Best B2B lead databases
Apollo, ZoomInfo, Lusha and Cognism price this category very differently. What each actually charges, and what a credit gets you, checked on their own pricing pages.
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Apollo wins on published, predictable pricing with a real free tier, which makes it the default for a team that wants to see the cost before committing. ZoomInfo or Cognism win when data depth and account-level intelligence matter more than price transparency, but both require a sales call to find out what you would actually pay.
The short answer
- Apollo publishes its full pricing ladder: Free at $0 with 900 credits a year, Basic at $49 per user per month annual with 30,000 credits a year, Professional at $79 per user per month annual with 48,000 credits and a built-in dialer, Organization at $119 per user per month annual with a three-seat minimum.
- Lusha publishes a free tier at 40 credits a month and paid plans starting at $37 a month billed annually.
- ZoomInfo and Cognism do not publish starting prices; both are quote-based, and real ZoomInfo and Cognism contracts commonly run well into five figures a year depending on team size and data volume.
- Every vendor here sells contact discovery, not outreach or pipeline tracking; the data still has to land somewhere it can be worked, which is usually a CRM or a dedicated sending tool.
How we compared these
We pulled every price and credit figure directly from each vendor's own pricing page, September 2026. Where a vendor does not publish a price, we say so rather than estimate one, because a quote-based number depends on variables this page cannot see.
Credits are the real unit of comparison here, not seats, because a lead database is consumed one unlocked contact at a time. We report the credit allowance stated on each plan where the vendor publishes it.
Lead database pricing
| Vendor | Starting price | Credits included | Notable feature | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo | Free ($0); Basic $49/user/mo annual | 900/yr free; 30,000/yr on Basic | Built-in dialer and AI research on Professional ($79/user/mo annual) | Published, self-serve |
| Lusha | Free (40 credits/mo); paid from $37/mo annual | 40/mo free tier | Chrome extension for LinkedIn lookups | Published, self-serve |
| ZoomInfo | Pricing on request | Free 'Lite' tier: 10 credits/mo | Intent data and org charts on paid tiers | Custom quote |
| Cognism | Pricing on request | Not published | Phone-verified mobile numbers, EU-focused compliance data | Custom quote; two named plan tiers, priced by sales conversation |
Figures checked on each vendor's own pricing page, September 2026. ZoomInfo and Cognism publish no starting price; do not infer one from a third-party estimate.
The field, ranked
1. Apollo
The most transparent pricing in the category, a usable free tier, and a credit allowance that scales predictably with plan. Best for: a team that wants to see the full cost before signing anything, or one that also wants a dialer bundled in. Not for: a team needing ZoomInfo-level intent data or org-chart depth; Apollo's data is broad but not as deep on account intelligence.
2. Lusha
A smaller, more focused tool built around quick contact lookups, often used through its browser extension while browsing LinkedIn. Best for: individual reps or small teams doing lightweight prospecting. Not for: a team needing bulk list-building or account-based research at scale.
3. ZoomInfo
The deepest data and intent signals in the category, at a price only a quote reveals. Best for: mid-market and enterprise teams with budget for a real data platform, not only a contact finder. Not for: a small team or anyone who wants to compare price before a sales call.
4. Cognism
Strong on phone-verified mobile numbers and European compliance data, also quote-based. Best for: teams doing outbound calling, especially in EU markets where consent rules matter more. Not for: anyone wanting a self-serve signup with a visible price.
How to choose
Choose Apollo if you want to see the full cost before you sign, or want a dialer bundled in. Choose Lusha if you're a rep or small team doing light prospecting. Choose ZoomInfo if you're a mid-size or large team with budget for a full data platform. Choose Cognism if you make outbound calls, above all in EU markets.
These tools pay off at volume, when your team needs hundreds or thousands of checked contacts a month. For a short list of accounts you already know by name, manual research can cover it.
Questions
- Why do some of these vendors not publish a price?
- ZoomInfo and Cognism price by custom quote based on team size, credit volume and contract length; neither lists a starting dollar figure on its own pricing page. Real ZoomInfo and Cognism contracts commonly run into five figures a year, but that is not the same as a published rate, so this page does not state one.
- What is a 'credit' in a lead database, and why does it matter?
- A credit is what you spend to reveal one contact's email, phone number or both, depending on the vendor. Plans differ enormously in how many credits they include and how fast a real prospecting workflow burns through them, so the credit count matters more than the headline price.
- Is a bigger database always better?
- No. A database's usefulness depends on coverage of your specific market and how current the data is, neither of which a total contact count tells you. A smaller, well-verified list beats a bigger, stale one for deliverability and reply rate.
- Does a lead database replace a CRM?
- No. A lead database finds and enriches contacts; a CRM tracks what happens to them afterward. Most teams import from a database into a CRM or an outbound tool rather than running outreach from the database itself.