Are you looking for the best market intelligence tools? That’s great. We’ve got a list that spans company databases, market research, competitive intelligence, and more. Let’s do this!
Why market intelligence matters in 2025
Your buyers can research, shortlist, and even buy your tool or service without speaking with anyone. A recent sales survey found that 61% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free buying experience (Gartner).
So, what does this mean? With so much of the digital buyer journey, you need to be able to track your prospects’ movements. This is where market intelligence comes in. Each tool helps you analyse competitors, predict your prospects’ next move through intent to buy, or provides other datasets to back up decision-making.
It’s essential for any B2B organisation that wants to compete right now.
Comparison table of the tools
Here’s our analysis of nine leading platforms that leading GTM teams rely on for accurate data, competitive insights, and actionable intelligence.
In-depth analysis of top market intelligence software
1. Cognism
Cognism is a full-scale market intelligence platform that combines phone-verified contact data with powerful sales insights and real-time buyer intent signals.
Its ability to provide contact data and identify high-value prospects through intent signals and behavioural data sets it apart, making outreach more targeted and effective.
Key features:
- Diamond Data®: Phone-verified mobile numbers across global markets.
- Intent data by Bombora: Identify companies researching topics relevant to your business.
- Cognism AI Search: Find prospects with ChatGPT-style text or voice prompts.
- Cortex AI Research: A prompt-free experience to learn about your target accounts’ business model, direction, revenue drivers, and competitors.
- CRM enrichment: Refresh your CRM with accurate and compliant data.
- DNC compliance engine: Verifies against global Do Not Call lists in real time.
Why it’s popular
Cognism’s biggest differentiator is the accuracy of its mobile data and commitment to global compliance. For example, UK-based PharmaData increased its meeting-booked rate by 200% after switching to Cognism, mainly due to its ability to connect sales reps with decision-makers by phone.
Its focus on data coverage in Europe and APAC distinguishes it from US-centric providers like ZoomInfo.
Marketing & sales use cases
For marketing:
- Build highly-targeted lists from a quality database of contacts.
- Stay compliant through verified GDPR & CCPA-compliant data.
- Speed up company research for assets like ABM landing pages through Cortex AI, your prompt-free company research agent.
For sales:
- SDRs can reduce pre-call research time to seconds. Cortex AI gives you sales-ready information on target accounts, such as their business model, competitors, strategy, and direction.
- Easily identify high-intent accounts through technographics, funding, M&A notifications, and other intent signals available in Sales Companion.
- Sales leaders will be able to govern how their team uses AI through the high-quality data available in Cognism.
Pricing:
Cognism offers two main tiers:
Pricing is custom and depends on user seats and feature needs. Qualified companies can request free data samples.
2. ZoomInfo
(Source: ZoomInfo)
As a leading customer insights platform, ZoomInfo offers various data types, from contact information to technographic insights.
Best for enterprise sales teams needing detailed company intelligence and verified contact information for high-volume outbound prospecting.
Key features:
- Real-time buyer intent signals identify companies actively researching your product category or competitors.
- Org charts map out entire company hierarchies with reporting structures and decision-maker identification.
- FormComplete automatically enriches web forms with verified business data.
- Direct dial phone numbers and email addresses.
Why it’s popular:
- Provides the most comprehensive technographic data about companies’ tech stacks and buying cycles.
- Offers both historical and predictive insights about companies’ growth and purchasing behaviour.
Marketing & sales use cases
For marketing:
- Launch campaigns the moment buyers show interest through intent signals.
- Advanced audience targeting, through filters.
- Site visitor intelligence to uncover high-intent accounts that sales can act on.
For sales:
- AI-powered Copilot to drive SDR productivity up by identifying key decision makers (similar to the functionality of Cognism Sales Companion).
- Prompt Copilot to help you prepare for your next meeting or build an account plan.
Pricing:
You’ll need to contact ZoomInfo to see their pricing.
💡 Learn more about ZoomInfo pricing.
3. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
(Source: G2)
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a premium version of LinkedIn focused on sales prospecting, leveraging LinkedIn’s professional network data. It is best for B2B sales teams that need to build relationships with decision-makers and want warm introductions through their network.
Key features:
- Send up to 50 direct messages (InMail) monthly to prospects outside your network.
- Advanced search combining role, company size, and industry filters with real-time updates on job changes and company growth.
- TeamLink surfaces warm introductions by showing how your entire company is connected to any prospect.
- Track when prospects view your profile, engage with your content, or change roles to time your outreach well.
Why it’s popular:
- Build highly targeted contact lists and learn from sales triggers.
- Enables warm introductions through network connections, increasing response rates.
- Provides context for personalised outreach through detailed professional histories.
- Ideal for account-based marketing (ABM) strategies targeting specific companies.
Marketing & sales use cases
For marketing:
- Advanced search filters for building lists.
- CRM integration (only available with the most expensive plans).
For sales:
- Relationship maps to create dynamic org charts for buying committee gaps.
- Lead and account recommendations based on your activity, saved leads, and buyer interest.
- Get real-time alerts for job changes and recently posted content.
Pricing:
Sales Navigator’s Core tier costs $99/month per user, the Advanced tier costs $149/month per user, and Enterprise plans start at $1,600/year per user. Annual commitments receive significant discounts across all tiers.
💡 Use a data provider like Cognism to enrich LinkedIn profiles and Sales Nav lists with actionable contact data.
4. Similarweb
(Source: G2)
Digital intelligence platform focusing on website traffic analysis and online competitive insights. Similarweb is best for digital marketers and strategists who need to understand market share and digital behaviour patterns.
Key features:
- Tracks website traffic sources, engagement metrics, and conversion patterns across industries.
- Reveals competitors’ paid search strategies, including keyword spend and ad copy insights.
- Cross-device traffic analysis shows how users engage across desktop and mobile.
- Geography-based traffic distribution helps identify market opportunities.
Why it’s popular:
- Provides competitive intelligence without requiring access to competitors’ internal data.
- Offers both high-level market trends and detailed site-specific analytics.
- Strong visualisation tools make data easily digestible for stakeholders.
- Regular updates keep insights current and actionable.
Marketing & sales use cases
For marketing:
- Competitive tracking through domain traffic share to see month-over-month changes and more.
- Ad intelligence to identify best-fit publishers and top-performing competitor ad styles.
- Find top-performing affiliate websites within your niche.
For sales:
- Meeting prep through company overviews and domain tracking.
- Use prompts to find companies and contacts to reach out to.
Pricing:
Similarweb offers multiple tiers, starting with a Basic tier for individuals and startups at $125/month (billed annually) and a Professional tier for $335/month with expanded features and data access.
Team and Enterprise tiers provide custom pricing with premium content sets, unlimited data access, and API integration.
5. Gartner Digital Markets
(Source: Gartner)
Gartner Digital Markets is a comprehensive research and advisory platform that combines insights from Capterra, Software Advice, and GetApp. Best for enterprise organisations making strategic technology decisions and needing in-depth market analysis.
Key features:
- Magic Quadrant reports provide detailed vendor evaluations across 100+ technology markets.
- Predictive analysis tools forecast market trends and technology adoption rates.
- Custom research sessions with Gartner analysts for strategic guidance.
- Peer-driven insights from 100,000+ verified technology reviews.
Why it’s popular:
- Considered the gold standard for enterprise technology research and recommendations.
- Helps validate major technology investments and strategic decisions.
- Combines quantitative data with qualitative expert analysis.
- Valuable for both IT and business strategy planning.
Marketing & sales use cases
For marketing:
- Increase buyer confidence in you through reviews and research reports.
- Launch lead generation programmes on the platform.
For sales:
- Get qualified buyers through their internal software advisory team.
Pricing:
The platform provides different access levels to premium content sets and analyst insights, with Enterprise tiers including unlimited access to research and advisory services.
Contact their sales team for specific pricing details.
