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Cognism vs DiscoverOrg

With DiscoverOrg, essential features like global data sit behind costly paywalls. Cognism includes global data, AI insights, and seamless integrations as standard, so your team gets everything they need without hidden upgrades.

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How Cognism compares
DiscoverOrg
DNC lists in 15 countries
European database at no extra cost
Verified data
Predictable data access

Why revenue leaders have switched to Cognism

01

85% better data accuracy

Cognism provides Diamond Data™ with industry-leading mobile connect rates.

Customers report higher first‑connect rates and fewer wasted dials.

“We previously used ZoomInfo and saw contact information accuracy rates of around 50%.” “When we tested Cognism’s data as part of the procurement process, we recorded data accuracy of around 85%.” Justin, Bright Network

02

ROI in 8 weeks

Cognism does what it says on the tin: quality B2B data that connects you with the prospects you want to do business with.

“Our sales cycle is typically 6-8 months long. At Cognism, we saw ROI in 8 weeks from intent data and direct dials. One deal pays for a year’s Cognism subscription.” George, Ultima

03

60% more deals closed

Customers switching to Cognism report a higher number of connects, leading to more closed/won deals.

“We did an evaluation, and Cognism’s EMEA data was 10x better than ZoomInfo’s. Secondly, Cognism’s highly compliant B2B data saved us a lot of hassle when explaining to prospects where we obtained their contact details from.” Paul, Keboola

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What’s the difference between DiscoverOrg and Cognism?

The first thing to be aware of when comparing Cognism to DiscoverOrg is that DiscoverOrg is part of ZoomInfo. 

In 2019, the two data providers merged to become ZoomInfo, powered by DiscoverOrg. 

Meaning that when you choose DiscoverOrg, you’re choosing ZoomInfo. 

But how does the new, improved DiscoverOrg platform compare to Cognism?

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Cognism vs DiscoverOrg:

Cognism
DiscoverOrg
Best for
Cognism
Revenue teams building predictable growth in Europe, where data accuracy, compliance, and governance are strategic requirements.
DiscoverOrg
Enterprises requiring B2B contact databases with good US coverage and a suite of advanced data intelligence tools.
Compliance status
Cognism
GDPR and CCPA compliant, SOC 2 accredited, with TPS and DNC screening across 15 countries and a notified database.
DiscoverOrg
GDPR & CCPA compliant with DNC list checking in 8 countries. ISO 27701 certified.
Pricing
Cognism
Two tiers. Transparent pricing with a generous, straightforward data allowance, designed to support continuous prospecting, with integrations included.
DiscoverOrg
Individual pricing tiers for sales, marketing, and recruitment. Credit-based with expensive add-ons like advanced integrations and global data.
Integrations
Cognism
Native integrations across enterprise GTM systems, including Salesforce, HubSpot, MS Dynamics, Pipedrive, Salesloft, Bullhorn, Outreach & Zapier.
DiscoverOrg
Integrations include Salesloft, HubSpot, MS Dynamics, Pipedrive, SugarCRM, Zoho, Bullhorn, Marketo, Eloqua and Salesforce.
Phone-verification/ research on-demand service
Cognism
Exclusive phone-verified mobiles & on-demand-verification service.
DiscoverOrg
Data labelled with a confidence score.
Browser extension
Cognism
Browser extension surfaces trusted data and context directly within LinkedIn, CRM and company websites.
DiscoverOrg
Works across LinkedIn and company websites.
AI Offering
Cognism
Tailored sales intelligence and AI search are included in all packages for every user.
DiscoverOrg
AI email writer and Copilot at an additional per-seat charge.
Intent data
Cognism
Bombora intent data with 12 topics included in the Elevate package. Add more topics as an add-on.
DiscoverOrg
Gathers intent data from various sources and uses proprietary machine-learning technology to determine buying signals. Believed to rely on bidstream data.
Enrichment
Cognism
API-driven and on-demand enrichment designed to keep European CRM data accurate at scale.
DiscoverOrg
Not part of DiscoverOrg but available via ZoomInfo. Enrichment on-demand, on-schedule or in real-time.

See how Cognism compares with other GTM data platforms

Key features of Cognism vs DiscoverOrg

Cognism equips revenue teams with everything they need to exceed quota month-on-month. It focuses on supplying accurate global B2B data that complies with international data laws.

DiscoverOrg powered by ZoomInfo, offer a suite of features to help businesses connect directly with C-Suite executives or decision-makers.

Here’s a list of both tools’ features, side by side:

Cognism

GDPR and CCPA-compliant

SOC 2 accreditations, TPS & DNC screening across 15 countries & notified database.

