Data providers serve an important function for marketers at B2B SaaS companies. They offer access to reliable and up-to-date data that can be used to make more informed decisions when developing marketing strategies. With the right data provider, marketers can quickly and accurately identify their target audience and gain valuable insights into their customer base.
In this guide, we compare Zoominfo and Apollo, the two providers that marketers most often consider using as their “base” data provider. As discussed in our previous piece on choosing the right data provider, data quality, fit, coverage, and ease of use are some of the most important factors to consider when evaluating data providers.
Data Quality
High-quality data ensures that marketers have access to accurate and reliable information on their target audience. Data quality can be assessed by looking at several criteria such as completeness of a record, accuracy of the information provided, timeliness or how “up-to-date” the information is, consistency, and relevancy.
We’ve covered some data quality challenges that you need to be aware of in one of our past blog posts for your convenience.
Zoominfo: Has a large database of over 200 million profiles that is updated daily with new information. However, there are complaints of low quality and high bounce rates with email data. It should be noted, however, that Zoominfo claims accuracy of 95%.
Apollo: Offers a comprehensive dataset of over 400 million profiles which is updated regularly. Anecdotal reviews show users are happy with quality of contact info
Winner: Neither. Data quality is notoriously difficult to determine at scale. We suggest requesting a sample of data related to your particular use case prior to making a purchase decision.
Data Coverage
Data coverage refers to the amount of data available from data providers and how comprehensive that data is. Both Zoominfo and Apollo both claim to offer millions of records and hundreds of data points. Below is a short numerical breakdown of those records:
Zoominfo
- 100M+ Companies
- 150M+ Emails
- 63M+ Phone Numbers
Apollo
- 30M+ Companies
- 220M+ Contacts
- 156M Emails
- 120M Phone Numbers
Winner: Apollo. With its wide breadth of contact and phone number records, we recommend Apollo in most instances. However, Zoominfo may be better suited for larger organizations due to its vast array of company-level data.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is an important factor when selecting a data provider as it can help marketers manage their data more effectively. Both Zoominfo and Apollo offer user-friendly interfaces making it easy to search for and access the required data. Additionally, both data providers offer helpful tutorials and support resources which can help marketers get up to speed quickly when using their platform.
Winner: Tie. Ease of use will certainly depend on your own workflow and comfort using databases and sales intelligence tools. Both Zoominfo and Apollo offer robust Help Center documentation and customer support options if you get stuck.
Data Cost
Zoominfo tends to be more expensive than Apollo due to its larger dataset and more detailed information about each profile. However, it may be worth considering the cost of each provider in relation to the value they offer in terms of data quality and coverage.
Compare the pricing from selected B2B data providers in our 2023 TOP-10 Data Providers list.
Zoominfo: To get pricing information you'll need to schedule a call with their sales department and go through a discovery process. Their pricing isn't available on their website, but external sources say that the starting price is $15,000/year for up to three users (credit limited).
Apollo: Offers four tiers of pricing, ranging from free (credit limited) all the way up to $5k and beyond for enterprise-level customers.
Winner: Apollo. With clear, easy-to-understand pricing that isn’t blocked behind a sales process (not to mention a much more attractive entry cost), Apollo is our choice when it comes to data cost.
Conclusion
Both data providers offer comprehensive datasets with reliable and up-to-date information but Zoominfo may be better suited for marketers looking for more detailed information about their target audience due to its larger dataset and more detailed profiles. Ultimately, it's important for marketers at B2B SaaS companies to select the provider that best meets their needs while providing the best value for the company’s budget. The table below is an easy comparison between the two providers.
Why Primer?
If you have ever thought about hitting two birds with the same stone by utilizing ZoomInfo and Apollo enriched B2B audiences in a single GTM campaign, then Primer is your choice. It automatically pulls together enterprise records from these two, as well as 8 more data providers to form a one-piece exhaustive dataset you can use for unmatched targeting precision.
Unlock the unprecedented audience reach today. Go ahead and check out the live demo to learn exactly how Primer works.
