in-one platform.
11. Lusha
Lusha provides real-time contact data enriched with company-level intent data and buying signals. Its browser extension and CRM integrations make it easy to layer intent context onto existing workflows. Lusha is best suited for teams that want accurate contact data with intent signals as a supplementary feature rather than the primary use case.
Lusha enriches contact data with company-level intent signals and integrates directly into CRM workflows.
12. Lead Forensics
Lead Forensics identifies anonymous website visitors at the company level, revealing which organizations visit your site and which pages they engage with. This is first-party intent data in its purest form. The platform is most valuable for companies with significant website traffic that want to identify website visitors and convert them into actionable sales leads.
Lead Forensics identifies anonymous website visitors at the company level to convert traffic into actionable sales leads.
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How to Evaluate Intent Data Providers
Not every provider delivers the same type of intent data. These evaluation criteria separate useful platforms from expensive noise.
Signal Granularity: Account-Level vs. Contact-Level
Most third-party providers deliver intent at the account level. They can tell you that "Acme Corp is researching sales intelligence tools" but not which person at Acme Corp is doing the research. Account-level signals are useful for prioritizing target accounts but require additional work to identify the right contact.
Contact-level intent data identifies the specific individuals showing interest. This is significantly more actionable for sales teams because reps can reach out to the actual researcher rather than guessing who at the account to contact. Fewer providers offer contact-level resolution, and it typically comes at a higher price point.
Data Freshness and Update Frequency
Stale intent data is worse than no intent data because it creates false confidence. A signal from two weeks ago might mean the prospect already chose a competitor.
Evaluate how frequently the provider updates their data. Teams practicing signal-based selling know that daily updates are the minimum standard for actionable intent data. Weekly updates are too slow for competitive sales cycles where the first responder wins up to 50% of opportunities. Some providers offer real-time alerts for high-intent behaviors, which is ideal for Tier 1 signals like pricing page visits or competitor comparison research.
CRM and Workflow Integration
Intent data sitting in a standalone dashboard does not generate pipeline. The data must flow into the systems your team uses daily: CRM, sales engagement platform, and Slack or Teams channels.
Evaluate native integrations. Manual data exports and CSV imports create delays that erode the timeliness advantage intent data is supposed to provide. The best providers push buying signals directly into your CRM as alerts, tasks, or account field updates so reps see them in their normal workflow without toggling between platforms.
Privacy and Compliance
The regulatory landscape has tightened significantly. GDPR, CCPA, and the deprecation of third-party cookies have made data sourcing methods a compliance consideration, not just a feature.
Ask providers how they source their data. Co-op models (where participating publishers share anonymized engagement data) are generally more compliant than cookie-based tracking. Third-party providers should demonstrate clear consent chains and compliance with regulations in every market you sell into.
“We're no longer fishing. We know who the right customers are, and we can qualify them quickly. Salesmotion has had a direct impact on pipeline quality.”
Andrew Giordano
VP of Global Commercial Operations, Analytic Partners
Red Flags When Evaluating Providers
Inflated signal volume. A provider that surfaces 500 "high-intent" accounts per week for a niche product is either defining intent too broadly or generating noise. Quality providers should surface a focused list that your team can realistically act on.
No proof of concept option. Any provider that will not run a test with your real target accounts is hiding data quality issues. Insist on a two to four week proof of concept before signing an annual contract.
Opaque methodology. If a provider cannot clearly explain how they detect intent, what data sources they use, and how they filter noise from genuine signals, their black box is likely producing unreliable output.
Long-term contracts with no performance guarantees. Intent data providers range from affordable ($50-100 per user per month) to enterprise-scale ($20,000-100,000+ per year). At any price point, you should have exit options if the data does not perform.
Key Takeaways
- 87% of B2B teams struggle with unreliable intent signals. Provider selection is the primary differentiator.
- Combine first-party data (high accuracy, limited scale) with third-party data (broad reach, variable accuracy) for the best results.
- Evaluate providers on signal granularity, data freshness, CRM integration, and privacy compliance.
- Run a two to four week proof of concept with your real target accounts before committing to an annual contract.
- Contact-level intent data is significantly more actionable than account-level data for sales teams.
- Intent data compounds in value when integrated into your CRM, sales intelligence platform, and ABM programs.
“We're saving about 6 hours per week per seller on account research alone. That's time they can reinvest in actually selling.”
Derek Rosen
Director, Strategic Accounts, Guild Education
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do B2B intent data providers cost?
Pricing varies dramatically by provider type and scale. Self-serve tools with intent features start at $50-100 per user per month. Dedicated intent data platforms for mid-market teams range from $15,000-30,000 per year. Enterprise ABM platforms with intent capabilities can cost $50,000-100,000+ annually. Evaluate cost against the pipeline value generated during a proof of concept rather than comparing license fees in isolation.
Is first-party or third-party intent data more important?
First-party intent data is more accurate and should carry more weight in your scoring model. But third-party data catches buyers earlier in the research cycle, before they visit your website. Research shows 55% of B2B marketers use both, with 75% weighting first-party more heavily. Start with first-party if you have meaningful website traffic. Add third-party when you need to expand your addressable market or detect in-market accounts that have not discovered you yet.
How quickly does intent data go stale?
Most intent signals lose relevance within one to two weeks. A pricing page visit from last month is not a current buying signal. High-intent signals like competitor comparison research or repeated pricing page visits should trigger outreach within hours, not days. Medium-intent signals like content engagement can support outreach within a few days. Any signal older than two weeks should be treated as background context rather than a trigger for immediate action.
