Are you a sales leader looking to invest in a sales intelligence tool to ease pipeline anxiety and drive better results? With so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to know which one is the best fit for your team’s unique needs and budget.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into two of the most popular sales tools on the market – Cognism and Apollo. We’ll compare their key features, pricing, pros, cons, and real user reviews to help you make an informed decision. And if neither seems quite right, we’ll introduce you to a compelling alternative to consider.
What is Cognism?
Cognism is a B2B lead generation tool that helps sales teams find contact and company information for potential buyers. Its extensive prospecting database allows you to build targeted lists of qualified prospects to fuel your outbound outreach efforts.
Read our in-depth Cognism review for more details on its features and user experience. And if you’re not sure it’s the right fit, check out these top Cognism alternatives to consider.
Key Features of Cognism
- Phone number verification to improve cold calling success rates
- Intuitive user interface for easy onboarding and navigation
- Integrations with popular CRMs like Salesforce and Outreach
- Ability to message leads directly through the platform
Pros of Cognism
- Streamlines the prospecting process by combining contact data with outreach capabilities
- Responsive in-app customer support chat
- Phone verification saves time and frustration with more accurate numbers
Cons of Cognism
- Some users report inaccurate or outdated data, especially for the US market. If you find incorrect information about yourself or your company, here’s how to opt-out of Cognism.
- Scaling prospect engagement can be clunky, requiring CSV uploads/downloads
- Chrome extension is unreliable and often malfunctions
- Pricing only available upon request, lacking transparency
What is Apollo?
Apollo is an all-in-one sales intelligence platform for finding leads, building prospecting lists, and engaging them with automated outreach campaigns. It aims to be a one-stop-shop for sales teams.
Check out our complete Apollo review for an inside look. Not convinced it’s right for you? Explore these top Apollo alternatives.
Key Features of Apollo
- Expanded search filters like keywords, company funding, and verified emails
- Data enrichment with contextual info like prospects’ job titles
- Outreach templates and sequences for faster engagement
- Integrations with LinkedIn, HubSpot, Gmail and more
Pros of Apollo
- Massive database of 220M contacts and 30M companies
- Free trial available to test out the platform
- Affordable pricing plans starting at $49/month
Cons of Apollo
- Many users are unsatisfied with the quality of customer support
- Limited flexibility with email sending windows vs specific times
- Inaccurate or irrelevant data reported, especially outside the US
- Job change alerts only on the priciest plan
Cognism vs Apollo: How Do They Compare?
To summarize, here’s a quick head-to-head comparison of Cognism and Apollo:
| Feature | Cognism | Apollo |
|---|---|---|
| Database Size | Undisclosed | 220M contacts, 30M companies |
| Data Accuracy | Mixed reports, some outdated info | Some inaccuracies noted |
| User Interface | Intuitive and easy to learn | Not highlighted in reviews |
| Prospect Engagement | Basic messaging, manual CSV process | Automated email sequences |
| Integrations | Outreach, Salesforce | LinkedIn, HubSpot, Gmail, more |
| Job Change Alerts | Not mentioned as a key feature | Only on Professional ($99/mo) plan |
| Pricing | Custom quote only | Free, 49/mo,99/mo |
| Free Trial | Unknown | Yes |
| Customer Support | Responsive in-app chat | Poor support reported by many users |
Both tools offer the core essentials:
Lead databases with contact info Helpful search filters Some CRM integrations
But they also have some key differences in data quality, engagement features, integrations, transparent pricing, and customer support. You’ll have to weigh which factors matter most for your team.
To dig deeper into how these two popular options stack up, read our detailed comparisons of Cognism vs RocketReach, ZoomInfo vs Cognism, and other leading sales intelligence tools.
Looking for an Alternative to Cognism and Apollo? Meet UserGems
If you’re not convinced that either Cognism or Apollo is the ideal fit, allow us to introduce a compelling alternative for fueling your pipeline more effectively – UserGems.
UserGems is a pipeline generation platform that helps you:
- Track job changes of past customers and prospects
- Deliver fresh, pre-qualified leads to your CRM
- Surface key decision-makers with relationship context
- Align sales and marketing with unified data
Rather than just handing you a massive database to dig through, UserGems proactively uncovers warm leads based on your ideal customer profile and previous relationships.
How UserGems Solves Cognism and Apollo Limitations
Data Accuracy You Can Trust
UserGems refreshes our data monthly to maintain over 40% greater accuracy than other leading providers like LinkedIn Sales Navigator and ZoomInfo. Count on less than a 5% bounce rate so your team can connect confidently.
