Compare B2B Data Providers: Which One Fits Your Business Needs
Why B2B Data Is Your Competitive Edge (and Risk)
Picture this: you spend weeks preparing an outbound campaign, crafting personalised copy and building sequences designed to resonate with decision-makers. But when you hit send, responses are minimal. Bounces pile up, spam complaints increase, and your carefully designed pipeline stalls. The culprit? Out-of-date, inaccurate, or irrelevant data.
In today’s competitive B2B landscape, the accuracy and depth of your data can make or break your entire go-to-market strategy. Whether you are building outbound campaigns, fuelling account-based marketing, enriching your CRM, or supporting SDRs with direct dials, data is at the heart of every growth motion.
The right provider ensures your team focuses on conversations, not cleaning spreadsheets. The wrong one leaves you chasing ghosts.
In this guide, we compare six leading B2B data providers Apollo, Cognism, BookYourData, Kaspr, Instantly.ai, and LeadsForge.ai to help you identify which platform best suits your business goals, compliance needs, and sales process.
The Benefits & Challenges of B2B Data Providers
Benefits
- Pipeline acceleration – Access millions of verified contacts instantly instead of manually sourcing lists.
- Precision targeting – Filter by geography, job title, industry, revenue, technographics, and intent.
- Enrichment and hygiene – Fill in missing job titles, numbers, and emails while removing duplicates.
- Compliance protection – Providers with GDPR-aligned frameworks reduce legal exposure.
- Deliverability improvements – Verified email and phone data reduce bounce rates and protect your sender reputation.
- Workflow automation – Integrations into CRMs, MAPs, and sequencing tools ensure smoother operations.
Challenges
- Data decay – Job titles change monthly; even the best databases lose accuracy.
- Verification limitations – “Verified” rarely means flawless; expect a small percentage of bounces.
- Opaque pricing – Subscriptions, credits, and hidden costs can create surprises.
- Compliance risk – If the data sourcing isn’t transparent, you may carry liability.
- Overwhelm – More contacts do not always equal better targeting. Poor ICP alignment wastes time.
Vendor Comparisons
Apollo
Apollo is a comprehensive sales intelligence and engagement platform that combines a huge contact database with outreach functionality. It claims a living database of hundreds of millions of contacts and tens of millions of companies, refreshed continuously.
Key Features
- Massive contact database – Apollo’s scale is one of the largest in the market, offering depth across industries, company sizes, and global geographies.
- Granular filters – Over 60 search filters, including industry, department, seniority, technologies used, and keywords, allow precise targeting of ICPs.
- Seven-step email verification – Apollo uses layered verification methods to reduce bounce risk, including SMTP checks, role-based filtering, and domain validation.
- Contributor network – A community-driven model feeds fresh updates into its “living database”, helping improve accuracy.
- Engagement suite – Beyond data, Apollo offers native sequencing for cold emails, dialler tools for calls, and LinkedIn automation. This makes it a full-stack prospecting platform.
- Intent data – Surfacing buying signals based on web behaviour and research topics allows prioritisation of prospects showing interest.
- CRM and workflow integrations – Native connectors to Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and APIs mean seamless sync with sales workflows.
- Data health monitoring – Apollo flags job changes and outdated contacts, helping you maintain cleaner CRM records.
Benefits
- All-in-one platform combining discovery, enrichment, and engagement.
- Large database, good for teams needing global reach.
- Affordable entry-level plans with free tier for trial.
Limitations
- Accuracy varies, especially with senior-level contacts or niche industries.
- Credit-based model can be expensive for heavy users.
- Some users may find engagement tools less advanced than dedicated sequencing platforms.
Best Fit
Apollo is best for small to mid-sized sales teams who want prospecting and outreach in one platform, reducing reliance on multiple tools.
Get 50% off your first year on Apollo‘s Basic or Professional Plans (up to 5 seats), only for startups with fewer than 20 employees.