6. Crayon
(Source: Crayon)
Crayon is an all-in-one competitive intelligence platform that tracks and analyses competitor activities across digital channels. Best for product marketers and competitive intelligence teams needing real-time market monitoring.
Key features:
- Tracks 100+ different types of competitor digital footprints, from pricing changes to messaging updates.
- AI-powered analysis highlights the most significant competitive movements and trends.
- Automated battle cards and competitive sales enablement materials.
- Real-time alerts for critical competitor changes like product launches.
Why it’s popular:
- Automates traditionally manual competitive research processes.
- Provides actionable insights for both marketing and sales teams.
- Helps organisations stay ahead of market changes and competitor moves.
- Centralises competitive intelligence in one accessible platform.
Marketing & sales use cases
For marketing:
- Competitor monitoring that goes straight into your inbox.
- AI importance scoring to surface the most useful intelligence insights.
- Create and share battle cards for your sales team with ease.
For sales:
- Most recent insights are spotlighted, making it easier for SDRs to see the most recent competitive updates.
- Team leaderboard to see who’s consistently winning competitive deals.
Pricing:
You’ll need to contact the sales team to learn more about Crayon’s pricing.
7. Statista
(Source: Statista)
Statista is a massive database of statistics, market studies, and infographics covering 170+ industries. It is best for researchers, marketers, and strategists needing reliable market data and visualisations.
Key features:
- Over 1 million statistics from 22,500 sources across global markets.
- Ready-to-use infographics and presentations for key market trends.
- Industry reports combining multiple data sources and expert analysis.
- Custom research and data visualisation tools for unique needs.
Why it’s popular:
- One-stop shop for credible market statistics and research.
- Data is presented in easily digestible and shareable formats.
- Covers both niche and broad market segments.
- Regular updates ensure data relevancy and accuracy.
Marketing & sales use cases
For marketing:
- Market research data from over 190+ countries.
- Research AI to understand your market through prompts.
For sales:
- Sales leaders can work with marketing to build successful GTM strategies based on the market research.
Pricing:
Statista offers tiered research packages: Starter (30 hours) at $6,500, Silver (60 hours) at $10,500, Gold (120 hours) at $17,500, and a custom-priced Platinum tier for projects requiring over 120 hours.
All packages include access to 22,500 sources and dedicated analyst support.
8. Owler
(Source: G2)
Owler is a crowd-sourced competitive intelligence tool that combines community insights with AI-driven analysis. It is best for businesses needing to track competitors’ movements and industry trends without a huge investment in market research.
Key features:
- Community-powered company revenue estimates and funding updates.
- Instant alerts for competitor news, acquisitions, and leadership changes.
- Customisable dashboards tracking multiple competitors in one view.
- Weekly industry newsletters with curated competitive insights.
Why it’s popular:
- More affordable than traditional market intelligence platforms.
- Leverages crowd wisdom for insights not available in public data.
- A simple interface makes competitive tracking accessible to all team members.
- Real-time alerts help teams stay ahead of market changes.
Marketing & sales use cases
For marketing:
- Create a personalised database of companies you’d like to track.
- Market and industry trends like media coverage, funding and more.
- Get a picture of the competitive landscape.
For sales:
- Find qualified leads through companies that look like your top customers.
- Sales triggers sent straight to your inbox.
Pricing:
Owler provides a free Community tier with basic company insights.
The Pro tier costs $39/month (billed annually at $468) with unlimited access and advanced features such as custom lists, competitor tracking, and comprehensive business intelligence.
Enterprise plans have custom pricing with unlimited data access, API integration options, and advanced administrative controls for large teams.
9. G2
(Source: G2)
G2 is a peer-to-peer review platform specifically focused on software and technology solutions. It is best for technology buyers who need real-world feedback and comparison tools to make software purchasing decisions.
Key features:
- Grid® reports comparing software tools based on user satisfaction and market presence.
- Detailed breakdown of features, pricing, and implementation experiences.
- Side-by-side product comparisons with user-generated pros and cons.
- ROI calculators and total cost of ownership analysis tools.
