Lusha vs ZoomInfo: The Honest Comparison for B2B Sales Teams

If you're comparing Lusha vs ZoomInfo, here's the short version: Lusha is for SMBs who want affordable, easy-to-use contact data. ZoomInfo is for enterprises with big budgets who need every bell and whistle.

But that's oversimplifying it. Both platforms have serious tradeoffs you should understand before signing anything-especially ZoomInfo's annual contracts.

Let me break down exactly what you're getting (and what you're not) with each platform.

The Quick Comparison

Pricing: The Real Numbers

Pricing is where these platforms diverge dramatically. One publishes prices transparently, while the other guards them behind sales calls.

Lusha Pricing

Lusha actually publishes its prices-refreshing in the sales intelligence world. Here's what you're looking at:

• Free Plan: $0/month - 40-70 credits monthly (varies by source), 1 user, basic Chrome extension, basic prospecting features, CRM integrations
• Pro Plan: $29/user/month (billed annually) or $36/month (billed monthly) - 3,000 credits/year (250 credits/month), list management, team features up to 3 users, export capabilities, basic analytics
• Premium Plan: $51/user/month (billed annually) or $69.90/month (billed monthly) - 7,200-9,600 credits/year (600-800 credits/month), bulk search (25 contacts), usage analytics, advanced filtering, bulk extension reveal
• Scale Plan: Custom pricing - unlimited seats, custom credits, API access, advanced integrations, CSV enrichment, Salesforce enrichment, dedicated support

The credit system works like this: 1 credit per email, 5-10 credits per phone number (varies by number type). So if you're doing heavy phone outreach, those credits burn fast. A direct mobile number costs 10 credits, while some numbers cost 5 credits.

Monthly billing is available but costs significantly more-around 25-40% premium over the annual rate. For example, Pro costs $29/month annually but around $36-40/month when billed monthly.

Credit rollover policy: On monthly plans, unused credits roll over up to twice your plan limit. On annual plans, you receive all credits upfront, but they reset at the end of your billing cycle if unused. This is a critical difference when planning your prospecting budget.

The Pro plan works well for solo sellers or very small teams doing primarily email outreach. Once you need phone numbers regularly or want to scale beyond 3 users, you'll need Premium or Scale.

ZoomInfo Pricing

ZoomInfo doesn't publish pricing on their website. They want you on a sales call. Here's what our research and user reports uncovered:

• Professional Plan: ~$14,995-$15,000/year - 5,000 bulk credits, up to 3 users included, basic contact and company data
• Advanced Plan: ~$24,995-$25,000/year - 10,000 bulk credits + 1,000 monthly user credits per user, advanced filtering, technographics
• Elite Plan: ~$39,995-$40,000/year - 10,000 bulk credits + 1,000 monthly per user, intent data, org charts, advanced features, premium support

Additional users cost $1,500-$2,500 each depending on your plan tier. The Advanced plan charges around $2,500 per additional user, while Professional is closer to $1,500 per seat.

And those numbers are just starting points-add-ons like Streaming Intent, Engage (sales engagement platform), Chorus (conversation intelligence), TalentOS, MarketingOS, and global data packages increase costs significantly.

According to industry data and user reports, the median annual ZoomInfo spend is around $25,000-$30,000, with some companies paying $50,000-$140,000+ once you factor in additional seats, credits, and feature add-ons. One Reddit user reported paying over $140,000 annually for 100+ seats with full features.

The kicker: ZoomInfo only offers annual contracts. No monthly option. And users consistently report 10-20% price increases at renewal, often bundled with features you didn't request. The auto-renewal clauses require 60-day written cancellation notice-miss that window and you're locked in another year.

Some users report negotiating 50% discounts from initial quotes, especially when mentioning competitors or threatening to walk away. The sales process can be aggressive, with multiple follow-ups and pressure to sign quickly for "limited-time" discounts.

Payment options: ZoomInfo offers quarterly payment terms with a 5% upcharge, or you can get a 5% discount for signing a 3-year contract. Most companies opt for annual billing with ACH, wire transfer, or credit card.

