A B2B database contains hundreds of millions of leads as well as information about their name, company information, and contact details.

But success in cold outreach requires a database that offers more than basic information. With Instantly SuperSearch, for instance, you can get data on job postings, news, tech stack, funding, and much more.

That said, data alone isn’t enough. Your chosen B2B database features should fit your specific workflow and outreach goals for the best results. Below, we explore what to consider before choosing a B2B database and nine of the best providers in today's market.

What Features Should a B2B Database for Cold Outreach Have?

Every cold outreach campaign must have quality lead data. That’s non-negotiable. So, ensure the tool you’re looking into has the following features.

Fresh and Accurate Data

Plenty of lead finders claim accurate data, but is it up to date? The “validated” email from a year ago may no longer be valid if your decision maker has changed jobs, been promoted, or gotten a new email address.

Ensuring the data is fresh and accurate ensures no hiccups when activating lead lists. This also saves time and resources on lead validation and enrichment. 

Lead Verification and Enrichment

There’s usually a tradeoff when using B2B databases. It's either a large number of leads inside the database or a small database with better quality data. Regardless of which you choose, ensure it has contact verification and lead enrichment.

A verified lead list means every contact exists. That equates to lower bounce rates and higher deliverability, which are the most crucial aspects of any cold outreach campaign.

Enrichment also gives you context to reach the right people with the most relevant message, which helps increase your chances of conversion.

Phone Coverage vs Email Coverage

Some B2B databases are better for cold calling, and others for cold emails. Some databases provide both, but they’re typically on the pricey side. That’s why many SDR teams split tools between calls and emails. 

Instantly has the perfect split if you’re also in a team that does cold emails and calls. You get pre-verified leads with SuperSearch and phone numbers from Instantly CRM that you can use for cold calling and SMS marketing. 

Integrations and Workflow Fits

Who wants to get stuck manually moving data? Ensure that the B2B database you get integrates well with your existing tech stack and workflow.

If you want a streamlined and automated workflow, the B2B database should integrate with your CRM and outreach tool. 

Seamless integrations also reduce errors and boost productivity. Instead of wasting time cleaning lists or reformatting CSVs, verified contacts flow directly into your campaigns with all the right fields mapped. 

Waterfall Enrichment

Most B2B databases rely on a single data source. The problem is, you're left with incomplete records if that provider can’t find an email or phone number. A waterfall enrichment process solves this by chaining multiple providers together.

If the first source doesn’t return a result, the system automatically checks the next one, and so on. This layered approach captures more verified contacts and dramatically improves the overall quality of your lead list.

Instantly’s SuperSearch, for example, has an AI-powered waterfall enrichment built in. You get access to 5+ premium data providers.

If one provider doesn’t have an email, SuperSearch automatically moves to the next. You can enable the “Skip already owned” option, which filters out leads already collected.

Fresh Lead Discovery

B2B databases lose their value quickly if you constantly run into duplicate records. Nothing slows down prospecting like paying for duplicates or reworking leads you’ve already reached out to.

A strong database should help you uncover net-new contacts every time you search. Many platforms cap how many contacts you can pull monthly, so every duplicate or outdated record eats into your quota.

By prioritizing fresh, net-new leads, you get more value from the credits you’re already paying for and avoid paying twice for the same data.

Best B2B Database for Cold Email Outreach

Now that we know what to look for in a B2B database, let’s examine nine lead generation platforms that fit our criteria and have unique strengths and use cases. 

Instantly SuperSearch

SuperSearch is built directly into the Instantly platform, so your cold email outreach workflow stays streamlined.

You decide how to use your credits across leads, verification, enrichment, or AI automation, which gives you complete control over your prospecting budget.

Unlike static databases, SuperSearch pulls from multiple providers in real time, meaning the data is continuously refreshed and up to date. Every lead comes pre-verified, so you don’t need to spend extra credits on enrichment or risk wasting time on bad contacts.

Instantly also has lead verification features for leads built outside SuperSearch that match the accuracy and pricing of leading tools like NeverBounce. That means you get reliable data in one platform if you pull new leads from SuperSearch or clean a third-party list. Try SuperSearch today for free.

