Best Data Providers for CROs Building Pipeline in 2024
The best B2B data providers for CROs and VPs of Sales building pipeline in 2024. ZoomInfo, Apollo, 6sense, and more compared on accuracy, cost, and time to value.
Your reps are wasting a quarter of their time on wrong numbers and outdated contacts. That's pipeline left on the table. Every quarter, CROs ask the same question: why is outbound underperforming? The answer is almost always data. Bad data poisons sequences, kills connect rates, and makes your SDR team look worse than they are. In 2024, the data provider market had a few clear leaders and a growing set of challengers worth watching. See also: Best Data Providers 2025 | Best Data Providers 2026
We evaluated these based on what matters to revenue leaders: data accuracy, time to value, total cost of ownership, and whether your team will use it. A $50K platform that sits unused is worse than a $5K solution that delivers clean contacts this quarter. The market was consolidating in 2024, with ZoomInfo adding more bundled capabilities and Apollo expanding aggressively on pricing.
How We Picked These
Our picks are based on analysis of 1,298+ executive sales job postings, real-world pricing data, and hands-on evaluation. We prioritized tools that deliver measurable pipeline impact over feature lists and marketing claims.
Our Picks
ZoomInfo was the default for enterprise revenue teams in 2024. The database covered 100M+ business profiles with firmographic, technographic, and intent data. Workflow automation saved ops teams hours per week. Contracts started around $12K/year for base packages, with most teams landing at $20K-40K when add-ons were included.
Read Full Review →Apollo gave you a 220M+ contact database, email sequences, and a phone dialer in one platform in 2024. The free tier was generous enough for individual SDRs to run real outbound campaigns. At $39/user/month, it was the most cost-effective way to get both data and engagement in one tool. The all-in-one value proposition was hard to beat for budget-conscious teams.
Read Full Review →6sense used AI and intent data to identify accounts actively researching solutions in your category in 2024. It prioritized target accounts based on buying signals. For CROs running ABM programs, the ability to focus reps on in-market accounts changed outbound math entirely. The predictive scoring was becoming more accurate as the model trained on more data.
Cognism had the best GDPR-compliant B2B database for European markets in 2024. Phone-verified mobile numbers (Diamond Data) were a real differentiator where direct dial data was scarce. The verification process gave sales teams confidence that numbers would connect. European coverage was unmatched by US-centric providers.
Read Full Review →Lusha was the simplest tool on the list in 2024. Chrome extension, LinkedIn profile, contact info in seconds. The free tier gave 5 credits/month to test. For reps who needed fast lookups without a full platform commitment, Lusha removed all friction. No training, no onboarding, just immediate access to contact data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a CRO budget for data tools in 2024?
For a team of 10-25 reps, budget $10K-40K/year. Apollo at $39/user/month covers the low end. ZoomInfo with intent data pushes into the $25K-40K range.
Is ZoomInfo worth $12K/year?
If your team has 10+ reps and deals above $25K, yes. The data depth and intent signals pay for themselves at those deal sizes. Below that threshold, Apollo delivers 75% of the value at a fraction of the price.
How do I measure ROI on data tools?
Track email bounce rate (under 5%), connect rate on calls (should improve 15-25% with verified numbers), and pipeline generated per rep. If your data tool doesn't move at least one metric within 90 days, it's not working.
Get Weekly Tool Intel
We track GTM tool changes, pricing updates, and new entrants so you don't have to.
Subscribe to The CRO Report →