You want a quality data platform with predictable pricing.
Cognism and Lusha are solid prospecting solutions that are more budget-friendly than ZoomInfo—while still offering comparable data quality.
But there are some significant differences.
We're here to help you choose the one that best fits your business needs.
Cognism vs. Lusha: Quick Comparison
Cognism | Lusha | |
Data coverage | Strong global phone coverage, especially EMEA | More focused on U.S. data |
Phone number quality | Human-verified mobile numbers | Crowdsourced data |
Compliance | GDPR-first, with compliance built into sourcing | Offers basic GDPR options but less rigorous |
Intent data | Bombora-powered intent data with 12K+ topics (12 are available within the Elevate plan) | Up to 25 intent topics included in the Scale plan |
Ideal clients | Higher entry price point, designed for more mature sales orgs | Lower barrier for entry, geared toward SMBs and scrappy teams |
Data access | Unrestricted data views | Credit-based pricing |
Who Is Each Platform Best For?
Cognism is best for sales and revenue teams prioritizing global phone outreach with high compliance.
If you want to scale cold calling across EMEA and globally, Cognism can act as your go-to data provider. It offers verified mobile numbers and full GDPR and DNC compliance. That said, it works best if you’re already a mature sales org with solid workflows and tools in place.
Lusha is best for SMBs and startups needing simple data access and email sequences out of the box.
Lusha wins on ease of use and affordability. You can start free, grab contact information from LinkedIn, and launch outreach campaigns all within the same platform. It’s a great entry point for teams still figuring out their outbound motion or for budget-conscious BDRs who need to work fast.
Cognism Overview
Cognism is a sales intelligence platform known for its premium B2B data. It offers accurate email data and enrichment processes, but the cherry on top is phone-verified mobile numbers—checked against 13 do-not-call (DNC) lists.
Key Features
GDPR-first contact database (over 500 million entries)
Human-verified, compliant mobile numbers for decision-makers
Coverage across EMEA, the US, and APAC, with a strong emphasis on compliant data sourcing
Bombora-powered intent signals, organized into 12,000 topics
Chrome extension for gathering contact details from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Recruiter, Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and company domains
Pricing and Structure
Cognism offers a tiered pricing structure with two main packages: Grow and Elevate.
Grow offers core B2B contact and company data, mobile numbers, and integrations.
Elevate includes premium features, such as Bombora intent signals and an opportunity to get extra data verification credits and intent topics.
Both plans are priced on a custom quote basis.
Cognism Pros and Cons
Cognism pros:
High-quality, human-verified mobile numbers
GDPR-compliant data with a strong emphasis on global privacy standards
Wide geographic coverage across EMEA and globally
Integrates well with LinkedIn tools, Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and more
Unrestricted data views and exporting
Chrome extension makes it easy to pull data while browsing LinkedIn and company sites or using your CRM
Cognism cons:
No built-in sales engagement tools—outreach is only possible through integrations
No free version available
Pricing typically starts in the five-figure range per year, which can be a stretch for smaller teams
Lusha Overview
Lusha is a budget-friendly sales intelligence platform with a vast B2B database. It features solid email and mobile data as well as built-in email outreach tools.
Key Features
Contact database with over 135 million entries
Intent signals and weekly alerts that flag high-intent leads
AI-powered auto-updating lists
Chrome extension that works on LinkedIn and company websites
Built-in email sequences and customizable templates
CRM integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and others
Pricing and Structure
Lusha uses a credit-based pricing model: one credit gets you an email, and five credits get you a phone number.
The Free tier includes 50 credits/month, email addresses and phone numbers, email sequences, and AI.
Pro ($41.90/month) has 350 credits/month, 3 seats included, and everything from the Free plan, plus access to buyer intent signals.
Premium ($69.90/month) has 600 credits/month and 5 seats included.
Scale (custom pricing) plans have custom credits and seats, plus advanced intent signals with up to 25 topics.
Lusha Pros and Cons
Lusha pros:
User-friendly, quick to set up, and has a low learning curve
Comes with built-in email outreach tools, so you can go from lead discovery to engagement without needing a separate platform
Clear and transparent pricing, with a free plan that’s suitable for light prospecting
Lush cons:
Smaller contact database compared to what you’ll find with platforms like Cognism
Phone numbers aren’t manually verified
Some leads are missing either phone or email info
CRM integrations aren’t always seamless—in some cases, data may not sync properly and require manual updates
Key Differences Between Cognism and Lusha
Many buyers wrongly see Cognism and Lusha as more or less identical. But there are some key differences that affect the types of use cases and companies they’re most suitable for.
