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Lead Database Pricing: Apollo, Cognism, Lusha & More Compared
Lead database pricing is notoriously confusing. Credit systems, per-seat charges, annual contracts, and hidden overage fees make it hard to compare platforms on an apples-to-apples basis. This guide breaks down exact pricing for 9+ major lead database providers so you can find the best value for your team and budget. See SMB Sales Boost pricing ->
Summary Comparison Table
| Platform | Free Tier | Cheapest Paid Plan | Annual Contract Required | Credit System | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMB Sales Boost | No (30-day guarantee) | $49/mo | No | 500-10,000/mo | New business leads |
| Apollo.io | 10 exports/mo | $59/user/mo | No (saves 20%) | Export + mobile credits | General B2B |
| Cognism | No | ~$15,000/yr | Yes | Platform access fee | European data |
| Lusha | 40-70 credits/mo | $36/user/mo | No (saves 25%) | 1 per email, 5-10 per phone | Contact enrichment |
| RocketReach | 5 lookups/mo | $39/mo | No (saves ~30%) | Lookup credits | Email + phone lookup |
| UpLead | 5 credits | $74/mo | No (saves 25%) | 170-400 credits/mo | Verified contacts |
| SalesIntel | No | ~$6,000/yr | Yes | Unlimited in plan | Human-verified data |
| Clearbit | Limited free tools | Custom | Varies | API call-based | Enrichment + reveal |
| Seamless.AI | 50 credits | Custom (~$147/mo) | Varies | Search credits | Real-time lookup |
Apollo.io Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Key Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 10 export credits/mo, 250 emails/day |
| Basic | $59/user/mo | $49/user/mo | 1,000 exports/mo, 75 mobile credits |
| Professional | $99/user/mo | $79/user/mo | 2,000 exports/mo, 100 mobile credits |
| Organization | $149/user/mo | $119/user/mo | 4,000 exports/mo, 200 mobile credits |
Hidden costs: Mobile phone number reveals cost 5-8 credits each. With 75 mobile credits on Basic, you get about 9-15 phone numbers per month. Additional credits cost $0.20 each (minimum 250).
Contract terms: Month-to-month available. Annual billing saves 20%. No refunds on any plan.
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Cognism Pricing Breakdown
| Component | Estimated Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Platform access | $15,000-$25,000/yr | Search, filter, export |
| Diamond Data (verified phones) | Included in higher tiers | Phone-verified mobile numbers |
| Intent data | Add-on | Bombora intent signals |
| Additional seats | ~$1,500-$3,000/seat/yr | Per-user access |
Hidden costs: Annual contracts only. Pricing varies significantly based on negotiation. No public pricing page. Overages charged for exceeding fair-use limits.
Contract terms: Annual commitment required. Typically 12-24 month contracts. Early termination fees apply.
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Lusha Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Credits/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 40-70 credits |
| Pro | $36-39/user/mo | $29/user/mo | 200-600 credits |
| Premium | $69-79/user/mo | $51/user/mo | 800-1,000 credits |
| Scale | Custom | Custom | "Unlimited" (fair use ~2,000-5,000) |
Hidden costs: Phone number reveals cost 5-10 credits each. A Pro plan with 200 credits gets you 20-40 phone numbers per month. CSV exports limited to 300 rows on Pro. Credits expire monthly and do not roll over. Canceling forfeits all unused credits immediately.
Contract terms: Month-to-month available. Annual saves 25%. No refunds. All fees nonrefundable.
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RocketReach Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Lookups/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 5 lookups |
| Essentials | $39/mo | $33/mo | 80 lookups |
| Pro | $99/mo | $83/mo | 200 lookups |
| Ultimate | $249/mo | $207/mo | 500 lookups |
Hidden costs: Each lookup counts whether the result is accurate or not. Bulk lookups (CSV upload) consume credits faster. API access requires Pro plan or higher. No rollover on unused lookups.
Contract terms: Month-to-month available. Annual saves approximately 30%. No refunds after 72 hours.
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UpLead Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Credits/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | $0 | $0 | 5 credits |
| Essentials | $74/mo | $74/mo | 170 credits |
| Plus | $149/mo | $149/mo | 400 credits |
| Professional | Custom | Custom | Unlimited |
Hidden costs: Credits only count for valid results (95% accuracy guarantee). Technographics and intent data require Plus or higher. API access on Professional only.