European coverage, with global reach

EMEA, NAM, APAC.

Integrations included as standard

Native integrations and APIs designed to embed Cognism data directly into CRM and GTM workflows.

Phone-verified cell phone numbers

Verified mobile numbers that materially improve connect rates and reduce wasted outreach.

Intent and signal data

Integrated intent and market signals, including hiring trends, funding activity and technographic changes, to support prioritisation and timing.

AI-powered search

Natural-language search across accounts and contacts, designed to support research and prioritisation rather than list scraping.

Sales Intelligence

Contextual access to account and contact intelligence, surfaced directly within CRM, LinkedIn and web workflows to support better-timed, more relevant engagement.

Enrich

API-driven and on-demand enrichment to keep CRM and downstream systems accurate and current.

DiscoverOrg

Complete Department-Level Org Charts

Including Individual Roles And Responsibilities.

Intent data

Sourced from devices across the United States.

HQ and individual data

Direct dials, email addresses, and physical locations.

Why teams switch from DiscoverOrg 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.”
Read the full case study
33%
increase in pipeline in 3 months
UserEvidence Case study graphics_Amanda
Amanda Newman
SDR Manager @User Evidence
“We previously used ZoomInfo, which has good US data, but we found its data in our primary growth regions, EMEA and UK, to be below par. We needed a new solution to unlock growth in Europe.” “Cognism’s data quality is better for the UK and Germany, and we recorded data accuracy of around 85%”
Read the full case study
£903k
pipeline generated
1722862896093
Justin Humphreys
Head of Revenue Operations @Bright Network
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DiscoverOrg versus Cognism: Compliance

DiscoverOrg does not indicate what data protection laws it follows. However, since the DiscoverOrg ZoomInfo merger, DiscoverOrg’s legal policies have been redirected to ZoomInfo’s. Thus,  it’s sufficient to say they both follow the same privacy laws. 

According to ZoomInfo’s website, the solution complies with global and domestic privacy standards. Customers can access data that complies with CCPA in the US and the GDPR in Europe.

“Our legal team reviewed ZoomInfo’s GDPR standards in Europe, which were not up to scratch. As a result, they removed the European team’s access to the platform, which massively impacted our sales output.”
Read the full case study
100-150 leads
per week per rep
Pierre Bourguignon SDRManager - Cloudreach
Pierre Bourguignon
SDR Manager @Cloudreach

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:

  • 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, Italy 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 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: 

  • A stringent B2B data verification process. 
  • Ensures all data is legally sourced and of the utmost quality.
  • Is regulated by the ICO and provides users with a notified database.

DiscoverOrg vs Cognism: Usability & Integrations

DiscoverOrg offers a straightforward platform with a wide range of supported integrations and add-ons.

Integrations include Salesloft, HubSpot, MS Dynamics, Pipedrive, SugarCRM, Zoho, Bullhorn, Marketo, Eloqua and Salesforce.

Cognism customers speak highly of its interface, usability and support. Integrations are included in all packages. They include Salesforce, Hubspot, MS Dynamics, Pipedrive, Salesloft, Bullhorn, Outreach, and Zapier.

Then there’s Cognism’s AI advantages: 

  • Web app & extension: Build targeted lists in the Cognism web app, while the browser extension delivers compliant data directly from LinkedIn, corporate websites, and CRMs.

  • AI Search: Filter companies and contacts with natural language prompts, such as “Show me CMOs at FinTech companies in Germany.”

  • Sales intelligence: Get a territory-ready dashboard with AI-powered recommendations, enriched by intent surges, funding alerts, hiring signals, and company events.

  • Smart Personas: Describe your business once, and Cognism's AI builds persona-driven filters, instantly recommending the right contacts, intent topics, and technographics.

sales-companion-integrations-webp

Sounds great, but...

DiscoverOg is an all-in-one tool. 

That’s true, but how many of those tools do you actually need? Many of DiscoverOrg/ZoomInfo’s features are behind a paywall, and integrations can be complex.

Cognism focuses on quality B2B data, and the platform is built to prioritise the accounts that matter to you. With easy onboarding, local language enablement, and proactive compliance, reps are more productive and get results. 

0%

Better conversion rates (Lead Forensics)

0%

Improved connect rates (Druva)

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Time saved each week (UpCloud)

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Cognism vs DiscoverOrg: Databases & Data Coverage

When looking at DiscoverOrg data, the website does not directly state where its data coverage lies; it only states which industries its database includes. 

ZoomInfo is well known for its US coverage, but its global data comes at an extra cost via Global Data Passports (Global, Europe, North America Plus).

Quality is of utmost importance to Cognism, which offers phone-verified data and the most complete records in Europe.

