Is Cognism Worth It? Honest Insights & Real Results

Cognism’s been getting a lot of buzz lately in the B2B lead gen world. With its GDPR-compliant data, solid mobile number coverage, and growing intent data features, it’s become a real contender alongside bigger names like ZoomInfo and Apollo.io. But with so many lead gen tools out there, is Cognism actually worth your money in 2025?

Pros:

• Excellent mobile phone & direct dial data coverage
• Fully GDPR-compliant for international prospecting
• Strong CRM integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach

Cons:

• High pricing, especially for small teams
• No built-in email sequencing or automation
• U.S. SMB data coverage is still weaker than some competitors

Our Rating:

• Mobile Numbers ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• GDPR Compliance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• US Market Data Depth ⭐⭐⭐
• CRM Integration ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Email Automation ⭐⭐
• Intent Data ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Chrome Extension ⭐⭐⭐

In this Cognism review, we’re breaking down how it really performs: the good, the bad, the pricing, and whether it’s the right fit for your sales team or if there’s a smarter option out there.

Cognism Explained: The Data Behind the Hype

Cognism is one of those B2B lead gen tools that helps sales teams get real, verified contact info, not just a bunch of emails that bounce. What makes it stand out is how good it is at finding mobile numbers and direct dials, so your team can actually pick up the phone and talk to real people.

A lot of platforms are still stuck in email mode, but Cognism’s built more for phone-first outreach. Plus, all their data is GDPR-compliant, which makes it a favorite for teams selling in Europe. They’ve also been growing fast in the U.S., LATAM, and Asia, so it’s becoming a global option for companies that want fresh leads, intent data, and fully loaded CRMs.

Where Cognism can fall short is mainly on price and coverage. The platform isn’t cheap, with pricing locked behind multi-seat contracts that can feel heavy for startups or smaller teams.

While its European data is excellent, some users find that coverage outside core markets (especially certain U.S. industries or Asia)  isn’t always as deep or up-to-date. And while intent data is available, it’s still fairly basic compared to competitors that offer more advanced buyer intent signals and scoring.

Core Features of Cognism

Mobile numbers & direct dials ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If there’s one thing Cognism absolutely nails, it’s phone data. Seriously, that’s its superpower! While a lot of other tools out there give you endless email lists (that may or may not work), Cognism doubles down on getting you direct dials and verified mobile numbers that actually connect you with decision makers.

They’ve built this through what they call their Diamond Data® system, which is basically a fancy way of saying they combine AI, tons of data sources, and real human verification to make sure the numbers you get aren’t junk.

For teams that still believe in the power of cold calling, or just want to pick up the phone and close deals directly, Cognism’s mobile coverage is one of the strongest you’ll find right now. This is a big deal if your outbound strategy is phone-first, especially in markets like Europe where verified phone data can be tough to find.

GDPR compliance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You can’t really talk about Cognism without bringing up compliance because that’s a huge part of why a lot of companies trust it. From day one, Cognism built its platform with GDPR rules in mind.

While plenty of other lead gen tools take a more “grey area” approach to data, Cognism is very upfront about how they source, clean, and verify their leads to stay fully compliant with European privacy laws. If you’re selling into the EU (or anywhere with strict data laws), this is a huge safety net.

It’s basically one of the safest bets if you want high-quality data without worrying about getting in legal hot water.

US market data depth ⭐⭐⭐

Now, let’s keep it real: Cognism’s not perfect everywhere. Its coverage in Europe is excellent, but when you start looking at U.S. data, it gets a little mixed.

If you’re targeting huge U.S. enterprise companies, Cognism can hold its own. But if your sweet spot is startups, SMBs, or smaller companies in the U.S., you might start seeing gaps compared to tools like Apollo or ZoomInfo, which have a much deeper U.S. database.

Bottom line: it crushes it in Europe. In the U.S., it’s good, but not always enough on its own for some niches.

CRM integration ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cognism plays really well with your existing CRM stack. It has native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and Salesloft, so you can pull leads directly into your CRM without any painful CSV exports or manual uploads.

Their API also allows for more custom setups if your team’s doing something a little more advanced. For most companies, the integration part is smooth and makes managing your leads way easier.

Email automation ⭐⭐

Let’s not sugarcoat this one: Cognism is not an all-in-one outbound tool. If you’re hoping to find built-in email sequencing like you get with Apollo or other platforms, it’s just not here. Cognism sticks to what it knows best: delivering verified data. And it leaves the actual outreach part to other platforms.

So if you’re looking to build full cold email sequences, run automated follow-ups, or personalize at scale, you’ll still need to plug Cognism into external tools like Outreach, Salesloft, Instantly, or Smartlead to get the job done. It’s basically a data provider, not a full sales engagement suite. For some teams that’s fine, but if you want everything under one roof, Cognism might feel a little barebones on the automation side.

