Apollo vs Cognism
Apollo vs Cognism: self-serve US-focused vs GDPR-compliant European data. Apollo $0-$149/user/mo; Cognism enterprise quote, phone-verified EU mobiles.
Last updated 2026-04-19 · Based on public pricing and product documentation available at publication date. Verify current pricing on each vendor's site before budgeting.
The short version
Apollo
Self-serve all-in-one sales platform — data, sequencer, dialer
Cognism
GDPR-first B2B data — phone-verified European mobile numbers
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Apollo | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free (25 credits/mo), Basic $49/user/mo, Professional $79/user/mo, Organization $119/user/mo. | Platinum and Diamond tiers, enterprise quote. Typically $15k-$60k/yr depending on seat count and region access. |
| Data coverage | 275M+ contacts, 60M+ companies. Strongest in North America. Emails verified; direct dials available at higher tiers. | Diamond Data (manually phone-verified mobile numbers), 70M+ European records, strongest in UK, DACH, France, Nordics. |
| Target ICP | SDR / AE / founder at SaaS. Self-serve, no sales call required. | European sales teams or US teams selling into EU/UK. Mid-market and enterprise. |
| Strengths | Free tier. Transparent pricing. Platform breadth: intel + sequencer + dialer in one subscription. Large dataset for US/tech. | GDPR-compliant by design. Mobile number accuracy in EU is best in class. Notify (intent data) and Bombora integration. |
| Limitations | GDPR coverage thinner than Cognism. EU phone numbers often not verified. Data accuracy on regulated industries (finance, healthcare, pharma) weaker. | No self-serve purchase path. No free tier. Lower contact volume than Apollo/ZoomInfo globally. API access on higher tiers only. |
Where Apollo wins
Free tier. Transparent pricing. Platform breadth: intel + sequencer + dialer in one subscription. Large dataset for US/tech.
Where Cognism wins
GDPR-compliant by design. Mobile number accuracy in EU is best in class. Notify (intent data) and Bombora integration.
Honest caveat — LeadCognition's angle
LeadCognition is not a regional B2B data provider — we focus on GitHub-native signal globally (GitHub is GDPR-friendly since it is public data). Layer with Apollo for US outbound or Cognism for EU outbound once you've identified the developer buying signal.
This page is published by LeadCognition. Where we are a fit, we say so; where we are not, we point elsewhere. For contact data at scale, pick one of the tools compared above. For GitHub-signal intelligence on top, see LeadCognition.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cognism GDPR-compliant in a way Apollo is not?
Yes. Cognism built its dataset on "legitimate interest" legal basis and performs active data subject right management. Apollo's EU coverage has a history of GDPR complaints and its legal basis is thinner. For EU-targeted outbound, Cognism is the safer pick for compliance teams.
Which is better for US-based outbound?
Apollo. US record volume is higher, pricing is dramatically lower, and you get the sequencer + dialer bundled. Cognism is priced and optimized for European outbound — overkill if you never call outside the US.
Can I use Apollo for EU outbound if I do not care about GDPR?
Legally that is a bad idea. GDPR applies to anyone sending email or calling EU residents, regardless of where the sender is based. For EU/UK outreach, use Cognism or a comparable GDPR-friendly provider. Apollo is fine as a prospecting layer if you then verify compliance separately.
Which has better mobile phone numbers?
Cognism in Europe (Diamond Data is phone-verified). Apollo is competitive in the US but weaker on direct dials outside North America.
Do either of them surface developer buying signals?
Neither. Both are traditional B2B data platforms. DevTool companies typically layer a GitHub-signal tool like LeadCognition on top to catch developers evaluating products in public before they show up in Apollo/Cognism intent data.