B2B data vendors can be the deciding factor in staying ahead of the competition in any industry. They take the hard work out of research and data processing so that you can focus on work like strategic marketing and closing deals with ease.
But what exactly is a data vendor, and, in a saturated market, how do you know how to choose the best one?
What is a data vendor?
In short, a data vendor is a company that collects, processes, and sells data to other businesses. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as for marketing purposes, analytics, research, and more. Data vendors are usually able to offer a variety of data types, such as consumer behavior data, demographic data, and market research information.
It’s a useful way for businesses to gain insights into their target audience in a way that is cost-efficient. In turn, these insights help improve marketing strategies and business decisions with the support of hard data.
How do data vendors collect and compile data?
Data vendors collect and compile data from a whole host of sources. These include, but are not limited to, online and offline surveys, social media platforms, online activities, and even public records. Some vendors also conduct web scraping, data mining, and data aggregation as techniques for gathering information from different sources.
When they have the data, they process, clean, and analyze it in order to extract any helpful insights. Data vendors can also contextualize and enhance raw data with extra information. The purpose of this is to create a more comprehensive and useful dataset for their clients.
It is important to ensure that your data vendor collects their B2B data in a compliant method. If you are using personal data that is not compliant with the data privacy regulations and standards where you operate, you will face hefty fines and penalties.
What types of data do data vendors typically provide?
Data vendors typically provide a wide range of data types to clients. Depending on needs and preferences, these can include demographic data (e.g. age, gender, income bracket), psychographic data (what customers’ values are, how they live), and behavioral data (what their online activities look like, the purchase histories of target audiences).
You can also request specific data types from data providers, such as geographic data (information surrounding the location of their target audience) and company-specific data (size of company, industry). Some B2B data solutions also offer more specialized datasets, such as environmental impact reports or sustainability data, which can help businesses make more eco-friendly decisions.
Why use a B2B data vendor?
Using a B2B data vendor can provide several benefits for businesses, including but not limited to the following:
Market trend analysis: B2B data vendors can help you ascertain insights into market trends, so that you know what is popular right now, as well as your competitors. Along with customer behavior analysis, these insights allow you to make good business decisions and stay competitive.
Better leads: B2B data vendors can give you access to detailed and up-to-date company information. This can help your business when it comes to identifying and targeting potential leads with greater effectiveness, instead of wasting time on inappropriate leads.
Improved marketing campaigns: When you have access to high-quality, accurate, and appropriate data, your business has the ability to develop marketing campaigns that are targeted. This will allow you to forge a stronger connection with your target audience and, eventually, lead to higher conversion rates.
Cost-effectiveness: Data collection, cleaning, and verification are labor-intensive activities that can be outsourced to B2B data vendors instead. They will likely do a better job of this as it’s their full-time business focus, and you will save money in the process because you won’t need to spend the time and resources it would take to do this task at a similar professional level.
More sales opportunities: Having access to high-quality B2B data allows your business to identify new sales opportunities and expand your customer base.
In short, outsourcing to a B2B data vendor helps you streamline your operations, improve your decision-making abilities with a more robust knowledge base, increase sales, and grow your business with the most accurate and reliable data.
20 of the best B2B data vendors and providers in 2024
We have listed 20 of the best B2B data providers and B2B data vendors for 2024 below, with details about key features and what makes each vendor stand out.
This comparison is intended for guidance purposes only and has been provided in good faith and to the best of our knowledge using the information available at the date of publication. All ‘Trademarks’ are property of their respective owners. We are not endorsed by, directly affiliated with, maintained, authorised, or sponsored by any trademark holder referenced herein.
1) Dealfront
With Dealfront as your data provider, you can access all the relevant company and contact information for a website directly from your browser. You can contact the right person without even changing windows thanks to the displayed email address and phone number, while the integrated search allows you to search for specific companies and contacts, and you can keep your CRM up to date through the browser extension.
Additionally, Dealfront offers full transparency on their compliant data. With deep data sourced from national trade registers and publicly available data sources, and processed in Europe under the protection of the GDPR, the information you receive from Dealfront is verified, accurate, and in full legal compliance. Dealfront takes information security extremely seriously and has implemented information security and privacy processes based on the highest security standards (ISO 27001 and ISO 27701).
Key features:
Database with 40M+ companies, 180M+ contacts, and 500M+ data attributes
Integrates with popular tools, such as Pipedrive, Salesforce, and HubSpot
Includes a convenient browser extension
Flexible pricing options
2) Apollo.io
Apollo.io is an all-in-one sales intelligence and engagement platform, which aims to provide all the tools necessary for a successful sales pipeline. Founded in 2015, Apollo.io has built a B2B lead database that includes lead scoring, filtering, and CRM integration to help users find new customers. Apollo.io also offers automation and AI for engagement across the whole sales funnel.
