Top Waterfall Enrichment Tools

What is waterfall enrichment?

Waterfall enrichment is a method where your system checks multiple data providers to find the information you need when a field is missing. Traditionally, this happens in sequence: if Provider A doesn't have an email address, the system automatically tries Provider B, then Provider C, until it gets a match or runs out of options.

Here’s the problem it solves: no single data provider covers every contact. One vendor might have strong coverage for your target accounts while another fills different gaps entirely. Without waterfall enrichment, you accept the gaps from whichever single provider you picked. With waterfall enrichment, you combine provider strengths and push your coverage significantly higher.

Core capabilities typically include:

• Sequential vendor routing: Your system moves from one provider to the next based on rules you set

• Conditional logic: You can skip certain providers based on geography, company size, or what data you need

• Coverage optimization: You fill gaps by layering multiple providers instead of accepting what one vendor delivers

• Credit efficiency: The system stops once it finds data, so you don't waste API calls or credits

Most GTM teams use waterfall enrichment to clean CRM data, enrich inbound leads as they come in, and build complete prospect lists without manual research.

However, traditional sequential waterfalls introduce operational complexity, vendor credit management, and “first-match” limitations. Modern approaches are evolving beyond this model.

Best waterfall enrichment tools

Here's how the top platforms compare:

1. ZoomInfo (GTM Studio)

ZoomInfo delivers real-time B2B data enrichment across 500M contacts, 100M companies, and 1B buying signals. But unlike traditional sequential waterfall tools, Waterfall Enrichment in GTM Studio works in parallel across 25+ third-party vendors in addition to ZoomInfo’s own database.

Instead of querying Vendor A, then Vendor B, then Vendor C — and stopping at the first match — GTM Studio evaluates vendors simultaneously and returns the highest-confidence match based on intelligent scoring and data freshness.

This eliminates three common issues with sequential waterfalls:

• You don’t need to manually rank vendors

• You avoid first-match limitations

• You reduce the risk of filling fields with lower-confidence data

ZoomInfo has already sourced and QA’d the top enrichment vendors across every major data point and signal — including contact data, firmographics, technographics, job postings, website visits, funding events, and intent signals. That infrastructure is pre-built inside GTM Studio.

There is no separate vendor management, routing logic, or fallback configuration required.

Predictable Pricing Advantage

Traditional orchestration tools often require building waterfalls that burn credits across multiple vendors — for example:

• Mobile phone: 10 credits

• Revenue: 5 credits

• Email: 2 credits

By the time you enrich a single contact, you may have consumed 20+ credits across multiple providers.

With ZoomInfo:

• Waterfall Enrichment is included for all GTM Studio customers

• No additional credit consumption or usage-based overages

• Enrichment refreshes do not re-burn credits within your annual access window

• All supported data points are included

You get multi-vendor coverage for the cost of a single ZoomInfo credit — without managing vendor pools or paying per lookup.

Transparency and Governance

Each enriched data point includes source attribution, supporting RevOps governance and compliance needs. ZoomInfo maintains GDPR, CCPA, and SOC 2 compliance standards with transparent sourcing controls.

Key Features:

• Parallel waterfall enrichment across 25+ vendors

• Intelligent scoring to select highest-confidence match

• No vendor prioritization logic required

• Included for all GTM Studio customers at no additional cost

• Bi-directional CRM sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, and others

• Intent signal integration

• Technographic tracking across 30,000+ products

• Organizational charts mapping reporting structures

• Continuous data refresh

Learn more about ZoomInfo GTM Studio

2. Clay

Clay provides a visual workflow builder that orchestrates enrichment across multiple data providers. The platform connects to dozens of enrichment vendors, letting you design custom waterfall sequences based on your coverage needs and budget. You drag and drop enrichment steps, set conditional routing rules, and preview results before running workflows at scale.

Most workflows rely on sequential waterfall logic: Vendor A is queried first, then Vendor B, then Vendor C.

You design routing rules, fallback logic, and enrichment steps manually. The platform optimizes credit consumption by stopping once a vendor returns a match.