Cognism | Lusha | |
Contact Data Accuracy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ |
Outreach Automation | ⭐☆☆☆☆ | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ |
CRM & Integrations | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ |
Pricing Model | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ |
Compliance & Privacy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐☆ ☆ |
Contact Data and Phone Accuracy
Cognism stands out for its mobile number accuracy, thanks to a human verification process. Its email data is also solid and comparable to others in the space.
Lusha, on the other hand, relies on AI and crowdsourced signals to verify data. Its email coverage is strong, but phone number accuracy is slightly less reliable.
Outreach Automation
Lusha has basic email sequences built in, which is handy if you want to run quick outreach without leaving the platform. It’s not ultra advanced, but it gets the job done for simple follow-ups.
Cognism doesn’t have any engagement features—it’s purely for data. So if you want to run sequences, you’ll need to plug it into something like Outreach or HubSpot.
But that can actually be a plus, depending on your setup. A lot of teams end up using third-party tools even when their data platform includes outreach, since dedicated engagement software tends to offer more flexibility and features.
CRM and Integrations
Cognism is designed to plug into multi-step sales workflows. It integrates directly with Salesforce, Outreach, and Salesloft, and includes native features like account enrichment and intent signals.
Lusha is very Chrome-extension-forward and extremely smooth when grabbing data from LinkedIn or company websites. Its CRM integrations (like Salesforce and HubSpot) are also solid and let you push leads straight into your system.
Pricing Model
With Lusha, you can sign up and get going in minutes. They’ve got a free plan and clear self-serve options.
Cognism is more enterprise-style. You’ll need to go through a traditional sales-led buying process, and pricing depends on what you need.
Compliance & Privacy
Cognism really leans into GDPR compliance and actively cross-checks contacts against 13 European do-not-call lists, so you’re less likely to waste time or break rules when dialing.
Lusha is GDPR and CCPA compliant, too. But Cognism’s deeper focus on EMEA regulations and extensive DNC checks make a big difference if you’re working in regulated industries.
Data Quality and Coverage
Data will be the make-or-break feature for most buyers. It’s the main reason that companies seek out platforms like Cognism and Lusha.
So, which one wins?
Global vs. Regional Strength
Cognism has Europe, EMEA, and APAC covered really well. Their data in these regions is solid, GDPR-compliant, and manually verified. Lusha performs well in the U.S. and parts of Europe but can get a bit shaky once you move beyond English-speaking markets.
Freshness and Verification
It’s one thing to build a huge database, but keeping it fresh is a whole different story.
Cognism runs a manual verification cycle every 18 months, which means real humans double-check the contact details and update any outdated details. This is unique in the industry.
Lusha relies on AI and crowdsourced updates to keep its database current. It’s definitely faster, but sometimes the data doesn’t feel quite as high-quality as Cognism’s carefully checked info.
Accuracy at Scale
When reaching out to prospects, you have to weigh quantity against quality—more leads doesn’t always mean better connections.
If you want to get going fast and generate interest and replies without much setup, Lusha’s preferable over Cognism. Its phone numbers aren’t perfect, but they’re good enough when compared against other options on the market.
If you need a reliable, scalable process, Cognism’s data quality gives you an edge. Its manual verification means fewer wrong numbers and dead ends, so you’re more likely to connect with the right people.
Pricing Models and Contracts
Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of Lusha and Cognism pricing.
Lusha Pricing
Free plan is available
Transparent, credit-based pricing
Self-serve onboarding—you can sign up and start using it when you wish
Paid plans start under $50/month
Cognism Pricing
No free plan
Custom pricing based on team size, region, and features
Requires a sales conversation for pricing information
Pricing typically starts in the five-figure range annually
Which is more flexible?
Lusha is definitely the more flexible option for those looking to get a feel for automated prospecting. Cognism, on the other hand, is a data platform that makes more sense for an ongoing, long-term prospecting strategy.
While Lusha looks more affordable at first glance, many of its key features sit behind higher-tier plans. Its credit-based pricing only works well if your prospecting volume is low. If you’re running outreach at scale, Cognism might actually give you better value for money.
When to Choose Cognism or Lusha
Functionality-wise, both options are solid. The right pick depends on your particular use case.
Cognism works best when…
1. You rely heavily on phone outreach.
Cognism’s strongest asset is its human-verified mobile number database. If your sales process depends on speaking to decision makers on the phone, you’ll do it with Cognism.
