Buying email lists is one of the most impactful ways of reaching potential customers at scale. However, purchasing them from the wrong providers can damage your brand reputation and affect your email deliverability.
When you decide to buy lists, it’s important to evaluate email service providers and how they might impact business growth.
In this article, we compare the best places that offer email lists for sale. We’ll focus on the aspects that ensure the highest deliverability:
- How they verify data.
- How they comply with global regulations.
- The territories they cover.
Scroll 👇 to review the best B2B email list providers.
1. Cognism
Cognism is an excellent option if you’re looking for a comprehensive marketing and sales intelligence platform.
With it, you can create targeted, compliant email lists for your marketing campaigns. The workflow is simple:
- Login to the Cognism web app.
- Run a search in the Cognism database for company and contact info.
- Use the filters to generate lists of email addresses that match your ICP.
- Export the ready-made email list to your CRM or B2B sales tool.
Aside from prospect emails, did you know that Cognism offers:
- B2B’s largest database of mobile numbers.
- AI Search - simply type (or speak!) who you’re looking for into the search bar, and we’ll give you results in seconds.
See how Cognism creates B2B contact lists - watch this interactive demo 👇
Here’s why 3,000+ companies buy email lists from Cognism:
- Access to validated B2B emails in NAM, EMEA, and APAC.
- An AI Search functionality that builds relevant lead lists lightning-fast.
- Fully complies with global data laws, including GDPR and CCPA compliance.
- Offers international coverage, including the best B2B data in EMEA.
- Integrates with leading sales and marketing tools, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Outreach, and Salesloft.
- Includes consent-based intent data powered by industry leader Bombora.
- Includes sales triggers and firmographic and technographic data.
- Includes unrestricted access to person and company-level data. With Cognism, you never need to worry about credit limits, geographical limits or other data access restrictions.
Cognism pricing:
- Cognism offers bespoke pricing packages personalised to your business needs and workflows.
- It charges a flat platform access fee that covers data maintenance, set-up, onboarding, and 24-7 live chat support.
- All users get unrestricted access to Cognism’s data (subject to fair use policy).
- Integrations are included in every package.
- Contact Cognism for a quote.
Here’s why customers buy email lists from Cognism:
Elaine Fullarton, Marketing Principal at Tharsus:
2. Kaspr
Kaspr is an email list-building tool and part of the Cognism Group.
Whereas Cognism is for large organisations and sales teams, Kaspr is best for individual contributors, including reps, recruiters and founders.
It offers an intuitive Chrome Extension that allows users to surface emails from LinkedIn profiles.
See how Kaspr works - watch this interactive demo 👇
Key features
- Instantly reveals verified contact info from LinkedIn profiles, including phone numbers, email addresses, and company information.
- Integrates with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Lemlist, Salesforce, and more.
- Supplies email list data that’s GDPR and CCPA aligned.
Pricing
- Kaspr offers free and paid pricing plans.
- Monthly subscriptions start at 45€ per user, per month.
- All plans offer unlimited B2B email credits.
- Sign up for free here.
💡 See how Cognism compares to Kaspr.
3. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo is a market-leading email list provider. Many B2B companies use it as a one-stop shop for purchasing email lists for their account-based marketing campaigns.
According to findings from a CB Insights survey, some customers voiced dissatisfaction with ZoomInfo’s lack of core product innovation, particularly its contact data quality.
Key features
- Offers advanced search features and filters to help users identify potential leads.
- Intent data provider - allows users to select search queries and receive updates on companies searching for a solution.
- Tracks key contacts for job changes and notifies users when a contact starts a new job or role.
Pricing
ZoomInfo’s pricing depends on the package/product suite you need - Sales, Marketing, or Talent. It bases its pricing on licences and credit usage, along with desired features.
You’ll have to contact the company for a quote.
💡 See how Cognism compares to ZoomInfo.
4. Lead411
Lead411 is another B2B email list provider that lets users buy and build lists for marketing and sales. It offers verified mobile phone, email and company data.
Some G2 users have called Lead411 out for incomplete or inaccurate data.
