The Cognism Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Cognism in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Cognism
The Insider’s Guide
B2B contact data with phone-verified mobiles, focused on Europe
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among lead and email finders, read from Cognism’s own pages.
Made by Cognism Ltd · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Cognism’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Cognism’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 0 of the 19 other lead and email finders we grade
Cognism is a B2B contact and company database for sales and marketing teams, built around selling into Europe. It provides work emails, mobile numbers that are checked by phone, company data and signals such as hiring, funding and job changes, through a web platform, a browser extension, CRM integrations and an API. Both prospecting packages are priced by its sales team.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about Cognism, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's a sales platform for teams of five or more, with filters, signals and CRM syncing to set up, so expect some onboarding.
- 1
Best for phone-checked mobile numbers for selling into Europe
There's no free plan or trial on record, either.
- 2
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 3
Contact and company data
Emails, mobile numbers, job titles and work history for people, and revenue, headcount, headquarters and technology use for companies.
- 4
Phone-verified mobiles
Mobile numbers that pass extra manual and automated checks. Pro adds on-demand verification of chosen prospects and a premium mobile filter.
- 5
Signals and intent data
Hiring, funding, M&A and job-change signals on every package; Pro adds Bombora intent data with up to 12 topics chosen from over 11,000.
- 6
A 2.0 GPA, above 0 of 19
That is against the other lead and email finders we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Your call
Cognism sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either.
Cognism at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- Cognism Ltd, since 2015
- Category
- Lead & Email Finders
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for phone-checked mobile numbers for selling into Europe
Cognism sells B2B contact data with mobile numbers checked by phone, and it's built for selling into Europe. Both packages come with 5 seats and are priced by its sales team, so there's nothing to compare up front. There's no free plan or trial on record, either.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No prices are published: Standard and Pro are quoted by sales, so it sits at the ordinary grade. Both include 5 seats, so the quote is your five-person figure, and each seat comes with a set number of credits, one per contact revealed. |
| Free plan and trial | F | Nothing free on record: no free plan and no trial, and both packages are sold through its sales team. |
| Features | B | Emails and phone-checked mobiles, hiring, funding and job-change signals, AI search and research, a browser extension, CRM enrichment, an API and MCP. It covers the whole job, and intent data comes with Pro. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record. It's a sales platform for teams of five or more, with filters, signals and CRM syncing to set up, so expect some onboarding. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web and a browser extension, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Bullhorn, Salesloft, Outreach and Zapier, plus an API and MCP. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Cognism is for
- Great if you sell into Europe and want data built around it
- Handy when your team cold calls and needs mobile numbers that have been checked
- Good for sales teams of five or more reps
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want to try before you buy, as there's no free plan or trial
- Skip it if you're on your own, since both packages come with 5 seats
- Pricey if you want intent data or CRM Enrichment, which need Pro and an add-on
Good to know
Good for
- Sales teams prospecting into Europe
- Teams that cold call and need verified mobile numbers
- Mid-market and enterprise teams with five or more reps
Worth knowing
- No prices are published: the Standard and Pro packages, CRM Enrichment and data feeds are all quoted by sales.
- Both packages include 5 seats, and Cognism says teams of at least 5 salespeople get the most from it.
- Each seat gets a set number of credits, one per revealed contact; more credits are bought separately.
- Intent data and on-demand mobile verification need Pro, and CRM Enrichment is an extra add-on.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Cognism's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
No prices are published: Standard and Pro are quoted by sales, so it sits at the ordinary grade.
We could not confirm Cognism’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. cognism.com has them.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Browser extension
B2B contact data with phone-verified mobiles, focused on Europe. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features.
It covers the whole job, and intent data comes with Pro.
- Contact and company data
- Emails, mobile numbers, job titles and work history for people, and revenue, headcount, headquarters and technology use for companies.
- Phone-verified mobiles
- Mobile numbers that pass extra manual and automated checks. Pro adds on-demand verification of chosen prospects and a premium mobile filter.
- Signals and intent data
- Hiring, funding, M&A and job-change signals on every package; Pro adds Bombora intent data with up to 12 topics chosen from over 11,000.
- AI search and research
- AI search, an AI persona builder and AI company research help find accounts and refine lists built with firmographic and technographic filters.
- Browser extension
- Shows contact data and buying signals on LinkedIn and company websites, and pushes contacts into a CRM.
- CRM Enrichment, MCP and API
- An add-on or standalone product enriches CRM records and keeps them current. MCP and API access come with both prospecting packages.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Pipedrive
- Microsoft Dynamics 365
- Bullhorn
- Salesloft
- Outreach
- Zapier
Cognism is made by Cognism Ltd, and has been around since 2015.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/19
Other lead and email finders it is graded above
Cognism's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 0 of the 19 other lead and email finders we grade.
It stands best on features (B, above 9 of 19) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 20 lead and email finders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Cognism’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 19
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 19
- BFeaturesAbove 9 of 19
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 19
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 19
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
Cognism sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either.
What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call.
What you could make
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- It plugs into other products, Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Cognism’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
ZoomInfo, Lusha, Apollo.io, Kaspr and UpLead
The 5 tools Cognism is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
ZoomInfo
Free plan
B2B contact and company data platform with AI sales tools.
- ZoomInfo has a free plan. Cognism does not.
- Only ZoomInfo lists an iOS app.
- ZoomInfo also covers workflow automation and AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
Lusha
Free plan · from $37.45/mo
B2B contact data for verified emails and direct phone numbers.
- Lusha has a free plan. Cognism does not.
- Lusha also covers web clipper and email campaigns.
- 2.4GPA
Apollo.io
Free plan · from $49/mo
B2B contact database with built-in email sequences and a dialer.
- Apollo.io has a free plan. Cognism does not.
- Apollo.io also covers web clipper, sales pipeline and email campaigns.
- 2.4GPA
Kaspr
Free plan · from $49/mo
Chrome extension for phone numbers and emails from LinkedIn profiles.
- Kaspr has a free plan. Cognism does not.
- Kaspr also covers web clipper.
- 2.2GPA
UpLead
Free trial · from $74/mo
B2B contact database with verified emails and mobile numbers.
- UpLead also covers web clipper.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Cognism free?
No. Cognism is a paid product.
What platforms does Cognism work on?
Cognism is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does Cognism have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Cognism is listed for Web.
Does Cognism have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Cognism is listed for Web.
Is Cognism open source?
Cognism is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Cognism have an API?
Yes. Cognism offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Cognism integrate with?
Cognism's listing names Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Bullhorn, Salesloft, Outreach and Zapier.
Who makes Cognism?
Cognism is made by Cognism Ltd. It dates from 2015.
What are the alternatives to Cognism?
The closest alternatives to Cognism in our directory are ZoomInfo, Lusha, Apollo.io, Kaspr and UpLead.
How does Cognism compare with other lead and email finders?
Cognism's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 0 of the 19 other lead and email finders we grade.
Could I make my own version of Cognism?
Cognism sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Cognism’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Cognism's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Cognism Ltd. Prices change, so check cognism.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Cognism, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/cognism
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Cognism: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/cognism
Know someone choosing between lead and email finders?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/cognism/guide
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See our other guides
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- Clay Insider's GuideData enrichment tables that query 150+ data providers in one place2.8 GPA
- GetProspect Insider's GuideEmail finder and B2B database with a LinkedIn extension2.8 GPA
- Hunter Insider's GuideEmail finder and verifier with cold email sequences built in2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Cognism’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Cognism is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Cognism Ltd. Prices and plans change: check cognism.com before you buy.