Cognism vs ZoomInfo
With ZoomInfo, essential features like global data sit behind costly paywalls. Cognism includes global data, AI insights, and seamless integrations as standard, enabling predictable usage without incremental upgrades.
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Why revenue leaders have switched to Cognism
85% data accuracy
Cognism provides Diamond Data™ with high mobile accuracy, reducing wasted outreach and increasing confidence in prospecting decisions.
Customers report higher first-connect rates and fewer unproductive dials, enabling revenue teams to operate more efficiently at scale.
“We previously used ZoomInfo and saw contact accuracy of around 50%. When we evaluated Cognism as part of the procurement process, data accuracy was closer to 85%.” Justin, Bright Network
22% growth in quarterly pipeline
Cognism’s governance-led data model supports more reliable outbound connections, underpinning revenue teams to build higher-quality pipelines and reduce early-stage funnel leakage.
“We previously used ZoomInfo, but it didn’t meet our requirements across EMEA and APAC. With Cognism’s data, contact rates improved by 34%, contributing to our strongest quarterly performance in the past six quarters.” Antony, Druva
ROI in 8 weeks
Cognism delivers high-quality B2B data designed to connect revenue teams with the accounts and decision-makers that matter.
“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
What’s the difference between Cognism and ZoomInfo?
ZoomInfo and Cognism are both established providers of B2B sales intelligence, but they are built around different products and commercial philosophies.
ZoomInfo has grown primarily through acquisition, assembling a broad go-to-market platform that brings together data, workflows and engagement tools under a single ecosystem. For some organisations, this offers convenience and scale. For others, particularly those operating across multiple regions, it can introduce complexity and additional cost as capabilities are layered through add-ons.
Cognism takes a different approach, focusing on continuous investment in contact data quality, governance and usability. Its sales intelligence platform is designed to support confident prospecting at scale, with global data coverage, compliance safeguards and workflow integrations included as standard.
Features such as Sales Companion are designed to streamline prospecting, enhance sales productivity, and support more predictable pipeline creation, without requiring teams to adopt an entirely new operating model.
As Cognism’s leadership puts it:
“We want our customers to be able to target prospects with confidence, knowing that data accuracy and compliance are built into the platform.”
Below is a side-by-side comparison of Cognism vs ZoomInfo:
See how Cognism compares with other sales data providers
Key features of Cognism vs ZoomInfo
Cognism is designed to support revenue teams operating at scale. The platform prioritises accurate global B2B data, built-in compliance and seamless integration into existing revenue workflows, helping organisations prospect with confidence across regions.
ZoomInfo provides a broad suite of go-to-market tools that support prospecting, marketing and talent acquisition. These capabilities are organised into separate products, including:
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SalesOS
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MarketingOS
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TalentOS
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the core features available across ZoomInfo vs Cognism.
Cognism
Provides contextual account intelligence to support informed and timely prospecting.
Supports higher connect rates, with customers reporting contactability across up to 87% of records.
Exclusive on-demand, phone-verified mobile and email dataset.
Subject to a generous fair usage policy.
API enrichment and on-demand CSV enrichment.
Bombora intent data, alongside real-time signals covering hiring activity, funding events and technographic insights.
Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.
Salesforce, HubSpot, MS Dynamics, Pipedrive, Salesloft, Outreach & Zapier.
SOC 2 accreditations, TPS & DNC screening across 15 countries & notified database.
AI-powered search for identifying prospects using natural-language or voice queries.
ZoomInfo
An AI assistant that surfaces recommendations and insights to guide sales reps.
Provides contact and company details while browsing websites or within CRM/email tools.
Identifies accounts researching relevant topics.
Identifies organisations visiting your website.
Records and analyses sales calls to highlight key insights and coaching opportunities.
Enriches form fills to reduce friction and capture leads.
Enables account-based ad targeting.
Automatically adds or updates missing prospect details in your CRM.
Uses AI to score and prioritise leads based on predicted likelihood of conversion.