Why it’s popular:
- Verified reviews from actual software users provide trustworthy insights.
- Helps shortcut the software evaluation process with structured comparisons.
- Updates quarterly to reflect current market standings.
- Offers both a high-level overview and detailed user feedback.
Marketing & sales use cases
For marketing:
- Build buyer confidence through review collection and category ranks.
- Uncover who’s in-market to buy right now through intent activity.
For sales:
- Uncover warm leads through intent and personalise your outreach based on their actions.
Pricing:
G2.com is a free platform designed to help people make smarter software decisions based on authentic peer reviews. Four core packages are available if you’d like to take more control over your G2 account and benefit from additional features.
What are market intelligence tools?
Market intelligence tools are specialised platforms that help GTM teams gather, analyse, and leverage data about their market environment. These tools transform raw data into actionable insights across three crucial areas: customer behaviour, competitor activities, and broader industry trends.
Think of them as your business’s radar system – they continuously monitor the market landscape to help you spot opportunities and navigate challenges.
The most effective market intelligence tools combine multiple data sources, including:
- Company information (size, revenue, technology stack).
- Contact data (verified emails, phone numbers, job titles).
- Behavioural signals (website visits, content downloads, product research).
- Market indicators (funding rounds, hiring patterns, expansion plans).
- Industry analysts’ reports and forecasts.
By combining these data points, market intelligence tools help GTM teams make informed decisions, prioritise opportunities, and develop strategies based on real market dynamics rather than gut feelings.
How do market intelligence tools impact business decisions?
Let’s be honest. Making big business decisions without data is like driving blindfolded.
That’s where market intelligence tools come in. They don’t just hand you more data (no one needs more spreadsheets). They give you the right insights fast. And that’s what helps sales and marketing teams stay ahead.
Strategic decision-making
Market intelligence tools help you see the bigger picture.
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You can spot opportunities in new markets before your competitors even notice them.
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Understand what your buyers actually want (instead of guessing).
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Reduce the risk of costly missteps with reliable data.
💡 Example: A B2B SaaS team uses a tool that they can run TAM analysis to determine where the biggest ICP-aligned opportunities are.
Data-driven choices
Forget hunches. With market intelligence analysis, decisions are backed by evidence.
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Merge CRM data with external insights for a single source of truth.
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See what’s working across channels, and double down on it.
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Cut wasted spend by targeting the right accounts, not just any accounts.
💡 Example: Pairing Cognism with Salesforce means your sales team can engage high-intent accounts that are in-market and therefore more likely to close.
Building a competitive advantage
This is where the magic happens.
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Real-time competitor monitoring means you’ll always know their next move.
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Battlecards equip your sales team to win head-to-head.
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You can react to competitor pricing or feature changes instantly.
💡 Example: Crayon customers have reported a 22% jump in win rates thanks to fresher, smarter competitive insights. Pair with Cognism for the perfect competitor displacement campaign.
What are the different types of market intelligence tools?
Leading tools align with different intelligence needs, each serving a distinct purpose in your GTM strategy.
Market intelligence platforms typically excel in one or more of these key categories:
1. Customer intelligence & B2B data tools
Modern GTM teams need more than basic demographic data. Customer intelligence tools combine behavioural signals, buying patterns, and customer feedback analytics to help you:
- Identify high-intent prospects through digital footprints.
- Understand customer satisfaction drivers across different segments.
- Track customer base evolution and growth opportunities.
- Analyse customer opinions and sentiment trends.
Tools that fall in this category are Cognism, ZoomInfo, and G2.
2. Competitor intelligence tools
Effective competitor analysis goes beyond monitoring competitor websites. An effective competitive intelligence tool offers:
- Real-time alerts on competitor activities and product launches.
- Comprehensive analysis of competitor strategies.
- Share of voice tracking across digital channels.
- Competitive content gaps and messaging analysis.
- Pricing and feature comparison monitoring.
Tools that fall in this category are Crayon, Owler, and Similarweb.
