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Lusha Data vs Cognism: Which is Best for EMEA Prospecting?

Written by Ilse Van Rensburg | Sep 19, 2025 8:19:58 AM

If you’re expanding into EMEA or looking to scale your outbound engine, you may compare Lusha data to other providers.

But how reliable is Lusha’s data in this region, and how does it stack up against alternatives?

In this article, we’ll break down:

  • Where Lusha data comes from.
  • How accurate and compliant Lusha’s data is.
  • What Lusha’s enrichment and intent data features offer.
  • Whether Lusha is a good option for EMEA prospecting.
  • Why Cognism is the stronger choice for B2B teams expanding into new markets.

What is Lusha?

Lusha is a sales intelligence solution popular with SMBs and mid-market companies for its affordability. It provides users access to contact and company data, often through its Chrome extension or API.

Its dataset is marketed as a source of direct dials, emails, and company information designed to help sales teams connect with new prospects.

The main areas of focus for Lusha include:

  • Lusha B2B contact data: mobiles, landlines, emails, and company data.
  • Data enrichment: List management and CSV enrichment. CRM enrichment is only available with the Scale package. 
  • Intent data: Buying signals and prospect activity alerts. 
  • Email sequences automation: generate personalised emails and automate prospecting.

While Lusha users love the platform’s ease of use and integration capabilities, the question remains:

How does Lusha collect its data, and is it accurate and compliant enough for EMEA prospecting?

Let’s explore 👇

Lusha data collection: where does the data come from?

Lusha collects data from various information sources in addition to its proprietary AI technology:

  • Lusha community members who have opted in share their contact details under the terms of the Lusha Community Program.
  • Third-party vendors who own established and trustworthy directories.
  • Lusha insight and analysis system. This is business information that’s auto-completed. For example, email addresses are auto-completed based on standard corporate email patterns.
  • Publicly available information.

Nothing out of the ordinary there, which leads us to the most crucial question of all:

How accurate is Lusha’s data? 

Lusha data accuracy and enrichment

The Lusha platform claims to provide accurate contact and company data. However, the verification process is not mentioned on the website.

Since Lusha mentions crowdsourcing and scraping data, a top-tier verification process is integral to ensuring data accuracy, especially since these sources are notoriously difficult to verify.

For sales teams, this can mean:

  • High bounce rates on email campaigns.
  • Dial fatigue when numbers are wrong or outdated.
  • Damaged sender reputation from non-deliverable contacts.

While Lusha does provide data enrichment tools to fill gaps, enrichment is only as good as the dataset behind it.

Without comprehensive verification, enrichment risks creating even more inaccuracies at scale rather than solving them.

In practice, many users report mixed results. Reviewers mention being disappointed with the overall data accuracy and feeling that more expensive providers offer better value.

Take Cognism, for example:

Cognism elevates data verification with its unique data asset, Diamond Data®

This includes mobile numbers verified by phone, increasing the likelihood of connecting with your ideal customer threefold. 

The team conducts phone verifications of mobile numbers and includes contacts requested explicitly by customers through the Diamonds-on-Demand® service. 

Diamond Data® enables sales teams to connect with 87% of prospecting lists. Companies are experiencing a 54% increase in mobile coverage, and the return on investment is improving, with 70% of outbound meetings being booked from Cognism mobile numbers.

For teams that need more than off-the-shelf enrichment, Cognism also offers Data-as-a-Service (DaaS).

This bespoke solution delivers high-quality, compliant data directly into your CRM or tech stack—designed around your exact ICP, territories, and workflows.

Instead of relying on crowdsourced enrichment, Cognism’s DaaS ensures continuous freshness, accuracy, and coverage at scale.

Keen to learn more about how Cognim ensures data accuracy and freshness? Check out our data page.

Is Lusha data GDPR compliant?

Lusha states it is GDPR and CCPA-compliant and ISO 27701 certified. The tool also offers DNC scrubbing for the UK and the US on the Scale package.