From ZoomInfo to Cognism
Head of Revenue Operations @Bright Network
SDR Manager @User Evidence
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ZoomInfo versus Cognism: Compliance
Both ZoomInfo and Cognism are established B2B data providers and operate in line with GDPR and CCPA requirements. Where they differ is in how compliance is operationalised within their data models.
Cognism applies Do-Not-Call (DNC) screening across a broader set of national registers, embedding consent management directly into outbound data workflows. This approach is designed to reduce regulatory exposure for revenue teams operating across multiple jurisdictions.
SDR Manager @Cloudreach
Why is DNC list cleaning important?
In many markets, contacting individuals who have opted out of sales and marketing communications can expose organisations to regulatory and reputational risk. In the UK, for example, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued fines totalling £ 180,000 to companies responsible for more than 480,000 unlawful marketing calls to numbers listed on the national “Do Not Call” register.
For enterprise organisations, the issue is not only compliance in principle, but whether safeguards are applied consistently at scale.
Cognism’s compliance model
Cognism enables organisations to suppress contacts who have opted out of unsolicited phone calls and are registered on national DNC lists, allowing revenue teams to operate with greater confidence across regions.In addition:
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Cognism does not collect B2C email addresses
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The database is notified and maintained in line with GDPR requirements
As part of its standard compliance framework, Cognism screens contact data against the following registers:
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TPS and CTPS (UK)
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Do-Not-Call lists in the United States, Canada and Australia
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European DNC registers, including Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Croatia, Portugal and Sweden
This screening is applied by default, rather than as an optional configuration, supporting consistent data governance across international revenue operations.
ZoomInfo vs Cognism: Usability & Integrations
The primary difference between Cognism and ZoomInfo’s integrations lies in how each provider approaches workflow design and platform architecture.
Cognism is designed to integrate seamlessly within an organisation’s existing revenue stack. Rather than replacing established tools, the platform is designed to integrate directly into current sales and marketing workflows.
Cognism prioritises native integrations with widely adopted CRMs and engagement platforms, including Salesforce (two-way sync), HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Pipedrive, Outreach, and Salesloft, allowing teams to access data without changing their workflow.
ZoomInfo supports a broad set of integrations via its App Marketplace and also offers an expanded suite of native capabilities. Through acquisition, it has developed an increasingly comprehensive go-to-market platform that combines data, engagement and workflow tools within a single environment.
For some organisations, this consolidation is attractive; for others, particularly those with mature existing stacks, it may introduce additional complexity.
In independent buyer feedback, some prospective customers have noted that ZoomInfo’s expanding platform scope affects perceived usability, particularly as more features and functionality are layered into a single interface.
Browser extensions and in-workflow prospecting
Both Cognism and ZoomInfo provide browser extensions that support in-context prospecting, including two-way Salesforce integration.
Cognism’s browser extension is designed to operate across the environments where revenue teams spend most of their time, enabling efficient prospecting without the need to switch tools. The Sales Companion extension:
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Works with LinkedIn and LinkedIn Sales Navigator to enrich profiles and lists.
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Operates across Salesforce, HubSpot and Outreach, supporting in-workflow prospecting.
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Functions on corporate websites, surfacing company details, technology stack information and key decision-makers.
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Supports multi-threaded deal research, helping teams identify additional stakeholders.
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Allows individual- and page-level data exporting, in line with usage policies.
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A common question: all-in-one platform or best-in-class data?
ZoomInfo positions itself as an all-in-one go-to-market platform, combining data, workflows and engagement tools within a single ecosystem. For some organisations, this consolidation is appealing.
For others, particularly enterprises with established CRM, engagement, and RevOps infrastructure, the question is whether additional platform layers create incremental value or introduce complexity through modular pricing, configuration overhead, and workflow changes.
Cognism takes a more focused approach. The platform is built around high-quality, compliant B2B data, designed to integrate into existing revenue systems rather than replace them. With straightforward onboarding, local-market support and compliance embedded by default, revenue teams can operate productively without re-engineering their stack.
