What are list building tools?
List building tools are software platforms that help you find and organize contact information for potential customers. Instead of spending hours searching LinkedIn or company websites for email addresses and phone numbers, these tools give you instant access to databases of verified business contacts.
Modern list building platforms do more than basic contact lookup. They let you filter prospects by company size, industry, job title, and location. They show you which companies use specific software. They identify accounts actively researching solutions like yours. They sync directly with your CRM so you don't waste time on manual data entry.
Core capabilities include:
Contact and company data: Verified email addresses, direct phone numbers, and company details like revenue and employee count
Advanced filtering: Segment by industry, company size, tech stack, job title, and location to find your ideal customers
Data enrichment: Fill in missing information on contacts already in your CRM
Intent signals: Identify accounts showing buying behavior based on their web activity and content consumption
CRM integration: Push contacts directly into Salesforce, HubSpot, or other tools without exports
The best tools eliminate prospecting busywork. Your reps spend time selling instead of researching.
Best list building tools for B2B sales
Here's how the top platforms compare:
1. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo gives you access to over 500 million business contacts and 100 million companies worldwide. The platform combines verified contact data with firmographic details, technographic insights showing what software companies use, and over 1 billion buyer intent signals that identify accounts actively researching solutions.
You build prioritized account lists filtered by your ideal customer profile, then track which accounts show buying behavior through website visits, content downloads, and technology evaluations. Custom signal creation lets you define your own intent triggers based on specific keywords, competitor mentions, or technology changes.
The platform syncs directly with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft, and dozens of other sales tools. GTM Workspace serves as your central hub for prospecting, engagement, and pipeline management. Copilot surfaces insights in real time, automates repetitive tasks, and guides you toward the highest-value actions.
ZoomInfo is recognized as a leader in sales intelligence by both Gartner and Forrester. The platform maintains enterprise-grade compliance certifications including GDPR, CCPA, and SOC 2 Type II, with continuous data verification to maintain high accuracy rates.
Key Features:
Track over 1 billion buying signals across web activity, content consumption, and technology research to identify in-market accounts
Segment prospects by 300+ firmographic, technographic, and demographic attributes including tech stack, funding events, and hiring patterns
Analyze sales calls and meetings to surface insights, track competitor mentions, and identify coaching opportunities
Build automated plays that trigger actions based on intent signals, job changes, or account milestones
Automatically append missing contact and company fields to existing CRM records
Capture contact information while browsing LinkedIn, company websites, or other sources with the Chrome extension
Connect ZoomInfo to your entire tech stack through native integrations and flexible API access
2. Apollo
Apollo combines a B2B contact database with sales engagement features in one platform. You get access to over 210 million contacts and 30 million companies, with filtering options for industry, company size, location, and job title.
You can build prospect lists, then launch email sequences and track engagement directly within Apollo. The platform includes a Chrome extension for capturing contacts while browsing LinkedIn or company websites. Apollo integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs to sync contact data and activity logs.
The tool offers a free tier with limited credits. This makes it accessible to individual sellers and small teams testing list building tools for the first time.
Key Features:
Access 210M+ contacts with filtering by firmographic criteria
Launch email sequences and track engagement within the platform
Capture contacts from LinkedIn and websites with the Chrome extension
Sync with Salesforce and HubSpot for CRM integration
Start with a free tier that includes limited monthly credits
Identify accounts showing research behavior with buying intent data
Record and analyze sales conversations with call recording features
3. Cognism
Cognism focuses on GDPR-compliant B2B data with strong coverage in European markets. The platform provides access to over 400 million business contacts globally, with enhanced coverage across EMEA regions where data privacy regulations are strictest.
Diamond Data includes phone-verified mobile numbers for key decision-makers. This addresses the challenge of reaching executives through cold calling when they rarely answer office lines. The tool emphasizes compliance-first data sourcing, with clear opt-out mechanisms and transparent data collection practices.
Cognism integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and Salesloft to sync contact data into your existing workflows. The platform includes intent data to identify accounts showing buying signals.
Key Features:
Source data with GDPR-compliant practices and transparent collection methods
Access phone-verified mobile numbers for executives through Diamond Data
Get enhanced European contact coverage across EMEA markets
Identify accounts showing buying behavior with intent data
Integrate with Salesforce, HubSpot, and sales engagement platforms
Prospect while browsing LinkedIn with the Chrome extension
Pay for unrestricted access without per-contact credit limits
4. Lusha
Lusha provides a lightweight contact data tool built around a browser extension. The platform offers access to over 45 million business contacts, with a focus on simplicity for individual sellers.
You install the Chrome extension, then click to reveal contact information while browsing LinkedIn profiles or company websites. The tool integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs to save contacts directly from the browser without manual data entry.
Lusha offers a free tier with limited monthly credits. The platform emphasizes quick contact lookup rather than advanced filtering or intent data capabilities.