2. You need GDPR-compliant data in Europe.
Cognism is one of the few platforms that’s truly built with GDPR in mind. Their contact data is double-checked against 13 do-not-call lists and verified by real humans—so if you’re working in regulated industries or prioritizing compliant outreach, this matters a lot.
3. You’re scaling a mature outbound process.
Cognism isn’t meant for casual prospecting. If you already have a sales team, dedicated engagement software (like Outreach or Salesloft), and a mapped-out outbound workflow, Cognism gives you the quality data to power that engine.
4. You’re selling across multiple regions.
Cognism has stronger global coverage, an area where many competitors fall short. If your sales team works across regions, this gives you an edge.
5. You’re okay with investing more in data quality.
Cognism typically starts at five figures per year. If you’ve got the budget and see data quality as a revenue lever—not just a cost—the higher upfront investment can lead to better outcomes downstream (fewer bounces, higher connect rates, and better pipeline quality).
Lusha works best when…
1. You want to get started fast.
Lusha is made for speed. You can sign up, use the Chrome extension, and start pulling data and running outreach all in the same day—no sales call or setup required.
2. You’re working with a smaller team or budget.
With pricing starting under $50/month (and a free plan available), Lusha is much more accessible for early-stage startups, solo BDRs, and teams experimenting with outbound before going all in.
3. You want built-in outreach tools.
Lusha includes basic email sequence functionality out of the box. If you don’t want to invest in a separate engagement tool just yet, you can do lightweight prospecting and follow-ups directly in the platform.
4. You’re focused on the U.S. or English-speaking markets.
Lusha’s strongest coverage is in the U.S. and select European regions. If that’s your main focus, you’ll likely get what you need, though data accuracy may vary.
5. You need a credit-based, self-serve model.
Lusha’s credit-based model makes it easy to estimate costs and stay on budget. You can sign up and start using it on your own, without going through the sales team.
What’s missing in both?
Neither Cognism nor Lusha offers a full-funnel solution for outbound outreach. They’re built to help you find leads, not work them all the way through the sales process.
For example, neither tool includes email warmup features, so you’ll need a separate platform to ensure your emails land in inboxes and don’t trigger spam filters.
Personalization is also limited. While Lusha has basic templates and email sequences, there’s no in-depth logic, A/B testing, or dynamic content capabilities like you’d get with a dedicated sales engagement platform.
Cognism doesn’t offer built-in outreach at all, requiring integration with a tool like Outreach, Salesloft, or HubSpot.
And while both connect to major CRMs, you may need workarounds to ensure data flows smoothly and triggers next steps in your workflow.
In short, Cognism and Lusha are great for top-of-funnel lead discovery, but not enough on their own to power a complete, automated prospecting engine.
Why Artisan Is a Smarter Third Option
If Lusha and Cognism are for prospecting, Artisan is for closing.
Ava Handles Everything
Artisan’s AI sales agent, called Ava, runs your outbound from start to finish. She finds and enriches leads from Artisan’s vast database, crafts hyperpersonalized outreach, and sends out automated campaigns via email and LinkedIn.
No More Tool Chaos
Lead generation, email warmup features, enrichment, and outreach are all built in. With Artisan, you can wave goodbye to a scattered tech stack. Cognism for contact info, Salesloft for sequencing, and Zapier to stitch everything together…no thanks.
Verified Data and Automation
Artisan’s database of over 300M global contacts includes B2B decision-makers, local businesses, and ecommerce contacts. You can get as specific as you need with filters like tech stack, industry, revenue, and region.
Predictable Pricing
Artisan offers flat pricing per team. You’re not charged per target account, contact, or email—so you can scale without stressing over usage limits.
Built for Modern Sales Teams
Artisan is made for lean, fast-moving teams who want enterprise-level output without enterprise bloat.
And what’s best, setup won’t take weeks—white glove onboarding is included. You’ll have a dedicated account manager for customer support and, for larger teams, a direct Slack or Teams line to stay connected in real time.
Final Verdict: Which Tool Wins?
So, which platform should you go with? Cognism, Lusha, or Artisan?
Here’s the quick recap:
Cognism is your go-to if accuracy and phone-first outbound are non-negotiable.
Lusha makes sense if you want to move fast with email-based prospecting and flexible pricing.
Artisan brings it all together and adds automation on top of it.
Why Artisan Outperforms Both Cognism and Lusha
With Artisan, you get quality data and powerful engagement tools. It combines lead sourcing, data enrichment, outreach, and a CRM in one place—powered by an AI SDR that runs 24/7.
Just log in, set your ideal customer profile (ICP), plug in your value proposition, and choose the playbooks you want Ava to run. From there, the entire workflow kicks off automatically.