Better conversion rates (Lead Forensics)
closed deals with Cognism’s mobile numbers (OneUp Sales)
Time saved each week (UpCloud)
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Cognism vs ZoomInfo: Databases & Data Coverage
Both Cognism and ZoomInfo operate large-scale B2B contact databases and invest in ongoing data verification.
The difference lies in how data quality, coverage and compliance are prioritised, particularly for organisations operating across Europe and North America.
Cognism’s data model
Cognism is built around accurate, compliant European sales data, designed to support mid-market and enterprise organisations scaling across European markets.
The platform focuses on making high-quality European contact data available, reliable and actionable within existing revenue tools and workflows.
Key characteristics of Cognism’s database include:
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Phone-verified mobile numbers through Diamond Data®
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Verified B2B email addresses
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A high proportion of direct-dial mobile coverage, validated on demand
Cognism sources and maintains its data through a combination of proprietary collection methods, trusted third-party providers, publicly available sources, manual research and strategic partnerships.
Millions of data points are processed daily to keep person- and company-level records current and usable at scale.
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ZoomInfo’s data approach
Like Cognism, ZoomInfo has robust data-checking processes to ensure accuracy. ZoomInfo labels contact profiles in its database with a confidence score, which denotes the quality of the available information.
ZoomInfo also has a network of voluntary contributors through ZoomInfo Community Edition. Its users agree to share their business contacts to help ZoomInfo keep its platform updated in exchange for limited access to ZoomInfo.
In terms of geographic coverage, ZoomInfo offers international datasets via Global Data Passports, including Global, Europe and North America Plus, which are available as additional purchases.
Geographic coverage: Europe vs global add-ons
For organisations with European go-to-market requirements, the distinction is largely commercial and operational:
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Cognism includes European data coverage as standard, embedded within its core product.
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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.
success rates in European data (Toucan)
Improvement in connect rates (mollie)
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Intent data: Cognism or ZoomInfo?
Intent data indicates when organisations are actively researching solutions, helping revenue teams prioritise outreach.
Cognism and ZoomInfo both provide intent signals, but source and apply them differently.
ZoomInfo intent data
ZoomInfo aggregates intent signals from multiple sources and applies proprietary machine-learning models to infer buying interest.
These signals are surfaced within the ZoomInfo Powered by DiscoverOrg platform as part of its broader data and engagement ecosystem.
It’s also believed that ZoomInfo relies on bidstream data.
Cognism intent data
Cognism’s intent data is powered by Bombora, a specialist provider focused exclusively on B2B buyer intent. Bombora’s signals are available directly within Cognism’s web application and browser extension, alongside contact and account data.
Bombora’s intent model is characterised by:
- A large and granular intent taxonomy
- Consent-based data collection across a cooperative of thousands of B2B websites
- A dataset that includes a significant proportion of exclusive signals
- Measurement against historical consumption baselines, rather than one-off spikes
By combining Bombora intent with Cognism’s contact data, revenue teams can identify, prioritise and engage accounts showing active buying behaviour, without separating intent from execution.
In addition to intent, Cognism provides real-time signal data surfaced through Sales Companion. These signals track events such as funding announcements, hiring activity and organisational change, helping teams time outreach more effectively.
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Here’s how Cognism’s intent data is different to ZoomInfo’s:
- 12,000+ intent topics (vs ZoomInfo’s).
- Consent-based data is collected from a cooperative of 5,000 B2B sites where B2B buyers search for solutions.
- 70% of its dataset is exclusive to Bombora.
- Considers the historical baseline or typical content consumption when calculating intent.
How does Cognism pricing compare to ZoomInfo?
**Cognism and ZoomInfo pricing information is dependent on your company’s needs. For accurate pricing, please contact your preferred data provider.
Cognism Pricing
What differentiates Cognism from ZoomInfo is the structure of data access.
Cognism’s core packages provide unrestricted data views, with controlled exports of up to 25 records per action, supporting consistent prospecting without usage-based constraints.
Cognism’s pricing model is is structured around two tiers:
- Grow provides access to essential, high-quality European contact and company data, including phone-verified Diamond Data®, supporting confident prospecting across European markets.
