Cognism vs SalesIntel: Pricing, Data, and Verdict for 2026
Cognism doesn't publish pricing publicly. SalesIntel doesn't list dollar amounts on its pricing page either. That's maddening when you're staring down a $20K+ annual decision and the only way to get a number is to sit through a dozen sales calls.
We've dug through Vendr benchmarks, contract analyses, and hundreds of G2 reviews to put real figures side by side. Here's what the contracts actually look like, where each tool wins, and when you should skip both entirely.
30-Second Verdict
Cognism holds a 4.5/5 from 1,318 reviews on G2. SalesIntel sits at 4.3/5 from 538 reviews. Both are solid - but they solve different problems.
- Pick Cognism if your team sells into EMEA and needs DNC screening plus GDPR compliance baked in.
- Pick SalesIntel if you're US-focused and want human-verified contacts with lower entry costs.
- Skip both if your team is under 10 reps or your budget is under $20K/year. Prospeo delivers 98% email accuracy with a 7-day data refresh starting free - no contract, no sales call.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Dimension | Cognism | SalesIntel | Prospeo |
|---|---|---|---|
| G2 Rating | 4.5/5 (1,318) | 4.3/5 (538) | - |
| Annual Cost (5 users) | ~$22,500-$37,500 | ~$17,600-$31,000 | Free tier; ~$0.01/email |
| Database Size | 50M contacts (Diamond plan) | Not disclosed | 300M+ profiles |
| Verified Emails | Included | Included | 143M+ (98% accuracy) |
| Verified Mobiles | Diamond Data marketed as 98% accurate | Human-verified (95%) | 125M+ (30% pickup) |
| Data Refresh | Continuously updated (vendor claim) | Every 90 days | Every 7 days |
| Intent Data | Bombora (12 topics with Elevate; more as add-on) | Intent (add-on) | Bombora (15,000 topics) |
| Compliance | GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2, DNC | CCPA, CAN-SPAM | GDPR compliant |
| Key Integrations | Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Pipedrive, Zapier | Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft | Salesforce, HubSpot, Smartlead, Clay, Zapier |
| Best For | EMEA teams, DNC compliance | US-focused teams | Accuracy-first, SMB |
| Contract | Annual only | Annual (quarterly available) | No contract |
What Each Tool Actually Costs
Cognism Pricing
Cognism runs two tiers: Grow and Elevate. Based on Vendr benchmarks, a 5-user Grow contract lands around $22,513/year. Elevate - which bundles higher-end data and intent packaging - jumps to $37,498/year for the same headcount. That's a 67% premium.
If you're comparing vendors beyond these two, start with our breakdown of sales prospecting databases to sanity-check pricing and data coverage.
Annual contracts only. No monthly option.
The structure is typically a platform fee plus per-user licensing. A widely cited breakdown puts the platform fee at $15K-$25K/year with $1,500-$2,500 per user per year on top.
But the sticker price isn't the whole story. Onboarding often runs $2K-$5K, API and enrichment overages can add $5K-$15K/year, and intent topic add-ons are commonly priced at $200-$400 per topic annually. Vendr's benchmark example shows teams saving 40% by separating Enrich Credits from the full Enrich module: Grow (5 users) + 5,000 Enrich Credits = $25,330/year versus $42,513/year with the full module bundled in.
One thing worth flagging: Cognism's "unrestricted" access is governed by a fair use policy. Third-party breakdowns put practical usage limits around ~2,000 records per user per month.
SalesIntel Pricing
SalesIntel is cheaper at the starting line. Across 20 contracts tracked via Vendr, the median deal is $17,599/year, with a range of $8,670-$41,380.
Third-party contract analyses list smaller-seat pricing like $99/month (100 credits) for an individual plan, while enterprise packages for 10 users push toward $48K/year. Add-ons are where costs creep: intent data often adds $5K-$10K/year, and VisitorIntel typically runs $1K-$3K/year. A 5-user team with intent and visitor ID should budget $23,000-$31,000/year.
If you're evaluating alternatives in the same category, compare options across B2B company data providers and data enrichment services before you lock into an annual term.
Here's the thing about "unlimited" in B2B data - it never means what you think. SalesIntel caps Research on Demand at 10 credits per user per month, and reviewers have flagged a 500-contact export limit per pull.
