The CallTeam buying desk

Best B2B lead generation databases.10 providers. CallTeam’s verdict.

Apollo, ZoomInfo, Cognism, UpLead, Lusha, Lead411, RocketReach, SalesIntel, Seamless.AI and AeroLeads.

Compare prices, phone data and credit limits before you buy leads. See which provider fits your team and where the offer falls short.

Compare all 10 databases Get the free test scorecard ↗

Our starting shortlist: Apollo for data and outreach together. UpLead for a clear contact-credit model. AeroLeads for one-time purchases. Cognism and SalesIntel when phone data and verification deserve a closer test. ZoomInfo when several teams need a broader platform. Choose by the work you need done, then test your actual buyers.

Sources checked 6 November 2026. Official sources are linked in the reviews.

01 / Make your shortlist

10 B2B lead databases.
Which fits your sales team?

A lead generation database lets you find companies and people by criteria such as role, industry and location. Buying their contact details gives you a prospecting list. It does not mean those people have asked to hear from you.

How we judge the shortlist

Five checks: coverage of your target accounts, the contact fields you need, the full cost per usable contact, how the data reaches your CRM, and what “verified” actually means. Our verdicts weigh the buying workflow and published terms. Your sample establishes whether the data fits.

On a small screen, swipe the table to see every column.

10 lead generation databases compared: use cases, billing and buying checks
ProviderUseful forHow you payThe catch to check
Apollo You want to find prospects and run outreach in the same system.Plan subscription plus action-based credits. Check the rates in your account.A phone reveal is not a promise of a mobile number.
ZoomInfo Several teams need prospecting, enrichment and buying signals.Custom quote. A standard public dollar price is not listed.You need the actual quote to compare the full commitment.
Cognism Phone outreach matters enough to evaluate a premium mobile-data package.Custom quote with credits. Standard and Pro list five included seats.Premium mobile features sit in Pro. Check coverage before paying for them.
UpLead You want contact data to use in an existing sales workflow.One credit unlocks one contact. Public monthly and annual plans.Available phone data still needs checking. Some workflow features require a higher plan.
Lusha You want to research prospects, then reveal selected contact details.Action-based credits. Phone, email and export actions can cost different amounts.Price the complete workflow, including export and extra-source lookups.
Lead411 You want to test a contact database with direct phone numbers included.Published export allowances; unlimited annual exports are advertised on Blaze.Its plan cards and FAQ give conflicting messages about export limits.
RocketReach You want contact lookups with phone-type and confidence filters.Phone access depends on plan. Confirm current lookup and export allowances.A confidence grade does not establish coverage of your buyers.
SalesIntel You need contact data, enrichment and research support for missing buyers.Custom quote. The pricing page advertises unlimited users, exports and enrichment credits.Human, email and machine verification are different record categories.
Seamless.AI You want contact research and enrichment in a connected workflow.Contact research consumes Universal Credits. Confirm the paid allowance and package in your quote.Its Credit Back Protection program excludes phone numbers.
AeroLeads You want a focused contact purchase without a recurring subscription.One-time credit packs. Saving a contact costs 1 credit, plus 5 if a phone is included.A saved contact uses a credit even without an email. Phone availability still needs checking.

Confirm the currency, billing period and total commitment in your quote. Official plan links are included in each review.

Do not compare credits as if they are the same currency.

A credit might unlock a contact, reveal a phone or move a record into your CRM. Ask what you will spend to finish the job.

Data chosen? Price the calling setup. Compare the 10 best cold calling dialers, including plan limits, a cost calculator and a free trial kit.

Next: choose what to buy. Use our mobile vs company numbers guide to choose a calling route, handle voicemail and AI screening, and get a free calling-list template.

02 / The useful differences

Ten providers.
Ten honest verdicts.

Published features are one thing. Whether they help your campaign is the test.

ApolloZoomInfoCognismUpLeadLushaLead411RocketReachSalesIntelSeamless.AIAeroLeads

Data and outreach together

Apollo

Check current plans ↗

What it is good at

Apollo combines prospect search, enrichment and outreach tools. That is useful when you want fewer handoffs between finding someone and contacting them. Its phone documentation also distinguishes company HQ numbers from contact numbers; HQ numbers do not use phone credits.

What we do not like

The phone-reveal action can return different number types. Do not budget as though every selected person will produce a usable mobile. Unused credits expire, and an extra credit subscription can keep renewing until you remove it.