Clay functions as an orchestration layer rather than a data provider itself. Teams use it to combine multiple vendors into unified workflows, then push enriched data to their CRM or engagement platforms. The visual interface makes complex waterfall logic accessible to RevOps teams without requiring custom code.

Key Features:

• Visual workflow builder for designing multi-step enrichment waterfalls

• Integration with dozens of data providers including Apollo, Clearbit, and Lusha

• Sequential vendor routing

• Manual conditional logic configuration based on data quality, geography, or company attributes

• Credit optimization that stops enrichment once data is found

• Spreadsheet interface for bulk enrichment and data manipulation

• API access for embedding enrichment workflows in custom applications

• Real-time and scheduled batch processing options

• Data quality scoring and validation rules

Learn more about Clay

3. Clearbit

Clearbit, now part of HubSpot as Breeze Intelligence, provides native enrichment within the HubSpot ecosystem. The platform appends firmographic and technographic data to CRM records in real time, enriching contacts as they submit forms, visit your website, or enter your database through other channels. Form shortening reduces friction by asking for minimal information upfront, then enriching records automatically with company details, employee count, and technology usage.

Reveal identifies anonymous website visitors by matching IP addresses to company records. This lets marketing teams see which accounts are engaging with content before any form submission occurs. Prospector helps you build targeted lists within HubSpot by filtering the Clearbit database using firmographic and technographic criteria. The platform updates records continuously, flagging job changes, company growth, and other signals that indicate buying intent or account health shifts.

Teams using HubSpot as their primary CRM benefit from the native integration, which removes the need for middleware or custom API work. Clearbit functions as one source in a waterfall when combined with other enrichment providers, typically handling firmographic enrichment while other vendors fill contact-level gaps.

Key Features:

• Native HubSpot integration with real-time enrichment on form submissions

• Form shortening that reduces fields while maintaining data completeness

• Reveal for identifying anonymous website visitors by company

• Prospector for building filtered lists within HubSpot

• Technographic data covering thousands of technologies

• Automatic job change alerts and company update notifications

• API access for custom enrichment workflows outside HubSpot

• Data quality scoring and confidence indicators

Learn more about Breeze Intelligence (Clearbit)

4. Apollo

Apollo combines a prospecting database with enrichment capabilities in one platform. The contact database includes email addresses, phone numbers, and firmographic details across millions of contacts and companies, while the enrichment API lets you append data to existing records. Bulk enrichment processes CSV uploads, matching records against the Apollo database and returning available contact information.

The platform integrates prospecting and engagement workflows so you can enrich records, add them to sequences, and track email opens and replies without switching tools. Technographic data helps you filter prospects by technology usage, while intent signals surface accounts actively researching solutions. Apollo functions as both a standalone enrichment source and one vendor in a multi-provider waterfall.

Teams use Apollo for contact-level enrichment when building outbound lists or filling gaps in CRM data. The credit-based pricing model charges only for successful matches, making it cost-effective for teams with variable enrichment volumes. Integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs enables automated enrichment as records enter the system.

Key Features:

• Contact database with email addresses and phone numbers for millions of professionals

• Bulk enrichment via CSV upload with match rate reporting

• Email sequences and engagement tracking integrated with enrichment

• Technographic filters for prospecting by technology usage

• Intent data showing accounts researching solutions

• Chrome extension for enriching LinkedIn profiles and company pages

• API access for custom waterfall integration

• CRM sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms

Learn more about Apollo

5. Cognism

Cognism focuses on phone-verified mobile numbers and EMEA market coverage. The Diamond Data verification process involves manual research and phone verification, delivering higher accuracy rates for direct dial numbers than automated scraping methods. Integration with Bombora provides intent data showing which accounts are actively researching topics related to your solution.

The platform emphasizes GDPR compliance, with data collection and processing designed to meet European privacy regulations. Teams targeting European markets use Cognism to fill coverage gaps that US-focused providers often miss. The platform includes firmographic data, technographic insights, and contact information across multiple geographies.

Cognism fits into waterfall strategies as a specialized source for European contacts and verified phone numbers. You route EMEA records to Cognism while using other providers for North American coverage, or you prioritize Cognism for roles where phone outreach drives better results than email.

