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Comparing Cognism vs Clay

A quick summary of how Cognism compares to Clay:

  • A database of local and global B2B data you can rely on.
  • EMEA, NAM and APAC coverage.
  • Verified mobile numbers in less than 48 hours with Diamond Data®.
  • Quality-driven cell phone numbers in the US (2x more than other providers.)
  • Unrestricted views and individual/page-level exports - subject to a generous fair usage policy. 
  • CCPA & GDPR compliance with broad DNC list checks.
  • 12 intent data topics with up to 100 additional premium topics. 
  •  Easy-to-use interface that requires minimal training.
  • Integrations with Salesforce, Hubspot, MS Dynamics, Pipedrive, Salesloft, Outreach and Zapier on all plans.

In this article, we’ll explain how Cognism compares to Clay so you can make an informed decision when selecting your next sales solution.

👇 Scroll to learn more about Clay pricing, features, user reviews and more!

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Key features of Cognism vs Clay

Cognism

Cognism is well-established and trusted across B2B industries and markets. It aims to give businesses the tools to contact the most relevant people and increase revenue month-on-month.

 It supplies sales, marketing and GTMOps leaders with an accurate global B2B database compliant with GDPR and CCPA data laws. Features include:

  • Accurate and up-to-date global contact database. 
  • Diamond Verified Phone Data®, which arms sales teams with human-validated, factually correct mobile numbers.
  • A mobile phone number coverage leader in the US (2x more than other providers).
  • The most complete data in the EMEA.
  • Intent data powered by Bombora.
  • Unrestricted views and individual and page-level exporting.*
  • Advanced contextual data points and sales trigger alerts.
  • CRM and sales engagement integration tools are included in every package.
*Subject to a generous fair usage policy

Clay

Clay describes itself as a creative tool for growth. It uses a waterfall method to enrich contact and company data by integrating with well-known data providers.

 It advertises four products to help B2B teams scale using AI: 

  • Integrations.
  • Waterfall enrichment.
  • AI Research agent.
  • Personalised messaging.

Alternatively, see other Cognism comparisons👇

“Cognism defeated all the other lead generation providers by a huge amount. Its database had an 80% accuracy rate and the highest coverage of mobile numbers”
80%
data accuracy
Michael-Iannuzzi
Michael Iannuzzi
Director of Marketing & Sales Development @Drift

What’s the difference between Cognism and Clay?

Clay is known for its waterfall method of enriching data. This means the tool can access multiple data sources, which it scrapes to find the data you’re looking for. While access to numerous data providers sounds like a great idea, it does come with compliance concerns. 

Cognism has its own dataset and is a trusted contact data leader with strong phone and email data. Its international dataset is known for completeness in EMEA and excellent accuracy in the US. 

Another difference between Clay and Cognism is the lack of features. Clay does not include intent data or a verification on-demand service. What’s more, Clay uses a credit-based pricing model. 

Cognism includes intent data, exclusive phone-verified Diamond Data® mobiles, an on-demand-verification service, and you get unrestricted access to global data, profile views and page-level exporting*

To summarise:

Cognism
Clay
Packages to suit business size
Cognism
✔️
Clay
✔️
Web app
Cognism
✔️
Clay
✔️
Browser extension
Cognism
✔️
Clay
✔️
Intent data
Cognism
✔️
Clay
Phone-verification/ research on-demand service
Cognism
✔️
Clay
Unrestricted views/ individual and page-level exporting
Cognism
✔️
Clay
Phone-verified mobile numbers
Cognism
✔️
Clay
Do-not-call lists in US and Europe
Cognism
✔️
Clay
US DNC support
Compliance status
Cognism
GDPR & CCPA compliant
Clay
GDPR & CCPA compliant
“We first looked at Cognism to support the European market. The original plan was to use an additional US data provider to supplement Cognism’s data in this region.” “In the evaluation process, we compared Cognism against five other competitors. We naturally expected Cognism’s data not to perform as well as the others, as it is a UK-based company. However, our results showed that the coverage of US mobile data far outperformed the others.”
50%
increase in team performance
Paul-Thomas-Lead-Forensics
Paul Thomas
CEO @Lead Forensics

Cognism vs Clay: Databases

Clay doesn’t have its own database. Instead, it uses a waterfall method to enrich users’ databases by searching across multiple data providers until it finds a match. Some of the data providers it scrapes include:

Its list of providers doesn’t include industry leaders Lusha, ZoomInfo or Cognism.

Cognism is a leading global data provider, with data coverage enhancements occurring regularly. The tool has EU and US research teams, making it an excellent option for anyone looking to find highly targeted global leads, including NAM and APAC.

Quality is of utmost importance to Cognism, which offers phone-verified numbers, the most complete coverage in the EMEA, and next-level mobile number coverage in the United States (2x more than other providers).

Why not get started with Cognism right away?

Here's 25 free leads for you!

Where do Cognism and Clay get their data?