What we still do not know

How many people in your exact territory and buying roles have usable mobiles. A large search result tells you who matches the filters, not who you can reach by phone.

Already using Apollo? Compare Apollo alternatives for cold calling and decide whether to keep it, add another data source or replace it.

Planning email outreach with this list? Compare cold email software, sending limits and team costs before adding another subscription.

Official sources: Plans and credit terms ↗Phone reveal documentation ↗CSV export behaviour ↗

A broader sales data platform

ZoomInfo

Check current plans ↗

What it is good at

ZoomInfo brings prospecting, account signals, enrichment and connected sales workflows into a broad platform. That gives a team with several data problems more to evaluate than a downloadable contact list.

What we do not like

Its pricing page does not publish a standard price or a complete package of seats, exports and contract terms. We do not like making a buying decision around a demo before the total cost is clear. Ask for the commercial details early.

What we still do not know

Your quoted price, included workflows, integration work and actual coverage of the people you sell to. We have no controlled evidence here that its numbers will outperform the other providers in your market.

Reviewing a ZoomInfo quote or renewal? Compare ZoomInfo alternatives for small sales teams, including published prices, phone access and the full commitment.

Official sources: Pricing and package scope ↗Outbound prospecting ↗

Premium mobile data to test

Cognism

Check current plans ↗

What it is good at

Cognism describes premium mobile data and on-demand verification in its Pro plan. Those are relevant features for a team that spends real time calling. Its current model uses credits to reveal contacts; previously revealed contacts remain available during the contract. A changed job can require another credit.

What we do not like

The public page does not give you a dollar price or enough detail to calculate your own cost per usable mobile. Five included seats may also be more than a small team needs. Included seats are not proof of a mandatory minimum purchase.

What we still do not know

How much of your target list has premium mobile coverage, which contacts have been phone verified, and the turnaround and allowance for verification requests. Do not treat every mobile in the database as phone verified.

Official sources: Current plans and credit model ↗Data and verification claims ↗

A straightforward contact-credit model

UpLead

Check current plans ↗

What it is good at

UpLead uses a simple unit: one credit unlocks a contact and the available email and phone information. Its help centre says downloading an already unlocked contact again does not cost another credit. That makes the basic export model easier to understand.

What we do not like

Suppression lists and enrichment are listed in Plus, while team features and full API access sit in the annual-only Professional plan. Check your working requirements before choosing the entry plan. The seven-day trial provides five credits, which is too small to establish dependable market-wide accuracy.

What we still do not know

The share of your selected people with a usable mobile, and how fresh their roles are. An email verification claim is not evidence of phone accuracy. Fresh enrichment can also be a different paid action from re-exporting saved data.

Official sources: Plans and feature boundaries ↗What a credit unlocks ↗Fresh enrichment charges ↗

Selective contact reveals

Lusha

Check current plans ↗

What it is good at

Lusha lets you search and filter in its app and extension before spending credits on selected details. Its October 2026 credit guide lists one credit for an email reveal and five for an ordinary phone reveal. Re-viewing previously revealed data is free.

What we do not like

The same guide lists separate charges for exports and higher rates when extra sources find phone data. That makes a headline credit allowance less useful than it first looks. Rates can also differ by account pricing version.

What we still do not know

Your actual cost to reveal and move a usable contact into your CRM, and the phone coverage of your target roles. A normal reveal and an extra-source lookup are not necessarily priced alike.

Official sources: Plans and allowances ↗October 2026 credit guide ↗

An export-based option to sample

Lead411

Check current plans ↗

What it is good at

Lead411 publishes an entry plan with an export allowance and direct phone numbers included. Its seven-day trial lists 50 exports. That provides a practical way to inspect a small sample before making a larger purchase.

What we do not like

The Spark card lists 1,000 monthly exports, while a FAQ on the same page says there are no data caps or daily limits. We do not like that ambiguity. Do not read unlimited marketing as a promise for every plan. Ask which written limit governs your subscription.

What we still do not know

How many of your target contacts have mobiles versus other direct lines, how accurate those records are, and what the exact plan permits. Direct dial describes the route to a person; it does not automatically mean mobile.

Official sources: Plan cards, trial and pricing FAQ ↗Product questions ↗

Phone types and confidence filters

RocketReach

Read the phone-data update ↗

What it is good at

RocketReach’s August 2026 announcement describes mobile, direct-dial and office-phone filters, plus phone confidence grades. These can help a caller separate number types before buying data. The announcement names Pro, Ultimate and Custom as plans with access to the added phone verification.

