Cognism vs ZoomInfo
Here are three reasons why Cognism wins:
Global B2B database at no extra cost
Accelerate your revenue growth with the most comprehensive European data set available - At no extra cost! Use it to pinpoint senior-level contacts in new and established target markets.
AI-powered intelligence for every user
Sales Companion is personalised for your sales experience so you can see the data that matters most to you. It helps prioritise your time, with leads and insights tailored to your target territories.
Simple & predictable pricing
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.*
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This page will explain how Cognism compares to ZoomInfo so you can make an informed decision when selecting your next data provider. 👇 Scroll to learn about ZoomInfo pricing, features, user reviews and more!
What's on this page
What’s the difference between ZoomInfo and Cognism?
ZoomInfo is a well-known vendor in go-to-market intelligence. Through acquiring competitors, it consolidates tech solutions needed to integrate different steps of the sales process into a single platform. But prospective buyers notice ZoomInfo’s “core product has stood still”.
Cognism invests in innovating its sales intelligence platform and improving prospecting data to stay relevant for our customers. Most notably, Sales Companion, which streamlines sales processes, improves team productivity and drives predictable revenue growth.
“At Cognism, we want to assure our clients that they can target their prospects in confidence, leaving compliance and data accuracy to us.”
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Cognism vs ZoomInfo:
Alternatively, see other Cognism comparisons👇
Key features of Cognism vs ZoomInfo
Cognism
Cognism equips teams with everything they need to exceed quota month-on-month. It focuses on supplying accurate global B2B data that comply with international data laws. Features include:
- Sales Companion for personalised access to in-depth account data to ensure fresh and fast outreach.
- Phone-verified cell phone numbers to help you connect with 87% of your list.
- Exclusive on-demand verified cell phone and email data set Diamond Data®.
- Unrestricted access to person and company-level data*.
- Instant and scheduled CRM enrichment and on-demand CSV enrichment.
- Intent data by Bombora.
- International coverage: EMEA, NAM, APAC.
- Easy platform setup.
- Integrations with CRMs and sales engagement tools.
- Focus on quality GDPR and CCPA-compliant data.
- Database checked and cleaned against global DNC lists.
- Find prospects using ChatGPT-style textual or voice prompts with Cognism AI Search.
- Fast and friendly support team.
*Subject to a generous fair usage policy
ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo offers a suite of business tools to help teams prospect, find talent or increase ROI. These tools are called:
- SalesOS.
-
MarketingOS.
- TalentOS.
ZoomInfo features include:
- Copilot
- ZoomInfo Chrome Extension, engagement apps and integrations
- Management of display advertising, website chat and forms.
- Company insights and buying intent signals.
- Sourcing intelligence with candidate alerts and company scoops.
Alternatively, learn how ZoomInfo compares to:
From ZoomInfo to Cognism
“Cognism blew ZI out of the water. Cognism’s match rate was 98% vs. 72% by ZoomInfo, and we found that Cognism returned a ton more phone numbers.”
“When we called them to verify the numbers, the call connect rate was 22% with Cognism and 14% with ZoomInfo.”
"Approximately 4,000 leads each month are enriched by our SDR team using Cognism’s database."
"Cognism has demonstrated high usage and product adoption across the sales organisation in the initial 30 days."
Cognism vs ZoomInfo: Databases & Data Coverage

Cognism focuses on data quality, accuracy and compliance (CCPA & GDPR). It has excellent coverage in the US and is a leader in providing EMEA contact data:
- 2x more cell phone numbers than other providers.
- Phone-verified cell phone numbers (Diamond Data®).
- Verified B2B emails.
Cognism gathers B2B data via its proprietary sources and fills in gaps from third-party data providers, publicly available sources, manual research and strategic partnerships. Cognism processes millions of data points daily to build and maintain its Person and Company profiles and ensure its records are up to date.
Like Cognism, ZoomInfo has robust data-checking processes to ensure accuracy. ZoomInfo labels contact profiles in its database with a confidence score; this denotes the quality of information available.
ZoomInfo also has a network of voluntary contributors through ZoomInfo Community Edition. Its users agree to share their business contacts to help ZoomInfo keep its platform updated in exchange for limited access to ZoomInfo.
When it comes to coverage, Cognism has a leading European database, while ZoomInfo offers Global Data Passports (Global, Europe, North America Plus) at an extra cost.
Why not get started with Cognism right away?
Here’s 25 free leads for you!
Intent data: Cognism or ZoomInfo?
Intent data is behavioural data that shows when an account is interested in buying. ZoomInfo and Cognism provide it from two different sources.
ZoomInfo gathers intent data from various sources and uses proprietary machine-learning technology to determine buying signals. It’s believed ZoomInfo relies on bidstream data. It is available within the ZoomInfo Powered by DiscoverOrg platform.
Bombora, an industry leader, powers Cognism’s intent data, which you can access directly via the Web App and Browser Extension.
By combining Bombora’s buyer intent signals with Cognism’s contact data, users can find, prioritise, and connect with prospects who are searching for their solutions and are ready to buy. This allows Cognism users to speed up their sales cycle, improve targeting, and create a more relevant buyer journey.
Here’s how Cognism's intent data is different to ZoomInfo’s:

- 12,000+ intent topics (vs ZoomInfo’s).
- Consent-based data is collected from a cooperative of 5,000 B2B sites where B2B buyers search for solutions.
- 70% of its dataset is exclusive to Bombora.
- Considers the historical baseline or typical content consumption when calculating intent.
Cognism also offers signal data that delivers real-time data insights to your Sales Companion, ensuring you’re always one step ahead. By tracking key events like funding rounds or hiring periods, you’ll know when prospects are ready to engage.
ZoomInfo vs Cognism integrations
The main difference between Cognism and ZoomInfo’s approach to integrations is that we don’t try to replace your existing tech stack. ZoomInfo, on the other hand, provides an all-in-one GTM platform.
Cognism focuses on developing a sales intelligence platform that fits your current workflows for sales and marketing. Cognism invests in developing integrations with best-in-class tools and CRMs, such as Salesforce (two-way), Outreach, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Microsoft Dynamics, and Salesloft.
ZoomInfo supports a range of integrations through its App Marketplace. However, they have invested in developing an in-house full technology stack through competitor acquisition, so their preference might be for prospects to use it instead of external tools.
In an independent survey, some prospective buyers felt that ZoomInfo’s platform functionality, utility, and usability degraded significantly because it was enhanced with “more features and functionality”.
ZoomInfo and Cognism offer Browser Extensions with similar functionalities. For example, both providers offer two-way integration with Salesforce. Cognism’s extension additionally works over HubSpot, Outreach, and corporate websites.
Cognism Browser Extension
We know where sales reps spend most of their time. We tailored the Cognism extension for them to allow efficient prospecting.
- Works with LinkedIn and LinkedIn Sales Navigator to enrich profiles and lists.
- Works over Salesforce, HubSpot, and Outreach, so you don’t have to switch between tools.
- Works on corporate websites so you can view company details, tech stack, and key decision-makers without leaving the browser.
- Supports multithread sales deals to tap into your prospect’s coworkers to find other stakeholders.
- Enables individual and page-level data exporting.

Director of Marketing & Sales Development @Salesloft

Stuck in a ZoomInfo contract and want out?
Cognism can help you make the switch.
ZoomInfo versus Cognism: Compliance
Both ZoomInfo and Cognism are CCPA and GDPR-compliant B2B data providers. The key differentiator between Cognism and ZoomInfo compliance is that Cognism scrubs all mobile numbers against broader Do-Not-Call (DNC) lists.
Why is DNC list cleaning important?
If a salesperson contacts someone who has opted out of sales and marketing phone calls, they may be accused of not having “the legitimate interests” to do so.
The Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO) has issued fines totalling £180,000 for two companies that made more than 480,000 unlawful marketing calls to businesses signed up with the UK’s “Do not call” register.
With Cognism, you can hide the number of contacts that opted out from receiving unsolicited phone calls and applied to the national do-not-call registry.
We also don’t collect B2C emails and notify our database.

