9 Best Lead Databases in 2026 (Tested)

Written byJulian Kreth

Last updated: · 16 min read

Table of contents

The best lead databases in 2026 are Apollo.io for small teams that want a free plan with emails, phone numbers and outreach in one tool, ZoomInfo for enterprise teams that need depth, and Cognism for EMEA contact data and mobile numbers. If you pay per contact and want a monthly plan, look at UpLead, Lead411 and RocketReach.

I compared nine B2B lead databases on their official pricing pages, product pages and G2 reviews on November 4, 2026. Every price below links to its source, and every tool gets at least one honest con.

9 best lead databases: at a glance

ToolBest forStarting priceFree plan
Apollo.ioFree plan with outreach built in$49/seat/month, billed yearlyYes
ZoomInfoEnterprise teamsCustom pricing (sales call)Free trial
CognismEMEA contacts and mobile numbersCustom pricing (sales call)No
LushaQuick self-serve lookups$37.45/month, billed yearlyYes, 40 credits/month
Seamless.AIContacts while you browseCustom pricing (sales call)Free sign-up
UpLeadVerified emails on a monthly plan$99/month7-day trial
Lead411High export volume on a small budget$49/month7-day trial
RocketReachUnlimited lookups, capped exports$33/month, billed yearly5 free lookups
SalesgenieSmall business and consumer lists$99/monthFree trial

Prices from each vendor's official pricing page, checked on November 4, 2026.

How I tested these lead databases

I didn't buy a seat in every database, so this is a desk comparison. On November 4, 2026 I read each pricing page and product page, checked the live Google results for "lead database", and read the G2 pros-and-cons pages for all nine.

I compared four things:

  • What a credit buys: an email, a phone number, an export, or a whole contact.
  • Who the data covers: US, EMEA, small businesses, consumers.
  • What you pay before talking to sales: public prices versus quotes.
  • What reviewers complain about: usually outdated contacts, and how often.

The next version adds a hands-on check: the same 50 target companies looked up in every database, counting how many decision makers come back with a working email.

1. Apollo.io: Best free lead database with outreach built in

What it does: Apollo is a B2B lead database of 240M contacts and 30M companies with search filters, emails and phone numbers on credits, and email sequences in the same tool. Best for: startups and small sales teams that want a free start and one tool from search to send.

Apollo's free plan has no time limit and includes contact and account data, basic filters and 900 credits a year per seat. The credit math decides the real price: an email costs 1 credit and a phone number 8, and unused credits expire at the end of each billing cycle.

Key features

  • 240M contacts, 30M companies: search by title, industry, company size and location.
  • Emails and phone numbers on credits: 1 credit per email, 8 per phone number.
  • Sequences and a dialer: reach leads from the same tool.
  • CRM enrichment: 100 records a month on the free plan.

Pros and cons

  • ✅ A free plan with no time limit
  • ✅ Database, outreach and CRM enrichment in one place
  • ❌ Reviewers report outdated records and bounces
  • ❌ Credits don't roll over
  • ❌ The interface gets crowded as you add features

What users say

"I can narrow things down by company size, industry, job title, and location, which makes it easy to target my ideal customers." (Kumar G., CEO, G2, October 2026)

"Since contact information can changes frequently, there can occasionally be outdated records or email addresses." (Sunny J., G2, August 2026)

Pricing

From apollo.io/pricing on November 4, 2026, per seat and billed yearly (yearly billing saves 24%):

  • Free: $0, 900 credits per seat per year
  • Basic: $49/seat/month, 30,000 credits per seat per year
  • Professional: $79/seat/month, 48,000 credits per seat per year
  • Organization: $119/seat/month, minimum 3 seats

Bottom line

Pick Apollo if you want a B2B contact database you can start on for free. Skip it if your team needs EMEA mobile numbers above all.

2. ZoomInfo: Best for enterprise teams

What it does: ZoomInfo is a B2B database of company and contact profiles with mobile numbers, business emails, org charts, CRM integrations and an AI layer called Copilot. Best for: large sales and marketing teams with a yearly budget and a CRM to feed.