Clay gets data from the following sources:

  • Personal information provided directly to Clay. This includes newsletter subscriptions, job applications, email correspondence, and account sign-ups. 
  • Information from cookies and similar technologies.
  • Third-party sources including data providers, data enrichment providers, and third-party login tools.
  • Web scraping.

Cognism gathers data via its proprietary sources and fills in the gaps from third-party data providers, publicly available sources, manual research and strategic partnerships. 

Cognism ensures up-to-date and accurate B2B data via machine learning processes that check millions of data points daily. A team of in-house researchers verifies the data, ensuring accuracy and compliance. This stringent verification process applies to Cognism’s entire database.

However, Cognism takes data verification to the next level through its exclusive data asset, Diamond Data®.

Diamond Data® comprises phone-verified mobile numbers that make it 3x more likely you’ll connect with your ideal customer. The team phone verifies mobile numbers and includes contacts requested explicitly by customers leveraging the Diamonds-on-Demand® service.

Diamond Data® allows sales teams to connect with 87% of prospecting lists. Companies are seeing a 54% increase in mobile coverage, and ROI is increasing due to 70% of outbound meetings booked from Cognism mobiles. 

Here’s an infographic detailing the difference that calling factually correct, phone-verified mobiles can make 👇

3x
more live conversations
87%
of your list contactable
2x
more mobiles than other providers
9/10
chance of reaching decision-makers
3x
more live conversations
87%
of your list contactable
9/10
chance of reaching decision-makers
2x
more mobiles than other providers
Diamond Data®

More results from fewer calls

Break performance records with Cognism's phone-verified data for 3x connect rates and complete GDPR compliance.

Diamond Data® ensures your team connect with the right people, in their current role, at the correct company.

“Cognism’s Diamond Data is a game-changer because it eradicates the common stumbling block of calling false numbers. On average, 80% of these mobiles are always correct.”
Pierre Bourguignon SDRManager - Cloudreach
Pierre Bourguignon
SDR Manager @Cloudreach
$4.9 million
pipeline from one rep

Comparing the pricing of Clay and Cognism**

Cognism pricing

Cognism’s pricing model was created to overcome the scarcity mindset, allowing teams to prospect into their target accounts without worrying about credits. Its seat plans best suit contributors who:

  • Don’t want to worry about credits and volume.
  • Want to get the best possible data for their target accounts.

Cognism users get unrestricted views and page-level exporting*. This includes emails, mobile numbers, firmographic data, technologies, sales trigger events, etc.

All European and US data is visible from the get-go, allowing users to make informed decisions when exporting data to their systems.

Marketing and RevOps teams that need Cognism for list building and enrichment workflows can also access packages suitable for bulk exporting.

Cognism grants all its users access to the following:

  • The Cognism web app.
  • All available integrations.

In addition to this, users can add intent data and Diamonds-on-Demand® to their package.

Clay pricing

Clay pricing includes five packages - Free, Starter, Explorer, Pro and Enterprise. 

Packages are credit-based, starting at 100 credits with the Free subscription. Credits go up from 2,000 to 50,000 for paid plans, excluding Enterprise, which is custom.

Once credits are used, more will need to be purchased, which creates a scarcity mindset and keeps teams from prospecting efficiently. 

Base packages include access to the following: 

  • Access to data providers.
  • Export to CSV.
  • List management.
  • AI message writing.
  • Up to 100 per people/company search.

Email sequencing, CRM, and API Integrations are only available on higher-tier plans. The same is true for access to custom automation templates, credit reporting analytics, and Slack support.

**Pricing information for Clay and Cognism is dependent on your company’s needs. For accurate pricing, please contact your preferred data provider.

Clay vs Cognism: Usability

Clay reviews mention that it’s a great concept, but there’s a learning curve, and integrations with CRMs and LinkedIn could be easier. There’s a 5,000-connection limit when enriching data, which is reached quickly as you can’t choose to exclude LinkedIn or Facebook.

In comparison, Cognism customers speak highly of the interface, usability and support:

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SalesIntelligence_Leader_UnitedKingdom_Leader

Thinking of switching from Clay?
Learn more about how Cognism helps you have more conversations with the people you WANT to do business with. Book a call with a data expert.

Clay versus Cognism: Compliance

The Clay homepage states that the tool is GDPR and CCPA-compliant with CCPA DNC list support. 

However, due to Clay’s waterfall enrichment method, compliance may not be guaranteed.

Not all data providers are CCPA and GDPR-compliant, and relying on partner-provided data can lead to compliance uncertainties around data origin and regulatory adherence.

Cognism is GDPR and CCPA compliant and scrubs all mobile numbers against:

  • TPS/CTPS lists in the UK.
  • Do-Not-Call lists in the USA, Canada, Australia and European countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Croatia, Portugal, Sweden and more.

If a number is marked as TPS or DNC, it means that the user has opted out of receiving unsolicited phone calls by applying to the national do-not-call registry. 