Cognism
Cognism positions itself as a compliance-first sales intelligence provider, with a strong reputation in European markets. It goes beyond raw data with an emphasis on verified mobiles, GDPR alignment, and privacy safeguards.
Key Features
- GDPR-compliant framework – Cognism places compliance at the centre of its product, with documented sourcing and clear opt-out processes.
- Diamond Data® – A premium tier of phone-verified contacts, offering direct dials and mobiles that SDRs value for faster connection rates.
- Intent and trigger data – Funding rounds, technology adoption, or hiring activity alerts allow users to target accounts with higher purchase intent.
- Global coverage with EU strength – Particularly strong in the UK and EU, but also includes US and APAC data.
- Seamless integrations – Connects with major CRMs, MAPs, and diallers for operational efficiency.
- Dedicated support and onboarding – Aimed at enterprises, Cognism provides managed onboarding and training.
Benefits
- One of the strongest options for companies operating in regulated markets like Europe.
- Mobile numbers and verified dials accelerate connect rates.
- Deep data enrichment improves CRM accuracy.
Limitations
- Higher entry price point compared to others.
- Focus on compliance can mean more complex onboarding.
- Less suited to very small businesses with limited budgets.
Best Fit
Cognism is ideal for enterprises or scale-ups targeting European markets where GDPR and privacy compliance are top priorities.
Find out more about Cognism Today!
BookYourData
BookYourData offers a flexible pay-as-you-go model. Rather than requiring a subscription, users purchase only the contacts they need. This makes it attractive for agencies and teams that run campaigns sporadically.
Key Features
- Pay-as-you-go pricing – No fixed subscriptions; you buy credits only when you need new leads.
- High claimed accuracy – Contact lists are marketed at 97% accuracy with frequent cleansing.
- Lead builder filters – Build lists by job role, industry, revenue, employee size, geography, or technographics.
- Data enrichment – Tools to clean, deduplicate, and enrich existing databases.
- Technographic insights – Identify which technologies a company uses for more targeted SaaS campaigns.
- API integrations – Sync lists into CRMs and marketing tools to speed up campaign launches.
Benefits
- Flexible pricing prevents overspending for occasional users.
- High claimed accuracy reduces bounce risk.
- Useful for campaign-specific targeting when scale is not constant.
Limitations
- Does not include outreach or sequencing features.
- Buying repeatedly can become more costly at scale.
Best Fit
BookYourData suits marketing agencies or businesses that run one-off or seasonal campaigns and want flexibility without long-term subscription commitments.
Get 10% Off BookYourData Today!
Kaspr
Kaspr focuses on real-time contact extraction from LinkedIn, making it a favourite among SDRs and recruiters. It simplifies prospecting by revealing verified emails and phone numbers as you browse profiles.
Key Features
- Chrome extension – Works directly within LinkedIn and Sales Navigator to reveal hidden contact information.
- Real-time enrichment – Provides emails and phone numbers instantly as you browse.
- Unlimited email credits (in higher plans) – Reduces restrictions for users running large prospecting volumes.
- Multi-source verification – Pulls from numerous data sources for accuracy.
- Workflow automation – Export contacts into CRMs like HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce.
- Integrations with outreach tools – Sync data into Lemlist and other sequencing platforms.
Benefits
- Extremely convenient for LinkedIn-heavy prospecting workflows.
- Fast data discovery while browsing profiles.
- Affordable compared to larger platforms.
Limitations
- Reliant on LinkedIn; if your ICP is underrepresented there, value decreases.
- Limited in broader firmographic or technographic insights.
Best Fit
Kaspr is perfect for SDR teams or recruiters prospecting primarily through LinkedIn who want instant access to contact information.
Instantly.ai (Lead Finder)
Instantly.ai is known for its cold email automation platform, but its B2B Lead Finder tool extends functionality by offering lead discovery. This makes it appealing to smaller teams that want discovery and outreach in one interface.
