MarketBetter vs Cognism: B2B Sales Intelligence Comparison [2026]
Looking for a Cognism alternative? You're not alone.
Cognism is a premium B2B data provider with excellent European coverage. But at $1,500-$25,000+ per year, many teams wonder: is there a better way to spend that budget?
Here's the core difference:
Cognism gives you contact data. MarketBetter gives you contact data AND tells you exactly what to do with it.
Let's break it down.
What Is Cognism?
Cognism is a UK-founded B2B sales intelligence platform specializing in contact and company data. Their key differentiator is Diamond Data® — phone-verified mobile numbers with claimed 98% accuracy.
Cognism's strengths:
- 400 million business profiles globally
- 200 million verified business emails
- Best-in-class European data coverage (EMEA, DACH, UK)
- GDPR-native compliance from the ground up
- Bombora intent data integration
Cognism is built for: Sales teams that need accurate contact data for cold outreach, particularly in European markets.
What Is MarketBetter?
MarketBetter is an AI-powered SDR platform that combines visitor identification, contact data, and workflow automation into a unified system.
MarketBetter's strengths:
- Website visitor identification (person-level)
- AI-powered Daily SDR Playbook
- Smart Dialer for outbound calls
- AI Chatbot for real-time visitor engagement
- Email automation with AI personalization
- Built-in enrichment and sequencing
MarketBetter is built for: SDR teams that need an all-in-one platform to find, prioritize, and engage prospects.
Feature Comparison: Cognism vs MarketBetter
| Feature | Cognism | MarketBetter |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Database | ✅ 400M+ profiles | ✅ Integrated enrichment |
| Phone-Verified Mobiles | ✅ Diamond Data® | ✅ Via enrichment |
| Website Visitor ID | ❌ Not included | ✅ Person-level identification |
| Daily SDR Playbook | ❌ Not included | ✅ AI-prioritized task list |
| Smart Dialer | ❌ Not included | ✅ Built-in |
| AI Chatbot | ❌ Not included | ✅ Real-time visitor engagement |
| Email Sequences | ❌ Not included | ✅ AI-personalized |
| Intent Data | ✅ Via Bombora | ✅ First-party visitor signals |
| European Coverage | ✅ Industry-leading | ✅ Good |
| GDPR Compliance | ✅ Native | ✅ Compliant |
Pricing Comparison
Cognism Pricing
Cognism doesn't publish pricing publicly. Based on market research:
| Tier | Platform Fee | Per User | Annual Total (3 users) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum | $15,000/year | $1,500/user/year | ~$19,500 |
| Diamond | $25,000/year | $2,500/user/year | ~$32,500 |
Additional costs:
- Implementation fees: $500-$1,500
- Contact volume tiers: Price increases with exports
- Renewal increases: 10-15% annually
MarketBetter Pricing
MarketBetter offers transparent, predictable pricing:
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $99/month | $1,188/year |
| Growth | $299/month | $3,588/year |
| Scale | Custom | Custom |
What's included: All features — visitor ID, playbook, dialer, chatbot, email automation. No per-seat fees. No contact export limits.
The Math
For a 5-person SDR team:
- Cognism Diamond: ~$37,500/year (platform + seats)
- MarketBetter Growth: $3,588/year
You save $33,900/year with MarketBetter — and get visitor identification, a dialer, and a chatbot that Cognism doesn't offer.
The Real Difference: Data vs. Action
This is where Cognism and MarketBetter fundamentally diverge.
Cognism: Pure Data Play
Cognism is excellent at what it does — providing accurate contact data. But once you have the data, you need separate tools to:
- Prioritize who to contact first
- Write personalized outreach
- Make calls (need a separate dialer)
- Engage website visitors (need a chatbot)
- Track engagement and follow up
You're buying ingredients, not the meal.
MarketBetter: Data + Execution
MarketBetter starts where Cognism ends. Yes, you get contact enrichment. But you also get:
- Visitor identification — Know who's on your site right now
- Daily SDR Playbook — AI prioritizes your entire task list
- Smart Dialer — Make calls without switching apps
- AI Chatbot — Engage visitors in real-time
- Email automation — AI-personalized sequences
You're buying the complete system, ready to drive pipeline.
When to Choose Cognism
Cognism makes sense if you:
- Need best-in-class European data — Cognism's EMEA coverage is genuinely excellent
- Already have your sales stack built — You have a dialer, chatbot, sequencing tool, and just need data
- Have enterprise budget — $15K-30K+ per year for data alone
- Focus purely on outbound — No need for inbound visitor engagement
When to Choose MarketBetter
MarketBetter makes sense if you:
- Want one platform, not ten — Tired of juggling visitor ID + data + dialer + sequences + chatbot
- Need to act on signals, not just see them — Daily Playbook tells you exactly what to do
- Have an SDR team that needs prioritization — Stop wasting time figuring out who to call
- Want predictable pricing — No surprise fees, no per-seat charges
- Value speed-to-lead — Website visitors get engaged immediately via chatbot and playbook
Real-World Scenario
Day in the life with Cognism:
- Export contact list from Cognism
- Upload to your CRM
- Check your website analytics separately
- Open your sequencing tool
- Open your dialer
- Figure out who to prioritize
- Start making calls
Day in the life with MarketBetter:
- Open MarketBetter
- See your Daily Playbook with prioritized tasks
- Start executing
The difference: 20 tabs vs. one task list.
What Cognism Users Say
From G2 and Capterra reviews:
Pros:
- "Diamond Data mobile numbers are highly accurate"
- "Best European B2B database I've used"
- "GDPR compliance gives us peace of mind"
Cons:
- "Pricing lacks transparency — had to sit through demos"
- "Outdated records and missing mobile numbers sometimes"
- "Renewal processes felt misleading"
- "US data coverage isn't as strong as European"
Common Questions
Does MarketBetter have European data?
Yes. MarketBetter provides contact enrichment globally, including European markets. However, if your primary focus is EMEA and you need the absolute best European mobile coverage, Cognism specializes there.
Can I use both?
Some teams use Cognism for data enrichment and MarketBetter for workflow/execution. This works, but you're paying for overlapping features. Most teams find MarketBetter's built-in enrichment sufficient.
What about intent data?
Cognism partners with Bombora for third-party intent signals. MarketBetter uses first-party intent — actual visitors on your website. First-party signals (someone visited your pricing page) are often more actionable than third-party signals (someone at that company searched "sales tools" somewhere).
Is Cognism better for enterprise?
If you have an enterprise budget and an existing tech stack that just needs data, Cognism delivers. If you're an SMB/mid-market team looking for a complete solution, MarketBetter is more practical.
The Verdict
Choose Cognism if:
- European data coverage is your #1 priority
- You already have dialer, chatbot, and sequencing tools
- Budget isn't a constraint
Choose MarketBetter if:
- You want one platform for SDR workflow
- You need visitor identification + data + execution
- You want transparent, predictable pricing
- You're tired of managing multiple tools
Ready to See the Difference?
Stop paying premium prices for data you can't easily act on.
MarketBetter combines visitor identification, contact enrichment, AI-powered prioritization, smart dialing, and chatbot engagement — all in one platform.
See why SDR teams are switching from data-only tools to complete platforms.