ZoomInfo vs Cognism
ZoomInfo and Cognism both sell global B2B contact data but are bought differently. ZoomInfo states 500M contacts and 100M companies, runs from the United States and can be started on a free plan. Cognism is headquartered in London, says it was built for teams selling into EMEA, and prices by tailored quote. Scale favours ZoomInfo; EMEA callers should test Cognism.
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Choose ZoomInfo ifstated database size decides the purchase, you want to try the data on a free plan before talking to sales, and a supplier headquartered in Vancouver, Washington suits procurement.
Choose Cognism ifyour reps phone prospects across EMEA and you value phone-verified mobile numbers, screening against national do-not-call lists and a supplier headquartered in London.
ZoomInfo and Cognism side by side
| ZoomInfo | Cognism | |
|---|---|---|
| Our sales intelligence software rank | #1 of 11 | #3 of 11 |
| Established in | United States | United Kingdom |
| Pricing | Free plan (ZoomInfo Lite); paid plans on usage-based credits, quoted | Quoted per organisation; Standard and Pro plans, no figures listed |
| Free tier | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
Both are reviewed in full in our sales intelligence software ranking: ZoomInfo and Cognism.
Where they differ
ZoomInfo 2 · Cognism 1 · open 2- 01
Size and standing of the database
ZoomInfo puts numbers on its claim: 500M contacts and 100M companies, with 34M+ companies and 200M+ professionals outside North America, and more than 35,000 customers. Cognism's own pages argue the opposite case, that the right contacts matter more than a bigger list, and present the product as built for selling into EMEA. On stated scale the advantage is ZoomInfo's.
Edge: ZoomInfo
- 02
Where each company is based
ZoomInfo Technologies LLC is a Nasdaq-listed company headquartered in Vancouver, Washington. Cognism names The Shard in London as its headquarters, with Cognism Ltd registered in London and further offices in Boston, Cologne, Paris, Skopje and Zadar. Which is preferable depends on where your legal team wants the supplier on the data processing agreement to sit.
Depends on the buyer
- 03
Getting to a price
Cognism's pricing page names two plans, Standard and Pro, but shows no figures: the price is tailored to product, team setup and usage, and one credit equals one revealed contact. ZoomInfo says it is free to start, with consumption credits based on usage and a permanent free plan that needs no credit card. ZoomInfo lets you see data before a sales conversation.
Edge: ZoomInfo
- 04
Phone numbers and do-not-call screening
Cognism makes calling its speciality. Its Pro plan adds phone-verified mobile numbers, and the company says it screens its telephone data against do-not-call registries including the UK's TPS and CTPS and lists in the US, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden and other countries. ZoomInfo states volume instead: 135M+ verified phone numbers and 120M+ direct dials.
Edge: Cognism
- 05
Security and privacy certifications
Both publish named standards. Cognism states it is certified to ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 and is SOC 2 Type II compliant, and that it notifies contacts of their inclusion in its database within GDPR timeframes. ZoomInfo's security overview cites an information security management system meeting ISO 27001 and a SOC 2 attestation covering security, availability and confidentiality.
Depends on the buyer
When neither fits
Global reach is wasted if you sell into one region only, and both vendors require a sales call for a price. For a Nordic territory Vainu covers that region deliberately and publishes annual pricing; Overloop publishes per-user prices and adds multichannel outreach.
ZoomInfo or Cognism: questions
4 answersIs ZoomInfo or Cognism more expensive?
Neither can be ranked from published figures. Cognism shows no prices and tailors a quote to product, team setup and usage.
ZoomInfo says it is free to start and then charges consumption credits based on usage. Ask both to price the same seats and the same number of revealed contacts.
Is ZoomInfo bigger than Cognism?
ZoomInfo states 500M contacts and 100M companies, including 200M+ professionals outside North America. Cognism positions itself on accuracy for EMEA and phone-verified mobile numbers more than on total size. Match rate against your own accounts is a better guide than either headline.
Where are ZoomInfo and Cognism headquartered?
ZoomInfo Technologies LLC is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington in the United States and listed on Nasdaq. Cognism's contact page gives The Shard in London as headquarters, a London registered address for Cognism Ltd, and offices in Boston, Cologne, Paris, Skopje and Zadar.
Does Cognism check numbers against do-not-call lists?
Cognism says it screens its telephone database against do-not-call registries in the UK (TPS and CTPS), the US, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Sweden and Belgium, and that it is working to add further registries.
Sources
Checked 30 September 2026- ZoomInfo about page: ZoomInfo database figures, phone number counts, customer count, free plan, usage credits and headquarters.
- ZoomInfo security overview: ZoomInfo ISO 27001 management system and SOC 2 attestation.
- Cognism pricing page: Cognism Standard and Pro plans with tailored pricing and no listed figures; phone-verified mobiles in Pro.
- Cognism compliance page: Cognism certifications, GDPR notification and do-not-call screening countries.
- Cognism contact page: Cognism headquarters, registered address, offices and EMEA focus.
- Cognism Diamond Data page: Cognism phone-verified mobile numbers.