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Cognism vs LinkedIn Sales Navigator 

A quick summary of why Cognism wins compared to LinkedIn Sales Navigator:

01
Leading European B2B database

Propel revenue growth with the most comprehensive European data set. Use it at no extra cost, to identify senior-level contacts in new or existing target markets. 

02
Phone-verified mobile numbers

Cognism has Diamond Data®, which arms sales teams with phone-verified mobile numbers. With it, you can start meaningful conversations with key decision-makers.

03
Unrestricted views

Cognism’s pricing model was created to overcome the scarcity mindset, allowing teams to prospect into their target accounts without worrying about credits. Users have access to unrestricted views and individual and page-level exporting.*

Fresh, high-quality contact data you can trust? Book a demo and test our data!

In this article, we’ll explain how Cognism compares to Sales Navigator so you can make an informed decision when selecting your next prospecting solution.👇 Scroll to learn more about LinkedIn Sales Navigator pricing, features, reviews and more!

What’s the difference between LinkedIn Sales Nav and Cognism?

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a good tool if you’re looking for prospects who are registered on LinkedIn. The tool helps teams find and connect with decision-makers in their ICP and provides emails and phone numbers if they have been made public on the platform. 

This is different to Cognism, which is a sales intelligence solution and data provider. Cognism provides teams with cell phone numbers, direct dials and emails across the US, EMEA, NAM and APAC. Its browser extension works across all corporate websites, including LinkedIn.

Even better, its phone-verified mobile number accuracy helps you connect with 87% of your list while LinkedIn has to rely on the data input by users, which, according to Sales Navigator reviews, can often lead to data inaccuracy and frustration. 

To summarise:

Cognism
LinkedIn Sales Nav
Best for
Cognism
Larger sales, marketing, RevOps and GTMOps teams looking to drive customer revenue growth in Europe.
LinkedIn Sales Nav
Recruiters looking for new talent & network focused prospecting.
Pricing
Cognism
Unrestricted views/ individual and page-level exporting on all packages.*
LinkedIn Sales Nav
Not available publicly.
Integrations
Cognism
Salesforce, HubSpot, MS Dynamics, Pipedrive, Salesloft, Outreach & Zapier.
LinkedIn Sales Nav
Oracle, Bullhorn, Greenhouse, Zoho & other talent CRMs.
Compliance status
Cognism
GDPR & CCPA compliant, SOC 2 accreditations, TPS & DNC screening across 13 countries, B2B data only & notified database.
LinkedIn Sales Nav
CCPA & GDPR compliant & notified database.
Browser extension
Cognism
Compatible with LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Recruiter, Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and company domains.
LinkedIn Sales Nav
Works across LinkedIn.
Intent data
Cognism
Bombora intent data (14k topics.)
LinkedIn Sales Nav
Intent signals based on users interactions across LinkedIn.
Phone-verification/ research on-demand service
Cognism
Exclusive phone-verified Diamond Data mobiles & on-demand-verification service.
LinkedIn Sales Nav
Not available.

Alternatively, see other Cognism comparisons👇

Key features of Cognism vs LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Cognism

Cognism equips teams with everything they need to exceed quota month-on-month. It focuses on supplying reliable B2B data to sales, marketing and RevOps leaders. 

Features include:

  • nternational data coverage: EMEA, NAM, APAC. 
  • Exclusive on-demand verified cell phone and email data set Diamond Data®.
  • 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.
  • Find prospects using ChatGPT-style textual or voice prompts with Cognism AI Search.
*Subject to a generous fair usage policy

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a prospecting tool for building prospect lists on LinkedIn. It has one of the largest professional databases for recruiters and SDRs.

Users can research prospects and companies in their target markets and send them InMails. But it shouldn't be confused with a data vendor.

Features include:

  • Advanced search filters: job title, company size, location, and industry.
  • Personalised lead recommendations based on a user’s search history and LinkedIn activity.
  • InMail messaging to reach prospects outside your network.
  • Buyer interest alerts. 
  • Buyer intent capabilities.
  • CRM integrations.

