Comparison
ZoomInfo dominates North American B2B data. Cognism leads with GDPR-compliant, phone-verified contacts for EMEA. Here is how they compare across data quality, coverage, compliance, and cost.
| Feature | ZoomInfo | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | US (Vancouver, WA) | UK (London) |
| Data Strength | North America depth | EMEA depth with phone verification |
| Direct Dials | Large volume, algorithmically verified | Diamond Data: manually phone-verified |
| GDPR Compliance | Compliant but US-oriented practices | Built for GDPR from the ground up |
| Intent Data | Proprietary Bidstream intent | Bombora partnership |
| Pricing | From ~$14,995/year (3 seats) | Custom, typically $15,000-$25,000+/year |
ZoomInfo is the dominant B2B data platform in North America, offering access to over 260 million professional profiles and 100 million companies. Its SalesOS product provides sales teams with verified contact data, buyer intent signals, technographic intelligence, and workflow automation.
The platform combines web scraping, contributory data networks, and proprietary verification to maintain one of the most comprehensive B2B databases available. ZoomInfo also offers MarketingOS for demand generation and TalentOS for recruiting.
ZoomInfo's strengths lie in its North American data depth, direct-dial accuracy, and breadth of features. Its enterprise pricing model, however, can be a barrier for mid-market companies, and its European data coverage has historically lagged behind specialized providers.
Best for: North American-focused enterprise sales teams that need the largest contact database with best-in-class direct dials
G2 rating: 4.4/5
Pricing: Professional: ~$14,995/year (3 seats). Advanced: ~$24,995/year. Elite: ~$39,995/year. Custom enterprise pricing for larger teams. Annual contracts required.
Cognism is a European-headquartered B2B data provider that has built its reputation on phone-verified mobile numbers and GDPR-compliant data practices. The platform offers access to a global database with particular strength in EMEA markets, where many US-centric providers fall short.
Cognism's flagship differentiator is its Diamond Data — phone numbers that have been manually verified by calling them. This results in a connect rate that is significantly higher than unverified databases. The platform also offers intent data through a Bombora partnership, a Chrome extension, and Salesforce/HubSpot integrations.
Cognism has grown rapidly in the European market and expanded into North America. It is particularly popular with companies selling into EMEA that need compliant, accurate contact data for phone-based outreach.
Best for: Teams selling into European markets that need GDPR-compliant, phone-verified B2B contact data
G2 rating: 4.6/5
Pricing: Custom pricing only — not published publicly. Typically starts around $15,000-$25,000/year depending on team size and data access level. Annual contracts are standard. Diamond Data access may cost extra.
How ZoomInfo and Cognism stack up across key capabilities.
| Feature | ZoomInfo | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Database Size | 260M+ profiles globally | Smaller global database, strong in EMEA |
| Phone Number Accuracy | High volume, algorithmic verification | Diamond Data: 87%+ phone-verified accuracy |
| Email Accuracy | High, with real-time verification | High, with verification on delivery |
| GDPR Compliance | Compliant with DNC list checking | Built-in GDPR compliance and DNC screening |
| Intent Data | Bidstream + 3rd-party intent signals | Bombora intent data integration |
| Technographics | Comprehensive installed tech tracking | Limited technographic data |
| Sales Engagement | Engage add-on for sequences | No native engagement tools |
| Chrome Extension | ReachOut for LinkedIn/web | Chrome extension for LinkedIn |
ZoomInfo and Cognism are both enterprise-priced platforms, though neither publishes transparent pricing. ZoomInfo starts around $14,995/year for three seats on its Professional plan, scaling to $24,995+ for Advanced and $39,995+ for Elite. Large enterprise deals can exceed six figures annually.
Cognism's pricing is custom-quoted and typically falls in the $15,000-$25,000/year range for small teams, with costs increasing based on the number of users and whether Diamond Data (phone-verified numbers) is included. Some teams report Diamond Data adding a significant premium to the base price.
For teams that primarily sell into North America, ZoomInfo generally provides better value due to its deeper US database. For teams selling into EMEA, Cognism often wins on ROI because its verified phone numbers in European markets lead to significantly higher connect rates. Read our detailed breakdowns of ZoomInfo pricing and Cognism pricing.
ZoomInfo and Cognism are both contact data platforms at their core. They help you find the right people to call and email. But knowing who to contact is only half the battle — the other half is knowing what to say.
Neither platform provides deep, real-time intelligence about what is happening inside your target accounts. Reps still need to manually research companies before calls, piecing together information from earnings reports, news articles, and LinkedIn updates.
Neither ZoomInfo nor Cognism synthesizes account intelligence from 1,000+ sources into ready-to-use briefs. Reps spend hours doing manual research that could be automated.
Both platforms tell you who to contact but not what to discuss. Reps lack AI-generated talking points tied to real business events happening at target accounts.
While both offer basic intent data, neither provides continuous monitoring of earnings calls, leadership changes, strategic pivots, or competitive displacement signals.
“All of the vendors that I've worked with, all of the onboarding that I have had to deal with, I will say, hands down, Salesmotion was the easiest that I have had.”
Lyndsay Thomson
Head of Sales Operations, Cytel
Salesmotion gives your reps the account intelligence they need to book more meetings and close bigger deals.
Generally yes. Cognism was built for the European market and offers significantly stronger EMEA data coverage, especially for phone-verified mobile numbers. ZoomInfo has been expanding its European database but Cognism remains the leader in EMEA contact quality.
It depends on the region. Cognism's Diamond Data is manually phone-verified, resulting in 87%+ accuracy for included numbers. ZoomInfo has more phone numbers overall but uses algorithmic verification. For EMEA mobile numbers specifically, Cognism typically outperforms ZoomInfo on connect rates.
ZoomInfo does offer GDPR compliance features and DNC list checking. However, Cognism was purpose-built for GDPR from its founding, with compliance baked into its data collection and processing. Companies with strict European data privacy requirements often prefer Cognism's approach. See ZoomInfo alternatives if compliance is your top priority.
Neither offers a true free plan. Both require custom sales conversations to get pricing. ZoomInfo occasionally offers limited free community access in exchange for contributory data. Cognism offers free trials for qualified prospects but no ongoing free tier.
Salesmotion focuses on account intelligence rather than contact databases. It synthesizes 1,000+ sources into account briefs, monitors real-time buying signals, and generates personalized talking points. Many teams use Salesmotion alongside ZoomInfo or Cognism for a complete prospecting stack. See a demo.
Account intelligence, live signals, and AI-driven outreach — so your team spends less time researching and more time closing.
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