Key features:
B2B lead database with email verification
Chrome browser extension
Free plan with basic features
3) Cognism
A platform that specializes in international sales intelligence, Cognism provides company data and contacts that include business emails and mobile numbers. Firmographics, technographics, sales trigger events, and intent data create predictable lead generation for users and improve prospecting for sales and marketing teams.
Key features:
Phone-verified mobile contact numbers
Firmographic, trigger event, and intent filters
Individually tailored pricing packages
4) LinkedIn Sales Navigator
This AI-powered, deep sales product allows you to discover people and grow your accounts using over 40 advanced filters. It also helps you to unlock advocates that help you strengthen and grow relationships—past customers, colleagues, and classmates are flagged on the basis of comprehensive professional data.
Key features:
Seamless CRM integration and real-time alerts
40+ advanced search filters
Collaborative account maps
5) ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo is a B2B data provider that offers buyer intent insights, data enrichment API, website visitor tracking, and integrations with CRM software. It offers free trials and custom pricing plans, accurate email addresses, direct dial phone and mobile phone numbers, company insights, and buying intent signals.
Key features:
Real-time data verification
Free trial
Custom pricing plans
6) RocketReach
This data provider contacts and information for a host of B2B companies along with intent data and automated prospect lists. It can integrate with your workflow apps, and the Chrome Extension allows you to see company firmographics with ease.
Key features:
Chrome Extension
Integrates with common software
Free trial available
7) 6sense
6sense utilizes AI to offer customer behavior, intent data, and interest information. It also integrates with CRM software, and provides data segmentation and filtering features.
Within its sales platform, your sales team can enjoy access to recommended actions, segment maps, contacts, and company pages. It also offers a prioritization dashboard, real-time alerts, and a Chrome Extension for ease of use.
Key features:
Free plan available
Machine learning, AI, and human data verification
Frequent data refresh
8) Uplead
Uplead offers accurate B2B data, such as emails, phone numbers, technographic data, and sales event triggers. You can use it to discover the technologies used by companies, build targeted contact lists, and gain insights on leads.
Its Chrome Extension allows you to see contact and company details directly from LinkedIn, and it also offers tools like enrichment, lead generation, and analytics by industry. It has more than 50 filters you can apply to segment the data.
Key features:
24/7 support from real humans
Real-time email verification with 95% accuracy
Free trial available
9) Lusha
Lusha offers real-time updating of its database of B2B contact information. It offers integrations with Salesforce, Outlook, and Gmail for its datasets, which include emails, phone numbers, and other data for decision-makers at companies of interest to you.
Key features:
Updated in real-time
Job change filters and alerts
Advanced search filters to build target lists
10) Seamless.ai
Seamless.AI’s search engine allows you to connect with your target audience directly to build a pipeline and close deals at scale. Its real-time people search engine allows you to build a list of useful contacts.
Key features:
Free, Basic, Pro, and Enterprise pricing plans available
CRM and LinkedIn Navigator connections
Sales AI data enrichment
11) Adapt
Adapt’s industry-leading filters aim to help you quickly reach your target audience. You can add contacts to lists, export as CSV, or add to your CRM with ease. With critical data points to complete your data, Adapt’s enrichment can help you perfect your lead scoring and data health objectives, while its APIs can help you search and enrich your data.
Key features:
Useful information about industries, company size, and company structure
Live data gathering from website users via Adapt Web Platform
Bi-monthly updates of datasets
12) Blue Mail Media
As well as offering B2B data provision, Blue Mail Media also offers the tools necessary for running email marketing campaigns. You can segment the up-to-date and relevant information on their data records by geography, company size, types of jobs, and more.
Its CustomPro feature allows you to get niche data for the requirements of your business. It provides data hygiene, such as email-appending, phone-appending, and social media appending. The DemandNxt feature allows you to discover potential customers with digital and outbound marketing practices.
Key features:
Includes email marketing campaign tools
Regular data cleaning and tech insights
Location-based targeting
13) Datanyze
Datanyze offers a range of free and premium packages to accommodate your business needs. Customers can use a Google Chrome extension to obtain contact emails and company information from websites and LinkedIn groups.
Key features:
Free and premium packages
Google Chrome extension and smooth interface
The data guarantee promises a refund for any inaccuracies within the database
14) DemandScience
This marketing tool is a B2B database provider that offers businesses segmented leads. It tracks campaigns and behavioral patterns in order to keep an eye on account-based content engagements and online interactions.
Key features:
Data from around the world
Accurate lead-scoring system
15 Sources of data enrichment
15) InfoClutch
InfoClutch offers a pre-built solution that is readily available and through which you
can instantly connect with prospects. Its customized database offers a solution tailored to meet your business requirements, and its optimized mailing list is updated every three months to connect with the correct prospects.