Intent data ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cognism adds a nice extra layer with intent data thanks to its partnership with Bombora. This helps your team figure out which companies are actually showing signs of interest, whether they’ve been researching certain topics, checking out vendors, or signaling buying intent.

Basically, instead of playing the classic cold-call roulette, your reps can start with accounts that are already raising their hand a little. Super helpful when you want to prioritize warmer leads and not waste time blasting through a list of people who aren’t even in the market.

That said, intent data on Cognism still feels a bit like a side dish, not the main course. It’s there, but it’s not as deeply integrated into the platform’s search filters or sequencing tools as you might find with some of the bigger enterprise platforms. You can use it — but you kind of have to work around it.

Chrome extension ⭐⭐⭐

The Chrome extension lets you grab contact data while browsing LinkedIn or visiting company websites, which is great for quick manual prospecting. You can instantly pull verified phone numbers and emails straight into your lists while you’re working inside your browser. No need to jump between tabs or copy-paste anything. It’s smooth, lightweight, and pretty intuitive if you’re just researching a few accounts here and there.

But once you try to scale it up, that’s where it starts to struggle. The extension isn’t really designed for bulk scraping or running large automated pulls. There’s no queue system, no batch enrichment. It’s all very hands-on. If you’re building a massive outbound list or want something that can scrape thousands of profiles in one shot, you’ll probably find yourself wishing for more firepower.

How to Sign up to Cognism?

Getting started with Cognism is pretty straightforward, but since it’s more of an enterprise tool, the process is a bit more guided than fully self-serve.

1. Go to Cognism.com and click “Book a Demo”.
2. Fill out the short form with your name, company, email, and phone number.
3. A sales rep will reach out to schedule a live demo and walk you through the platform.
4. After the demo, your sales rep will build a custom plan based on your team size, data needs, and integrations.
5. Once you agree to pricing and terms, Cognism will activate your account.
6. You’ll then connect your CRM (like Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, or Salesloft) and start building your lead lists inside the platform.
7. Optional: request a sample data test or small pilot before committing to the full contract (many teams do this to validate data quality).

Cognism Pricing & Free Trial Options

Cognism does pricing a bit differently. There’s no free plan or quick sign-up. Everything is custom, so you’ll go through a sales demo first, and they’ll build a package based on how big your team is and what kind of data you need (like mobile numbers, intent data, etc).

The more features and seats you add, the higher the price gets. It’s built more for teams ready to invest in serious outbound, not really for casual testing or small-scale prospecting.

Key points about Cognism pricing

• No Free Plan: Cognism doesn’t offer a self-service free version. All plans require a sales demo and custom quote.
• Custom Plans: Pricing is fully customized based on team size, regions, and data needs (such as mobile numbers, direct dials, intent data, and integrations).
• Entry Pricing: Small teams typically start around $15,000 to $18,000 per year, depending on features and contract length.
• Enterprise Pricing: Larger sales teams with multiple seats, full CRM integrations, API access, and intent data often pay $25,000 to $50,000+ per year.
• Contract Terms: Cognism works on annual contracts; no monthly billing options are available.
• Add-Ons: Extra features like Bombora intent data, advanced enrichment, or expanded international coverage may increase the total cost.

Cognism’s pricing model is built for companies serious about phone-based outbound and global compliance. Because of the custom packaging, costs scale quickly based on the number of users and depth of data access your team needs.

IGLeads pricing overview

Let’s be real! IGLeads is way more affordable and flexible compared to tools like Cognism.

• Monthly plans: start at $49/month, giving you access to all scrapers with limited exports
• Unlimited plan: $249/month for unlimited scrapes and downloads (no credit limits to worry about)
• Annual plans: as low as $39/month if you go with yearly billing

Cognism reviews: User experiences and feedback

When it comes to sales tools, what real users say always matters more than the flashy landing pages. So, what’s the word on Cognism in 2025? We dug into G2 reviews, Reddit threads, and real user feedback to get the full scoop.

Most Cognism users fall into two main camps: bigger sales teams who love the phone data, and smaller teams who feel the pricing stings a bit. People generally rave about how accurate the mobile numbers are (especially in Europe) and love the fact that it’s fully GDPR-compliant. But others mention the high price tag, no built-in email automation, and gaps in U.S. SMB data.

Bottom line: Cognism can be a killer fit if you’re doing phone-heavy outbound and care about compliance. But for leaner teams or startups, it might feel like a lot of money for a tool that doesn’t handle the full outbound process by itself.

