Best Audience Data Providers of 2026

What Are Audience Data Providers?

Audience data providers are companies that collect, organize, and sell information about businesses and consumers. This means they gather details like email addresses, phone numbers, job titles, company size, technology usage, and buying behavior, then package it so sales and marketing teams can find and target the right prospects.

These platforms pull data from multiple sources. Public records, website activity, surveys, publisher partnerships, and proprietary tracking all feed into their databases. The key difference between B2B and B2C providers: B2B platforms focus on company information and business contacts, while B2C providers track consumer demographics and purchase patterns.

Modern providers do more than sell contact lists. They layer multiple data types together to show you who your buyers are and when they're ready to purchase.

Core capabilities:

• Audience segmentation: Groups prospects by industry, company size, tech stack, or behavior so you target accounts that actually match your ideal customer profile

• Data enrichment: Fills missing fields in your CRM by adding email addresses, phone numbers, job titles, and company details automatically

• Intent signals: Shows which accounts are actively researching solutions like yours based on their content consumption and search activity

• Identity resolution: Connects the same person or company across devices and platforms to build a complete view of their behavior

These capabilities turn raw information into targeting precision. Less guessing, more selling to accounts that convert.

Comparison Table

Here's how the top audience data providers compare:

Best Audience Data Providers

These ten platforms deliver the data quality, coverage, and integrations that actually work in production.

1. ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo gives you comprehensive B2B intelligence with extensive company and business contact coverage. The platform combines contact data, firmographic details, technographic insights, and buyer intent signals in one place. It processes over 1 billion buying signals daily to show which accounts are actively researching solutions, then surfaces prioritized account feeds that tell your team exactly who to call and when.

GTM Workspace brings everything together in a unified interface where sellers prospect, engage, and manage pipeline without switching tools. Copilot acts as an AI assistant that surfaces relevant insights, automates repetitive work, and guides seller actions based on real-time account activity. The platform syncs directly with Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Outreach, Salesloft, and dozens of other systems your team already uses.

ZoomInfo serves a large enterprise customer base and maintains GDPR, CCPA, and SOC 2 Type II compliance. The platform continuously enriches your CRM records, flags data decay, and keeps accuracy high across your entire database.

Key Features:

• Intent data tracking across 1 billion daily signals to identify in-market accounts before competitors reach them

• Technographic intelligence showing which technologies prospects use so you can tailor messaging and spot replacement opportunities

• Organizational charts mapping company hierarchies and reporting structures to navigate complex buying committees

• Direct dial phone numbers including verified mobile lines that bypass gatekeepers

• Conversation intelligence analyzing sales calls to surface objections, competitive mentions, and coaching moments

• Custom data requests where ZoomInfo's research team builds specialized datasets for unique targeting needs

• Real-time CRM enrichment that fills missing fields and updates records automatically

• Account scoring models that rank prospects based on fit and buying intent

Learn more about ZoomInfo

2. Bombora

Bombora provides B2B intent data through Company Surge, which identifies accounts actively researching specific topics. The platform tracks content consumption patterns across a network of business publishers to show which companies are reading articles, downloading whitepapers, and engaging with content related to your solution category. Bombora scores that activity to reveal which accounts demonstrate the strongest research signals.

The data comes from partnerships with thousands of B2B publishers who contribute anonymous browsing data in exchange for access to the network's insights. This cooperative model creates broader coverage as more publishers join. The platform organizes intent signals around an extensive taxonomy of business topics, letting you track research activity for specific product categories, use cases, or competitive solutions.

Bombora integrates with demand-side platforms, CRM systems, and marketing automation tools so you can activate intent data across advertising, email campaigns, and sales outreach. Sales teams use it to prioritize accounts showing active interest. Marketing teams use it to time campaigns and personalize messaging.

