Cognism vs Apollo.io
Both are prospecting database tools with different strengths. Here's an honest comparison to help you choose.
Choose Cognism if…
- You run cold calling campaigns needing phone-verified UK/EU mobile numbers
- Your DPO requires rigorous GDPR documentation on all vendors
- TPS/CTPS do-not-call compliance is a hard requirement
Choose Apollo.io if…
- You're building outbound lists from scratch using ICP filters
- You want email sequencing and prospecting in one platform
- You have a limited budget and need the most contacts for the price
Cognism vs Apollo.io — Feature comparison
| Feature | Cognism | Apollo.io |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Prospecting database | Prospecting database |
| Primary use case | GDPR-compliant EU prospecting with phone-verified data | Outbound prospecting and email sequences |
| Data freshness | Database — periodic refresh | Database — periodic refresh |
| Data depth | High | High |
| GDPR compliance | Strong , EU infra | Claimed , US infra |
| Pricing tier | $200–$1,000+/month (negotiated) | Free tier + from $49/month |
| Free plan | No | Yes — limited |
Both are prospecting database tools — but with key differences
Cognism is built for gdpr-compliant eu prospecting with phone-verified data. Cognism is a B2B sales intelligence platform specializing in GDPR-compliant phone-verified contact data for UK and European markets.
Apollo.io serves a similar purpose: outbound prospecting and email sequences. Apollo.io is a B2B sales intelligence platform combining a 275M+ contact database with email sequencing, AI prospecting, and CRM integrations.
💶 Pricing comparison
Both Cognism ($200–$1,000+/month (negotiated)) and Apollo.io (Free tier + from $49/month) are in a similar pricing tier.
20–30% of B2B contacts change roles every year. Neither Cognism nor Apollo.io is designed to continuously monitor your existing CRM for job changes and update records automatically — that's a different tool category.
🇪🇺 GDPR and data compliance
Cognism has a stronger GDPR posture — GDPR-first, TPS/CTPS verified. Apollo.io claims GDPR compliance but relies on US infrastructure.
For European teams or those with EU customers requiring documented sub-processor chains, the compliance posture of your enrichment vendor matters. Make sure to request a DPA and sub-processor list before committing.
Enrich-CRM — real-time CRM enrichment for your existing contacts
Cognism and Apollo.io are both prospecting database tools. Enrich-CRM does something different: it enriches the contacts you already have in your CRM — in real-time, continuously, from the live web. Proprietary LLM on AWS EU Paris (no OpenAI, no Anthropic). 250+ company datapoints, 50+ contact datapoints, continuous job change detection, intent signals. Native HubSpot integration, plus Clay, Salesforce, Zapier, Make, n8n, CSV, and API.
From €29/month, 100 free credits, no annual contract. Full DPA and sub-processor documentation at our Trust Center.