Cognism refreshes data continuously (they claim). SalesIntel refreshes every 90 days. Prospeo refreshes every 7 days - verified. At ~$0.01/email with 98% accuracy across 300M+ profiles, you get better data than either platform without the $20K+ annual commitment.
Stop budgeting for stale data. Start with 75 free verified emails today.
Data Quality and Verification
Cognism's Diamond Data is marketed as 98% accurate for phone-verified mobiles. SalesIntel positions its dataset as 95% accurate, backed by 1,400+ researchers and claims of ~140K contacts verified per week. Neither figure is independently audited.
Let's be honest about something both vendors won't tell you: B2B data decays at 2-3% per month. Roughly 25% of any database is stale by year's end, regardless of who built it.
The most common complaint across G2 reviews for both tools? Outdated data. We've evaluated dozens of these platforms, and the verification method matters far less than how often records get refreshed. A 90-day refresh cycle (SalesIntel) means roughly 6-9% of contacts have gone bad between updates. Always validate with a 200-500 contact sample before signing an annual contract - this single step has saved our team from multiple bad commitments.
If you're tightening your outbound stack, pair any database with a dedicated email deliverability guide and a process for monitoring email bounce rate.
Regional Coverage and Compliance
Use Cognism if you're selling into Europe. DNC screening across 15 countries, GDPR + CCPA compliance, and SOC 2 accreditation make it the obvious pick for EMEA-heavy teams. Cognism's US database is competent but not its primary strength.
If you're building a repeatable outbound motion, these sales prospecting techniques help you get more meetings from the same data.
Use SalesIntel if you're US-centric. CCPA and CAN-SPAM compliance cover domestic outbound, and the human-verified approach works well for North American contacts. EMEA and APAC coverage is thin.
If you need both regions equally, neither tool covers the full globe well. You'll end up supplementing with a second data source anyway - which is a frustrating realization after you've already committed $25K.
On integrations: both connect to Salesforce, HubSpot, and Outreach. Cognism adds Pipedrive and Zapier. SalesIntel counters with VisitorIntel for website visitor identification. The integration story is close enough that it shouldn't be your deciding factor.
When Neither Tool Fits
Skip both if you're an outbound agency scaling client campaigns, too. Annual contracts with fair-use caps don't play well with variable client volumes.
If you're running high-volume sequences, make sure your email velocity and sequence management are dialed in before you blame the data provider.
Neither Cognism nor SalesIntel covers the full globe well - and both charge $20K+ before you've proven ROI. Prospeo gives you 300M+ profiles, 125M+ verified mobiles, and Bombora intent data across 15,000 topics. No contract. No sales call. No fair-use caps.
Get the coverage of both tools at a fraction of the cost.
The Bottom Line
Choosing between Cognism and SalesIntel comes down to geography, compliance needs, and budget. Three team profiles, three clear picks:
If you're still shopping, our roundup of outbound lead generation tools can help you compare stacks beyond just data providers.
EMEA-heavy, compliance-first orgs - go with Cognism. The DNC screening and GDPR infrastructure justify the premium, and no other major provider matches that compliance depth in Europe.
US-focused teams wanting human verification - SalesIntel. Lower entry cost, strong North American coverage, and the Research on Demand feature fills gaps when the database falls short.
Teams under 10 reps or budgets under $20K - self-serve data with weekly refresh and no contract lock-in. Most teams under 20 reps don't need a $20K+ data platform. They need accurate emails, working phone numbers, and a tool that doesn't lock them into an annual contract before they've proven ROI. Start there.
FAQ
Is Cognism or SalesIntel more accurate?
Neither claim is independently verified. Cognism markets Diamond Data mobiles as 98% accurate; SalesIntel positions its data as 95% accurate and human-verified. Both share a common complaint in reviews - outdated data - because B2B contacts decay at 2-3% per month. Test both with a 200-500 contact sample before committing.
Does Cognism work well for US-only teams?
Cognism's US database is solid but not its core strength. You're paying a premium for EMEA compliance infrastructure - DNC lists across 15 countries, SOC 2, GDPR - that doesn't add value if your entire pipeline is North American. SalesIntel or a self-serve tool delivers better value per dollar in that scenario.