Key Features:

• Diamond Data phone verification delivering manually researched mobile numbers

• EMEA market coverage with GDPR-compliant data collection

• Bombora intent data integration showing topic-level research activity

• Technographic data tracking technology usage

• Chrome extension for enriching LinkedIn profiles

• CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms

• API access for custom enrichment workflows

• Compliance tools for managing data privacy requirements

Learn more about Cognism

6. 6sense

6sense specializes in account identification and intent-based enrichment. The platform resolves anonymous website visitors to company accounts, providing visibility into which organizations are engaging with your content before any form submission. Predictive analytics score accounts based on buying stage, helping you prioritize outreach to in-market prospects rather than cold accounts.

Account-level enrichment includes firmographic details, technographic data, and intent signals aggregated across multiple channels. The platform tracks content consumption, search behavior, and engagement patterns to identify accounts showing buying intent. Scoring models predict which accounts are most likely to convert based on historical patterns and current behavior.

6sense complements contact-level enrichment providers in waterfall configurations. While other vendors fill email addresses and phone numbers, 6sense adds account intelligence and buying stage identification. You use this combination to enrich both the account record and associated contacts so you have complete context before outreach.

Key Features:

• Anonymous visitor identification resolving IP addresses to company accounts

• Predictive analytics scoring accounts by buying stage and conversion likelihood

• Intent data tracking research activity across search, content, and review sites

• Account-level firmographic and technographic enrichment

• Buying stage identification showing where accounts sit in the purchase journey

• Integration with CRM and marketing automation platforms

• API access for custom enrichment workflows

• Dashboard showing in-market accounts and engagement trends

Learn more about 6sense

7. Demandbase

Demandbase provides an ABM platform with account enrichment and advertising data integration. The platform identifies companies visiting your website, enriches account records with firmographic and technographic details, and layers engagement data from advertising campaigns onto account profiles. This combination gives you visibility into both who is engaging and how they're interacting across channels.

Account intelligence includes company details, technology usage, and buying signals aggregated from multiple sources. The platform tracks engagement across display ads, website visits, and content downloads, scoring accounts based on cumulative activity. You use this data to prioritize accounts showing strong engagement and route them to appropriate sales plays.

Demandbase fits into waterfall strategies as an account-level enrichment source. While contact-focused providers fill email addresses and phone numbers, Demandbase adds account context and engagement history. The combination lets you enrich both account and contact records before outreach.

Key Features:

• Account identification from website traffic and advertising engagement

• Firmographic and technographic enrichment at the account level

• Advertising platform integration tracking campaign engagement

• Account scoring based on engagement across channels

• Intent data showing research activity and buying signals

• CRM integration with Salesforce and other platforms

• API access for custom enrichment workflows

• Dashboard showing account engagement trends and pipeline influence

Learn more about Demandbase

8. Lusha

Lusha provides contact enrichment through a browser extension and bulk enrichment interface. The Chrome extension enriches LinkedIn profiles and company pages with email addresses and direct dial phone numbers, letting individual sellers build prospect lists while browsing. Bulk enrichment processes CSV uploads, matching records against the Lusha database and returning available contact information.

The platform focuses on contact-level data rather than firmographic or technographic enrichment. CRM integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms enable automated enrichment as records enter the system. The credit-based pricing model charges only for successful matches, making costs predictable for teams with variable enrichment volumes.

Teams use Lusha as a secondary or tertiary source in waterfall configurations, routing records that primary providers couldn't match. The browser extension makes it accessible for individual sellers who need quick enrichment without complex workflows.

Key Features:

• Chrome extension for enriching LinkedIn profiles and company pages

• Bulk enrichment via CSV upload with match rate reporting

• Direct dial phone numbers and email addresses

• CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms

• API access for custom waterfall integration

• Credit-based pricing charging only for successful matches

• Data quality indicators showing confidence scores

• Prospecting lists filtered by job title, company size, and industry

Learn more about Lusha

9. UpLead

UpLead provides a B2B contact database with real-time email verification. The platform validates email addresses at the point of enrichment, reducing bounce rates and improving deliverability. Technographic and firmographic filters let you build targeted lists based on technology usage, company size, revenue, and industry.