ZoomInfo's Professional plan covers contact and company profiles, advanced search and exports, mobile numbers, a Chrome extension and CRM integrations. Prices come from a sales call: the pricing page says cost depends on features, number of licenses and credit usage, and deeper data uses pricier credits.

Key features

  • Contact and company profiles: mobile numbers and business emails.
  • Prospect lists, alerts and tags: organize accounts and get notified of changes.
  • Org charts and technographics: on the higher-priced credits.
  • CRM integrations and Chrome extension: HubSpot, Salesforce and more.

Pros and cons

  • ✅ Deep company data, including org charts
  • ✅ Separate ABM plans for marketing teams
  • ❌ No public pricing
  • ❌ Outdated contact data is the top complaint on G2 (148 mentions)
  • ❌ Expensive for small teams, say 85 G2 mentions

What users say

"Really helps me consolidate my data and find the best for my workflow." (mid-market reviewer, G2)

"The pricing feels too expensive compared to other tools on the market." (small-business reviewer, G2)

Pricing

Custom pricing (sales call). ZoomInfo's pricing page lists Professional, Copilot Advanced and Copilot Enterprise, plus ABM plans, with a free trial form and no prices (checked November 4, 2026).

Bottom line

Pick ZoomInfo if a large team needs one database for every region and role. Skip it if you're a small team on a monthly budget.

3. Cognism: Best for EMEA contacts and mobile numbers

What it does: Cognism is a B2B contact database built around European data and mobile numbers, with firmographic, technographic and signal filters. Best for: teams selling into Europe that make calls as well as send emails.

Both plans (Standard and Pro) include 5 seats and are priced by quote. A credit reveals a contact once: you can view it again for free, and the credit is only used again if the person changes jobs. Pro adds mobile numbers, on-demand verification and buying intent.

Key features

  • Mobile numbers (Pro): direct mobiles for decision makers.
  • On-demand verification (Pro): submit priority contacts for a fresh check.
  • List building filters: firmographic, technographic and signal-based.
  • CSV export and enrichment: plus API and MCP access.

Pros and cons

  • ✅ Strong EMEA coverage, according to reviewers
  • ✅ Revealed contacts stay usable for the whole contract
  • ❌ Quote-only pricing, and both plans come with 5 seats
  • ❌ Reviewers report some wrong phone numbers
  • ❌ Combining sector and job title filters can be awkward

What users say

"I find Cognism very easy to use, and the information has been accurate." (Mario P., G2)

"Sometimes I don’t get the correct numbers, and it’s also hard to search for specific sectors and job titles at the same time." (Ross M., G2)

Pricing

Custom pricing (sales call). Cognism's pricing page lists Standard and Pro, each with 5 seats, and asks for a quote; one credit reveals one contact (checked November 4, 2026).

Bottom line

Pick Cognism if your buyers sit in Europe and you call them. Skip it if you're a team of one or two.

4. Lusha: Best for quick self-serve lookups

What it does: Lusha is a B2B contact database with verified emails and phone numbers, filters, lookalikes and a browser extension for LinkedIn and Salesforce. Best for: individual reps and small teams who want contact details in a click and a public price.

Lusha's free plan gives 40 credits a month and one seat with basic and advanced filters. Starter adds contact and company lookalikes, bulk enrichment and 5 intent topics for $37.45 a month billed yearly.

Key features

  • Verified emails and phone numbers: on every plan, including free.
  • Lookalikes (Starter and up): find contacts and companies similar to your best ones.
  • Buying intent topics: 5 on Starter and Premium.
  • API and CSV enrichment (Pro and up): update records in bulk.

