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Cognism vs UpLead

No credit ceilings. Verified mobiles and emails included. Cognism gives GTM teams the trusted data foundation needed to win in new markets.

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How Cognism compares
UpLead
GDPR compliant
Strong international coverage
Verified mobile data
No credit ceilings

Why revenue leaders have switched to Cognism

01

80% data accuracy

Cognism provides phone-verified Diamond Data®, delivering higher mobile accuracy and reducing wasted outreach across European markets.

“In the last 30 days, we’ve booked 4 meetings that have turned into qualified opportunities, all thanks to using Cognism’s data. Given that we typically close 1 or 2 deals per year in this industry, that is a brilliant result.” Stevie, Sub1

02

ROI in 8 weeks

Cognism provides high-quality B2B data designed to help revenue teams focus on accounts and decision-makers that matter, accelerating time-to-impact.

“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

Teams switching to Cognism report higher connection rates with verified decision-makers, supporting faster deal progression and improved sales velocity.

“The tool has paid for itself. The largest deal closed in company history was helped by generating an email from the Cognism platform. The email address allowed us to reach the contract decision-maker and close the deal earlier than anticipated.” Marc, OneUp Sales

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What’s the difference between UpLead and Cognism?

When comparing Cognism to UpLead, it’s important to consider what each tool finds most important. 

Cognism is dedicated to providing high-quality B2B data in NAM, EMEA, and APAC. It has the most complete data in Europe and is a leader in US mobile coverage.

UpLead offers strong North European data with email verification.

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

Cognism
UpLead
Best for
Cognism
Revenue teams building predictable growth in Europe, where data accuracy, compliance, and governance are strategic requirements.
UpLead
Small to mid-sized sales and marketing teams prospecting in the US.
Compliance status
Cognism
GDPR and CCPA compliant, SOC 2 accredited, with TPS and DNC screening across 15 countries and a notified database.
UpLead
CCPA compliant.
Pricing
Cognism
Two tiers available. Unrestricted views and individual- and page-level exporting included across all packages.*
UpLead
Credit and seat-based pricing model.
Integrations
Cognism
Core CRM and engagement integrations included across all packages, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Pipedrive, Salesloft, Bullhorn, Outreach and Zapier.
UpLead
Integrations include Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, Pipedrive, MS Dynamics, Outreach, SalesLoft & Zapier.
Phone-verification/ research on-demand service
Cognism
Phone-verified Diamond Data® mobile numbers, with an on-demand verification service.
UpLead
Verified emails and mobile numbers.
Browser extension
Cognism
Compatible with LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Recruiter, Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach and company websites.
UpLead
Chrome extension works across company domains and LinkedIn profiles.
Intent data
Cognism
Bombora intent data across 12 core topics, with over 100 additional topics available.
UpLead
Bombora intent data (Max. topics 25).
Enrichment
Cognism
API-based enrichment and on-demand CSV enrichment.
UpLead
Only available on Plus and Professional plans.

See how Cognism compares with other GTM data platforms

Key features of Cognism vs UpLead

Cognism equips teams with everything they need to exceed quota month over month. It focuses on supplying accurate global B2B data that’s compliant with GDPR and CCPA regulations.

UpLead has several key features to help businesses reach their ideal buyers.

While both tools use intent data from Bombora, it’s clear that they have key differences and overall offerings.

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

Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

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

Bombora intent data, alongside real-time signals covering hiring activity, funding events and technographic insights.

AI-powered search

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

Sales Companion

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

Diamond Data®

Exclusive, on-demand verified mobile and email data, continuously refreshed to reflect real buying committees.

Enrich

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

Unrestricted access to person and company-level data

Full access to contact and company records, with generous fair usage designed for scale.

UpLead

Real-time email verification

Checks email validity instantly to reduce bounce rates.

Intent data powered by Bombora

Identify accounts actively researching relevant topics to prioritise outreach.

API for finding contact information from a domain

Pulls contact details directly from company domains via API.

Chrome extension with technographics

Finds contact data and company tech stack insights while browsing online.

What revenue teams see after switching to Cognism

“I would 100% recommend Cognism. Compliance is a big factor, along with data quality. We truly believe Cognism’s data quality is incomparable. When you have this and a positive sales experience, it’s very easy to recommend it to others.”
Read the full case study
23%
increase in call connect rate
Dan Orbach_Case Study
Dan Orbach
Head of Sales & Partnerships @UpCloud
“Within the first 4 months, we booked more SDR meetings in EMEA than we had all year using our previous provider.”
Read the full case study
42%
increase in EMEA BDR pipeline.
Jordan Veglio
Global Sales Development Leader @Redgate
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UpLead versus Cognism: Compliance

UpLead’s website indicates that outside the United States, customers are responsible for ensuring compliance with local data privacy laws. This suggests that while UpLead provides tools and data, the onus of legal compliance in various jurisdictions rests with the user.

What’s more, in November 2024, UpLead settled with the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) due to failing to register as a data broker between February and July 2024, as mandated by California’s Delete Act.

“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.”
Read the full case study
1612964195108-1
Richard Caldicott
IT Director @Henderson Scott

Cognism has never been fined for not adhering to privacy laws. In fact, GDPR and CCPA compliance were built into the platform from the start. 

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.

UpLead vs Cognism: Usability & Integrations

Cognism and UpLead offer numerous integrations and a browser extension for sourcing contact data on company websites and LinkedIn.

