Comparing Pearlfinders vs Cognism in 2025

Are you looking for a way to generate leads without the drama?

Perhaps you want to supplement and enrich the database you’ve built with your existing provider.

Or maybe you’re looking to enter a new market.

Pearlfinders is a decent option, but Cognism might fit your business better.

Like Pearlfinders, Cognism is a sales intelligence platform that helps B2B businesses drive growth with access to GDPR-compliant contact data. It offers a convenient Chrome extension and beats the scarcity mindset with unrestricted data views*.

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

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

Cognism

Cognism aims to give businesses the tools they need to contact the most relevant people and increase revenue month-on-month.

It supplies sales, marketing, RevOps and GTM 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 phone-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 generous fair usage policy

See what you can do with Cognism

B2B sales

How to find and reach decision-makers in target accounts

B2B marketing

How to enrich and connect with inbound leads faster

B2B marketing

How to find & target newly appointed decision makers

View all Product Tours

What’s the difference between Pearlfinders and Cognism?

When comparing Pearlfinders to Cognism, consider the features, data coverage, compliance, and data qualify each tool offers.

For instance:

Cognism is transparent about its credit offering in that it offers unrestricted data views on page level/individual exports*. This lessens the need for more credits. Pearlfinders does not disclose how access to their contact data works.

What’s more, Cognism offers features Pearlfinders does not, including:

GDPR and CCPA compliance.
Database checked and cleaned against global DNC lists.
Exclusive on-demand verified mobile data set Diamond Data®.
Phone-verified mobile number accuracy to help you connect with 87% of your list.
Intent data by Bombora.
Integrations with popular sales tools and CRMs.

To summarise:

Packages to suit business size

Cognism

✔️

Pearlfinders

Custom pricing

Web app

Cognism

✔️

Pearlfinders

✔️

Browser extension

Cognism

✔️

Pearlfinders

❌

Intent data

Cognism

✔️

Pearlfinders

❌

Phone-verification/ research on-demand service

Cognism

✔️

Pearlfinders

❌

Do-not-call lists in US and Europe

Cognism

✔️

Pearlfinders

❌

Unrestricted views/ individual and page-level exporting

Cognism

✔️

Pearlfinders

❌

Phone-verified mobile numbers

Cognism

✔️

Pearlfinders

❌

Compliance status

Cognism

GDPR & CCPA compliant

Pearlfinders

GDPR compliant

Cognism vs Pearlfinders: Databases

Pearlfinders does not stipulate where its data coverage lies. However, the homepage refers to the tool as ‘the UK’s most accurate and comprehensive contact database.’ Moreover, Nielsen provides its media spend data, and Dun & Bradstreet provides its financial data.

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 (2x more than other providers).

Where do Cognism and Pearlfinders get their data?

According to the Pearlfinders Privacy & Cookies Policy, the tool may collect personal information in the following ways:

Directly (e.g. in a face-to-face meeting, phone call or videoconference).
Email (e.g. in negotiation with the sales team).
Desk research (in this case, only publicly-available personal information is processed - e.g. it finds and stores information that users have posted on LinkedIn).
Post (e.g. data sent to Pearlfinders by post).

The policy states that all data collected and processed by Pearlfinders is ‘corporate’ or ‘business to business’ data. However, it then states that Pearlfinders will make its users’ personal data available to clients and personal brand data available to third parties.

Regarding verification, Pearlfinders does not offer a verification service, but it has a process in place to clean data on a rolling cycle with the help of third-party specialist software providers and suppliers.

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. An in-house team of researchers verify 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 specifically requested by customers leveraging the Diamonds-on-Demand® service.

Diamond Data® gives sales teams the ability to connect with 87% of prospecting lists. With companies seeing a 54% increase in mobile coverage and a outstanding ROI 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 👇

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 have access to packages that are suitable for bulk exporting.

Cognism grants all its users access to the following:

The Cognism web app.
The Cognism Browser Extension.
All available integrations.

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

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

Pearlfinders versus Cognism: Compliance

Pearlfinders is GDPR compliant, and its numbers are CTPS screened. There is no mention of it being CCPA compliant or aligned on its website or privacy policy.

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.

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.”

What is the best Pearlfinders alternative?

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

The quality of its verified mobiles and B2B emails is unmatched by Pearlfinders, 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 the clear winner.

Is Cognism a good alternative to Pearlfinders?

Yes, Cognism is an excellent alternative when comparing Pearlfinders 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. In particular, many users praise its user-friendly interface, accurate data and excellent customer service.

Whatis the price of Pearlfinders sales intelligence?

Pearlfinders does not advertise its pricing information. However, SaaSworthy claims pricing is customised and quotation-based.

Is Pearlfinders a good option for global prospecting?

Pearlfinders is a UK-based data provider like Cognism. However, it does not advertise global data.

Cognism, on the other hand, has an extensive global database including EMEA, NAM, APAC and the US.

Is Pearlfinders GDPR compliant?

Yes, Pearlfinders is GDPR compliant and numbers are CTPS screened. However, be aware that its T's & C’s state that Pearlfinders will make its users’ personal data available to clients and personal brand data available to third parties.

If you are looking for a data provider that will give you peace of mind, consider Cognism. Cognism is GDPR and CCPA-compliant and filters all mobiles against DNC lists across 12 countries.

Every company needs the right foundations to build and scale. I’d recommend Cognism to any business that doesn't have data because this is the ammunition to building the right foundations to grow your business.

Fresh Relevance

Ellie Emerson, Head of Sales

Read Full Case Study

The sales managers used to make 100-150 calls per day. Now they can achieve their targets by making 30 calls per day because they are calling prospects who actually pick up the phone. That’s more results, less calls.

Ultima

George McKenna, Head of Cloud Sales

8

saw ROI in 8 weeks

70%

achieved target with 70% fewer calls

Read Full Case Study

Cognism leads the way for any company looking to grow their sales and increase the number of conversations they have with decision-makers. I’d recommend Cognism to any business that wants to expand within European and APAC markets

Gradfuel

Elliot Mitchell, CEO

60%

increase in the number of reps hitting target

3x

sales in 6 months

Read Full Case Study

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 because the information is accessible at the click of a button.

Promon

Beatriz Bastos, BDR

33%

of new business meetings in Southern Europe booked through Cognism

10 hrs/week

saved on admin

Read Full Case Study

Try Cognism, a Pearlfinders alternative

Cognism vs Pearlfinders - who to choose?

Cognism is a Pearlfinders competitor with the most complete data in the EMEA and a leader when it comes to mobile coverage in the US. Even better, it’s the only data provider actively phone-verifying mobile numbers, making it a great 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!