Cognism allows admins to choose whether to hide or show contacts on DNC lists from reps. Meaning that its customers have complete confidence in the legality of its outreach.

The platform follows these compliance-based actions: 

  • A stringent B2B data verification process. 
  • Ensures all data is legally sourced and of the utmost quality.
  • Provides users with a notified database.
compliance image

Customers like Corporate Traveller praise Cognism for its commitment to compliance:

“Compliance is a major factor when considering how best to access prospect data, and choosing a partner that can combine GDPR conformity, great coverage of the UK market and deliver constantly updated qualified mobile numbers and contact details meant Cognism was the right choice for us.”

Remember, choosing a provider serious about compliance isn’t only about ensuring you don’t incur a hefty fine but also that your teams can prospect confidently. 

Henderson Scott saw the effects of having quality, compliant data when they invested in Cognism: 

“Cognism is our comfort blanket when it comes to compliance.” 

“Whenever a prospect asks where we get their data from, we can confidently say that we’ve sourced their information from a reputable ISO 27001 and SOC Type II certification data company.” 

“With Cognism, you aren’t snowing yourself under with ICO complaints. I couldn’t recommend it enough.”

FAQs about Clay vs Cognism

Clay’s waterfall enrichment aggregates data from various sources, including public databases, social media, and several B2B data providers. The tool then enriches your data based on the most valid match. 

Clay claims that this improves your data coverage and quality. However, a waterfall enrichment method opens companies up to challenges related to cost, data privacy, accuracy, complexity, scalability, data overload, technology dependence, and potential biases. 

Remove the risks and choose a trusted data provider with verified emails and cell numbers. Cognism is a leader in data compliance, coverage, and accuracy. 

👉 See how you can use Cognism data enrichment in this quick on-demand demo.

Cognism is the better choice for businesses looking for a data enrichment and sales automation platform that offers up-to-date, accurate data in an easy-to-use interface.

The quality of its verified mobiles and B2B emails are unmatched by Clay, as are its extensive features and excellent customer service. 

So, if you’re looking for the best tool to help you reach out to potential leads and target customers, Cognism is a winner.

Clay includes numerous integrations with various tools. These include data providers like Apollo and Clearbit. 

There are no MS Dynamics, ZoomInfo or Cognism integrations, and email sequencing, CRM, and API Integrations are only available on higher-tier plans.

Cognism integrates with your teams’ daily tools: Salesforce, Hubspot, MS Dynamics, Pipedrive, Salesloft, Outreach and Zapier.

Even better, Cognism integrations are included across all of its pricing plans.

The cost of Clay is based on five packages: Free, Starter, Explorer, Pro and Enterprise. 

Packages are credit-based, starting at 100 credits with the Free subscription. Credits go up from 2,000 to 50,000 for paid plans, excluding Enterprise, which is custom.

While Clay might appear affordable because it accumulates data providers, some users mention it is far too easy to use up your credits. Once credits are used up, more will need to be purchased, which may result in higher costs. This creates a scarcity mindset and keeps teams from prospecting efficiently.

What’s more, you’ll need to consider the features, compliance, accuracy and coverage of the data you need for your business to determine if the price is really worth it. 

For instance, there’s no intent data product or verification on-demand service like its competitor, Cognism. 

Cognism pricing offers unlimited contact data credits subject to a generous, fair usage policy. It takes data verification to the next level through its exclusive data asset, Diamond Data®, which provides phone-verified mobile number accuracy to help you connect with 87% of your list.

👉Put Cognism to the test! Speak to a data expert for 25 sample leads based on your ICP!

Cognism is a sales intelligence platform that is one of the best Clay alternatives. 

Cognism has been a trusted contact data provider for over eight years, resulting in robust sales intelligence experience and a strong partnership with Bombora that prioritises quality data over quantity. 

This ensures customers connect with the right customers instead of wasting precious time attempting to connect with an extensive database of incorrect numbers and emails.

Yes, Cognism is an excellent alternative when comparing Clay competitors. 

Cognism provides highly accurate and up-to-date contact information that helps sales and marketing teams find the information they need to make fewer calls, contact the most relevant people, and hit quota faster. 

Furthermore, Cognism has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from its users. Many users praise its user-friendly interface, accurate data, and excellent customer service.

How B2B sales and marketing teams use Cognism

Enough about Cognism vs Clay. 

What do actual Cognism customers have to say about the tool? 

Try Cognism, a Clay alternative

Cognism vs Clay - who to choose? 

Cognism is a Clay competitor with the most complete data in the EMEA and next-level mobile coverage in the US. Even better, it’s the only data provider actively phone-verifying mobile numbers, making it an excellent choice for global prospecting.

With Cognism, you get more:

✔️ More mobile numbers that go through to the right contacts. 

✔️ More confidence when prospecting.

✔️ More targeted leads.

✔️ And more incoming revenue.

Start making every month your best month. Book your demo today!