Key features:
Multi-channel marketing provider
Mailing list updated every three months
90 days data validation policy
16) LeadIQ
LeadIQ allows you to create new contacts, check for duplicate records, and enrich records with its firmographics. Its HubSpot integration allows for custom field mapping, and you can automatically add new prospects to cadence and personalize cold emails using AI.
Key features:
70% increase in pipeline generation
Freemium, Essential, Pro, and Enterprise pricing options available
Contacts across US, EMEA, and APAC, including verified email addresses, mobile numbers, and technographic data
17) Owler
Owler enjoys an active community of five million+ business professionals and offers exclusive insights about competitors, prospects, and market updates only available to Owler users. You can also discover your direct and indirect competitors with Owler's exclusive competitor graph.
You can create targeted lists to get daily, personalized emails and alerts about news and companies that matter to your business. Owler also offers detailed company data, such as revenue, employee count, funding history, acquisitions, news, and more.
Key features:
Exclusive competitor graphs
Create targeted company lists to get daily updates
Pro, Community, and Chrome Extension packages available
18) Thompson Data
Thompson Data offers B2B contacts to support marketing campaigns. Its data team is 150 people strong, and it offers over 75 specialized segments to help you build targeted lists.
Key features:
Financial information and organizational details
Social media mapping
Detailed decision-maker data
19) Visual Visitor
Visual Visitor has a comprehensive data set that provides your sales team with actionable contact information. Direct dial phone numbers and email addresses are included alongside details about job responsibilities, accolades, work experience, education, web mentions, and links to social media profiles.
Key features:
Intent data triggers
AI integrations
Data is updated on a rolling basis
20) Reply
Reply is a free B2B database designed for a whole host of professionals, from sales leaders to marketers and agencies. As part of an AI-powered sales engagement platform, this B2B data platform offers free access to contacts, a Chrome Extension, a range of search filters, and CRM integrations.
Key features:
Phone numbers and emails of contacts provided
Data regularly updated
Free trial available
21) Demandbase
Demandbase includes a variety of data solutions, such as account-based advertising, personalized messaging, and sales intelligence. It integrates with a whole host of popular applications, such as Gmail, HubSpot, LinkedIn, and more.
Key features:
Machine learning, AI, and human validation
Regularly updated
Custom price plans
22) Lead411
Lead411 is another company that offers a web app and Chrome Extension. These allow you to gather information from company websites and LinkedIn with ease. Lead411 offers direct phone numbers and emails, as well as trigger notifications and advanced filters to narrow down your target audience and leads.
Key features:
Emails are re-verified every three to six months
AI research feature
Free seven-day trial available
Risks to avoid when choosing a B2B data provider
When using B2B data services, there can be some risks. It is vital to consider data-selling companies carefully and thoroughly so that you avoid spending money on bad data. Some of the more common risks include the following:
Lack of transparency
A lack of transparency from a vendor about their sources and how they collect their data is a big red flag. You want to know that they are adhering to ethical practices and that they’re getting their data from trustworthy sources before you start using it for your business decision-making.
Poor or no reputation
If you research a given B2B data provider and find no mention of them anywhere online, you should look for someone else. If they have a poor reputation online, skip past them, even if their services are cheap. Online reviews and testimonials are your key to gauging how reliable and credible a company is and they can save you a lot of heartache and money.
Inaccurate data
You need to check that the data provided by a vendor is accurate and up-to-date so that you can proceed with confidence. Inaccurate data will inevitably lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities, or worse— possibly legal consequences and damage to your reputation.
Non-compliance with data privacy regulations
Your B2B data provider must supply compliant data. Not adhering to the data privacy regulations that are in place in your region will mean failing to protect the sensitive information of customers and companies. In turn, this erodes client trust as well as brand reputation.
Lack of data security
Finally, a risk with a B2B vendor could be that they don’t have solid security measures in place. This leaves them open to data breaches or unauthorized access. This could be bad news for your own data as their customer, as well as the data they are collecting on your behalf.
How to choose a data vendor: Top things to look out for
When picking out a data vendor, there are several things you should look out for to make sure you're picking the best B2B contact database provider for your business needs. Here are some aspects we recommend that you watch out for:
Data quality
The data the vendor provides should be accurate, complete, and relevant to what you are doing and have asked for. It should meet your business requirements, and not be missing important context or supporting information. It should also be the most up-to-date data that can be provided on a specific topic.
Data Sources
The vendor you choose should be clear about where their data is sourced from, how it’s collected, and how it’s processed. This will ensure that they are operating ethically and in compliance with vital data privacy regulations.