Why not get started with Cognism right away?

Here's 25 free leads for you!

Cognism vs LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Databases

LinkedIn Sales Navigator allows users to tap into it's 1+ billion global user network.

It's a great tool to use with a sales intelligence solution like Cognism because where there’s no user data, Cognism can fill in the blanks. 

For example, Moonhub uses Sales Navigator in tandem with Cognism:

“We use the Cognism Extension in tandem with LinkedIn Sales Navigator."

"We build the lists in Sales Nav, generate the contact details in the Cognism Extension and sync these to Salesloft sequences. Then the data is routed to HubSpot via the integration."

"I love the Cognism Extension because I don’t have to spend hours trudging through LinkedIn looking for email addresses. The information is accessible in one click.”

Your next best customer - Mobile

Cognism’s dataset offers the most complete coverage in the EMEA. The tool has EU and US research teams, making it a great option for anyone looking to find highly-targeted global leads, including NAM and APAC.

Quality is of utmost importance to Cognism, with phone-verified numbers, the most complete data in Europe and next-level mobile number coverage in the United States.

Where does Cognism get it's data? 

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 high-quality B2B data via machine learning processes that check millions of data points daily. A team of in-house researchers verifies the data, ensuring quality 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 three times more likely that you’ll connect with your ideal customer. The team phone verifies mobile numbers and includes contacts specifically requested 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 between Cognism’s mobile numbers and standard mobile numbers👇

Diamond Data Landing Page graphic updated-19

* The study was conducted by an independent organisation calling 1,000 contacts’ mobiles.

Thinking of switching from Sales Nav?
Learn more about how Cognism helps you have more conversations with the decision-makers you WANT to do business with. Book a call with a data expert.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator versus Cognism: Compliance

Sales Navigator is CCPA & GDPR compliant. The tool also holds a number of  ISO certifications.

However, some companies like Formation Tech made the switch from Sales Nav to Cognism because of the personal emails included with Sales Navigator.

Personal emails require additional levels of consent and compliance obligations. They said:

"We used another provider, but it was not replenished or in real-time. We worked with LinkedIn Sales Navigator but found the emails were often personal addresses and, therefore, non-compliant. There was obviously a real issue with data accuracy.”

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.”

LinkedIn Sales Navigator vs Cognism: Usability & integrations

LinkedIn Sales Navigator reviews mention that the tool syncs easily with most tools. Its ease of use is praised and users find there’s no learning curve when implementing for the first time. 

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

Ferenc-Lorincz-g2-review
Ferenc L.

“The best about this tool is that 70-80% of the time the data is accurate and with the extension it's super easy to use it. In fact, I'm using it every day. It has all the features you need, almost like other CRM tools that give you the ease of prospecting.”

Posted on
G2
jonathan-bradley-g2-review
Jonathan B.

“The platform is very easy to use and rich in functionality. No data platform is perfect, but my team trust the data in Cognism, which is a big plus. The integration just works, and the chrome extension for LinkedIn contacts is a huge time saver! ”

Posted on
G2
andrei g
Andrei G.

“The GDPR-compliant and accurate data Cognism provides for us really helps shorten our sales cycles and allows us to get B2B data at the click of a button for whoever we would like to contact.”

Posted on
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Quality data & 75% faster prospecting? 

Connect with top decision-makers and speed up prospecting with Cognism’s AI search.

Comparing the pricing of Sales Navigator 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 individual contributors who:

  • Don’t want to worry about credits and volume.
  • Do 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.
  • The Cognism Chrome Extension.
  • All available integrations.

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

LinkedIn Sales Navigator pricing

LinkedIn Sales Navigator pricing includes three packages - Core, Advanced and Advanced Plus. 

Each package includes: 

  • Extended network access for saved searches and profile view tracking.
  • InMail reach out.
  • Advanced search, relationship builder, buyer persona segmentation, etc. 
  • Lead/account tracking.
  • Sales tool integrations.
  • Relationship map, saved leads/accounts, custom lists, alerts, etc. 