GDPR compliance by default
Cognism checks the following DNC lists:
- TPS/CTPS lists in the UK.
- DNC lists in the USA, Canada, Australia, and European countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Croatia, Portugal and Sweden.
Cognism vs ZoomInfo pricing
Neither ZoomInfo nor Cognism offer monthly subscription plans and require longer-term commitment.
ZoomInfo’s pricing is based on a credit system, whereas Cognism licences are priced per user. Credit-based systems with limits on viewing and exporting data, monthly caps and resets often lead to unexpected costs and scarcity mindsets.
Users are focused on tracing credit consumption and developing best practices for credit usage instead of prospecting. Additionally, a ZoomInfo subscription offers ‘data add-ons’ such as Global Data Passport.
Cognism’s pricing model removes these pain points:
Cognism packages: Grow vs Elevate
Grow:
gives you the essential quality data you need for your prospecting. With contact and company data, including Cognism’s phone-verified Diamond Data® contacts that connect 3x more on average, you can target your ideal customers and prospects with confidence.
Elevate:
Gives you all the benefits of Grow with the added benefit of combining Cognism’s high-quality data with advanced intelligence and actionable signals. It lets you prioritise and target accounts that are in-market and ready-to-buy, keep up to date with the latest important changes with signals, and enable your sales teams to have better conversations with the companies and contacts that matter.
Quality data & 75% faster prospecting?
Connect with key decision-makers and speed up prospecting with Cognism’s AI search.
FAQs about ZoomInfo vs Cognism
Cognism is the better choice for businesses looking for an AI-powered lead gen platform that offers up-to-date, accurate data with an easy-to-use interface.
Not only has compliance been built into the product from conception, but its dedication to beating the scarcity mindset with easy access to quality data is hard to beat. As are its user-friendly interface and excellent customer service.
So, if you’re looking for the best tool to help you reach out to the right prospects, Cognism is the clear winner.
Yes, Cognism is an excellent alternative when comparing ZoomInfo competitors.
Cognism provides highly accurate and up-to-date contact information that helps revenue 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 praise its user-friendly interface, accurate/ unrestricted data and excellent customer service.
Cognism is different to ZoomInfo in a number of ways:
- Access to global data without geographical restrictions (NAM, APAC, and leading EMEA coverage).
- Quality-driven cell phone numbers in the US.
- Phone-verified cell phone database.
- 16-step email verification process.
- Integrations with your existing tech stack, including native Salesforce integration.
- Simple, predictable pricing (with unrestricted viewing and page-level exporting of global data in all packages).*
- CCPA & GDPR compliance with broader DNC list checks.
However, if you’re looking for a tool that makes it easier to cold call in Europe without limited credits and expensive add-ons, then Cognism is for you.
ZoomInfo’s pricing isn’t available on its website. You need to schedule a call with the sales team to learn the exact ZoomInfo licence cost.
ZoomInfo follows a credit-based pricing structure and does not offer a monthly subscription plan which requires a long-term commitment.
For a more in-depth breakdown see the ZoomInfo pricing page.
Cognism vs ZoomInfo—who wins?
NAM & EMEA data provider
Choose Cognism if you’re looking for data coverage in NAM, EMEA, and APAC and the best European data. Its Diamond® verified cell phone data will be most suitable for heavy dialer teams.
Unlike ZoomInfo, Cognism prioritises integration with your existing tech stack, making sure the adoption is as easy as possible.
We also ensure pricing is simple and transparent, e.g. we don’t charge additionally for regional data.
The best thing about Cognism’s data is its versatility. You can find decision-makers for bulk emails as well as develop highly targeted cold calling lists for ABM campaigns.
A personalised Sales Companion
Think of Cognism’s Sales Companion as your sales team’s personal assistant. By providing valuable insights and tools, Sales Companion empowers your team to:
- Engage multiple stakeholders.
- Improve prospecting effectiveness.
- Close more deals.
- Provide your reps with tailored guidelines.
Sales Companion transforms how your team approaches prospecting, making every touchpoint more strategic and impactful.
All-in-one prospecting platform
ZoomInfo is a known provider in the US. Like Cognism, it’s CCPA and GDPR-compliant.
Choose it if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution and a vast product range for prospecting and sales automation.
If you’re looking for mobiles, Cognism may be a better choice than ZoomInfo.
ZoomInfo’s pricing model is based on credit consumption and add-ons, e.g. Regional and Global Data Passports, to unlock data across different markets. It drives up among your team. Cognism removes this barrier by offering access to global data in all packages.
How revenue teams say they use Cognism
Enough about Cognism vs ZoomInfo.
Here’s what actual Cognism customers have to say about the tool👇

keep outreach fresh
“Signals in Sales Companion, such as C-suite changes and funding rounds, are incredibly useful. They serve as great prompts for when to reach out and help us secure new business. Having all those insights in one place in Sales Companion has been a game-changer.”

data accuracy
leads enriched
“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”
Read the full case study
increase in dials weekly
“We've actually seen a drastic improvement in terms of the amount of dials that each SDR is making, the amount of conversations that they're having, and also the amounts of meetings that they're booking.”
Try Cognism, a ZoomInfo alternative
Cognism is a ZoomInfo competitor with the most complete data in the EMEA and a leader in US mobile coverage. 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:
✔️ AI-powered insights tailored for every user.
✔️ 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!