Key Features:

• Company Surge scoring that measures research intensity relative to baseline activity

• Topic-level intent tracking across 7,000+ business categories

• Integration with major DSPs for programmatic advertising activation

• CRM and marketing automation connectors for workflow automation

• Historical intent data to analyze research patterns over time

• API access for custom integrations and data science applications

Learn more about Bombora

3. 6sense

6sense combines predictive analytics with account identification to show which companies are researching solutions in your category. The platform uses AI to analyze buying signals including website visits, content downloads, ad engagement, and search activity, then predicts which accounts are in-market and what buying stage they've reached. Anonymous visitor identification connects IP addresses and behavioral patterns to specific companies, showing you which accounts engage with your content before they fill out a form.

Account scoring models rank prospects based on fit and buying intent. The platform detects six distinct buying stages from awareness through purchase, giving sales and marketing teams visibility into where each account sits in their journey. This helps you focus on accounts most likely to convert rather than chasing cold leads.

6sense integrates with advertising platforms, marketing automation systems, and CRM tools so data can trigger campaigns, route leads, and update account records automatically. The platform serves mid-market and enterprise B2B companies running account-based marketing programs.

Key Features:

• Predictive account scoring based on fit and intent signals

• Anonymous visitor identification revealing company-level activity

• Buying stage detection across six phases of the purchase journey

• Account-based advertising orchestration across display, social, and search

• Revenue AI recommendations for next-best actions

• Integration with major CRM, marketing automation, and sales engagement platforms

Learn more about 6sense

4. Demandbase

Demandbase operates as an account-based marketing platform combining B2B data with advertising, personalization, and analytics. The platform identifies which companies visit your website, tracks their behavior across pages and sessions, then uses that activity to trigger personalized experiences and targeted advertising. Account intelligence features provide firmographic data, technographic insights, and intent signals that help marketing teams build target account lists.

Website visitor identification works by matching IP addresses to company records. You see which accounts browse your site even when individuals don't convert. Personalization features let you customize website content, calls-to-action, and messaging based on visitor industry, company size, or buying stage. Advertising activation connects account data to display, social, and search campaigns so you can suppress existing customers, target competitor users, or reach accounts showing intent signals.

Demandbase integrates with sales and marketing technology stacks to sync account data, trigger workflows, and measure campaign performance. The platform serves B2B marketing teams running account-based programs that require coordination across advertising, web, and sales channels.

Key Features:

• Website visitor identification at the company level

• Dynamic website personalization based on account attributes

• Account-based advertising across display, social, and video

• Intent data integration from multiple sources

• Sales intelligence alerts when target accounts visit your site

• Analytics and reporting for ABM program measurement

Learn more about Demandbase

5. Dun & Bradstreet

Dun & Bradstreet maintains a global business database with extensive worldwide company coverage. The platform centers on the D-U-N-S Number system, which assigns unique identifiers to every business entity. This creates a standard way to track companies across different systems and geographies.

The platform provides deep firmographic data including company size, revenue, employee count, industry classifications, and corporate family trees that map parent-subsidiary relationships. Financial and risk data help enterprise buyers assess vendor stability and creditworthiness before entering partnerships. Company hierarchies show how organizations connect across divisions, subsidiaries, and global locations, making it easier to navigate complex enterprise accounts.

Dun & Bradstreet serves enterprise organizations that need global coverage, deep firmographic detail, and data governance capabilities. Data-as-a-service offerings let enterprise customers license D&B data for internal systems, analytics platforms, and custom applications.

Key Features:

• D-U-N-S Number system for unique business identification

• Global coverage across an extensive worldwide company database

• Corporate family trees mapping parent-subsidiary relationships

• Financial and risk data for vendor assessment

• Industry classification using standardized taxonomy

• Data-as-a-service licensing for enterprise applications

• Master data management support for data governance initiatives

Learn more about Dun & Bradstreet

6. Oracle Data Cloud

Oracle Data Cloud operates as a data marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of audience data. The platform offers access to consumer and B2B audience segments from Oracle's proprietary data assets plus third-party partnerships. Coverage includes demographics, interests, purchase behavior, and intent signals. Cross-channel activation lets you deploy audience data across display advertising, social media, search campaigns, and email marketing.

Data types available include demographic segments, behavioral audiences based on online activity, purchase intent signals, and B2B firmographic targeting. Third-party partnerships expand coverage beyond Oracle's owned assets, giving buyers access to specialized datasets from niche providers. Integration with demand-side platforms and marketing clouds means audience data activates directly in campaign workflows.

