Skip to content

Comparing Cognism vs Apollo.io in 2024

Quick summary of how Cognism compares to Apollo.io:

  • Unrestricted access to a global database of cell phone numbers. Subject to a generous fair usage policy.
  • 2x more cell phone numbers than other providers. 
  • 47 million mobiles in the US alone.
  • Phone-verified cell phone database.
  • Research and verification service on demand.
  • 16-step email verification process.
  • Coverage in the US and a leader in EMEA.
  • CCPA & GDPR compliance (including broader DNC list cleaning and notified email database).
  • Intent data powered by Bombora.

This page will explain how Cognism compares to Apollo.io so you can make an informed decision when selecting your next data provider. 

👇 Scroll to learn about Apollo.io pricing, features, user reviews and more!

Speak to a data expert

Key features of Cognism vs Apollo.io

Cognism

Cognism aims to give businesses the tools 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.
  • Browser extension that works across all corporate websites.
*Subject to a generous fair usage policy

Apollo.io

The Apollo.io platform advertises several features to help sales and marketing teams create pipeline and close deals: 

  • Limited mobile credits and unlimited email credits subject to a fair use policy.
  • Basic sequence automation and AI-assisted email writing.
  • Buying intent.
  • Zapier integration.
  • Data enrichment.
  • Gmail and LinkedIn extension.

See what you can do with Cognism

B2B sales
How to find net new, ideal-fit prospects in assigned verticals
B2B sales
How to enrich SalesNav lead lists with actionable contact data
B2B marketing
How to revitalise your stagnant LinkedIn campaigns

What’s the difference between Apollo.io and Cognism?

When comparing Cognism to Apollo.io, consider the features available and how each can impact your business.

For instance, the main differentiator between Cognism and Apollo is the availability of cell phone numbers in their packages. 

Cognism offers a premium phone-verified cell phone numbers database (Diamond Data®), so you don’t have to worry about not finding a prospect’s mobile number—its global database has 2 times more mobiles than any other provider. The solution has 47 million cell phone numbers in the US alone and is working on expanding the database even further. 

Cognism doesn’t limit users’ access to mobile data, whereas Apollo caps mobile credits in every plan. Apollo offers only 125 mobile credits/month in its highest Organizational plan and does not offer a phone-verified mobile number service.

What's more, in an independent survey of Pavilion members who compared sales prospecting tools, both Apollo.io and Cognism registered top scores.

Cognism was praised for its high-quality cell phone numbers, UK/EU market data, GDPR compliance, and seamless integration. Apollo.io was praised for its affordable pricing and large contact database.

To summarise how Cognism compares to Apollo.io:

Cognism
Apollo.io
Packages to suit business size
Cognism
✔️
Apollo.io
✔️
Web app
Cognism
✔️
Apollo.io
✔️
Browser extension
Cognism
✔️
Apollo.io
✔️
Intent data
Cognism
✔️
Apollo.io
✔️
Phone-verification/ research on-demand service
Cognism
✔️
Apollo.io
Unrestricted views/ individual and page-level exporting
Cognism
✔️
Apollo.io
Phone-verified mobile numbers
Cognism
✔️
Apollo.io
Do-not-call lists in US and Europe
Cognism
✔️
Apollo.io
US & UK (beta feature)
Compliance status
Cognism
GDPR & CCPA compliant
Apollo.io
GDPR & CCPA compliant
High Value B2B Data
Global DNC lists check
Phone Verification
Verified Identity
Accurate Mobile

Cognism vs Apollo.io: Databases

Apollo.io does not state what regions its database covers. When answering the question on its site, the response is to sign up for a free account and run a search.

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.

Moreover, quality is of utmost importance to Cognism, with phone-verified numbers, the most complete data in Europe and leading mobile number coverage in the United States (2x more than other providers).

We interviewed Marc Parsons, SDR Team Lead at OneUp Sales, to discover why he chose Cognism over Apollo.io. He said:

“Firstly, we trialled Apollo using a test data sample which didn’t produce adequate results. We proceeded to evaluate ZoomInfo but found the data to be too US-centric. This didn’t fit our ICP of targeting UK companies.”

“The SDRs have pulled data from Cognism for every demo booked. For every deal closed, the AEs have used the database to pull relevant contact details to influence the deal.” 

“Overall, 60% of our deals have come from the team pulling a number from Cognism.” 

Why not get started with Cognism right away?

Here's 25 free leads for you!

Where do Cognism and Apollo.io get their data?

Apollo openly admits to ”scraping from hundreds and millions of websites”. On top of that, they “use machine learning algorithms and utilise a proprietary data network of contributors”.

According to Apollo.io’s T&Cs, Apollo’s customers grant Apollo a “perpetual and irrevocable licence” to access and use, share, sublicense, display, copy, publish and distribute any customer-submitted data. 

This means that by connecting your CRM to Apollo’s software and using its services, you’re adding data to their database.

In contrast, at Cognism, your customer data stays with you.

Apollo has a 7-step email verification process, while Cognism uses 16 steps to verify emails for 93% deliverability. Apollo mentions verification via data contributor networks, public data crawling, and third-party data providers. 

Cognism and Apollo.io have the same amount of emails in their databases. Unlike Apollo, Cognism excludes personal emails for lower legal risks and to ensure you are only contacting a notified B2B email database. However, we recommend testing a data sample from both providers to check their accuracy.

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 - the tool does not use customer data to supplement its database. 

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 specifically requested by customers leveraging the Diamonds-on-Demand® service - Apollo.io does not provide a similar 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 ROI 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.

Comparing the pricing of Apollo.io and Cognism**

Apollo.io pricing

Apollo.io’s pricing includes three paid plans that are set per user per month.