What we do not like

Phone verification is described for Pro, Ultimate and Custom. Check phone access before comparing headline plan prices. Confidence grades do not establish that a contact still holds the role you need.

What we still do not know

Current prices and credit limits are unconfirmed. Get the phone-plan price and test coverage on your target accounts.

Official sources: RocketReach phone verification announcement ↗

Contact data with research support

SalesIntel

Check current plans ↗

What it is good at

SalesIntel combines a contact database with enrichment and Research on Demand. Its documentation distinguishes human-verified, email-verified and machine-verified records. That distinction gives you something specific to check when a sales team needs phone data, rather than treating every verified label as equivalent.

What we do not like

You still need a quote to understand the purchase. Unlimited exports do not mean every research request or additional product is included. We would not pay a premium for human verification without checking which records in our sample carry that status.

What we still do not know

Your actual price, contract scope, research allowance and usable mobile coverage. The advertised verification process does not establish that SalesIntel will outperform another database in your territory.

Official sources: Pricing and included products ↗Verification categories explained ↗

Contact research and enrichment

Seamless.AI

Check the credit rules ↗

What it is good at

Seamless.AI uses Universal Credits for contact research, with one credit used to research one contact. Its documentation also describes enrichment and automation uses for those credits. That is relevant if your team needs to find people and fill gaps in existing records.

What we do not like

An export allowance and a research allowance are different things. Its Credit Back Protection program covers qualifying invalid emails subject to conditions, but excludes phone numbers. We would not treat that protection as evidence of reliable calling data.

What we still do not know

The paid credit allowance, included products and total commitment in your proposed package. We have not verified which supplier will return more usable phone records for your target market.

Official sources: Credit and licence types ↗Credit Back Protection terms ↗CSV export options ↗

One-time data purchases

AeroLeads

Check current plans ↗

What it is good at

AeroLeads offers B2B contact search and enrichment, with filters for roles, companies and contact availability. Its pricing page lists one-time packs with no auto-renewal. That is a useful option when you need a batch of records rather than an ongoing subscription.

What we do not like

A phone-included contact costs six credits in total. Do not mistake a 2,000-credit pack for 2,000 phone contacts. Credits have a 12-month validity period, and saving a record without an email still uses a credit.

What we still do not know

How many of your target buyers have a usable mobile or direct number, and whether the person still owns that number. An available-phone filter does not answer those questions.

Official sources: One-time packs and credit rules ↗Search, filters and enrichment ↗

03 / Down to two?

Compare your finalists.

Choose two names to put the buying checks next to each other.

Considering LinkedIn for prospecting? Our Sales Navigator vs Apollo guide compares buyer research, contact access and the steps needed before calling.

Building your own list from online research? Our PhantomBuster alternatives comparison covers exports, enrichment and what still needs phone data.

Adding LinkedIn outreach to the list? Compare eight LinkedIn automation tools, including Dripify, Expandi and HeyReach, with the cost for your sending accounts.

Apollo vs ZoomInfo

Compare the full subscription, phone access and export rules for your team. Read our Apollo vs ZoomInfo pricing and phone-data comparison for the direct buying decision.

Apollo vs Cognism

If mobiles are the reason you are shopping, compare usable mobile coverage for the same roles and territory. Check the verification status and cost of those specific records before paying for a premium package.

Apollo vs UpLead

Decide whether you need outreach software alongside the data. If your CRM and dialer are already working, compare the cost and effort of adding useful contacts to them.

Lusha vs Lead411

Translate reveal charges and export allowances into the same finished task: usable records in your CRM. Test both on the same accounts. The largest allowance is not necessarily the best purchase.

Apollo vs AeroLeads

Do you need a continuing prospecting and outreach platform, or a focused data purchase? AeroLeads offers one-time credit packs. Compare the contacts you can actually use, including phone charges, before choosing by subscription price alone.

SalesIntel vs RocketReach

Compare the verification information attached to each sample. SalesIntel separates human, email and machine verification; RocketReach describes phone confidence grades and number-type filters. Those labels mean different things. Check the person and number behind them.

04 / Free. No email required.

Give every provider
the same test.

Use the scorecard to compare a small working sample. No random demo contacts. No cherry-picked success stories.

  1. Choose the accounts yourself.

    Start with 50 target companies. Specify the same geography, company fit and buying roles. Record accounts each provider cannot cover.