Key Features
- Integrated lead discovery and outreach – Find prospects and immediately feed them into email campaigns without exporting CSVs.
- Large database – Access to hundreds of millions of contacts with filtering by role, geography, and industry.
- Waterfall verification – Only verified contacts are exported, reducing bounce risk.
- Lookalike audiences – Build lead lists similar to your existing customers using keywords or domains.
- Credit-based model – Pricing scales based on credits used for verification and lead discovery.
- CRM sync – Push leads directly into sales tools or campaigns.
Benefits
- Saves time by combining prospecting and outreach in one system.
- Verified-only exports help protect sender reputation.
- Simple for lean teams without tech-heavy stacks.
Limitations
- Filtering options less advanced than dedicated data-first providers.
- Export caps may restrict campaigns with narrow targeting.
- Smaller support team compared to larger players.
Best Fit
Instantly.ai works well for early-stage start-ups or lean marketing teams who want an easy way to discover leads and launch cold outreach quickly.
LeadsForge.ai
LeadsForge.ai is a newer entrant into the market with a focus on enrichment and data augmentation. It positions itself as a tool for cleaning and enhancing existing data as well as generating new leads.
Key Features
- Data enrichment – Fill missing emails, phone numbers, and job titles in existing CRMs.
- Verification tools – Reduce bounce rates with email validation and cleansing.
- Lead discovery – Build targeted lists across industries and geographies.
- Integration – Sync with CRM systems and outreach platforms.
- Scoring and ranking – Rank leads based on relevance and fit to prioritise SDR outreach.
Benefits
- Good option for businesses with existing but incomplete databases.
- Offers both enrichment and new lead generation.
- Likely to be more flexible and customisable as a smaller player.
Limitations
- Less established brand, meaning fewer reviews and case studies.
- Scale and refresh rate may not match market leaders.
- Coverage breadth is less transparent.
Best Fit
LeadsForge.ai is suitable for teams looking to improve the quality of their existing CRM rather than solely relying on net-new lists.
Comparative Summary Table
| Vendor | Strengths | Best Use Cases | Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo | All-in-one data + engagement, strong enrichment, intent signals | Sales teams wanting one unified platform | Credits can run out quickly, accuracy varies |
| Cognism | Compliance-first, EU strength, Diamond Data® direct dials | Enterprises prioritising GDPR and EU coverage | Higher costs, longer onboarding |
| BookYourData | Pay-as-you-go, flexible, technographic filters | Agencies and intermittent campaigns | No outreach features, less frequent refresh |
| Kaspr | LinkedIn integration, real-time reveals | SDRs and recruiters | Reliant on LinkedIn, limited firmographics |
| Instantly. | Discovery + outreach in one, verified exports | Lean start-ups and small teams | Export caps, less advanced filtering |
| LeadsForge.ai | Enrichment and CRM augmentation | Businesses improving existing data |
How to Choose the Right B2B Data Provider
- Define your workflow – Do you need pure data, enrichment, or full engagement?
- Budget model – Subscription vs credits vs pay-as-you-go.
- Data quality testing – Always request a sample and run a test campaign.
- Compliance – Essential for UK and EU markets.
- Integration – Ensure the platform fits into your CRM and outreach stack.
- Scalability – Will the solution still work when your outbound volume triples?
Final Thoughts
The right B2B data provider gives your team a competitive advantage, helping you spend time with the right prospects instead of cleaning lists or chasing dead leads.
Apollo and Cognism stand out as comprehensive platforms for serious outbound teams. BookYourData offers flexibility for one-off campaigns. Kaspr is a quick win for LinkedIn-heavy prospecting. Instantly.ai is excellent for lean teams who need speed and simplicity. LeadsForge.ai is promising for enrichment and CRM data improvement.
Whichever you choose, remember that no provider is perfect. Data is living and constantly changing. The real key is to align your provider with your business model, budget, and compliance requirements and to keep your data fresh through continuous validation.