Key Features:
Look up contacts instantly on LinkedIn and websites with the Chrome extension
Access a database of 45M+ business contacts with email and phone numbers
Integrate directly with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs
Start with a free tier that includes limited monthly contact reveals
Upload and append data to existing lists with bulk enrichment
Track when contacts move to new companies with job change alerts
Build custom integrations and workflows with API access
5. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator operates within the LinkedIn ecosystem, providing access to over 1 billion LinkedIn members for prospecting. The platform uses LinkedIn's social graph to show connection paths, mutual contacts, and relationship insights that help you find warm introductions.
Sales Navigator includes lead and account recommendations based on your saved searches and ideal customer profile. The tool provides InMail credits for reaching prospects outside your network, along with real-time alerts when saved leads change jobs, share content, or appear in the news.
Sales Navigator integrates with Salesforce and other CRMs to sync LinkedIn activity and profile data. The platform emphasizes social selling and relationship-based prospecting rather than cold outbound at scale.
Key Features:
Access 1B+ LinkedIn member profiles for prospecting
Use advanced search filters for job title, company, industry, and geography
Get lead and account recommendations based on your saved searches
Message prospects outside your network with InMail credits
Receive real-time alerts for job changes, company news, and content sharing
See connection paths and mutual contacts with relationship mapping
Sync LinkedIn activity into your CRM with Salesforce integration
Learn more about LinkedIn Sales Navigator
6. Seamless
Seamless positions itself as a real-time contact search engine for high-volume prospecting. The platform uses a credit-based system where credits are consumed when researching contacts to find email addresses, phone numbers, and insights.
The Autopilot feature automates list building by continuously searching for contacts matching your specified criteria. The tool includes a Chrome extension for capturing contacts while browsing LinkedIn, company websites, or other sources.
Seamless integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and Salesloft to sync contact data into existing workflows. The platform targets SMB and mid-market companies running high-volume outbound motions.
Key Features:
Search for contacts in real time using a credit-based system
Automate list building based on your criteria with the Autopilot feature
Capture contacts from web browsing with the Chrome extension
Integrate with Salesforce, HubSpot, and sales engagement platforms
Access varying credit allocations based on your subscription tier
Track prospects moving to new companies with job change monitoring
Build custom integrations and enrich data with API access
7. LeadIQ
LeadIQ focuses on prospecting workflow efficiency for SDR and BDR teams. The platform combines contact data with workflow automation, allowing you to capture prospects while browsing LinkedIn, then push them directly into Salesforce and sales engagement sequences.
The tool includes a Chrome extension that works alongside LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You capture contact information and company details with a single click. LeadIQ integrates with Outreach, Salesloft, and other engagement platforms to automatically enroll prospects in sequences.
The platform includes team collaboration features that let SDRs share lists and coordinate account coverage. This reduces duplicate outreach and improves team efficiency.
Key Features:
Capture contacts from LinkedIn and websites with the Chrome extension
Integrate directly with Outreach, Salesloft, and other engagement tools
Automatically enroll captured prospects into email sequences
Sync contacts and activity data with Salesforce integration
Share lists and coordinate coverage with team collaboration features
Append missing contact and company fields with data enrichment
Track team activity and list quality with prospecting analytics
8. UpLead
UpLead provides B2B contact data with a focus on accuracy guarantees and competitive pricing for smaller teams. The platform offers access to over 180 million verified business contacts, with real-time email verification that checks deliverability before revealing contact information.
You get filtering options for industry, company size, location, job title, and technology usage. The tool provides both individual contact lookup and bulk list building capabilities.
UpLead integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs to sync contact data, along with API access for custom integrations. The platform offers monthly billing options for some tiers, though enterprise plans require annual contracts.
Key Features:
Access a database of 180M+ verified business contacts with email verification
Validate emails in real time before revealing contact information
Filter by technographics to find companies using specific software
Integrate with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs for data synchronization
Choose from monthly or annual billing depending on the plan tier
Append missing fields to existing records with data enrichment
Capture contacts while browsing with the Chrome extension
9. RocketReach
RocketReach provides email and phone lookup for business contacts across sales and recruiting use cases. The platform offers access to over 700 million professional profiles, with contact information sourced from public records, social profiles, and web scraping.
You get both individual lookup and bulk search capabilities. The tool provides a Chrome extension for capturing contact information while browsing LinkedIn, company websites, or other sources.
RocketReach integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs through native connections and API access. The platform serves both B2B sales teams and recruiters.
Key Features:
Access a database of 700M+ professional profiles with contact information
Look up email and phone numbers for individual contacts
Capture contacts from web browsing with the Chrome extension
Build lists at scale with bulk search capabilities
Integrate with Salesforce and HubSpot for CRM synchronization
Build custom integrations and enrich data with API access
Check deliverability before outreach with email verification
10. Kaspr
Kaspr specializes in LinkedIn data extraction with a focus on European markets. The platform provides a Chrome extension that captures contact information from LinkedIn profiles, including email addresses and phone numbers.