  2. Inspect before importing.

    Check the company, current role, number type and duplicate people. Separate a missing phone from a wrong phone. Flag shared company numbers so two reps do not call the same switchboard at once.

  3. Work a controlled batch.

    Keep the offer, caller, attempt policy and calling windows comparable. Do not call the same person twice to test two suppliers. Mark overlapping records and avoid double-counting outcomes.

  4. Buy the next batch from the evidence.

    Record useful conversations and held meetings separately from data quality. An unanswered call is not proof of a bad number.

A scorecard for all ten providers.

Account coverage, phone types, wrong numbers, duplicates, usable contacts, cost and sales outcomes.

Download the free CSV

Blank comparison template for Excel or Google Sheets. The website calculator does the maths.

Questions to send the supplier

Can you show coverage for these accounts and roles, with missing records included?

Which numbers are mobile, work direct or company HQ? What was verified, and when?

What will we pay to reveal, enrich and export this batch? What costs extra?

What happens with wrong records, unused credits, renewal, cancellation and downloaded data after cancellation?

05 / Make the maths honest

What does a usable
contact actually cost?

Define usable before comparing: a unique person at a suitable company, in the right role, with the contact route your campaign requires. Remove suppressed contacts. A phone label alone is not a completed quality check.

A calling decision you will recognise

Out of mobiles. Still have company numbers.

Your first mobile pass is finished. There are still relevant accounts with company numbers in the CRM. That does not automatically mean you need 200 new contacts.

Split the queue into mobile, work direct, company number and missing phone. Keep callbacks and do-not-call records out of the retry queue. Test the unworked company numbers where the account fit is strong, then use the gaps to decide what to buy.

For the next purchase, use the sectors, locations and roles that produced useful conversations. Buy missing coverage. Do not pay twice for the same company and call it growth.

See what a usable prospect list needs →

06 / Before you commit

Questions sales teams ask
before buying leads.

What is a B2B lead generation database?

It is a searchable collection of companies and professional contacts. Sales teams use filters such as industry, location and job title to find potential buyers and obtain available contact details. A contact database supplies prospect records. It does not supply proof that those people want to buy.

Where should I buy B2B leads?

Start with the job you need done. Apollo combines data and outreach. UpLead uses a contact-credit model. AeroLeads offers one-time credit packs. ZoomInfo offers a broader platform; Cognism and SalesIntel give phone-focused teams verification features to evaluate. Compare the same target accounts before buying a larger batch.

What is the best lead database for a small B2B sales team?

Our starting shortlist is Apollo if you need outreach tools with the data, UpLead if you want contacts for an existing workflow, and AeroLeads if you prefer a one-time purchase. Check target coverage, phone access, export costs and the full commitment. A small team needs usable records more than a large feature list.

Which lead generation database is best for cold calling?

Choose by usable phone coverage in your actual market. Cognism’s premium mobile features, SalesIntel’s verification tiers and RocketReach’s phone-type filters give you specific things to test. Compare them with the other providers using the same accounts, roles and calling conditions. We have not established a universal phone-data winner.

What is the best Apollo alternative?

Match the alternative to the problem. Consider ZoomInfo for broader team workflows, Cognism or SalesIntel for their verification offers, UpLead or AeroLeads for different purchasing models, and RocketReach for phone-type filters. Lusha, Lead411 and Seamless.AI also belong in a shortlist when their research, export or enrichment approach fits. Test the gap Apollo is leaving in your own campaign.

Does verified data mean the number will work?

No. Check what the provider verified, how it was checked and when. Email verification, phone verification and a mobile label describe different things. None guarantees that the person still holds the role, answers the phone or wants your offer.

Can I buy leads once without a subscription?

Yes. AeroLeads currently advertises one-time credit packs without auto-renewal. Check credit expiry, phone charges and usage terms before buying. A monthly subscription from another provider is a different arrangement: confirm cancellation and what happens to unused credits and downloaded records.

How do I compare lead costs fairly?

Use the same sample requirements and cost period. Divide the data cost allocated to that sample by unique contacts that meet your definition of usable. Include relevant seats, reveals, exports and extra enrichment. Track conversations and meetings separately; a usable record is not a sales result.

Put the list to work

Want us to build the list
and make the calls?

Hire CallTeam to research the right accounts, build your calling list, run outreach and follow up. Bring your market and your current setup to a free 30-minute call. We will discuss the work you need and whether we are the right fit.

Book a free 30-minute call ↗See how we would run your campaign →
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