Apollo vs Lusha vs Cognism: Best Contact Data for Sales Reps (2026)
You need contact data. Apollo, Lusha, and Cognism are the three tools sales reps compare. Each wins in a different scenario. Here's the honest breakdown.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Score | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Apollo.io | 8.6/10 | Free / $49/mo |
| Lusha | 7.5/10 | Free / $29/mo |
| Cognism | 7.8/10 | Custom pricing |
In This Guide
The all-in-one that works. Data plus sequencing plus dialer in one platform. The free tier is useful. Data quality is good in the US, weaker internationally. If you want one tool for prospecting and outreach, Apollo is the default choice for a reason.
- Massive database with generous free tier
- Built-in email sequencing and dialer
- Exceptional value vs. competitors
- Email accuracy lower than ZoomInfo for enterprise contacts
- UI can feel overwhelming with so many features
- Phone numbers less reliable than dedicated providers
Chrome extension, instant results, simple. Lusha does one thing well: give you a phone number or email when you're looking at a LinkedIn profile. But the database is smaller, credits burn fast, and you'll hit walls outside the US. Best for reps who need quick lookups, not bulk list building.
- Simple and fast Chrome extension
- Good direct dial accuracy
- Affordable entry point for small teams
- Smaller database than Apollo or ZoomInfo
- Limited workflow automation
- Credit-based model gets expensive at scale
If you sell into Europe, Cognism's data is noticeably better than Apollo or Lusha. GDPR-compliant mobile numbers that you can call without worrying about compliance. Diamond Data verification means the numbers are phone-verified. But the price locks out small teams, and North American coverage doesn't match Apollo.
- Best EMEA data coverage in the market
- Phone-verified Diamond Data for direct dials
- GDPR and CCPA compliant by design
- Weaker North American coverage than ZoomInfo or Apollo
- No free tier and pricing isn't transparent
- US-focused teams often find better options elsewhere
Lusha vs Cognism: the Reddit consensus
r/sales, r/SaaS, and r/sdr threads on Lusha vs Cognism land in roughly the same place each time. Five points come up in almost every thread.
- US data: Lusha wins on speed, Cognism wins on coverage. Reps consistently say Lusha's Chrome extension surfaces a US mobile in two clicks, but the database is shallower outside enterprise accounts. Cognism's US coverage has improved but still trails ZoomInfo and Apollo on mid-market and SMB.
- EMEA data: Cognism wins almost unanimously. GDPR-compliant mobile numbers (Diamond Data) and active Do Not Call list scrubbing are the two features Reddit cites repeatedly. Lusha's EMEA coverage is thinner and reps in DACH, France, and the Nordics report low connect rates.
- Pricing transparency: Lusha wins. Lusha publishes per-seat prices on its website ($29 a month for Pro, $51 a month for Premium, $69 a month for Scale). Cognism quotes are custom and Reddit reports range from $1,500 to $2,500 per user per year, almost always behind a multi-call sales cycle.
- Credit math: Lusha burns fast at scale. Lusha credits cover one contact's email plus one mobile. Reddit users running 200+ lookups a week say they hit credit walls inside two weeks on lower tiers. Cognism's seat pricing is unlimited within a country pack.
- Buying experience: Lusha self-serve, Cognism enterprise sales. r/sales threads repeatedly warn that Cognism's contracts are annual with aggressive auto-renew clauses, and that downgrading mid-contract is hard. Lusha is month-to-month or annual with self-cancel.
The pragmatic Reddit rule that shows up the most: if the team sells into North America only, start with Lusha or Apollo. If 25 percent or more of pipeline is EMEA, the Cognism premium is usually worth it.
Lusha vs Cognism: a 60-second comparison
| Dimension | Lusha | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free, paid from $29 per user per month | Custom, typically $1,500-2,500 per user per year |
| Contract length | Monthly or annual, self-serve | Annual, sales-led |
| Database size | About 100M+ profiles | About 70M+ profiles, EMEA-weighted |
| US mobile coverage | Strong on enterprise, thinner SMB | Improved 2024-2026, still trails Apollo and ZoomInfo |
| EMEA mobile coverage | Limited, fewer GDPR-compliant numbers | Best in market (Diamond Data, DNC scrubbing) |
| Chrome extension | Mature, fastest lookup workflow | Available, less polished than Lusha |
| CRM and sequencer integrations | Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft | Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft, Microsoft Dynamics |
| Free trial | 5 credits a month, forever | Demo only, no free tier |
| Best for | Individual reps and small teams doing fast US lookups | Sales teams with 25%+ EMEA pipeline and compliance requirements |
Where reps switch from Lusha to Cognism (and back)
Three patterns show up in Reddit threads and on G2 reviews.
