ZoomInfo vs. Demandbase: Which should you choose?

About ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo is a B2B data platform with a massive contact database containing emails, direct dials, and org charts for hundreds of millions of professionals. It delivers company information (firmographics), technology stack data (technographics), intent signals, and website visitor identification. The platform connects with major CRMs, marketing automation systems, and sales engagement tools through native connections, APIs, and a Chrome extension — letting you sync and enrich data across your entire tech stack.

The platform breaks down into modules (SalesOS, MarketingOS, TalentOS) serving different functions from prospecting to recruitment. It's primarily used by mid-to-large B2B organizations for outbound sales, building targeted lists, and identifying decision-makers. Pricing starts around $15,000 annually with custom enterprise plans based on users, modules, and data consumption. While offering strong data coverage in North America and established companies, users sometimes hit gaps in niche markets or small businesses, and some have concerns about data collection practices.

About Demandbase

Demandbase delivers an account-based marketing platform that combines first-party and third-party data to help B2B companies target specific accounts. It serves up firmographic data, intent signals, and engagement metrics through its unified platform (Demandbase One), which integrates with CRMs like Salesforce, marketing automation systems, and ad networks. Following its acquisition of InsideView, the platform includes data on millions of companies, though its contact database isn't as extensive as some competitors.

The platform serves enterprise marketing and sales teams focusing on target accounts, with capabilities spanning account identification, advertising, website personalization, and pipeline measurement. It's particularly suited for companies with large deal sizes that need to engage multiple stakeholders across channels. While Demandbase offers comprehensive ABM functionality and good data accuracy for large accounts, users note it has a steep learning curve, occasional UI issues, and enterprise-level pricing that smaller companies find prohibitive.

Comparison

ZoomInfo

• ZoomInfo delivers an extensive contact database with email addresses and direct phone numbers, alongside firmographic and technographic data. Its platform combines millions of business contacts with intent signals and website visitor tracking.
• The platform integrates with major CRMs and marketing tools, enabling automated data synchronization across systems. While offering comprehensive sales intelligence, ZoomInfo's pricing structure is expensive for smaller companies, with typical entry costs around $15,000 annually.

Demandbase

• Demandbase reveals account-level intelligence that combines first-party data with third-party business information and intent signals. Its platform focuses on account-based marketing with less emphasis on individual contact details compared to ZoomInfo.
• The system integrates with major CRMs and ad networks to enable account targeting and personalization across channels. Demandbase uses enterprise pricing that scales with modules and usage, making it less accessible for small teams despite its comprehensive ABM functionality.

ZoomInfo works best for companies that prioritize outbound prospecting and need extensive contact information for building targeted lead lists. Its massive contact repository makes it ideal for sales teams focused on direct outreach at scale, particularly those who need to quickly identify and reach EXACT decision-makers.

Demandbase excels for enterprise B2B organizations committed to account-based marketing strategies. While ZoomInfo supports contact-based marketing through its comprehensive individual data, Demandbase offers less robust contact information but superior account-level orchestration. This distinction matters because effective B2B marketing often requires both approaches—account-level targeting to focus resources on high-value prospects and contact-level precision to engage actual humans who make purchasing decisions.

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.