Cognism reviews summary

According to G2, Cognism is sitting strong at 4.6 out of 5 stars. Most people love the data accuracy, phone number quality, and smooth integrations. On Trustpilot, there aren’t as many reviews, but the feedback is generally solid — with price being the main complaint for smaller businesses.

Lazar G, mid market, wrote this:

“Reliable Prospecting Tool That Saves Time and Delivers Good Results”.

But no tool is perfect. Dan T, CEO of a small business, wrote the following:

“Unethical, unprofessional, dealing in stolen data.”

Over on Reddit, you’ll find folks saying the mobile data is super accurate, but some still pair Cognism with other tools to cover U.S. data or to handle email outreach. Like any tool, it all depends on what your sales workflow looks like and how much you’re willing to spend.

The user Mental-Advertisement83 shared this opinion:

“Cognism is OK. I mean they defintely have a good UI and strong data in the EU ( Which is not that east to do when there are GDPR regulations). They do lack some coverage on other regions however. For higher data/ lead coverage, I would check out Techsalerator. For better visual interfarce, zoominfo is good as well”.

Igleads user insight: We’ve also seen a lot of users who first tried Cognism but eventually switched to IGLeads when they needed more flexibility — especially for scraping Instagram, LinkedIn, Google Maps, or pulling niche local leads that Cognism just doesn’t cover.

The real difference between Cognism and IGLeads

How does cognism compare to IGLeads.io?

Reading Cognism reviews only gives you part of the story. When you’re out there actually building lists, testing new markets, and trying to hit targets fast, you need to know how it stacks up against newer, more flexible tools. And that’s exactly where IGLeads has been catching a lot of attention lately.

While Cognism has built its name as a premium, enterprise-grade data provider focused on compliance and mobile numbers, IGLeads.io takes a very different approach.

It’s the tool of choice for solopreneurs, growth hackers, and lean sales teams who need hyper-targeted leads right now, without waiting on sales calls, signing long contracts, or worrying about usage caps. IGLeads isn’t just a cheaper alternative; it’s built with an entirely different philosophy for how modern prospecting actually works.

IGLeads features and benefits

IGLeads is designed for fast, real-time scraping across platforms that Cognism doesn’t touch, including:

• Instagram (scrape by keyword, hashtag, or location)
• LinkedIn (profiles, search pages, Sales Navigator)
• Google Maps (local businesses, verified contact data)
• YouTube (creators by niche or video topics)

No complicated APIs, no enrichment upsells. Just pick your audience, run a scrape, and download leads instantly once you get the scraping results. Super simple, super fast.

IGLeads also includes:

• Unlimited scrapes (depending on plan)
• Filters by bio keywords, follower counts, location, niche, and more
• CSV exports for easy cold email and CRM integrations

It’s perfect for teams doing niche lead gen, like local businesses, influencer outreach, e-commerce, or highly targeted B2B prospecting.

How IGLeads complements Cognism

Here’s the honest truth: plenty of teams actually use both.

Cognism crushes it when you need verified mobile numbers, enterprise-level compliance, and deep phone data, especially in Europe. But it’s less helpful when you want to:

• Test smaller, niche markets quickly
• Scrape social platforms like Instagram or YouTube
• Pull long-tail local leads from Google Maps
• Stay fully flexible with no contracts or credit limits

Think of it like this: if Cognism is your heavyweight compliance machine, IGLeads is the lightweight scalpel you grab to carve out highly targeted lists that Cognism just doesn’t cover, whether that’s Miami realtors on Instagram, personal trainers in New York on Google Maps, or YouTube influencers launching real estate content.

And compared to Cognism’s custom pricing, annual contracts, and sales demos, IGLeads keeps things simple:

• No seat-based pricing
• No long contracts
• No hidden upsells

Quick feature comparison

If your team needs highly targeted, real-time contact data without all the enterprise red tape, IGLeads is a no-brainer. Cognism remains excellent for enterprise compliance, but if you’re looking for speed, flexibility, and niche prospecting, IGLeads gets you there faster, cheaper, and without the friction.

Is Cognism a good fit for your sales team?

If you’re part of a larger sales team focused on phone-first outbound, especially in Europe or regulated markets, Cognism can be a very strong option. Its verified mobile numbers, GDPR-compliant data, and smooth CRM integrations make it great for teams that rely heavily on calling and care about compliance.

But if you’re a solo founder, small agency, or fast-moving startup trying to build niche lists, Cognism might feel a bit heavy. There’s no email sequencing, fewer scraping options, and U.S. SMB data can be spotty. Plus, pricing starts high and only goes up with team size and data needs.

Bottom line: Cognism delivers high-quality phone data and compliance for enterprise outbound, but if you need flexibility, speed, and multi-platform scraping, there are leaner options like IGLeads that get you results faster and without long contracts.

See IGLeads.io in action