Pros and cons

  • ✅ Transparent self-serve pricing
  • ✅ A working free plan
  • ❌ Reviewers say coverage is thinner for niche markets
  • ❌ EMEA coverage could be wider, according to reviewers
  • ❌ Starter's 4,800 credits a year work out to about 400 a month

What users say

"I use Lusha mostly for finding customer data, especially phone numbers and email addresses, and it does a really good job at that." (Anil K., G2)

"Lusha's database is strong for large companies and mainstream industries." (mid-market reviewer, G2)

Pricing

From lusha.com/pricing on November 4, 2026 (yearly billing saves 25%):

  • Free: $0, 40 credits a month, 1 seat
  • Starter: $37.45/month billed yearly, 4,800 credits a year, 1 seat
  • Pro: $52.45/month billed yearly, 7,200 credits a year, 2 free seats
  • Premium: $299.95/month billed yearly, 40,800 credits a year, 5 free seats
  • Scale: custom pricing (sales call)

Bottom line

Pick Lusha if you want contact details in one click with a price you can see. Skip it if you sell into niche markets.

5. Seamless.AI: Best for reps who want contacts while they browse

What it does: Seamless.AI finds cell phones, emails and direct dials for B2B professionals, in its Prospector app and through a Chrome extension on any website. Best for: sales reps who live on LinkedIn and company sites and want details on the spot.

Prospector searches Seamless.AI's contact data with AI-assisted filters, and add-ons cover job changes, buyer intent and CRM enrichment. There's no public price: the pricing page offers a free sign-up and "special pricing" for unlimited users and bulk credits.

Key features

  • Prospector: search real-time, verified B2B contacts.
  • Chrome extension: contact details on LinkedIn and company websites.
  • Job changes: spot when a known contact moves to a new company.
  • Enrichment and intent: keep CRM records current and see who's in-market.

Pros and cons

  • ✅ Phone numbers and direct dials alongside emails
  • ✅ Free sign-up to test the data
  • ❌ No list prices
  • ❌ Inaccurate data is G2's top complaint (410 mentions)
  • ❌ Outdated contacts come up 295 times on G2

What users say

"I love how accurate their data is, the ease of use for their platform and how quick I am able to research my prospects." (Trevor B., G2)

"Accuracy of the searches could still be improved." (small-business reviewer, G2)

Pricing

Custom pricing (sales call). Seamless.AI's pricing page lists no plans or prices, only a free sign-up and a demo request (checked November 4, 2026).

Bottom line

Pick Seamless.AI if your reps want phone numbers while they prospect. Skip it if you need to see prices up front.

6. UpLead: Best for verified emails on a monthly plan

What it does: UpLead is a B2B lead database where one credit unlocks one contact with an email and a mobile direct dial; it says it verifies emails to 95% accuracy. Best for: small teams that buy a few hundred contacts a month and want no yearly contract.

Essentials costs $99 a month for 170 credits and Plus $199 for 400, both billed monthly. That's about 50 to 58 cents per contact, more than Lead411 or Apollo.io charge, but each credit covers the email and the mobile number together.

Key features

  • One credit, one full contact: email plus mobile direct dial.
  • Email verification: UpLead states a 95% accuracy rate.
  • Chrome extension: contact data while you browse or on LinkedIn.
  • CRM export: push unlocked contacts to your CRM.

Pros and cons

  • ✅ Monthly plans with public prices
  • ✅ Email and mobile in a single credit
  • ❌ Higher price per contact than credit-heavy plans
  • ❌ Smaller companies can be missing, say reviewers
  • ❌ Only 5 credits in the 7-day trial

What users say

"I like that UpLead provides verified leads, which gives me a bit of trust in it and saves me time because I don't have to verify the leads myself." (Stephen A., G2)

"I find it challenging that I can't find some companies I'm prospecting, possibly due to their smaller size." (3/5 reviewer, G2)

Pricing

From uplead.com/pricing on November 4, 2026:

  • Free trial: 7 days, 5 credits
  • Essentials: $99/month, 170 credits
  • Plus: $199/month, 400 credits
  • Professional: yearly only, custom credits and price

Bottom line

Pick UpLead if you want verified contacts month to month. Skip it if you need thousands of contacts a month.