The credit-based pricing model charges only for verified contacts, with unused credits rolling over month to month. You can export enriched data to CRM systems or download CSV files for bulk import. The platform includes company details, contact information, and technology tracking across thousands of products.

UpLead functions as a secondary or tertiary source in waterfall configurations, particularly for teams prioritizing email verification. The real-time validation reduces the risk of enriching records with outdated or incorrect email addresses.

Key Features:

• Real-time email verification at the point of enrichment

• Technographic filters tracking thousands of technologies

• Firmographic filters including company size, revenue, and industry

• Credit-based pricing with rollover for unused credits

• CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms

• API access for custom enrichment workflows

• Bulk export via CSV for offline processing

• Data quality indicators showing verification status

Learn more about UpLead

10. Datanyze

Datanyze specializes in technographic data and technology stack identification. The platform tracks technology usage across thousands of products, letting you prospect based on the tools companies use. The browser extension enriches LinkedIn profiles and company pages with technology details, contact information, and firmographic data.

You use Datanyze to identify prospects using specific technologies, build lists of companies likely to need complementary solutions, or track technology adoption trends. The platform includes contact lookup capabilities, though its primary strength lies in technographic enrichment rather than comprehensive contact coverage.

Datanyze fits into waterfall strategies as a specialized source for technographic data. You route records to Datanyze when technology usage is a key qualification criterion, then use other providers to fill contact-level gaps.

Key Features:

• Technographic data tracking thousands of technologies

• Chrome extension for enriching LinkedIn profiles with tech stack details

• Contact lookup with email addresses and phone numbers

• Technology adoption trends and market share data

• CRM integration with Salesforce and other platforms

• API access for custom enrichment workflows

• Alerts for technology changes at target accounts

• Prospecting lists filtered by technology usage

Learn more about Datanyze

How to choose a waterfall enrichment tool

The right enrichment tool depends on your tech stack, coverage needs, and budget. Teams with complex requirements often combine multiple providers in a waterfall configuration rather than relying on a single source. Evaluate vendors based on where they excel and how they complement each other.

Data coverage and match rates

Coverage varies by geography, company size, and seniority level. Providers with strong North American coverage often have gaps in EMEA or APAC markets. Contact-level match rates differ between C-suite executives and individual contributors, with senior roles typically showing higher coverage.

Test match rates against your specific ICP before committing to a vendor. Run a sample of 500-1000 records through each provider's trial or demo to see actual coverage for your target segments. Don't rely on vendor-reported match rates because they're usually calculated across their entire database, not your specific market.

Key considerations:

• Evaluate coverage in your target geographies and industries

• Check data freshness and update frequency for your key segments

• Compare contact-level versus account-level enrichment capabilities

• Ask about coverage for specific job titles and seniority levels you target

Integration and workflow flexibility

CRM and marketing automation integrations determine how easily enrichment fits into existing workflows. Native connectors reduce implementation time but may limit customization. API access enables custom waterfall logic but requires technical resources to build and maintain.

You need to decide between plug-and-play simplicity and workflow control. Native integrations get you up and running fast but lock you into predefined enrichment patterns. API-first platforms give you complete control over waterfall logic but require developer time to build and maintain custom workflows.

Key considerations:

• Verify native integrations with your CRM, MAP, and engagement platforms

• Evaluate API documentation and rate limits for custom workflows

• Check whether the platform supports real-time, batch, or both enrichment modes

• Assess ease of building conditional routing logic for waterfall sequences

Pricing and credit models

Enrichment vendors use subscription, credit-based, or usage-based pricing models. Credit-based models charge only for successful matches, making costs predictable when match rates vary. Subscription models provide unlimited enrichment within defined parameters but may include overages for high-volume usage.

Calculate total cost of ownership before signing contracts. A provider with a lower per-credit cost might actually be more expensive if their match rates are poor and you burn through credits on failed lookups. Factor in setup costs, minimum commitments, and overage charges.

Key considerations:

• Understand what constitutes a billable enrichment event

• Check whether unused credits roll over or expire

• Evaluate volume discounts and contract flexibility

• Compare effective cost per successful match, not just list prices

How GTM teams use waterfall enrichment

Waterfall enrichment solves different problems across sales, marketing, and revenue operations. Each team uses multi-source enrichment to fill specific gaps in their workflows.

