Cognism
London B2B contact data with mobile numbers, screened against Do Not Call lists, ISO 27001 and SOC 2
Quick Overview
| Company | Cognism Limited |
|---|---|
| Category | Sales Intelligence |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2015 |
| EU Presence | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| Open Source | No |
| Compliance | ISO 27001, ISO 27701, SOC 2 Type II |
| Pricing | Quote-based: Standard and Pro plans with 5 seats included, credits per seat |
| Free Option | Demo on request |
| Replaces | ZoomInfo, Lusha, Apollo.io |
Detailed Review
Cognism is a London B2B data company whose product is a searchable database of contacts and companies with firmographic, technographic and signal-based filters. The entity behind it is Cognism Limited, registered in England and Wales under company number 09392705, incorporated in 2015. Its privacy policy names Cognism d.o.o. in Croatia as a joint controller. The company also lists an office in Boston, Massachusetts, but the contracting entity named in its privacy policy is the British one.
What Cognism emphasises is compliance. It states that it screens its telephone database against Do Not Call lists in the UK, US, Germany, France and several other countries, holds ISO 27001, ISO 27701 and SOC 2 Type II, and notifies business contacts of their inclusion in its database. Pricing is not published: Standard and Pro plans include five seats, with credits per seat and CRM enrichment as an add-on, all quoted after a conversation.
The trade-off is the usual one for a data-first vendor: it is built for teams with a budget line for data, and it is the only tool in this category established outside the EU, covered by the UK adequacy decision rather than by EU establishment.
What Cognism does well
- Do Not Call screening across many countries
- ISO 27001, ISO 27701 and SOC 2 Type II stated
- Mobile numbers and intent signals on Pro
- CRM enrichment, API and MCP access
- Documented opt-out through a Privacy Centre
Where Cognism falls short
- Pricing is quote-only
- British, not EU-established
- Priced for larger teams with a data budget
- US office alongside the UK entity
Standout feature. Compliance as the product: phone data screened against Do Not Call lists in several countries, backed by ISO 27701 and SOC 2.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Do Not Call screening across many countries
- ISO 27001, ISO 27701 and SOC 2 Type II stated
- Mobile numbers and intent signals on Pro
- CRM enrichment, API and MCP access
- Documented opt-out through a Privacy Centre
Cons
- Pricing is quote-only
- British, not EU-established
- Priced for larger teams with a data budget
- US office alongside the UK entity
Alternatives to Cognism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cognism?
Cognism is a London B2B data company whose product is a searchable database of contacts and companies with firmographic, technographic and signal-based filters. The entity behind it is Cognism Limited, registered in England and Wales under company number 09392705, incorporated in 2015. Its privacy policy names Cognism d.o.o. in Croatia as a joint controller. The company also lists an office in Boston, Massachusetts, but the contracting entity named in its privacy policy is the British one.
Where is Cognism based?
Cognism operates from London, United Kingdom, which places it under United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA). Compliance: ISO 27001, ISO 27701, SOC 2 Type II.
What does Cognism cost?
Quote-based: Standard and Pro plans with 5 seats included, credits per seat. Demo on request.
Who is Cognism best for?
Outbound teams that need compliant mobile numbers across many countries. Compliance as the product: phone data screened against Do Not Call lists in several countries, backed by ISO 27701 and SOC 2.
What are the drawbacks of Cognism?
Pricing is quote-only. British, not EU-established. Priced for larger teams with a data budget. US office alongside the UK entity.
Is Cognism a good alternative to ZoomInfo?
Cognism is built as a European alternative to ZoomInfo: London B2B contact data with mobile numbers, screened against Do Not Call lists, ISO 27001 and SOC 2. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does Cognism compare to other Sales Intelligence tools?
Cognism is one of several European Sales Intelligence tools we cover. It is most often compared with ZoomInfo, Lusha, Apollo.io.