Compliance is non-negotiable for teams prospecting in EMEA. The GDPR (and similar regulations like CCPA) demand:

  • A clear lawful basis for processing personal data.
  • Transparency around collection methods.
  • A way for individuals to opt out or request removal.

When considering an EMEA B2B data provider, you should always ask:

  • Has every contributor obtained consent from their contacts?
  • Can the platform provide a full audit trail if regulators ask?
  • Is data screened against Do Not Call (DNC) lists across multiple countries?

Cognism is is compliant-by-design, with:

  • GDPR and CCPA checks built in.
  • Automatic DNC screening in 13 countries (9 more than any other provider).
  • A fully notified database.

This level of compliance assurance is critical for enterprise teams scaling in EMEA. Learn more about Cognism compliance.

Lusha intent data: how effective is it?

Lusha offers an intent data feature that tracks web activity around intent topics. It uses Bombora intent data, just like Cognism. However, with Lusha, users only get five topics unless you’re on the Scale package, where you get 25. 

With Cognism, you get 12 topics included in the Elevate package with the option to add more topics.

Cognism combines intent signals with verified contact data and trigger events. Our AI-powered sales assistant, Sales Companion, helps revenue teams spot in-market accounts in real time so you don’t miss out on any opportunities. 

Is Lusha a good option for prospecting in EMEA?

The EMEA region has some of the strictest data privacy regulations in the world. Using data that isn’t fully verified or compliant can expose teams to risks, including:

  • Regulatory fines for mishandling personal data.
  • Wasted spend on inaccurate contacts.
  • Reputation damage from poor outreach experiences.

It makes sense that you want to ensure that the B2B data you invest in is a good option for EMEA. So, how does Lusha’s data measure up? 

Lusha mentions having data from the US, Europe, and APAC. It may suit smaller teams for outbound prospecting. But for organisations expanding across multiple EMEA markets, the combination of accuracy, DNC lists, and scale is where Lusha may fall short.

Cognism is a leader in EMEA data coverage with one of the most accurate senior-level contact databases in Europe. With GDPR built into its core, it’s trusted by high-growth revenue teams for its transparent sourcing practices and data accuracy. 

A “one-size-fits-all” dataset isn’t enough for companies entering regulated or multilingual markets. Cognism’s DaaS offering gives growing teams access to tailored, verified data feeds that evolve with your go-to-market motion.

Whether you’re launching into DACH, Benelux, or Southern Europe, Cognism can build and maintain the exact dataset you need, while ensuring GDPR compliance at every step.

Cognism data vs Lusha data

Cognism stands out with its transparent practices, reliable accuracy, and commitment to compliance.

Independent reviews on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot show that users face data quality issues with Lusha, including outdated contact information and limited coverage in international markets.

More critically, there are repeated concerns about how Lusha handles personal data, with some users reporting unsolicited contact and others mentioning how they’d prefer fewer personal emails in the dataset.

Cognism, in contrast, only includes business contacts in its database and provides complete visibility into how its data is sourced and maintained. With verified mobile numbers, real-time CRM enrichment, and GDPR-compliant workflows, it gives sales teams the confidence to prospect effectively across Europe.

For growing companies entering regulated or multilingual markets, Cognism’s local support and regional expertise offer an added layer of trust and scalability.

Lusha data: final verdict

Lusha provides access to B2B contact data, enrichment, and intent signals. It’s a good tool for smaller teams looking to prospect in the US. 

Cognism, on the other hand, is the scalable choice for teams looking to enter new markets in EMEA. It’s trusted by thousands of sales and marketing teams to deliver compliant, accurate, and actionable data.

Why Cognism wins:

  • Dedicated EMEA data engine.
  • Verified phone-accurate data.
  • GDPR compliance.
  • Transparent data sourcing.
  • Real-time signal data
  • Hands-on customer success teams.
  • Scalable DaaS solution.

Book a demo today and see how Cognism can power your pipeline in EMEA with fresh and accurate data.👇