TeamLink, SmartLink, reporting, advanced CRM integrations, Enterprise tools and Premium Business access all come with higher-tier packages. 

**Pricing information for LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Cognism is dependent on your company's needs. For accurate pricing, please contact your preferred data provider.

FAQs about LinkedIn Sales Navigator vs Cognism

Cognism is one of the best LinkedIn Sales Navigator alternatives. Cognism provides teams with cell phone numbers, direct dials and emails across the US, EMEA, NAM and APAC. Its browser extension works across all corporate websites, including LinkedIn.

Sales Navigator does not include B2B contact data, making Cognism the better choice for businesses looking for a sales intelligence platform that offers high-quality, reliable B2B data in an easy-to-use interface. 

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

Yes, Cognism is an excellent alternative when comparing Sales Nav competitors. 

Cognism provides high-quality and up-to-date contact information that helps RevOps leaders 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 praise its user-friendly interface, accurate data, and excellent customer service.

Sales Navigator’s Buyer Intent offers sellers valuable insights on accounts demonstrating intent based on actions taken across LinkedIn. 

Industry leader Bombora has partnered with Cognism to provide users with consent-based intent data. It’s collected from a cooperative of 5,000 B2B sites, where B2B buyers actively research a topic when they’re ready to make a purchase. 

  • It considers the historical baseline or typical content consumption when calculating intent.
  • It considers the context and the length of each interaction.
  • Bombora’s dataset is 70% exclusive.

Combining Bombora’s buyer intent with Cognism’s contact data allows you to find, prioritise, and connect the right prospects at the right time. This shortens the sales cycle, improves targeting, and creates a more relevant buyer journey.

Yes, you can! 

A number of companies use LinkedIn Sales Navigator in tandem with Cognism. Here’s how Centelli does it:

“We use the Chrome Extension to double-check the accuracy of the data and also see how our prospect is moving around the company. Have they left the company?  Are they still in a relevant position for what we’re trying to do? We also like that we can easily import the leads from Sales Navigator into Cognism. The integration and capabilities within the platform have been great for us.”

Or you can choose to use these tools together like Lee does at a global SaaS company:

“I spend much of my day prospecting in LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Targeting businesses that have a $50 million revenue or above is a vital sales qualification criteria for us. In LinkedIn Sales Nav, you can filter and search accounts based on revenue.” 

“Once I’ve found the most relevant contacts that match our criteria, I’ll then use Cognism’s Chrome Extension to acquire the contact details.” 

“I no longer have to individually type lead details one by one into Salesforce. Now, I can import contacts directly to Salesforce and Outreach from the Chrome Extension, removing the bottleneck of manually doing it myself.”

See how you can use Cognism to enrich Sales Nav records in this quick on-demand demo.

How B2B revenue teams use Cognism

Enough about Cognism vs Sales Navigator. 

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

180%
increase in outreach in 6 months
500%
increase in opportunity generation

“Cognism is our EMEA B2B data provider of choice.”

Read the full case study
Gary Rosier-Taylor
VP of Sales EMEA @Localz
30%
increase in conversion rates
50%
worse performance if Cognism is removed from SDR workflow

“If you are looking for one B2B data provider to power the UK, Europe and North America. Cognism’s got you covered.”

Read the full case study
Paul Thomas
CEO @Lead Forensics
33%
of new business meetings in Southern Europe booked through Cognism
10 hrs/week
saved on admin

“I use the Chrome Extension everyday and I love it! As soon as I’m on LinkedIn, the extension pops up and provides contact information. I don’t need to spend hours looking for email addresses and mobile numbers”

Read the full case study
Beatriz Bastos
BDR @Promon

Try Cognism, a Sales Navigator alternative

Cognism vs LinkedIn Sales Navigator - who to choose? 

Cognism is a LinkedIn Sales Navigator 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. Test the data by getting 25 free leads today!