Key Features

• AI Search or manual filters to find leads fast: title, industry, location, employees, revenue, keywords, tech stack, lookalike domains, job listings, news, and funding.
• Complete profile enrichment: title, LinkedIn URL, company size, and description, plus optional tech, news, funding, and hiring data.
• AI Email Writer + personalization with built-in access to major LLMs or your own API keys; 100+ community prompts.
• Waterfall email enrichment that checks multiple providers until a verified work email is found.
• The product page features over 13 advanced filters and 14 enrichment/data sources.

SwordFish

Swordfish is a B2B database that focuses on hard-to-obtain data, including cell phone numbers, direct dials, and personal or business emails. It can be used as a Chrome extension to get leads while browsing LinkedIn, X, Facebook, GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Google or Bing results.

Swordfish pulls in real-time from 200+ live networks and performs line-connectivity checks. That means fresher results and fewer dead numbers when calling or sequencing. Users also get enrichment, lookalike filters, and integrations with popular CRMs. 

Key Features 

• Finds cell phones, direct dials, and emails (personal + business), with real-time validation to boost accuracy.
• Chrome extension for list or profile views: pull contact data from individual profiles or whole lists in seconds.
• Large data footprint (vendor claim): connects to 200+ data partners and covers 3.5B+ profiles.
• Bulk list building: create lists using LinkedIn URLs and group pages, then extract phones/emails in one go.
• Plans for solo and teams: free trial available; “unlimited” usage tiers for individuals, plus multi-user/team options.

ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo is widely considered a top-tier B2B intelligence platform. It offers a massive, richly featured database with deep company and contact insights, direct dials, technographics, intent data, and seamless CRM integrations.

Many users say its breadth of data and the ability to research and filter across firmographic and behavioral signals make it indispensable for enterprise sales teams. But it’s not without drawbacks.

If you look at online forums and groups, ZoomInfo users frequently voice concern about data freshness and accuracy. Some contacts have switched jobs, outdated titles, or dead phone numbers still slip through. On Reddit, users often raise issues with the following: 

• High cost & opaque pricing: ZoomInfo’s pricing is relatively steep and negotiable only after the fact. 
• Contract lock-ins and renewal frustrations: Auto-renewals, a lack of clear cancellation terms, and surprise charges are common in user complaints. 
• Steep learning curve and UI complexity: New users often report that setting up and getting real value requires time and effort. 
• Uneven international/SMB coverage: Its strongest data coverage tends to be in the U.S. and for larger firms; smaller markets or non-US geographies see gaps. 

Key Features

• SalesOS search & filters to find ideal accounts/contacts fast (title, industry, size, tech, keywords), alerts, enrichment, and a browser extension.
• Intent and buyer signals (including streaming/real-time updates) will help reps prioritize in-market accounts and act quickly.
• OperationsOS (data quality + delivery) for enrichment, cleaning/deduping, routing, and DaaS delivery.
• AI “Copilot” workspace to guide subsequent actions and surface account insights; automatic account tracking and later-stage deal support. 
• Push ZoomInfo buying signals into tools like Salesloft for AI-prioritized cadences.

Apollo

One of Apollo’s defining features is its real-time verification and refresh logic. Its internal data engine continuously checks for new signals (like job changes or new contact info) and refreshes records accordingly.

Users often cite Apollo’s filtering power and usability as strong differentiators. You can slice and dice leads by firmographic, technographic, and intent data.

Key Features 

• 210M+ contacts, 35M+ companies with 65+ search filters and AI recommendations.
• 7-step email checks, real-time phone validation, monthly refresh, and 91% accuracy.
• Real-time enrichment of company and contact records (firmographics, technographics).
• A/B testing for sequences and workflow updates from recent releases.
• Email sequencing, call logging/dialer, LinkedIn messaging, and analytics in one place.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedIn’s prospecting tool for account research and lead discovery is Sales Navigator. It gives you access to the full LinkedIn graph with advanced filters, plus features like Account Hub, Buyer Intent, Personas, Relationship Maps, and Account IQ to help find the right leads faster. 

It stands out in precision targeting. Sales Navigator delivers if you need accurate persona matching, multi-threading into accounts, or timely intent signals. 