It also has research teams in the EU and the US, making it a great option for anyone looking to find highly targeted leads across continents.

And the best part?

Cognism doesn’t charge extra for data in specific regions!

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Where do Cognism and DiscoverOrg get their data?

According to the Privacy Policy on the ZoomInfo site, it collects data from the following sources:

  • Search technology scans the web and gathers publicly available information.
  • Information licensed from other companies.
  • A community of contributors who validate new and existing data and add contacts.
  • Community software that extracts business data from email clients and signatures.
  • Through market research surveys and phone interviews conducted by an in-house research team.

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.

Machine learning processes check millions of data points daily, and a team of researchers verifies the data. This ensures accuracy and compliance, and the stringent verification process applies to Cognism’s entire database.

However, Cognism takes data verification to the next level through its exclusive data asset, which comprises phone-verified mobile numbers, making 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 verification-on-demand service.

This allows sales teams to connect with 87% of prospecting lists. Companies are seeing a 54% increase in mobile coverage, and ROI is rising as 70% of outbound meetings are booked via Cognism mobiles. 

Sounds great, but...

DiscoverOrg offers European data.

For organisations with European go-to-market requirements, the distinction is largely commercial and operational:

  • Cognism includes European data coverage as standard, embedded within its core product.

  • ZoomInfo offers international coverage through region-specific Data Passports, which are licensed separately.

For enterprise buyers, this affects cost predictability, procurement complexity and rollout consistency across regions.

0%

success rates in European data (Toucan)

0%

Improvement in connect rates (mollie)

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Cognism vs DiscoverOrg pricing

**Cognism and DiscoverOrg pricing information is dependent on your company’s needs. For accurate pricing, please contact your preferred data provider.

Cognism Pricing

Cognism’s pricing is designed to give revenue teams predictable access to high-quality European data, without the friction of traditional credit-based systems.

A transparent model and generous data allowance mean your team can prospect consistently, enrich records and build pipeline without second-guessing usage.

Cognism offers two core packages:

  • Standard gives you accurate, compliant European contact and company data, including phone-verified mobile numbers - everything needed to support day-to-day prospecting.
  • Pro adds advanced capabilities such as intent data, verification on demand services and premium data access, helping your team prioritise the right accounts and engage at the right time.

As your requirements grow, you can scale data access and enrichment to match your pipeline goals.

DiscoverOrg Pricing

According to its website, DiscoverOrg pricing includes multiple plans at different price points. Every package includes: 

  • Department-level org charts.
  • Direct dials, email addresses, and physical location data.
  • Intent data.

Trusted by Revenue Teams

See why sales, marketing and go-to-market teams rely on Cognism for accurate, compliant contact data and consistent results across European markets.

FAQs about DiscoverOrg vs Cognism

Cognism is the better choice for businesses looking for a lead generation platform that offers up-to-date, accurate data in an easy-to-use interface. Its unrestricted access to data and Browser Extension is unmatched by DiscoverOrg, as is its user-friendly interface 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.

There’s no such thing as DiscoverOrg vs ZoomInfo! The merged business intelligence platform is officially known as ZoomInfo, powered by DiscoverOrg. Following DiscoverOrg's acquisition of ZoomInfo, the two brands merged to offer clients a combined software with the best features from both applications.

Yes, DiscoverOrg and ZoomInfo are the same product. DiscoverOrg acquired ZoomInfo on 4 February 2019. The two platforms merged in September 2019 to be called ZoomInfo, Powered by DiscoverOrg. However, the name has since been changed and is now called DiscoverOrg, a ZoomInfo Company.

Yes, Cognism is an excellent alternative when comparing DiscoverOrg competitors. DiscoverOrg pricing is considerably more expensive than Cognism, and 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, DiscoverOrg reviews show the tools has had its share of complaints about slow response times and customer service issues, whereas Cognism has received overwhelmingly positive user reviews. In particular, many users praise its user-friendly interface, accurate data and excellent customer service.

DiscoverOrg is a sales intelligence solution. B2B businesses use it to identify business opportunities, discover new clients and monitor market trends.  

DiscoverOrg acquired ZoomInfo on 4 February 2019, and the two platforms merged in September 2019.

Yes, DiscoverOrg is legal. It is CCPA compliant & GDPR aligned and follows a process to collect business-related data, such as work email addresses or the job titles of a company’s employees. 

If you’re worried about compliance, you should choose a provider like Cognism. It is both GDPR and CCPA Compliant. 

Evaluate Cognism as an alternative to DiscoverOrg 

Book a demo to learn how Cognism integrates with your existing GTM systems.