3. Tools for market trends analysis
Understanding market trends helps teams stay ahead of industry shifts through:
- Industry-specific growth rate monitoring.
- Future trends prediction using artificial intelligence.
- Market reports and analyst insights.
- Social media monitoring for emerging trends.
- Digital marketing strategy evolution tracking.
Tools that fall in this category are Gartner, Statista, and Similarweb.
4. Strategic intelligence tools
These combine various data points to support data-driven decisions:
- Market share analysis across respective industries.
- Business opportunities identification.
- External environment monitoring.
- Customisable dashboards for trend visualisation.
- Expert insights and financial reports analysis.
- Real-time trend analysis for market opportunities.
Cognism, Gartner, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator are tools that fall in this category.
Why do sales and marketing teams need market intelligence tools?
Our data shows that teams using market intelligence tools increase conversion rate by 30%, accelerate team performance by 50% and report ROI in as little as 8 weeks.
Here are a few more compelling reasons to use B2B market intelligence tools:
Valuable insights
Understanding your target audience is no longer about basic firmographics.
Modern intelligence tools provide data-driven insights into buying signals, helping teams identify who might buy and who’s ready to buy right now.
This means your teams can focus on prospects most likely to convert rather than casting a wide net.
Competitive advantage
Staying ahead requires more than occasional competitor website checks.
Market intelligence tools provide real-time updates on competitor activities, from pricing changes to new feature launches.
This competitive analysis allows you to position your offering more effectively and spot gaps in the market before others do.
Data-driven decision making
Gone are the days of relying on gut feelings. By combining business intelligence with market insights, teams can:
- Validate market opportunities.
- Identify trending topics in your industry.
- Spot emerging markets before they mature.
- Track the effectiveness of your strategies.
- Make informed decisions.
Lead quality and targeting
Perhaps most crucially, these tools transform how teams approach prospecting. With enriched data and intent signals, teams can:
- Focus on accounts showing buying signals.
- Reach decision-makers directly through verified contact information.
- Time their outreach based on trigger events.
- Scale their efforts while maintaining personalisation.
How do you choose the right market intelligence tool?
Before investing in any platform, consider these key factors to ensure you’re making the best choice for your organisation:
Define your goals
Start by identifying your primary objectives:
- For lead generation, prioritise tools with verified contact data and intent signals.
- For customer insights, look for platforms with detailed firmographic and technographic data.
- For competitor analysis, focus on tools offering real-time monitoring and market trends.
- For multiple needs, consider solutions that offer comprehensive coverage.
Evaluate data coverage
The quality and scope of data are paramount:
- Check geographical coverage in your target markets.
- Verify data accuracy rates and update frequency.
- Assess the depth of information (contact details, company insights, trigger events).
- Confirm industry-specific coverage relevant to your business.
Consider integrations
Your tool should fit seamlessly into your existing workflow:
- Ensure compatibility with your CRM system.
- Look for integrations with sales engagement platforms.
- Check for API availability if custom integration is needed.
- Verify sync capabilities with your marketing automation tools.
Prioritise compliance
Data privacy is non-negotiable:
- Confirm GDPR compliance for European data.
- Check the Do Not Call list verification processes.
- Understand data sourcing and verification methods.
- Verify privacy policy and data handling practices.
Assess scalability
Think long-term about your needs:
- Consider pricing models as your team grows.
- Check usage limits and data restrictions.
- Evaluate support for multiple departments.
- Look for flexible contract terms.
Elevate your revenue game with intelligent data
It’s clear that market intelligence tools give GTM teams the edge they need: spotting buying signals early, reaching decision-makers directly, and scaling outreach while staying compliant.
This isn’t about having more data but the right data at the right time.
What makes Cognism stand out in this space? We deliver:
- Phone-verified contacts.
- GDPR-compliant data across global markets.
- Real-time intent signals show you exactly who’s ready to buy.
- Advanced filters that find your ideal prospects in seconds.
Want to see how intelligent data can transform your outreach? Start with a free data sample and experience firsthand what it means to have truly actionable intelligence at your fingertips.