Last updated: May 2026
What Is Cognism?
Cognism is the B2B sales intelligence platform built for European markets first. Founded in London in 2015, Cognism serves 1,800+ revenue teams globally with verified mobile numbers, GDPR-compliant European data, intent signals, and contact data optimized for EMEA prospecting.
The pitch matters in Europe. ZoomInfo and Apollo dominate North America with strong US data; European phone numbers and GDPR-compliant data sources thinner. Cognism specifically built for European B2B sales with Diamond Data (manually verified mobiles) and GDPR/CCPA notification workflows that keep sales teams legally clean.
The product targets B2B sales teams selling into Europe, multinational sales orgs needing strong EMEA data, and compliance-sensitive industries (finance, healthcare, government).
Request Cognism DemoHow Cognism Works
The contact database covers 400M+ profiles globally with deep European coverage. Filter by industry, role, geography, technology, and intent signals. Diamond Data is the premium tier with mobile numbers manually verified, claimed at 87% accuracy.
Compliance workflows handle GDPR and CCPA notification requirements. When a rep adds a contact to outreach, Cognism's Notify can automatically send GDPR notification emails to the contact informing them their data has been added. Reduces legal exposure for marketing-sourced contacts.
Intent signals from Bombora identify accounts researching specific topics. Cognism's own behavioral data adds another intent layer. Surface in-market accounts for sales prioritization.
Sales Companion is the Chrome extension showing contact data inside LinkedIn, Salesforce, and other web tools. Reps prospect without leaving daily workflow.
Integrations cover Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Outreach, SalesLoft, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and Slack. Bidirectional sync with field mapping and de-duplication.
Cognism Pricing in 2026
Cognism does not publish pricing. Annual contracts based on user count, data credits, and Diamond Data tier. Industry estimates:
- Platinum tier (basic): $15,000-$30,000/year for small teams
- Diamond tier (verified mobiles): $30,000-$80,000/year
- Enterprise deployments: $100,000-$500,000+/year
Annual commits standard. Procurement involves scoping and sales calls.
Get Cognism PricingWhere Cognism Wins
- European data depth: best in class for EMEA prospecting.
- Verified mobile numbers (Diamond Data): actual reach rates higher than competitors.
- GDPR compliance workflow: Notify automates legal notifications.
- Strong intent data: Bombora plus Cognism behavioral data.
- Chrome extension UX: data inside LinkedIn and Salesforce.
Where It Falls Short
- Annual contracts only: no monthly trial of paid tiers.
- US data slightly behind ZoomInfo: still strong, but ZoomInfo deeper.
- Pricing opaque: sales call required.
- UX less polished than newer competitors: enterprise-feel, not consumer-grade.
Cognism vs ZoomInfo vs Apollo vs Lusha
ZoomInfo is the US-first alternative. Better US data, weaker EMEA, higher price.
Apollo is the SMB and mid-market alternative. Lower price, less compliance tooling.
Lusha targets simpler use cases at lower price. Less data depth.
Kaspr is the LinkedIn-focused European alternative. Smaller scope.
Who Should Use Cognism
B2B sales teams selling into Europe: best EMEA data.
Multinational sales orgs: covers EU + US + APAC.
Compliance-sensitive industries: GDPR Notify workflow reduces legal risk.
Skip it if: you sell only in US (use ZoomInfo or Apollo), you have under 10 reps (use Apollo), or budget is under $20K/year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Diamond Data?
Cognism's premium tier of manually verified mobile phone numbers.
Is Cognism GDPR compliant?
Yes. The Notify workflow automates GDPR data subject notifications.
Does it cover the US market?
Yes. Strong US data, slightly less depth than ZoomInfo.
Does it integrate with Salesforce?
Yes natively with bidirectional sync.
How does intent data work?
Bombora plus Cognism's own behavioral data surface accounts researching specific topics.