Oracle Data Cloud serves advertising and demand generation teams that need audience data for paid media campaigns. The platform focuses on data distribution and activation rather than direct sales prospecting.

Key Features:

• Data marketplace with consumer and B2B audience segments

• Cross-channel activation across display, social, and search

• Third-party data partnerships for expanded coverage

• DSP integrations for programmatic advertising

• Measurement and analytics for campaign performance

• Audience modeling and lookalike targeting

Learn more about Oracle Data Cloud

7. Acxiom

Acxiom provides consumer data and identity resolution services built on the InfoBase database covering U.S. households at scale. The platform offers demographic data, behavioral insights, and lifestyle attributes that help consumer marketers segment audiences and personalize campaigns. Offline-to-online matching connects consumer records across digital and physical channels for consistent targeting and measurement.

Data types include demographic attributes like age, income, and household composition, plus behavioral data tracking purchase patterns, media consumption, and lifestyle interests. Identity resolution services link the same consumer across devices, browsers, and platforms to build unified customer profiles. Data onboarding services help brands match their first-party customer lists to Acxiom's identity graph for advertising activation.

Acxiom serves consumer brands and retailers that need household-level data for marketing campaigns. The platform focuses on consumer audiences rather than B2B targeting.

Key Features:

• InfoBase database covering U.S. consumer households

• Demographic and lifestyle data for audience segmentation

• Behavioral insights based on purchase and media consumption patterns

• Identity resolution across devices and channels

• Data onboarding for first-party list matching

• Privacy-safe data practices with consent management

Learn more about Acxiom

8. Clearbit

Clearbit provides real-time B2B data enrichment through API-first services that add firmographic and technographic details to contact records as they enter your systems. Now part of HubSpot, the platform enriches form submissions, CRM records, and marketing automation contacts with company size, industry, technology stack, and employee count. Website visitor identification reveals which companies browse your site before they convert.

Form shortening features reduce friction by pre-filling known fields based on email domain. This improves conversion rates while still capturing complete data. Technographic enrichment shows which technologies prospects use, helping sales teams tailor pitches and identify replacement opportunities. Real-time enrichment happens automatically as contacts flow through your systems.

Clearbit integrates natively with HubSpot's CRM and marketing platform, plus connects to Salesforce, Marketo, and other systems through APIs. The platform serves marketing operations teams that need automated data enrichment without manual work.

Key Features:

• Real-time API enrichment for form submissions and CRM records

• Firmographic data including company size, industry, and revenue

• Technographic insights showing technology stack usage

• Website visitor identification at the company level

• Form shortening to reduce conversion friction

• Deep integration with HubSpot CRM and marketing tools as part of the HubSpot platform

Learn more about Clearbit

9. Apollo

Apollo combines a sales intelligence database with engagement tools in a single platform. The contact database includes a large volume of email addresses and phone numbers across millions of companies, with firmographic details for business contacts. Built-in search and filtering help you build targeted prospect lists, then export contacts directly to sequences for outreach.

Email sequences and automation tools let SDRs set up multi-touch campaigns that send personalized messages, track opens and clicks, then trigger follow-up actions based on prospect behavior. CRM integrations sync contact data, activity history, and engagement metrics back to Salesforce or HubSpot. List building features combine database search with enrichment to create targeted prospect lists.

Apollo serves sales development teams that want prospecting and outreach capabilities in one tool. The platform competes on price-to-value ratio and ease of use for smaller teams.

Key Features:

• Contact database with email and phone data

• Advanced search and filtering for list building

• Email sequences with personalization and automation

• Phone dialer for outbound calling

• CRM integration with Salesforce and HubSpot

• Engagement tracking and analytics

• Chrome extension for prospecting while browsing LinkedIn

Learn more about Apollo

10. Cognism

Cognism provides B2B contact data with particular strength in European markets and phone-verified mobile numbers. The platform focuses on data quality through its Diamond Data verification process, which confirms phone numbers through multiple validation methods before adding them to the database. GDPR compliance features include consent tracking, data processing agreements, and privacy controls that meet European regulatory requirements.