Data Security
The vendor you choose should have solid information security measures in place to protect your data and the data they collect on your behalf. The more sensitive the data, the more important this is. You also don’t want to pay a lot of money for data collection, only to have that data stolen by somebody else.
Tailored services
Another thing you want to look for is data vendors who offer options that are specific to your needs as well as customizable. You should be able to enjoy a service tailored to your needs and particular target audience, rather than paying for a generic service that might not be wholly applicable to you.
Bear in mind that when it comes to business, there’s no one-size-fits-all.
Scalability
If you’re interested in a long-term collaboration with a B2B data vendor, you should consider whether the vendor you choose has the ability to scale their services up to meet your growing business needs.
It’s easier to work with one company that can get to know you and understand your needs, rather than continually jump between providers as your business fluctuates.
Pricing
Another key aspect, of course, is pricing. You should look at the B2B data provider’s packages, along with their pricing, to see if they offer something that fits your budget.
Customer support
Last, but certainly not least, you want to pick a vendor who will reliably answer your messages and pressing questions promptly, and fix any issues as soon as possible.
Choose true compliance and transparency with a data vendor you can trust
If you want a data vendor with a robust reputation that you can trust, with transparent data collection methods and a stellar customer service team, consider using Dealfront for your business needs.
Dealfront adheres to Europe’s highest data privacy standards, so you know that your information, and that of your contacts, are in good hands.
Outsmart your competition and discover untapped customers! Check out Dealfront here.
Find key decision-makers in companies with one click
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FAQs about data vendors
What regulations govern the use and processing of personal data from vendors?
There are a number of regulations in place that govern how personal data may be processed. These exist to protect people’s privacy and ensure that data practices are ethical. While these laws may differ depending on the region, here are some of the key regulations governing personal data:
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union regulation for the collection, processing, and storage of personal data within the EU. Its purpose is to give people control over their personal data. It requires businesses to get consent before collecting and using personal data.
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), a state law in California, protects privacy rights and offers consumer protection for people living in California. Businesses have to disclose their data collection practices and offer consumers the right to opt out of having their personal details sold.
Can data vendors customize datasets to meet specific business needs?
In short: yes. Several data vendors offer customization options so that you can tailor your datasets to meet your particular business needs.
You can usually work closely with data vendors to figure out your requirements, e.g. industry-specific data, target audience specifications, geographic locations, and other aspects. Giving detailed specifications allows you to receive a customized dataset that is useful to your business and aligns with your goals and needs.
Customized datasets can help you to improve your marketing campaigns and lead generation. They can also provide valuable insights for more strategic decision-making processes.
How often is the data provided by vendors updated or refreshed?
The regularity with which vendors refresh data depends on the vendor in question as well as the type of data on offer. While certain data vendors will update their datasets every day or even in real-time to make sure their information is up-to-date and accurate, others might update theirs on a weekly, monthly, or even quarterly basis.
It all depends on the type of data and the industry in question. Some datasets need to be updated more frequently than others. To make sure your vendor will suit your needs, you should ask them how often they update their datasets. Please also note that regularly updating and ensuring the accuracy of data is required for a vendor to comply with the GDPR.
What support or assistance do data vendors offer to their clients?
Some of the more common support services data vendors typically provide include:
Customer service: vendors will usually have a customer service team to offer help, answer queries, and find solutions to any client issues.
Tech support: technical support to help you integrate and use the data you have paid for is also usually offered by vendors.
Training: some B2B data vendors offer training sessions and reading materials to help customers understand how they can use B2B company data, interpret insights, and maximize the value of the data for their business.
Data customization: as we mentioned above, data vendors often offer customization options to tailor your datasets. This allows you to meet your specific business needs and goals.
Data quality assurance: a quality assurance process will help to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and relevance of the data provided by the vendor.
How do data vendors ensure data privacy and security for their clients?
As well as complying with data protection regulations, data vendors may use the following methods to ensure data privacy and security for clients:
Secure data storage solutions, encryption, and access controls to protect data from unauthorized access, breaches, and cyber-attacks.
Data anonymization removes any sensitive information and reduces the risk of privacy violations.
Data access controls using authentication systems help restrict access to data so that only authorized members of staff can access the data, minimizing the risk of unauthorized use or disclosure of info to third parties.
Data privacy policies are put in place by vendors to establish clear rules and to explain to staff and customers how data is to be collected, used, shared, and protected.
What are some emerging trends or innovations in the data vendor industry?
Some emerging trends and innovations in the data vendor industry include artificial intelligence and machine learning being used to help data vendors analyze and process large datasets, extract useful insights, and improve data relevance. Predictive analytics will also be used in the future to predict trends and identify patterns based on historical data.