The tool emphasizes GDPR compliance and European data coverage. This addresses the challenges of prospecting in privacy-regulated markets. Kaspr integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs to sync captured contacts directly from the browser.
The platform offers a freemium model with limited monthly credits. This makes it accessible to individual sellers testing LinkedIn-based prospecting.
Key Features:
Extract contact data from LinkedIn profiles with the Chrome extension
Source data with GDPR-compliant practices focused on European markets
Capture email and phone numbers from LinkedIn browsing
Integrate with Salesforce and HubSpot for CRM synchronization
Start with a freemium model that includes limited monthly contact credits
Append data to existing contact lists with bulk enrichment
Share captured contacts with team collaboration features
How to choose a list building tool
The right list building tool depends on your team size, target market geography, existing tech stack, and budget. Evaluate platforms based on data quality, integration capabilities, compliance requirements, and total cost rather than just database size claims.
Data quality and coverage
Accuracy matters more than volume. Poor data quality wastes your time on bounced emails and disconnected numbers. It damages your sender reputation. It frustrates prospects who receive misdirected outreach.
Look for platforms that verify contact information continuously rather than relying on stale databases updated quarterly. Check coverage in your target industries and geographies. Some tools excel in North America but lack depth in EMEA or APAC.
Key considerations:
How often does the platform verify email deliverability and phone number accuracy?
Does the platform have strong coverage in your target industries and geographies?
What are the actual email deliverability rates and bounce rates?
Integration with your tech stack
A list building tool only creates value if it feeds your CRM and engagement platforms without manual export and import steps. Native integrations ensure contact data, activity logs, and enrichment updates flow automatically into your existing workflows.
API flexibility matters for custom use cases and connecting tools that lack pre-built integrations. Check whether the platform supports your specific CRM, sales engagement tool, and other critical systems.
Key considerations:
Does the platform integrate natively with your CRM like Salesforce or HubSpot?
Can it sync with your sales engagement platform like Outreach or Salesloft?
Does it offer API flexibility for custom workflows and specialized tools?
Compliance and data privacy
Data privacy regulations create legal and reputational risk if you prospect using non-compliant contact sources. This matters especially for teams selling into Europe or regulated industries like healthcare and financial services.
Look for platforms with clear data sourcing policies, opt-out mechanisms, and relevant certifications. Verify compliance for your specific use case and target geographies.
Key considerations:
Does the platform have GDPR and CCPA compliance certifications?
How does the platform collect and verify contact information?
How does it handle opt-outs and suppression lists?
Pricing and total cost of ownership
Look beyond sticker price. Per-seat costs, credit limits, overage fees, and contract flexibility all impact your actual spend.
Some platforms charge per contact revealed. Others offer unlimited access within seat-based pricing. Still others use hybrid models that combine subscriptions with usage fees.
Key considerations:
What pricing model does the platform use and does it align with your prospecting volume?
Are there hidden costs like overage fees, add-on features, or charges for premium data?
What are the contract length requirements and cancellation terms?
Frequently asked questions
What is list building in B2B sales?
List building is the process of compiling targeted contact and account lists for outbound sales and marketing outreach. Modern list building uses data platforms to filter prospects by criteria like job title, company size, and buying signals rather than manual research.
How do B2B list building tools work?
List building tools aggregate contact and company data from multiple sources including public records, web scraping, and user contributions. You filter by criteria like job title, industry, company size, and intent signals, then export lists to your CRM or engagement tools for outreach.
What is the difference between a list building tool and a CRM?
A list building tool helps you find new contacts to prospect. A CRM manages relationships with contacts you already have. Most revenue teams use both. The list builder feeds new prospects into the CRM where you track conversations and deal progress.
Are B2B list building tools GDPR compliant?
Compliance varies by provider and depends on data sourcing practices, opt-out mechanisms, and certifications. Look for platforms with clear privacy policies and relevant certifications, but always verify compliance for your specific use case and target geographies.
Can list building tools integrate with Salesforce and HubSpot?
Most modern list building tools offer native integrations with major CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot, along with API access for custom connections. Check for the specific integrations your tech stack requires before purchasing.
Build targeted prospect lists with ZoomInfo
The right list building tool determines whether your sales team spends time researching prospects or actually selling. The best platforms combine accurate contact data with intent signals that identify ready-to-buy accounts, then integrate directly into your existing workflows.
Key decision factors:
Data accuracy and coverage depth in your target markets and industries
Intent signals to prioritize accounts showing active buying behavior
Native integrations with your existing sales stack including CRM and engagement tools
Compliance with global privacy regulations including GDPR and CCPA
ZoomInfo delivers the most comprehensive B2B intelligence platform on the market. It combines verified contact data with AI-powered insights that guide you toward the highest-value actions. GTM Workspace and Copilot automate prospecting workflows while maintaining the data quality and compliance standards enterprise revenue teams require.
Talk to someone to learn more about how ZoomInfo can help you.