- Lusha to Cognism: the team opens a UK or DACH territory, EMEA connect rates collapse, and the rep proves the data is the bottleneck. Cognism wins the bake-off in two weeks. Most common in Series B and C SaaS expanding from a US-only base.
- Cognism to Lusha: the team is paying $20K a year for two seats, the EMEA motion is not yet a real motion, and the procurement team flags the cost. Reps switch back to Lusha plus Apollo for around $1,000-$1,500 a year per rep.
- Lusha plus Cognism together: rarely happens. The data overlap is large enough that running both is hard to justify. Teams that do this are usually mid-migration.
What Cognism does that Lusha cannot
Two capabilities show up as the decisive factor when a team picks Cognism over Lusha. The first is Diamond Data, Cognism's phone-verified mobile dataset that calls the number to confirm it is live before the record ships. The second is built-in Do Not Call list scrubbing for the UK TPS, France Bloctel, Germany Robinson list, and Spain Lista Robinson. Both features are EMEA-specific and reps selling into the US rarely care about either.
What Lusha does that Cognism cannot
The Lusha Chrome extension is faster for a one-off LinkedIn lookup. Cognism's extension exists but reps describe it as slower and less polished. Lusha also publishes transparent monthly pricing, which matters for solo reps or teams without procurement support. Lusha's free tier (5 credits a month, forever) is a real free tier; Cognism's is demo-only.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do Reddit users say about Lusha vs Cognism?
The consistent r/sales and r/SaaS take is that Lusha wins on US speed and pricing transparency, and Cognism wins on EMEA coverage and GDPR-compliant phone-verified data (Diamond Data). Reddit threads warn about Cognism's annual contracts with aggressive auto-renew and sales-led pricing. Lusha is self-serve and month-to-month, but credits deplete fast at higher lookup volume.
Is Cognism worth the price over Lusha for a US-only team?
Usually no. Cognism's premium is built on EMEA Diamond Data and Do Not Call list scrubbing for the UK, France, Germany, and Spain. A US-only team rarely uses either feature. Reddit reports a typical Cognism contract at $1,500-2,500 per user per year, while Lusha Premium runs about $612 per user per year. For US prospecting, Lusha plus Apollo usually beats Cognism on cost and on database depth.
Which is cheapest: Apollo, Lusha, or Cognism?
Apollo's free tier gives you 10,000 email credits per month. Lusha has a free plan with 5 credits per month. Cognism doesn't offer a free tier and starts at $15K+/year. For budget-conscious reps, Apollo is the clear winner. Lusha's paid plans start at $29/user/month, which is competitive but credits deplete fast with heavy use.
Is Apollo's data accurate enough for outbound?
For US contacts, yes. Email accuracy is strong, and direct dials are improving. For European or APAC contacts, accuracy drops. If more than 30% of your prospects are outside the US, test Apollo against Cognism on a sample list before committing. Most US-focused reps find Apollo's data more than sufficient.
Can Lusha replace Apollo for a sales team?
Only if your team does quick one-off lookups and doesn't need sequencing. Lusha doesn't have built-in email sequences, a dialer, or workflow automation. It's a lookup tool, not a platform. Teams that try to use Lusha as their primary data source usually end up adding Apollo or ZoomInfo for bulk prospecting.
Why is Cognism so expensive compared to Apollo and Lusha?
Phone-verified mobile numbers cost money to produce. Cognism's Diamond Data process involves calling numbers to verify they're active, which is expensive at scale. You're also paying for GDPR compliance infrastructure and European data coverage that Apollo and Lusha don't match. If you sell into EMEA, the premium pays for itself in connect rates. If you don't, it's wasted budget.