ZoomInfo vs. Koala: Which should you choose?

About ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo packs hundreds of millions of B2B contacts into one massive database — emails, phone numbers, company intel, and tech stack data. It plugs into your CRM and marketing stack to help sales teams hunt down prospects and track which companies are showing actual buying signals.

About Koala

Koala tracks your website visitors and uses AI to identify which companies are browsing — then scores their buying intent and feeds that data straight into your CRM or sales tools. But here's the catch: it only integrates with a few systems (HubSpot, Salesforce, Apollo) and only sees intent from your own website traffic. No off-site buyer signals.

What do users say?

Here's what users are saying about ZoomInfo:

Users love ZoomInfo's massive contact database and call it the "king" of data providers for lead generation. But they consistently slam the extremely high costs ($200 to $7,000+ per month), zero pricing transparency, and aggressive sales tactics with brutal contract terms. The bigger problem? Data accuracy issues are everywhere — job titles don't match LinkedIn, phone numbers route to reception desks instead of decision-makers, and company information can be wildly off-base. Many users are actively hunting for more affordable alternatives.

Users say Koala reignited their passion for music creation after losing steam with traditional DAWs, praising its inspiring simplicity and workflow. They love Koala's fast, efficient approach — tasks that take seconds in Koala require multiple button presses on hardware alternatives like MPC One. While some note limitations like sequencing challenges on smaller displays, users consistently praise the streamlined ease of use compared to more difficult and frustrating hardware samplers.

Comparison

ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo delivers a comprehensive B2B contact database with extensive CRM integrations and robust intent data capabilities. The downside? High costs (typically $15k+/year), complex annual contracts, and an interface that overwhelms new users.

Koala

Koala focuses on first-party intent data from your website visitors — AI-powered prioritization with quick deployment. The limitations hit hard: minimal integrations (only HubSpot, Salesforce, and Apollo), website-only data sources, and incomplete visitor identification at just 30-50%.

ZoomInfo works best for mid-to-large enterprises with substantial budgets who need comprehensive contact data across sales and marketing teams. Koala fits small-to-medium businesses seeking an affordable entry into intent-based marketing — especially those with decent website traffic who want quick visitor behavior insights.

Neither tool excels at contact-based marketing in the traditional sense. ZoomInfo provides the contacts but requires additional tools for campaign execution. Koala identifies companies but relies on integrations like Apollo for contact discovery. This gap reveals the critical need for marketers to combine robust contact databases with engagement capabilities — because identifying prospects without reaching specific decision-makers kills campaign effectiveness and personalization opportunities.

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

Here's the revelation 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 chasing 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 touchpoints

— Deliver hyper-targeted ads based on specific contact behaviors

— Bridge the gap between marketing and sales alignment with actionable, lead-level insights