Sales prospecting: Reps enrich prospect lists before outreach so they have current email addresses and phone numbers rather than bouncing messages or dialing disconnected numbers. This cuts prospecting time and improves connect rates.

Inbound lead routing: Marketing teams enrich form submissions in real time, appending firmographic data that enables accurate lead scoring and territory assignment. You route leads to the right rep based on enriched company size, industry, and location data.

ABM campaigns: Account-based marketers enrich target account lists with technographic data, intent signals, and contact details for multiple stakeholders. You build complete buying committee maps before launching campaigns.

CRM hygiene: RevOps teams run scheduled enrichment jobs to update stale records, flag job changes, and maintain data quality without manual research. You catch data decay before it impacts pipeline.

Real-time versus batch waterfall enrichment

Real-time enrichment happens at the moment a record enters your system, typically triggered by form submissions, CRM record creation, or API events. The system queries enrichment providers immediately, appending data before the record reaches your sales team. This approach ensures reps always work from complete information but requires reliable API performance and fast response times.

Batch enrichment processes records in scheduled jobs, typically overnight or weekly. You upload CSV files or query CRM records that need updating, then run enrichment workflows against the entire batch. This approach handles large volumes efficiently and tolerates slower API response times, but introduces lag between record creation and enrichment completion.

Most teams use both approaches. Real-time enrichment handles high-priority inbound leads and form submissions where speed matters. Batch enrichment handles CRM hygiene, list building, and periodic updates where you can tolerate some delay.

AI-powered waterfall enrichment

AI is changing how enrichment workflows route records and validate data. Intelligent routing analyzes historical match rates by segment, automatically adjusting vendor priority based on which providers deliver the best results for specific record types. Machine learning models predict which vendors are most likely to return matches before making API calls, reducing wasted credits and improving fill rates.

Automated validation uses AI to score data quality, flagging records that need manual review or additional enrichment passes. GTM Workspace applies these capabilities automatically, surfacing enrichment recommendations and automating data validation without requiring manual queries. The system learns from your team's enrichment patterns, optimizing waterfall sequences over time.

You see this in action when the system routes enterprise contacts to one provider, SMB contacts to another, and EMEA contacts to a third based on which vendor historically delivers the best coverage for each segment. The AI adjusts routing rules automatically as provider coverage changes.

Choosing your waterfall enrichment stack

Multi-source enrichment delivers higher coverage and better data quality than single-provider approaches.

Most teams historically combine 2–4 providers in sequential waterfalls to balance coverage and cost.

However, parallel enrichment models remove much of that complexity by consolidating vendors into a single intelligent engine.

ZoomInfo anchors effective waterfall strategies by starting with one of the world’s largest and highest-quality B2B databases, then automatically bridging remaining gaps across 25+ vendors — returning the highest-confidence result without operational overhead or incremental cost.

Frequently asked questions

How does parallel waterfall enrichment differ from sequential waterfall enrichment?

Sequential waterfalls query vendors one at a time and stop at the first match. Parallel waterfall enrichment evaluates multiple vendors simultaneously and selects the highest-confidence result — avoiding first-match limitations.

How many data providers should you include in a waterfall sequence?

Sequential models typically use 2–4 vendors. Parallel models consolidate 25+ vendors into one optimized engine, reducing configuration and management complexity.

Does waterfall enrichment cost more than single-provider enrichment?

Traditional multi-vendor waterfalls often increase credit consumption across platforms. In GTM Studio, Waterfall Enrichment is included for customers and does not require additional per-lookup charges.

Can you build waterfall enrichment workflows with your existing CRM?

Yes, most enrichment tools integrate with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other major CRMs through native connectors or APIs. Implementation complexity varies based on whether you use native integrations or custom workflows, but the technical capability exists for all major platforms.

How do you measure whether waterfall enrichment is working?

Track fill rates, match confidence, downstream connect rates, and opportunity creation. Improved coverage and higher-confidence data should directly impact pipeline conversion metrics.