Data coverage emphasizes EMEA markets where other providers often have gaps. Phone-verified mobile numbers give sellers direct access to decision-makers without going through switchboards. Browser extension tools let reps find contact data while browsing LinkedIn or company websites, then push records directly to their CRM.

Cognism integrates with major CRM systems and sales engagement platforms to sync contact data and activity. The platform serves sales teams that need reliable European coverage and verified phone numbers.

Key Features:

• Phone-verified mobile numbers for direct outreach

• Diamond Data verification process for quality assurance

• Strong EMEA market coverage and local data

• GDPR compliance with consent management

• Browser extension for LinkedIn and web prospecting

• CRM and sales engagement platform integrations

• Real-time data updates and enrichment

Learn more about Cognism

How to Choose an Audience Data Provider

Match provider capabilities to your specific go-to-market needs. The right platform depends on whether you're running outbound sales motions, account-based marketing programs, or advertising campaigns.

Data Quality and Accuracy

Bad data quality kills conversion rates and wastes seller time on disconnected numbers and bounced emails. Contact information changes constantly as people switch jobs, companies restructure, and phone numbers turn over. This phenomenon is known as data decay. Verification methods matter because they determine whether you're calling live numbers or hitting dead ends.

Some providers validate emails through deliverability checks. Others confirm phone numbers through live verification or carrier lookups. The difference shows up in your connection rates.

What to evaluate:

• Data refresh frequency and how often records get reverified

• Email deliverability rates and phone connection rates in your target market

• Whether the provider offers data guarantees or credits for bad records

Integration and Activation

Data that sits in a separate platform doesn't get used. Your audience data needs to flow automatically into CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, and sales engagement tools where your team actually works. Native integrations beat CSV exports because they sync data in real time, trigger workflows based on new information, and keep records current across systems.

Check whether integrations support custom fields and workflow triggers. Some platforms only push data one way, which means updates in your CRM don't flow back to the provider. Bidirectional sync keeps both systems aligned.

What to evaluate:

• Native integrations with your existing CRM, marketing automation, and sales engagement stack

• Whether data syncs bidirectionally or only pushes one way

• Support for custom fields, workflow triggers, and automated enrichment

Privacy and Compliance

Regulatory requirements around data collection, storage, and usage vary by geography and industry. GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California impose strict rules on how you can use personal data. Violations carry significant penalties.

Data sourcing transparency matters because you're responsible for how third-party data was collected, even if you didn't collect it yourself. Ask providers how they source data and whether consent was obtained.

What to evaluate:

• GDPR and CCPA compliance if you operate in those jurisdictions

• How the provider sources data and whether consent was obtained

• SOC 2 certification and data security practices

Talk to our team to learn how ZoomInfo can help you find and engage the right buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Audience Data Providers

What is the difference between first-party and third-party audience data?

First-party data is information you collect directly from your customers through website forms, purchases, and interactions with your brand. Third-party data comes from external providers who aggregate information from multiple sources and sell it to companies for targeting and enrichment.

How do B2B audience data providers collect contact information?

Providers use multiple collection methods including surveys, partnerships with publishers and websites, public records scraping, tracking technologies, and data licensing agreements with other companies. B2B providers also employ research teams that verify contact information through direct outreach and phone validation.

Should you use audience data for cold outreach or warm leads?

Use audience data for both. Cold outreach works when you combine accurate contact information with intent signals showing active research behavior. Warm leads benefit from enrichment that fills missing fields and provides context about company size, technology usage, and buying committee structure.

How often does B2B contact data need to be refreshed?

Refresh contact data at least quarterly because people change jobs, companies restructure, and phone numbers turn over constantly. Providers that update records monthly or weekly give you better connection rates and fewer bounced emails than platforms that refresh annually.

Can you integrate audience data directly into your CRM?

Yes, most enterprise audience data providers offer native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, and other major CRM systems. These integrations sync contact data, enrich existing records, and trigger workflows automatically without manual CSV uploads.