Expanding into Europe means dealing with more than just new markets. It means navigating complex data laws, language differences, and local nuances.
That’s why many GTM teams ask: “How reliable is ZoomInfo’s European data?”
It’s a fair question. ZoomInfo has built a strong reputation in the US, but European data operates under a very different rulebook.
In this article, we’ll explore how ZoomInfo’s European data stacks up, examining coverage, compliance, and enrichment accuracy.
Expanding into Europe isn’t as simple as flipping a switch between countries.
European B2B data comes with unique challenges that often catch US-based vendors off guard:
For revenue teams, this means that “coverage” isn’t just about volume; it’s about trust and usability.
Here’s why GTM teams choose Cognism for European contact data:
Thanks to its scale and integrations, ZoomInfo remains one of the most recognised sales-intelligence platforms globally.
However, as ZoomInfo is a US-based data provider, its strength has historically been in North America.
In recent years, it’s invested in expanding its European data footprint, but GTM teams still report limitations regarding EMEA data:
Businesses must buy a Global Data Passport (Global, Europe, North America Plus) to access Zoominfo’s international data.
Understandably, users find this hard to justify.
That’s when GTM teams start looking for an EMEA data provider to supplement or replace ZoomInfo’s international coverage.
If you’re one of them, consider Cognism.
Cognism is the European expert in data enrichment and net new contact acquisition.
With over 200 million European contacts, you’ll have the data you need to scale, expand and win more deals in Europe.
When operating in Europe, compliance is non-negotiable.
Cold calling phone numbers of EU-based contacts who opted out of receiving unsolicited calls and signed up with a national Do-Not-Call (DNC) registry may result in steep fines, such as the £20M fine Experian received in 2020.
ZoomInfo employs data privacy experts to ensure compliance with data protection and privacy laws, such as Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The vendor monitors its data and research practices and only processes business contact information for EU contacts.
ZoomInfo notifies its email database and supports eight European do-not-call lists (France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK).
That sounds great. So how is Cognism’s compliance different?
Cognism is a globally compliant B2B data provider. Customers praise Cognism as a company that goes above and beyond to ensure customers aren’t violating privacy laws.
While being GDPR and CCPA compliant, Cognism also scrubs all mobile numbers against:
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 that are on DNC lists from reps. Meaning that its customers have complete confidence in the legality of its outreach.
The Cognism platform follows these compliance-based actions:
Modern GTM strategies rely on more than contact lists. They depend on behavioural insight, understanding who is showing intent, when, and why.
It’s believed ZoomInfo relies on bidstream intent data - anonymous web traffic aggregated from ad exchanges.
The vendor surfaces intent insights at the company level by capturing and analysing large volumes of web traffic data (without relying on cookies) and employing proprietary technology.
Cognism takes a different approach, partnering with Bombora, a leader in consent-based intent data. This partnership tracks over 12,000+ intent topics (compared to ZoomInfo’s) using privacy-compliant B2B content consumption signals.
When combined with Cognism’s Diamond Data® (phone-verified contact data enriched with firmographics and technographics) this creates a comprehensive and actionable picture of the buyer journey.
The result:
GTM teams spend less time chasing irrelevant accounts and more time engaging in-market buyers.
Despite having 145 million contacts in markets outside of the United States, ZoomInfo has expanded outside of its core offering. One ZoomInfo customer cites that the company’s core product has remained at a standstill.
ZoomInfo verifies its mobile numbers with a community-based system rather than in-house human verification. This could increase the likelihood of obtaining inaccurate information when enriching contact records.
Thanks to its phone-verified mobile dataset and extensive European coverage, Cognism’s Enrich functionality delivers accurate and enriched customer contact data.
Having access to the highest quality data in Europe is the key to increased conversion rates and most importantly, revenue attainment.
With Cognism Enrich, you can fight off data decay and proactively amend and correct contact records in your CRM or instantly enrich new data entering your CRM.
Cognism is also a partner of LeanData and integrates directly into its lead routing platform. This integration allows revenue teams to increase lead response times and maximise their chance of turning inbound leads into opportunities.
With Cognism Enrich, you can:
While both vendors serve the B2B data market, their approaches differ.
ZoomInfo’s system is optimised for scale. Cognism is built for accuracy and legality within complex European frameworks.
Here’s a quick comparison:
As a data provider specialising in European B2B data, Cognism recognises ZoomInfo’s strengths in the US market, but we believe European data demands a different approach.
Where ZoomInfo’s model scales breadth through automation and user contribution, Cognism invests in depth and verification, ensuring each contact is accurate, compliant, and ready to use across sales and marketing workflows.
That difference underpins why many multinational companies use Cognism to complement or replace ZoomInfo when expanding into EMEA.
Are you already using ZoomInfo and looking for a way out?
Click the button below to see how we can help you exit your contract.
Don’t let a lack of quality, compliant contact data slow down your European market expansion.
If you currently use ZoomInfo but find its European data lacking, check out Cognism! Using Cognism and ZoomInfo together can help you skyrocket your revenue.
Book a 15-minute call with our team to learn how Cognism can help you scale and win more deals in Europe 👇