The key difference is that integrations are available on all of Cognism’s plans at no extra charge. UpLead integrations with sales tools like Salesloft and Outreach are only available on higher-tier plans.

What makes the Cognism Browser Extension a game-changer for sales reps?

  • It’s connected to a high-quality, compliant database of company and contact profiles. 
  • It works over Outreach, HubSpot, and Salesforce, enabling you to enrich prospect records without leaving those tools.
  • It lets you enrich LinkedIn profiles and Sales Navigator lists and find prospect contact details on corporate websites.
  • Sales Companion connects you with ready-to-buy decision makers in the accounts that matter.
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Sounds great, but...

UpLead is more affordable. 

UpLead may look cheaper upfront, but extra costs quickly add up for credits, enrichment, integrations, and technographics. Not to mention the wasted time chasing unverified mobiles.

Cognism may cost more, but with no credit ceilings and Diamond Data®, enrichment, and integrations included in every package, you get predictable pricing and real ROI.

0%

Better conversion rates (Lead Forensics)

0%

closed deals with Cognism’s mobile numbers (OneUp Sales)

0%

Influenced closed/won deals (Openprise)

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Cognism vs UpLead: Databases & Data Coverage

UpLead’s website does not directly state where its data coverage lies, only that it has global company profiles.

Cognism has research teams in the EU and the US, making it an excellent option for anyone looking to enter new markets with highly targeted leads. 

Quality is of utmost importance to Cognism, with phone-verified numbers, the most complete data in Europe and the best mobile number coverage in the United States.

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Where do Cognism and UpLead get their data?

According to the Privacy Policy on its website, UpLead collects data from the following sources:

  • Directly from individuals who submit Business Profile Data to them.
  • Data shared via signing up, contacting UpLead or using the services (based on legitimate interest).
  • From publicly available information on the internet or otherwise.
  • From third-party companies that collect information on UpLead’s behalf and license it to them.

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, 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.

Diamond Data® allows sales teams to connect with 87% of prospecting lists. Companies are seeing a 54% increase in mobile coverage, and ROI is increasing due to 70% of outbound meetings booked from Cognism mobiles. 

Here’s how Cognism mobile phone numbers differ from standard mobile numbers. 

How standard mobile numbers compare to Cognism's phone-verified numbers.

Sounds great, but...

UpLead has real-time email verification.

UpLead’s real-time email checks are useful, but Cognism’s Diamond Data® delivers phone-verified mobiles and verified emails together. With trusted international coverage and teams seeing ROI within 8 weeks, Cognism helps you reach decision-makers faster.

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success rates in European data (Toucan)

0%

Better mobile accuracy than competitors (Docfield)

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email deliverability rate (cec marketing)

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Cognism vs UpLead pricing

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

Cognism Pricing

What differentiates Cognism from UpLead is predictable access to data at scale.

Cognism’s core packages are designed to provide predictable, unrestricted access to high-quality European data. Reps can view records freely and export up to 25 contacts at a time, without credit limits or usage penalties.

Cognism’s pricing model is split into two primary packages:

  • Grow provides access to Cognism’s core European contact and company dataset, including phone-verified Diamond Data® mobile numbers. It's designed for teams that need reliable, compliant data to support day-to-day prospecting and account coverage.
  • Elevate builds on Grow by combining Cognism’s dataset with advanced intelligence and actionable signals. This enables teams to prioritise accounts more effectively, understand buying context and act with better timing across complex European markets.

In addition, organisations can extend coverage with additional intent topics (12 included with Elevate) and Diamonds-on-Demand®, depending on prospecting requirements.

UpLead Pricing

UpLead pricing includes three packages and a free trial. Every package includes: 

  • A single-user seat.
  • Verified emails. 
  • Mobile phones.
  • Verified direct dials.
  • Chrome extension.

You will have to pay more for additional credits, enrichment, API, integrations and technographics.

All search filters, buyer intent data, full API access, and competitor intelligence require a professional plan. 

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 UpLead vs Cognism

UpLead is a good no-fluff B2B prospecting platform.

But Cognism is the better choice for businesses looking for a lead generation platform offering up-to-date, accurate data in an easy-to-use interface.

Its verified mobiles and B2B emails are unmatched by UpLead, as are 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.

Yes, Cognism is an excellent alternative when comparing UpLead competitors.

Cognism provides highly accurate and up-to-date contact information. It 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 receives overwhelmingly positive reviews from its users. Many users praise its data quality and robust integrations:

Outwardly, UpLead has more affordable pricing options than Cognism. It offers a 7-day free trial and paid plans starting at $99 per user per month. At first glance, it may appear to be better value for money compared to Cognism.

However, UpLead uses a credit-based pricing system. Meaning that as soon as your team runs out of credits, you will need to purchase more. One credit equals one contact in UpLead’s system.

Data enrichment, technographics, intent data, and API access also come at an additional cost. So you can see how the price of using UpLead can quickly go up.

In contrast, Cognism’s data is unrestricted; all license types include unrestricted access to data and individual and page-level exports (up to 25 profiles at a time). It’s subject to a generous fair usage policy. This offers more value to sales teams, especially heavy dialers.

All Cognism packages include key features and integrations designed to make prospecting as efficient as possible. There are no hidden platform fees; you only pay for licenses and add-ons.

Evaluate Cognism as an alternative to UpLead 

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