Apollo’s plans have unlimited emails and a set number of credits for exporting data. There is also a set number of credits for accessing mobile numbers on all but the Free and Basic plans. The higher up your plan, the more advanced features you get, like sequencing.

With Apollo.io, buying an extra 1,000 add-on mobile credits costs $170/mo, and an extra 1,000 export credits cost $50/mo. If you’re a heavy dialer, Apollo.io can be more expensive than Cognism.

Alternatively, see how Apollo.io compares to ZoomInfo👇

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.

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

Packages

Packages suitable for individual prospecting with unrestricted views and individual & page-level exporting (up to 25 records at a time)* in all packages.

Flexible workflows

Custom packages with add-on credits for teams with operational workflows which need bulk-list building and exporting.

Global data

No extra charge for access to global and regional data — NAM, EMEA, and APAC included in all packages.

Premium add-ons

Manually verified cell phone numbers (Diamond Data®) and intent data powered by Bombora as add-ons.

Apollo.io vs Cognism: Usability

Apollo.io reviews mention that the desktop platform is easy to use with good filters and a simple search dashboard.

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

41 Design review cards-02 (1)
41 Design review cards-03 (1)
41 Design review cards-06 (1)
41 Design review cards-01 (1)
41 Design review cards-04
41 Design review cards-05
MarketingAccountIntelligence_Leader_UnitedKingdom_Leader
SalesIntelligence_Leader_Americas_Leader
SalesIntelligence_Leader_Europe_Leader
SalesIntelligence_Leader_Enterprise_Leader
LeadMining_Leader_EMEA_Leader
MarketingAccountIntelligence_MomentumLeader_Leader
LeadMining_HighestUserAdoption_Adoption
LeadMining_BestResults_Total

Thinking of switching from Apollo.io?
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.

Apollo.io versus Cognism: Compliance

Apollo.io claims their “compliance is complicated.

Apollo claims CCPA and GDPR compliance. The vendor has recently started checking DNC lists in the UK & US (the feature is in Beta for new direct dial requests). vs Cognism checking lists in 12 countries.

Another difference between Apollo.io and Cognism is that Apollo charges credit if a phone number is revealed on a DNC list.

On the other hand, Cognism’s licence model ensures you don’t waste credits on DNC numbers.

If data compliance is one of your top priorities, we recommend you study Apollo.io’s Terms of Service.

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 Apollo.io vs Cognism

Cognism and Apollo.io source intent data but from different providers. Cognism partnered with the industry leader Bombora, while Apollo uses LeadSift. 

LeadSift uses contact and account intent, custom search terms and public web scraping. 

Unlike LeadSift, Bombora’s intent data isn’t scraped. It’s consent-based and 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, you can find, prioritise, and connect the right prospects at the right time. It shortens the sales cycle, improves targeting, and creates a more relevant buyer journey. 

Apollo offers monthly subscriptions starting at $49 per user that appeal to companies with tight budgets or companies that don’t want to commit to annual plans. 

However, Apollo’s credit-based system, with very limited access to mobile credits, may lead to unexpected costs.

Cognism’s pricing model was created to overcome the scarcity mindset and allow teams to prospect without worrying about credits. Cognism doesn’t restrict access to mobiles and emails. With Cognism, users can view as many contacts or companies as they want without incurring additional costs.

For accurate pricing, please contact your preferred data provider.

Yes, Cognism is an excellent alternative when comparing Apollo.io 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.

Cognism is one of the best Apollo.io alternatives, with the largest mobile coverage in the US (2x than other providers) and the most complete data in the EMEA. 

Even better, it’s the only data provider actively phone-verifying mobile numbers, making it a great choice for global B2B prospecting.

Cognism prides itself on being a compliant B2B data provider that easily integrates with your existing workflows and systems to flatten the adoption curve.

We interviewed Marc Parsons, SDR Team Lead at OneUp Sales, to discover why he chose Cognism over Apollo.io. He said:

“Firstly, we trialled Apollo using a test data sample which didn’t produce adequate results. We proceeded to evaluate ZoomInfo but found the data to be too US-centric. This didn’t fit our ICP of targeting UK companies.”

“The SDRs have pulled data from Cognism for every demo booked. For every deal closed, the AEs have used the database to pull relevant contact details to influence the deal.” 

“Overall, 60% of our deals have come from the team pulling a number from Cognism.” 

And Jake Hampson, Founder of Sales on Demand, had this to say:

“I formerly used Apollo which was cumbersome. I’d go on every LinkedIn profile and individually save each page in the platform. Per client, I’d spend approximately 4 hours exporting 100 contacts. With Cognism, it takes me 60 seconds”

“My list building time has decreased by 99.5%. If Cognism disappeared, I’d have to hire someone to do it which involves the added expenditure of paying a salary."

"Cognism not only saves a tremendous amount of time but it also reduces overhead costs. As a small business, this is huge.”

👉Give Cognism a try with a free data sample tailored to your ICP.

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 are unmatched by Apollo.io, 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.

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

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.

Cognism is a sales intelligence platform that is one of the best Apollo alternatives. Be it sales, marketers, RevOps, or GTM leaders, this B2B data provider prides itself on its global data coverage and compliance, data accuracy, and the best integrations with leading CRMs and sales engagement tools.

Cognism offers a premium phone-verified cell phone numbers database (Diamond Data®), so you don’t have to worry about not finding a prospect’s mobile number—its global database has 2 times more mobiles than any other provider. The solution has 47 million cell phone numbers in the US alone and is working on expanding the database even further. 

How B2B sales and marketing teams use Cognism

Enough about Cognism vs Apollo.io. 

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

Try Cognism, an Apollo.io alternative

Cognism vs Apollo.io - who to choose? 

Cognism is an Apollo.io 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!