7. Lead411: Best for high export volume on a small budget

What it does: Lead411 is a B2B leads database with verified emails and direct dials, priced by the number of exports. Best for: small teams that export a lot of b2b sales leads lists and want a low monthly price.

Spark costs $49 a month for 1,000 exports, about 5 cents each. The extras sit on yearly plans: buyer intent data and unlimited data are only on annual subscriptions, and Blaze (unlimited exports) is sold by quote.

Key features

  • Exports as the unit: 1,000 a month on Spark.
  • Verified emails and direct dials: with buyer intent data on annual plans.
  • Multiple users: on Ignite and Blaze, with admin control.
  • No search caps: Lead411's FAQ promises no data caps or daily limits on searching.

Pros and cons

  • ✅ $49 a month for 1,000 exports
  • ✅ Free trial with 50 exports
  • ❌ Intent data and unlimited data need a yearly plan
  • ❌ Some outdated contacts at smaller companies, say reviewers
  • ❌ Extra seats push the price up

What users say

"Lead411 helps me and my team spend less time searching for leads and more time selling." (Rohit B., G2)

"Sometimes I come across a few outdated contacts, especially from smaller companies. The pricing can also feel a bit high if you need more seats." (Amit S., G2)

Pricing

From lead411.com/pricing on November 4, 2026:

  • Free trial: 7 days, 50 exports
  • Spark: $49/month or $490/year, 1,000 exports a month
  • Ignite: $150/month or $1,500/year, 1,000+ exports a month
  • Blaze: unlimited exports, custom pricing (sales call)

Bottom line

Pick Lead411 if you export a lot and want to stay under $50 a month. Skip it if you need intent data on a monthly plan.

8. RocketReach: Best for unlimited lookups with capped exports

What it does: RocketReach searches 700 million professionals and 60 million companies, with unlimited verified email lookups on every plan and phone numbers from Pro up. Best for: recruiters, founders and sellers who look people up one by one more than they export.

All three plans include unlimited verified email lookups; exports are the limit: 1,200 a year on Essentials, 3,600 on Pro and 20,000 on Ultimate. Yearly billing cuts the price in half.

Key features

  • 700M professionals, 60M companies: search people and companies in one place.
  • Unlimited email lookups: on every plan.
  • Phone numbers (Pro and up): mobile and direct dials.
  • API and MCP access: on every plan.

Pros and cons

  • ✅ Unlimited lookups make one-off research cheap
  • ✅ Yearly billing saves 50%
  • ❌ Export caps are low on Essentials (1,200 a year)
  • ❌ Reviewers report some bounced emails
  • ❌ Phone numbers start at the $75 Pro plan

What users say

"I appreciate that RocketReach usually has valid emails when other services don't." (Cozette L., G2)

"I don’t like that some of the emails are inaccurate- I then waste time sending people emails that just bounce back." (Jenny M., G2)

Pricing

From rocketreach.co/pricing on November 4, 2026, per seat and billed yearly:

  • Free: 5 lookups, no card
  • Essentials: $33/month ($399/year), emails only, 1,200 exports a year
  • Pro: $75/month ($899/year), emails and phones, 3,600 exports a year
  • Ultimate: $142/month ($1,699/year), 20,000 exports a year
  • Team plans: from $6,000 a year

Bottom line

Pick RocketReach if you research people individually and export now and then. Skip it if you need to export thousands of leads a month on a small plan.

9. Salesgenie: Best for small business and consumer lists

What it does: Salesgenie, by Data Axle, is a lead database of 19.5 million businesses and 255 million consumers, with unlimited views and credits for exports and emails. Best for: local sales teams, insurance and home services sellers who target small businesses or households.

You can browse the data without limits, then spend credits to export records or get email addresses. Read the contract terms: plans start with a 12-month subscription, then renew month to month.

Key features

  • Business and consumer data: 19.5 million businesses, 255 million consumers.
  • Unlimited views: search and browse before you spend credits.
  • Credits for exports and emails: add any number each month.
  • Buyer Intent add-on: $50 a month on any plan.