Contract terms: Month-to-month available. No annual discount on Essentials/Plus. 7-day free trial.
SalesIntel Pricing Breakdown
| Component | Estimated Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Individual plan | $69/mo | 100 export credits/mo |
| Teams plan | ~$6,000/yr | Unlimited exports (fair use) |
| Enterprise | Custom | Advanced features + integrations |
Hidden costs: Human-verified data is a strong value prop, but the database is smaller than Apollo or ZoomInfo. Annual contracts on Teams and Enterprise. Limited technographic data on lower tiers.
Contract terms: Individual is month-to-month. Teams requires annual commitment.
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Clearbit Pricing Breakdown
| Product | Estimated Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Clearbit (HubSpot) | Included with HubSpot Marketing Hub Enterprise | Enrichment and form shortening |
| Clearbit API (legacy) | $99-$999/mo | API-based enrichment calls |
| Reveal | Custom | Website visitor identification |
Hidden costs: Since Clearbit was acquired by HubSpot, standalone pricing has changed. Full access requires HubSpot Marketing Hub Enterprise ($3,600/mo). API pricing is usage-based with overages.
Contract terms: Tied to HubSpot contract for bundled access. Legacy API plans vary.
Compare SMB Sales Boost vs Clearbit
Seamless.AI Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Estimated Monthly Cost | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 50 credits |
| Basic | ~$147/mo | 250 credits/mo |
| Pro | Custom | More credits + features |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited (fair use) |
Hidden costs: Seamless.AI does not publish pricing publicly. Actual costs depend on negotiation. Data quality is real-time, meaning results vary by search. Annual contracts are common on Pro and Enterprise tiers. Phone credits may cost extra.
Contract terms: Free and Basic are month-to-month. Pro and Enterprise often require annual commitments.
Compare SMB Sales Boost vs Seamless.AI
SMB Sales Boost Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Monthly Price | Credits/Month | What Is Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $49/mo | 500 | Full business data, emails, phones, keyword filters |
| Growth | $149/mo | 2,000 | Everything in Starter + more credits |
| Scale | $499/mo | 10,000 | High-volume prospecting |
No hidden costs: Phone numbers included at no extra credit cost. No per-seat pricing. No annual contract required. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Contract terms: Month-to-month. Cancel anytime. Full refund within 30 days.
When Each Platform Makes Sense
| If You Need... | Best Value Choice |
|---|---|
| Newly registered business leads | SMB Sales Boost ($49/mo) |
| General B2B contacts on a budget | Apollo.io ($59/user/mo) |
| European B2B data | Cognism (~$15,000/yr) |
| Quick contact enrichment | Lusha ($36/user/mo) |
| Email + phone lookups | RocketReach ($39/mo) |
| Verified contacts with accuracy guarantee | UpLead ($74/mo) |
| Human-verified data | SalesIntel (~$6,000/yr) |
| HubSpot-native enrichment | Clearbit (included with HubSpot Enterprise) |
| Real-time AI-powered search | Seamless.AI (custom pricing) |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Apollo.io cost?
Apollo.io starts at $59/user/month for the Basic plan (or $49/user/month billed annually). The free tier includes 10 export credits per month. Mobile phone number reveals cost 5-8 credits each, so the 75 monthly mobile credits translate to about 9-15 phone numbers.
What is the cheapest lead database?
For paid plans, Snov.io ($30/mo) and Hunter.io ($34/mo) are among the cheapest. SMB Sales Boost starts at $49/mo with 500 credits. For free options, Apollo.io (10 exports/mo) and Lusha (40-70 credits/mo) offer limited free tiers.
Do lead databases require annual contracts?
It depends on the platform. SMB Sales Boost, Apollo.io, Lusha, and RocketReach offer month-to-month billing. Cognism, SalesIntel (Teams), and ZoomInfo typically require annual contracts. Annual billing usually saves 20-30% on platforms that offer it.
Why is lead database pricing so confusing?
Many lead databases use credit systems where different actions cost different amounts (1 credit for an email, 5-10 for a phone number). Combined with per-seat pricing, annual vs monthly rates, and fair-use limits on "unlimited" plans, comparing costs requires careful calculation of your actual usage patterns.
Related Articles
- Lead Generation Platforms: Side-by-Side Comparison - Feature comparison of 15 tools
- Sales Intelligence Platforms: The Definitive Guide - Sales intelligence overview
- B2B Data Provider Guide - How to evaluate data providers
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