Turn Job Changes Into Revenue
Immediately get alerted when a past customer or champion switches roles and be first in line to re-engage them. Unlike Apollo which reserves this for top-tier accounts only, everyone has access with UserGems.
Warm Outreach with Relationship Insights
Beyond basic contact info, we provide key relationship data points to craft deeply personalized outreach based on prior interactions. Know exactly how to reconnect and build trust.
Dedicated Customer Success
From onboarding to optimization, your dedicated CSM ensures you get maximum value from the platform. Leverage our expertise to uplevel your strategy.
Streamline Your Workflow
Seamlessly integrate with HubSpot, Salesforce, Outreach and more to work leads right in your system of record. Automate data flow and focus on revenue-generating activities.
What UserGems Customers Are Saying
“UserGems has given us a new customer base that we previously couldn’t tap into. It’s made a very manual process more automated which has increased our capacity and ability to reach customers that have moved on from our company.”
- Hannah Hawkesely, Senior Sales Manager at MOO Prints
“UserGems is my favorite sales tool. I get all my leads in one place without having to spend hours digging. The new hire alerts are gold for me.”
- Kyle Harris, National Account Executive at Cobalt
Key Takeaways
- Cognism and Apollo are popular sales intelligence tools, each with strengths and weaknesses around data quality, engagement features, integrations, pricing and support.
- UserGems offers a compelling alternative focused on generating warm pipeline from job changes and former relationships.
- When evaluating options, prioritize tools that provide accurate data, actionable insights, strong integrations, and responsive customer support to ensure the greatest return on your investment.
FAQs
- Which is better for quickly finding contact information – Cognism or Apollo?
Both Cognism and Apollo provide extensive databases with contact information. Cognism is known for its streamlined UI that makes finding leads fast and easy. Apollo offers a larger overall database size. However, users report some inaccurate or outdated data in both, so be prepared to verify info before reaching out.
- How do Cognism and Apollo pricing compare?
Apollo offers transparent pricing, with plans starting at 49/ month for basic and 99/month for the full feature set. Cognism requires a custom quote based on your specific needs, so pricing is less clear upfront. UserGems offers custom packages tailored to your goals and team size.
- Is there a free trial available for either Cognism or Apollo?
Apollo definitely offers a free trial so you can test out the platform before committing. With Cognism it is unclear if a free trial is available. Your best bet is to contact their sales team to discuss options. UserGems offers personalized demo sessions to walk you through the platform.
- Which tool offers the most accurate data for US companies?
User reviews suggest that while both Cognism and Apollo have large databases, the accuracy can be hit or miss, especially for US-based companies and contacts. Many users report outdated or incomplete information. In contrast, UserGems prides itself on 40% greater data accuracy than other providers.
- What integrations do Cognism and Apollo offer?
Cognism integrates with popular sales tools like Salesforce and Outreach. Apollo offers a wider range of integrations with platforms like LinkedIn, HubSpot, Gmail, and more. UserGems seamlessly integrates with most major CRMs and sales automation tools to streamline data flow.
- How does customer support compare between Cognism and Apollo?
Cognism gets positive reviews for its responsive in-app support chat. Apollo, on the other hand, is frequently criticized by users for poor customer support experiences. UserGems assigns a dedicated Customer Success Manager to every client to provide hands-on strategic guidance.
- Do either Cognism or Apollo provide job change alerts?
Apollo does offer job change alerts, but only on their most expensive plan at $99/month per user. Cognism does not appear to have job change tracking as a core feature. UserGems allows every user to get real-time alerts when past customers and prospects change roles.
- What makes UserGems different from Cognism and Apollo?
While Cognism and Apollo primarily provide lead databases and outreach tools, UserGems focuses on generating pipeline from past relationships and job changes. By combining accurate data with actionable insights from previous interactions, UserGems helps you identify the warmest opportunities to pursue.
- How can UserGems help my sales team fill pipeline more effectively?
UserGems tracks job changes to surface decision-makers who are 3x more likely to buy from you again. By automating this process and providing context for personalized outreach, reps can prioritize the right accounts and engage them at the optimal time. This leads to more pipeline, higher conversion rates, and ultimately more revenue.
- What kind of results are UserGems customers seeing?
Sales teams using UserGems are uncovering significant untapped pipeline from buyer job changes. MOO Prints expanded their serviceable customer base. Cobalt reps save hours of manual research. On average, UserGems surfaces qualified opportunities worth over 10% of a company’s revenue target. Your dedicated CSM will help you measure and maximize ROI.
Ready to explore how UserGems can help you turn job changes into revenue opportunities? Request a demo to see it in action and discuss a custom solution for your team’s needs. Let’s boost your pipeline with warm, pre-qualified leads today.