Pros and cons

  • ✅ Consumer data, which B2B-only databases don't have
  • ✅ Free trial without a card
  • ❌ 12-month initial term
  • ❌ Reviewers say corporate emails can be out of date
  • ❌ Exports and emails cost credits on top of the plan

What users say

"I like the ease of using Salesgenie. I can easily filter and create my own lists. The customer service is great." (small-business reviewer, G2)

"Emails in the corporate data sets are often out of date or bounce." (Robert H., G2)

Pricing

From Salesgenie's packages page and help center on November 4, 2026:

  • Basic: from $99/month, 1 user
  • Pro: $149/month, 1 user
  • Team: $299/month, 5 users
  • Buyer Intent: $50/month extra on any plan

Bottom line

Pick Salesgenie if you sell to small businesses or households in the US. Skip it if you sell software to tech companies.

How to choose the right lead database

Start with who you sell to and how you reach them. For US tech buyers by email, Apollo.io or RocketReach. For European buyers by phone, Cognism. For local businesses and households, Salesgenie. For a large team with a CRM to feed, ZoomInfo.

Choose Apollo.io if you: want a free start and outreach in the same tool. Choose ZoomInfo if you: run a large team and need one vendor for every region. Choose Cognism if you: sell into EMEA and call your leads. Choose Lusha if you: want self-serve contact lookups with public prices. Choose Seamless.AI if you: want phone numbers while you browse. Choose UpLead if you: want verified contacts on a monthly plan. Choose Lead411 if you: export a lot on a small budget. Choose RocketReach if you: research people one by one. Choose Salesgenie if you: sell to small businesses or consumers.

Looking for a b2b leads database free of charge? My separate guide goes through the free plans and trials in more depth, including what each one lets you export.

Decide which leads are worth paying for before you buy contacts

Every database here charges per contact, one way or another. At UpLead's $99 for 170 credits, revealing 3 people at 100 companies costs more than a month's plan, so the companies you choose to look up decide most of the bill.

The cheapest way to cut that bill is to settle which companies fit before you open the database. Describe your ideal customer in Openlead first, then run only the companies that fit through the database you picked.

Once contacts come back, score them before they go into a sequence. My guide to lead qualification covers how to rank leads by fit and timing so reps work the best ones first.

Final verdict

Apollo.io is the best lead database for most small teams, ZoomInfo for enterprise, Cognism for European calling and Salesgenie for small-business and consumer lists. Whichever you pick, a short list of companies that fit (built by hand or in a tool like Openlead) keeps your credits for the leads worth calling.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best lead database for small businesses?

The best lead database for small businesses is Apollo.io, because its free plan has no time limit and paid plans start at $49 per seat a month billed yearly. If you sell to other small businesses or consumers in the US, Salesgenie is built for that. For pay-as-you-go contacts on a monthly plan, look at UpLead or Lead411.

What is a lead database?

A lead database is a searchable collection of companies and the people who work there, with contact details such as work emails and phone numbers. Sales teams filter it by industry, size, location and job title to build lists for outreach.

Is there a free lead database?

Yes, with limits. Apollo.io gives 900 credits a year per seat, Lusha 40 credits a month, RocketReach 5 lookups, and UpLead and Lead411 have 7-day trials with 5 credits and 50 exports. Free tiers are enough to test the data, rarely enough to run outreach.

How much does a B2B contact database cost?

Public prices on November 4, 2026 ranged from $33 a month (RocketReach Essentials, billed yearly) to $299.95 a month (Lusha Premium, billed yearly), with Apollo.io at $49 per seat. ZoomInfo, Cognism and Seamless.AI price by quote.

How accurate are lead databases?

No lead database stays fully accurate, because people change jobs all the time. Vendors claim high numbers (UpLead says 95% for emails, RocketReach 98%), while G2 reviewers name outdated contacts as a top complaint for ZoomInfo, Seamless.AI and Lusha. Verify emails before a big send.

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About the author

Julian KrethFounder, Openlead