CompanyData.com (BoldData) vs LeadsForge: Different Tools, Different Jobs
A RevOps lead at a Series B company we advise spent two weeks evaluating CompanyData.com (BoldData) and LeadsForge last quarter. By day three, she realized she was comparing a firehose of registry data to a chatbot that builds lead lists. They don't compete. They solve fundamentally different problems, and the confusion between them wastes real evaluation time.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| CompanyData.com | LeadsForge | Prospeo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Database | 400M companies | 500M+ contacts | 300M+ profiles |
| Data source | Trade registers | Multi-DB aggregator | Proprietary |
| Emails | 48M | Unspecified | 143M+ verified |
| Phone numbers | 175M | Not available | 125M+ verified |
| Pricing floor | EUR 425 minimum | $49/2K credits | Free tier |
| Trust signal | Kiyoh 9.2/10 (85 reviews) | G2 4.5/5 (12 reviews) | 15,000+ companies |
| Best for | Compliance / bulk data | AI list building | Outbound prospecting |
What Is CompanyData.com (BoldData)?
CompanyData.com is the rebranded BoldData - same team, same registry-sourced database, new name as of late 2025. The core product covers 400M companies across 200 countries, 600M directors and officers, and 175M phone numbers, all powered by official trade registers and trusted local sources like chambers of commerce.
Use this if you need verified company firmographics for compliance, KYB, or large-scale market analysis. The registry-first sourcing is genuinely differentiated - no scraping, just verified company data. Their Bold API offers a free 2-week test key including 1,000 company searches and 100 exports, and they publish free CC0 datasets on GitHub.
Skip this if you're an outbound sales team looking for contact-level data. Email coverage sits at 48M addresses across 400M companies - about 12%. Minimum order for custom lists is EUR 425, bulk database orders start at EUR 3,000, and Bold Bulk pricing starts at EUR 10,000. This is a data infrastructure product, not a prospecting tool.
What Is LeadsForge?
LeadsForge positions itself as "ChatGPT meets Apollo" - describe your ICP in natural language, and the AI translates that into filters across 500M+ contacts. It includes intent data signals and a "find company followers" feature for targeting competitor audiences. Credit-based pricing starts at $49/month for 2,000 export credits, with 100 free credits on signup and rollover on unused credits.
Use this if you want fast, AI-assisted list building without learning a complex UI. It integrates with HubSpot, Salesforce, Salesforge, Folk, Breakcold, and Attio.
Skip this if you need phone numbers - LeadsForge doesn't provide them - or you're sensitive to hidden costs. Email validation eats additional credits on top of exports, and multiple G2 reviewers call it a "credit-sink." The review base is thin at 12 G2 reviews and 11 on Trustpilot at 4.0/5. LeadsForge's own directory page still describes the product as "pre-launch," though active reviews suggest otherwise. You're betting early.
CompanyData's 48M emails across 400M companies means 88% of records have no contact data. LeadsForge burns extra credits just to validate what you export. Prospeo delivers 143M+ pre-verified emails at 98% accuracy - no validation tax, no hidden costs.
Stop paying twice - once to export, again to validate.
Key Differences That Matter
Data sourcing is the biggest gap. CompanyData.com pulls from official trade registers - as close to ground truth as B2B company data gets. LeadsForge scans across multiple databases and layers AI on top. A Reddit user who tested four AI lead-gen platforms reported bounce rates of 19-31%, versus roughly 8% from manual prospecting. AI doesn't fix stale underlying data.
Pricing models couldn't be more different. CompanyData's EUR 425 minimum means real budget before seeing a single record. LeadsForge's $49 entry is accessible, but validation costs can double your effective spend when exporting thousands of contacts. We've seen teams burn through credits twice as fast as they expected.
Contact coverage has holes on both sides. CompanyData's 48M emails across 400M companies is thin for outbound. LeadsForge doesn't provide phone numbers at all. If you're running multi-channel sequences, neither gives you what you need out of the box.
Here's the thing: the workflow difference matters more than the data difference for most teams. CompanyData delivers via API and bulk exports - built for data engineers piping records into internal systems. LeadsForge is a self-serve chat interface designed for individual reps building lists in minutes. Registry data is unbeatable for compliance but useless for outbound prospecting, and we've watched teams waste months trying to force one tool into the other's job.
When Neither Fits: The Third Option
Most teams comparing these two actually need something in between - verified contact data with enough company context to target well, but without the compliance-grade overhead or the credit-burning validation loop.
Prospeo covers 143M+ verified emails and 125M+ verified mobile numbers with 98% email accuracy and a 7-day data refresh cycle. That plugs both holes in this comparison. The platform includes 30+ search filters and intent data tracking 15,000 topics through Bombora, so you can layer buying signals on top of contact data without stitching together three different tools.
Pricing runs about $0.01 per email. There's a free tier with 75 emails and 100 Chrome extension credits per month, no contracts, no minimums. Every email comes pre-verified through a 5-step process - no extra credits burned on validation.
LeadsForge has zero phone numbers. CompanyData has company phones, not direct dials. Prospeo gives you 125M+ verified mobile numbers with a 30% pickup rate - plus 98%-accurate emails, refreshed every 7 days, all in one platform.
Get emails and direct dials without stitching tools together.
Which Tool Should You Pick?
Pick CompanyData.com if you need bulk company firmographics, registry-sourced data for compliance or KYC, or enterprise-scale exports where contact-level outreach isn't the goal.
Pick LeadsForge if you want AI-assisted ICP list building on a startup budget and can handle separate email validation plus no phone numbers. Just budget for the credit burn.
Pick Prospeo if your actual goal is verified emails and direct dials for outbound - without hidden validation fees, high minimums, or annual contracts. If you're building a repeatable outbound motion, prioritize data you can actually sequence on.
Let's be honest: if your average deal size is under $15k, you almost certainly don't need CompanyData's registry-grade firmographics. And if you're spending more time validating LeadsForge exports than actually sending emails, you've already lost the ROI math. Most outbound teams are better served by a tool that ships verified data from day one.
FAQ
Is CompanyData.com the same as BoldData?
Yes. BoldData began operating under the name CompanyData.com in late 2025 - same company, same team, same registry-sourced database covering 400M companies across 200 countries. All existing API keys and contracts carried over.
How much does LeadsForge cost?
Plans start at $49/month for 2,000 export credits with 100 free credits on signup. Unused credits roll over. Email validation costs additional credits on top of exports, so effective per-lead cost typically runs 1.5-2x the headline number.