Key features
- Helps users find prospect details while browsing LinkedIn profiles.
- Helps users find out what topics, industries, and content their ideal customers are interested in.
- Tracks key events like new locations, IPOs, and hiring.
Pricing
Plans start at $99 per user, per month. It also offers a 7-day free trial.
💡 See how Cognism compares to Lead411.
5. Lusha
Lusha is a B2B data provider and lead generation tool. Sales and marketing professionals use it to find details like phone numbers, email addresses, and social media profiles.
Some G2 users say Lusha’s data quality could be better.
Key features
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Provides detailed contact information, including full name, job title, company name, and more.
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Offers advanced search filters to help users build precise contact lists.
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Provides ideal customer profile insights based on past searches.
Pricing
Lusha’s pricing starts at $36 per user, per month. It offers a free plan with limited features.
💡 See how Cognism compares to Lusha.
6. Hunter.io
Hunter.io is an email outreach and verification tool that helps businesses connect with ideal customers and partners. It offers a variety of features, including verified data for emails, a Chrome extension, and bulk email management.
Some G2 users have expressed reservations about Hunter’s data accuracy.
Key features
- Lets users find email addresses by entering a domain name or typing in a name.
- Verifies emails, including individual emails and entire lists.
- Provides access to free cold email templates.
Pricing
Paid plans start at £28 per user, per month (if billed annually). Hunter.io offers a free version with limited features.
💡 See a list of the top Hunter.io competitors.
7. Apollo.io
Apollo.io is a notable provider of list-building features. Its cloud-based platform helps businesses find and engage with potential customers.
Some G2 users have said that Apollo’s emails and numbers are outdated.
Key features
- Offers a B2B contact database containing over 200 million contacts and 60 million companies.
- Provides customisable sequences for email, LinkedIn, and cold calls.
- Monitors open rates, click-through rates, and other key metrics.
Pricing
Apollo.io’s pricing plans start at $49 per user, per month. It offers a free plan with a credit limit of 10,000 credits per user, per month.
💡 See how Cognism compares to Apollo.
Is it legal to purchase email lists?
Buying email marketing lists is legal if you acquire them from a compliant source. Cognism is one such source; the company prides itself on its data compliance.
Adhering to privacy regulations requires email list providers to implement certain mechanisms to collect, process, and share data.
Cognism is a GDPR-compliant service that offers only business emails. The company holds ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certificates and is SOC2 type II attested.
Failing to adhere to compliance laws may result in hefty fines and damage your company’s reputation.
That’s why you must work with a compliant data partner!
Where can I purchase an email list?
You can buy email lists from various places but it’s best to choose a provider that offers targeted lists and ensures the emails are correct.
Always focus on quality - the list’s quality is the most important factor, not its length.
How much does it cost to buy a list of emails?
The cost of buying a list of email addresses can vary significantly. How much you might pay depends on several factors, such as the list’s quality, its source, your target audience, and the number of contacts.
Here’s a general breakdown of what you might expect:
- Price per contact: On average, email lists can cost between $0.10 to $1 per contact. High-quality lists with highly targeted or qualified leads (e.g., C-level executives or niche industries) can cost more, ranging from $1 to $5 per contact.
- List size: A typical email list can range from a few hundred to several thousand contacts. Depending on the factors mentioned above, a list of 10,000 emails might cost anywhere from $500 to $10,000.
- Data quality: Reputable providers that offer verified, up-to-date information (like Cognism!) tend to charge more. But as mentioned, when it comes to email lists, quality matters most, not quantity. High-quality lists include additional data points, such as job titles, industry, company size, and location.
- Source: Buying lists from established vendors like Cognism will likely cost more than buying them from less reputable or bulk list providers. The upshot is that Cognism and its competitors offer more reliable and frequently updated data.
- Licensing or subscription: Some providers offer access to their data on a subscription basis, which may include regular updates or access to new leads. Subscription models can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars per month. See how much Cognism costs.
What are the benefits of purchasing email lists?
