Nomination vs Cognism
Short version: Nomination is the better fit for teams selling to French enterprises that want verified decision-maker data, while Cognism is built for outbound teams selling into Europe that live and die by phone connect rates.
Nomination
French B2B contacts & business signals
Custom pricing
Custom annual pricing; premium French decision-maker data
Cognism
Phone-verified data with strong EU coverage
Custom pricing
Custom annual pricing; unrestricted-data packages available
At a glance
| Spec | Nomination | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom pricing | Custom pricing |
| Budget tier | Premium | Premium |
| Complexity | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Primary category | Sales Intelligence & Signals | Prospecting & Lead Data |
| Integrations | 15+ | 30+ |
| Founded | 2004 | 2015 |
Feature comparison
Nomination offers 7 of 11 tracked sales intelligence & signals features; Cognism offers 3.
| Feature | Nomination | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer intent data | ||
| Account & company research | ||
| Waterfall data enrichment | ||
| Job-change & hiring signals | ||
| ICP / lead scoring | ||
| Workflow automation | ||
| AI research agents | ||
| CRM enrichment | ||
| Free plan | ||
| API & webhooks | ||
| Priority / 24-7 support |
Nomination
Pros
- High-quality, verified French decision-maker data
- Business signals (appointments, projects, moves)
- Established French provider
Cons
- France-focused coverage
- Custom annual pricing
- Less relevant outside France
Cognism
Pros
- Excellent EU/UK coverage and GDPR/DNC compliance
- Phone-verified 'Diamond' mobile numbers
- Unrestricted data views on most plans
Cons
- Custom annual contracts, no self-serve or free plan
- US coverage trails ZoomInfo
- Best value only at team scale
Which should you choose?
Choose Nomination if…
- you want high-quality, verified French decision-maker data
- you want business signals (appointments, projects, moves)
- you want established French provider
Choose Cognism if…
- you want excellent EU/UK coverage and GDPR/DNC compliance
- you want phone-verified 'Diamond' mobile numbers
- you want unrestricted data views on most plans
The verdict
Both are solid sales intelligence & signals tools. The best choice comes down to fit: Nomination for teams selling to French enterprises that want verified decision-maker data, and Cognism for outbound teams selling into Europe that live and die by phone connect rates.
Browse all tools →Frequently asked questions
Is Nomination or Cognism cheaper?
Nomination and Cognism sit in a similar price range (Custom pricing and Custom pricing), so the decision usually comes down to features and fit rather than price.
Which is better, Nomination or Cognism?
Neither is strictly better, they're built for different priorities. Nomination is the stronger pick for teams selling to French enterprises that want verified decision-maker data, while Cognism suits outbound teams selling into Europe that live and die by phone connect rates.
What's the main difference between Nomination and Cognism?
Nomination is intermediate and premium, while Cognism is intermediate and premium. On tracked sales intelligence & signals features, Nomination covers 7 and Cognism covers 3.