Key Features 

• Advanced lead & account search with rich filters to zero in on your ICP.
• InMail messaging with monthly credits to reach prospects without needing to connect.
• Deep CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics), including embedded LinkedIn profiles, lead/contact creation, and sync.
• Prioritize and monitor LinkedIn accounts in one dashboard.
• Real-time alerts on job changes, new posts, and other prospect signals.

Orbis

Orbis is a company-reference database built for firmographics, ownership, and financials, not for mass lead capture.

It blends data on 580M+ entities from 170+ sources, then standardizes it to compare companies across countries and hierarchies. Use it to verify entities, map corporate trees, and confidently analyze markets.

Orbis tracks billions of current and historic ownership links, helping you surface parents, subsidiaries, and ultimate beneficial owners for KYC, risk, and account research. Many entries include detailed private-company financials, which is rare globally.

Key Features 

• Standardized company profiles and financials on public and private firms, making cross-company comparisons and targeting easier.
• Ownership mapping and beneficial ownership to see corporate trees, ultimate owners, and control paths you can use for multi-threaded outreach.
• Analysis and visualization tools like Ownership Explorer, pivot analysis, and heat maps for spotting groups of look-alike accounts.
• Risk and compliance context (PEPs, sanctions, adverse media) alongside firmographics, helping you filter out high-risk targets before outreach.
• CRM integration options, including a Salesforce connector, to enrich and refresh account records directly where reps work.

Adapt

Adapt.io is a lead-intelligence platform for finding work emails and phone numbers. Its Chrome extension pulls contact data from LinkedIn and across websites.

The platform also supports enrichment (e.g., right-clicking to get an email on Salesforce contact pages) and offers a free plan with starter credits so you can test before you commit.

Key Features

• Enrichment to add firmographics/technographics and keep records fresh; API access for bulk/automated workflows.
• CRM & sales tool integrations: export to Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho, Outreach, Salesgear.
• ABM list building by uploading a list of company websites, plus Saved Search alerts when new matching contacts are added.
• Chrome extension (Prospector) to pull verified work emails and phone numbers from LinkedIn and company websites as you browse.
• Phone numbers (incl. mobile), credits for teams that cold call, not just email.

InsideView (Demandbase)

InsideView now lives inside Demandbase’s Sales Intelligence suite. It blends company and contact data with intent and technographics, then pipes insights into your CRM.

Native integrations cover Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics, so reps can research accounts and sync records without leaving their system.

Key Features

• Account and contact intelligence with buyer signals to prioritize in-market accounts using search intent, site visits, email opens, job changes, and AI-surfaced decision makers.
• Packaged app for Salesforce with long-standing Microsoft Dynamics support noted in prior InsideView updates.
• CRM enrichment to keep Salesforce and other systems updated with fresh firmographic and contact data.
• Ownership under Demandbase means InsideView’s database is paired with Demandbase’s broader intent and ABM tools for stronger targeting.
• Targeted list building with filters for location, industry, company size, and even recent news or activity.

RocketReach

RocketReach is a contact finder built to quickly discover work emails, direct dials, and social profiles.

It offers a Chrome extension for prospecting on LinkedIn and across the web, bulk CSV enrichment, and an API to push results into your stack. Plans include per-lookup credits and export limits to scale list building without heavy setup.

Where it fits best is lightweight prospecting and enrichment. Teams like its ease of use and solid accuracy for email discovery, which helps them move quickly from research to outreach. We also have a guide for comparing RocketReach alternatives.

Key Features

• Massive global database of professionals and companies, with access to verified emails, direct dials, and social profiles.
• Advanced search filters to build targeted lead lists by job title, company size, industry, location, and more.
• Bulk lookups & list building for teams that need to scale beyond one-by-one searches.
• AI-powered recommendations to surface similar prospects based on your past searches.
• Data enrichment to fill in missing fields like firmographics, social links, and job history.

Key Takeaways

Quality lead data fuels winning outreach campaigns. The best place to get quality data is a B2B database. To recap, you should use a database with fresh data, enrichment, and verification.

Instantly SuperSearch has all three. If you’re ready to scale cold email outreach and get more campaign wins, you can try SuperSearch for free today.