If you’re still unsure about buying email data from a reliable source, here are a few reasons that will convince you:
Wide pool of contacts
Most established B2B email providers offer B2B email lists that you won’t ever find online.
They use different techniques, often relying on complex algorithms, to enrich contact information with unique data points.
Better accuracy
Email list providers often have multi-step processes controlling email quality.
As a result, you get ready-to-use data for effective outreach with just a few clicks.
Save time and money
When you manually collect business email data, you waste time and resources.
Imagine the time you could save by automating the list-building process! For sales teams, that’s hours saved for more vital tasks, such as outreaching to prospects and closing deals.
Accelerate go-to-market execution
By buying verified business email lists in your target market, you can quickly get traction with new customers anywhere you want to expand your business.
What should I look for when buying email lists?
To ensure you purchase a high-quality B2B email list, simply follow this checklist:
- Compliance - make sure that the marketing emails you buy comply with all applicable privacy regulations. It’s best if your data partner is ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certified, is SOC2 type II attested and complies with a European must-have - GDPR compliance.
- User reviews - filter through the most popular review sites such as G2, Trustpilot, or Capterra to check if the business selling email lists is trustworthy. Looking at negative reviews gives you a rough idea of the main issues you might encounter while using the service.
- Email quality - check how the provider manages data quality and how often it updates its data. Always ask them about the standards they apply to ensure the email address lists they sell are up-to-date, verified, and accurate.
- Pricing - price and quality often go in pairs; therefore, don’t go for the cheapest email data list. Most trustworthy providers offer access to business data in a subscription model, and you can easily make a background check on them online.
- Ease of use - your team needs a modern and intuitive interface to work effectively. Instead of going for a complex email list-building tool, choose one that’s user-friendly and easy to adopt.
- Integrations - make sure the purchased email lists integrate with your CRM and other sales tools. Otherwise, you’ll spend hours on manual exports and imports which might not be formatted correctly.
- Additional features - what other features does the tool have? These could include intent data and sales triggers to prioritise contacts on your list.
- Filtering options - check that the platform has advanced filtering features; these will help you reach the right accounts and decision-makers.
What are the red flags for purchasing lists of email addresses?
How can you be sure that the email list you purchase is accurate and compliant?
Here are some red flags that should alarm you. If you see any of them, you may be dealing with an untrustworthy email list provider.
- Making low prices their main USP - selling cheap email lists or holding time-sensitive discounts to make you buy now is a serious red flag. The email lists these services sell are most likely acquired from suspicious sources and won’t be accurate (price usually reflects the quality).
- No segmentation - if you can’t buy targeted email lists with filters, expect low-quality data and prospects who won’t engage with your messaging. You won’t be able to use even the most basic personalisation.
- Untrusted sources - be wary of lists sold by unknown or untrusted sources. There’s no guarantee that the email leads list is valid or that the prospects on it have given permission for their information to be shared.
- Unverified or outdated emails - Some email lists you buy may include old or invalid email addresses. Using these addresses will damage your email deliverability and reputation. You want to work with a provider that guarantees fresh, accurate, up-to-date email data.
- Lack of legal compliance - Buying lead email lists can violate anti-spam laws such as the CAN-SPAM Act in the US or the GDPR in the EU. You must verify if the provider obtains emails legally and ethically.
Where not to buy email lists?
Buying cheap email lists online may seem like an easy option, but working with a bad B2B data source will only damage your reputation and deliverability. Your business will suffer if you go down this road!
Always conduct due diligence, compare the leading tools and choose a reputable provider you can trust.
What’s the best place to buy email lists in the US and Europe?
Cognism is one of the best places to generate and buy email lists in the USA and Europe. We give you unrestricted access to contact and company-level data, allowing you to create B2B email and phone number lists with ease.
Cognism is the choice for you if:
- You work in B2B - our data isn’t for B2C businesses.
- You work in a sales, marketing or RevOps team - our data isn’t for sole traders.
- You want to connect with other businesses - our data can’t help you connect with freelancers.
- You want to target EMEA, DACH or the USA - our data is best in these regions.
- You’re concerned about compliance - we’re a fully compliant B2B email database.
