Exact Match vs. Cognism
GDPR compliance without $15K+ annual contracts. One Unlimited plan — $999/mo or $6,999/yr, transparent from day one.
Side-by-Side Overview
Cognism is an enterprise option for teams selling into Europe who need GDPR-verified phone data. Its enterprise-only contracts and pricing model exclude most small and mid-sized teams. Here is how the two platforms compare.
| Feature | Exact Match | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $999/mo or $6,999/yr — published, no sales call | $15,000–$50,000+/year — contact sales |
| Contract Model | Month-to-month, cancel anytime | Annual commitment required |
| SMB Accessible | Yes — self-serve, no enterprise minimum | No — enterprise-minimum pricing |
| Pricing Transparency | Published plans on website | Contact sales for pricing |
| Setup | Self-serve — live in under 5 minutes | Sales-led onboarding (weeks) |
| U.S. Consumer Data | 250M+ U.S. consumer profiles | U.S. data available but EMEA-primary |
| Behavioral Data | 9 domains: purchase intent, lifestyle, life events | Professional and firmographic data |
| Site Visitor ID | Individual-level visitor identification | Company-level reveal only |
| GDPR-Verified Data | CCPA compliant (U.S. focus) | GDPR-verified contact data |
| EMEA Coverage | U.S. only | Strong EMEA + global coverage |
| Phone Verification | Phone data included on the Unlimited plan | Phone-verified mobile numbers |
Why Teams Switch from Cognism
Great data. Prohibitive pricing model for non-enterprise teams.
Enterprise Pricing That Excludes SMBs
Cognism targets enterprise teams with contracts starting around $15,000/year. There is no self-serve option, no published pricing, and no way to start without going through sales. Exact Match is $6,999/yr, self-serve, no sales cycle — one published Unlimited plan, no sales call required.
Self-Serve vs Sales-Led
Cognism requires a sales process to get started — demo calls, procurement cycles, contract signatures. Exact Match is fully self-serve: sign up on the Unlimited plan and start building audiences within minutes.
U.S. Consumer Focus vs EMEA B2B
Cognism excels at EMEA B2B data with GDPR verification. Exact Match is built for U.S. consumer intelligence — 250M+ consumer profiles with behavioral and demographic data. Different tools for different markets.
All-in-One vs Single-Purpose
Cognism is a contact database. Exact Match includes Audience ID, Clean ID, Predict ID, and Site ID — covering enrichment, audience building, behavioral prediction, and visitor identification in one platform.
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
Pricing & Contracts
Exact Match
One published Unlimited plan — $999/mo or $6,999/yr — with every product and feature included and unlimited credits. Month-to-month — no annual contracts, no seat minimums, no sales call required.
Cognism
Cognism pricing is not published. Enterprise contracts typically start around $15,000/year and scale to $50,000+. All plans require going through a sales process.
Geographic Coverage
Exact Match
250M+ U.S. consumer profiles. Purpose-built for U.S. consumer intelligence with behavioral data, lifestyle attributes, and purchase intent signals.
Cognism
Strong EMEA and global B2B coverage, with U.S. data available. Cognism's core differentiation is European market coverage with GDPR-verified contact data.
Compliance
Exact Match
Fully CCPA compliant. Consumers can opt out at any time. Built for U.S. data privacy standards.
Cognism
GDPR-verified contact data — Cognism's stated differentiator. Phone-verified numbers via their Diamond Data program. An option for teams doing outreach into regulated European markets.
Platform Depth
Exact Match
Four integrated products: Audience ID (targeting), Clean ID (enrichment), Predict ID (behavioral modeling), Site ID (visitor identification). One platform for the full consumer data workflow.
Cognism
Contact database with strong enrichment and phone verification. Primarily a data delivery tool — does not include visitor identification, behavioral prediction, or audience building.
Pricing Comparison
Cognism does not publish pricing — you must contact sales. Exact Match does: one Unlimited plan, $999/mo or $6,999/yr.
- Published pricing — no sales call
- Month-to-month
- Self-serve signup
- No seat minimums
- Unlimited credits included
- $999/mo or $6,999/yr
- Annual contract required
- Contact sales for pricing
- Enterprise-minimum spend
- Best GDPR compliance
- Phone-verified mobile numbers
- Strong EMEA coverage
Switch in Minutes, Not Months
Moving to Exact Match from Cognism is straightforward.
Export Your Contacts
Download your current contact lists from Cognism in CSV format.
Enrich with Clean ID
Upload to Clean ID to verify and append U.S. consumer attributes.
Build New Audiences
Use Audience ID to find net-new consumers matching your ideal profile.
Activate
Connect to your CRM and marketing platforms via API.
Pricing and feature information based on publicly available information as of 2026. Cognism is a registered trademark of Cognism Ltd. This comparison is provided for informational purposes only.
No Enterprise Contract Required
Get started on the Unlimited plan — $999/mo or $6,999/yr — and see Exact Match in action. No annual commitment.