Bombora vs. 6sense: Which should you choose?

About Bombora

Bombora delivers company-level intent data. It tracks content consumption across a network of B2B websites to produce Company Surge® scores — these reveal when businesses are researching specific topics more intensively than usual. Rather than functioning as a standalone interface, Bombora integrates directly with your CRM, marketing automation systems, and ABM platforms. It offers hundreds of intent topics but doesn't provide any contact information — it only shows which companies are interested in which topics.

The service works behind the scenes, feeding data into your existing marketing and sales systems. Pricing isn't publicly disclosed — it's usage-based and typically quoted based on the number of topics and accounts you're monitoring. B2B marketing and sales teams primarily use Bombora to prioritize accounts showing research interest in relevant topics. Its limitations? No contact data (you'll need supplementary tools), and potential vulnerability to cookie-based tracking changes. Data refreshes weekly and is designed to be GDPR and CCPA compliant since it focuses on company-level rather than personal data.

About 6sense

6sense is an account-based marketing platform built on predictive analytics. It tracks anonymous buying signals from both your website and third-party sources to pinpoint where accounts sit in their buying journey. The platform combines intent data, account scoring, and campaign execution in one system — using AI to predict which accounts will convert and when. It requires integration with your CRM and marketing platforms to function properly.

The product serves enterprise and mid-market companies with defined target account lists and longer sales cycles. While it offers comprehensive functionality for coordinating marketing and sales efforts across channels, implementation demands significant investment in both time and money. The platform collects data globally but depends on cookies and IP tracking, which impacts data collection in regions with strict consent requirements. Users typically need additional contact data sources to complement 6sense's account-level insights.

Comparison

Bombora

• Bombora provides company-level intent data through its co-op of B2B websites, with Company Surge® scores indicating research interest spikes on specific topics. It lacks contact data but integrates with your existing CRM and marketing systems.
• Pricing is usage-based and opaque, requiring custom quotes based on scale. Bombora faces challenges from browser privacy changes that could impact its third-party cookie-based data collection.

6sense

• 6sense offers a comprehensive ABM platform with account and intent data, predictive analytics to identify buying journey stages, and some contact information. Its all-in-one approach combines data with campaign execution capabilities.
• The platform is complex and expensive, requiring significant time investment to implement and master. Contact data within 6sense is limited compared to dedicated databases, often requiring additional enrichment tools.

Bombora works best for companies that already have contact data and just need to add intent signals to their existing stack. It's a focused tool that does one thing well without requiring major workflow changes. Mid-market companies with established CRM processes can add Bombora to prioritize accounts showing interest in relevant topics.

6sense suits enterprise teams looking for an all-in-one ABM platform with both intent and execution capabilities. Neither tool fully solves contact-based marketing needs — Bombora provides no contact data at all, while 6sense's contact coverage is incomplete. This gap matters because even perfectly identified high-intent accounts have limited value if you can't reach the ACTUAL decision-makers within them.

Do you need account-based marketing, or something else?

Here's the revelation that's flipping ABM on its head: your funnel isn't about anonymous accounts. It's about the decision-makers and influencers within those accounts.

That's what makes contact-based marketing (CBM) a breakthrough. Instead of focusing on broad account intent signals, contact-based marketing pinpoints the exact people engaging with your content in real-time, even when they don't convert.

How does this solve the traditional tension of intent-based marketing? It clears up the ambiguity.

With contact-level data, you can reveal high-priority leads by identifying the individuals behind key touch points. Deliver hyper-targeted ads based on specific contact behaviors. And bridge the gap between marketing and sales alignment with actionable, lead-level insights.