- Elevate builds on Grow by combining Cognism’s data with advanced intelligence and actionable signals, designed for organisations requiring deeper insight to prioritise accounts and time outreach more effectively.
In addition, organisations can extend their package with additional intent data topics (12 included in Elevate) and Diamonds-on-Demand®, allowing coverage to scale without altering the core commercial model.
ZoomInfo Pricing
ZoomInfo pricing is determined by several variables, including the number of licensed users, estimated monthly export volumes and optional add-ons such as Global Data Passports.
ZoomInfo does not offer a rolling monthly subscription and typically requires a longer-term contractual commitment.
The platform operates on a credit-based consumption model, where viewing and exporting data is governed by allocated credits.
For some organisations, this introduces additional considerations around usage management and cost forecasting.
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 ZoomInfo vs Cognism
For organisations focused on European market growth, Cognism is widely regarded as a strong alternative to ZoomInfo.
Cognism is designed around accurate, compliant European sales data, with GDPR compliance embedded by default and data governance applied across key European markets. Rather than operating as an all-in-one go-to-market platform, Cognism focuses on making high-quality B2B contact data reliable, accessible and usable within existing sales and marketing workflows.
For mid-market and enterprise teams that prioritise data accuracy, regulatory confidence and predictable access, particularly when operating across Europe, Cognism is often chosen as a practical and scalable alternative to ZoomInfo.
Learn more about ZoomInfo’s European data.
Yes. Cognism is a strong alternative to ZoomInfo for mid-market and enterprise organisations focused on European growth.
Cognism specialises in accurate, compliant European sales data, with GDPR compliance embedded by default and governance applied across key European markets. The platform is designed to make high-quality contact data reliable and usable within existing sales and marketing workflows, rather than requiring teams to adopt a new all-in-one system.
Customer reviews frequently highlight data accuracy, predictable access to contact information, and ease of use, particularly for teams operating across multiple European countries. For organisations prioritising regulatory confidence, data quality and workflow fit, Cognism is commonly evaluated as a credible alternative to ZoomInfo.
The difference between Cognism and ZoomInfo lies in data focus, commercial model and how compliance is embedded.
Cognism is purpose-built to support mid-market and enterprise organisations growing across European markets. It focuses on providing accurate, compliant European sales data, designed to be reliable and usable directly within existing sales and marketing workflows.
Key differences include:
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European sales data included as standard, without region-specific add-ons
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Phone-verified mobile numbers and verified B2B email data
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Compliance by default, with GDPR adherence and broader Do-Not-Call (DNC) list screening across European countries
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Native integrations with existing revenue technology, including Salesforce and other widely used CRM and engagement platforms
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Predictable pricing, with unrestricted data views and page-level exporting across packages
ZoomInfo is a well-established sales intelligence platform and is commonly used by marketing, sales and recruiting teams, particularly those focused on North American markets.
For organisations operating across European markets, however, requirements often differ. Teams may place greater emphasis on European data quality, regulatory confidence and predictable access, rather than credit-based consumption models or region-specific add-ons.
In these cases, platforms such as Cognism, which focus on accurate, compliant European sales data embedded directly into existing workflows, are often evaluated as a good alternative.
ZoomInfo does not publish its pricing publicly. To receive a detailed quote, organisations typically need to engage directly with ZoomInfo’s sales team.
Pricing is generally structured around a credit-based consumption model, with costs influenced by factors such as the number of users, data usage limits and selected add-ons. ZoomInfo does not usually offer a rolling monthly subscription, and contracts often involve a longer-term commercial commitment.
For a detailed explanation of how ZoomInfo structures its pricing, see the ZoomInfo pricing page.
Yes. Cognism is particularly well-suited to enterprise teams operating across multiple European countries.
The platform is designed to address European data governance, compliance, and cross-border complexities, featuring local Do-Not-Call screening, GDPR compliance by default, and European contact data included as standard.
For enterprises that need consistent data quality and regulatory confidence across Europe, Cognism aligns closely with those requirements.