Try Lusha's free plan if you want to test the waters without commitment.

Database Size and Coverage

Raw numbers matter, but coverage in YOUR market matters more.

ZoomInfo wins on raw numbers:

• ZoomInfo: 320M+ contacts, 104M+ companies, 174M+ email addresses, 94M+ direct dials, 200M+ contacts outside North America
• Lusha: 280M+ verified contacts (recently expanded from 100M+), 60M+ email addresses, 50M+ direct dials, 15M+ company profiles

But size isn't everything. What matters is whether they have YOUR prospects with accurate, current information.

Geographic Coverage

This is where strategic differences emerge:

ZoomInfo dominates in US coverage and larger enterprises. North America is their home turf, where they've invested the most and have the deepest data. Since 2021, they've expanded global coverage by 6x, adding 100M+ international contacts. They've grown mobile numbers in continental Europe by 13x and UK mobile numbers by 6x.

However, users consistently report that international data quality doesn't match US standards. European contacts especially suffer from outdated information and longer refresh cycles.

Lusha claims stronger European data with 20M+ verified contacts in Europe and ISO 27701 certification for GDPR compliance. They're the first ISO 27701 certified sales intelligence solution in the market. This matters if you're targeting EU prospects, where GDPR compliance isn't optional.

Lusha's database recently expanded to 280M contacts (adding 100M newly verified contacts), showing aggressive growth in global markets. Their data accuracy rates claim 95% for emails and 90% for phone numbers, though user reviews suggest real-world performance is closer to 81-85% overall.

Company Size Coverage

Both platforms struggle with smaller companies (under 50 employees). If you're targeting SMBs, neither database will be as comprehensive as you'd hope. They focus resources on mid-market and enterprise accounts where data is more readily available and verified.

ZoomInfo's coverage tends to be strongest at mid-enterprise and larger companies due to the scope and reach of their sourcing methods. Lusha performs better for decision-makers at tech companies and active LinkedIn users, where their data sourcing methods work best.

Data Accuracy: The Real Story

This is where things get interesting. Both platforms claim high accuracy, but user reviews tell a different story.

ZoomInfo Data Accuracy

ZoomInfo guarantees 95% accuracy for contact-company affiliations. If more than 5% of contacts are misaligned, customers can notify ZoomInfo within 30 days for corrections or a prorated refund. They score 8.2/10 on G2 for data accuracy. Users generally report fewer data quality complaints than competitors.

ZoomInfo leverages their FuZIon data collection system, which aggregates data from web crawling, partnerships, third-party vendors, contributory network (users sharing their email contacts), and a team of 300+ researchers who manually verify data points.

However, common complaints include:

• Outdated job titles (people who left companies months or years ago still listed)
• Slower refresh cycles than advertised (users mention contacts taking weeks to update after job changes)
• European data quality issues (significantly lower accuracy outside North America)
• Some users report the database can be "slow to refresh" and contains partial or low-quality data mixed with verified contacts

One user noted: "Because ZoomInfo takes so long to update accurate contacts, you might have the right contact information for an individual, but that individual hasn't been at the company for six months."

Lusha Data Accuracy

Lusha claims 85% phone accuracy globally, 95% email accuracy, and 98% email deliverability. They score 7.6/10 on G2 for accuracy-noticeably lower than ZoomInfo. Lusha validates their stated 81% overall accuracy metric through their data team.

Lusha employs AI, machine learning, and natural language processing (NLP) to continuously validate and update contact details. They source data from public databases, social media, government sources, and their community-driven model where users contribute data.

User complaints focus on:

• Inconsistent phone number accuracy (varies by region and industry)
• Numbers not matched to correct prospects (getting a company's main line instead of a direct dial)
• Need for manual verification on some contacts (especially outside tech/sales industries)
• Coverage gaps-users report finding data for only 10% of their target list, with 80% of that being accurate (meaning 8% overall hit rate in worst cases)
• Missing details like company size or technology stack compared to ZoomInfo

That 0.6 point difference on G2 might not seem huge, but when you're dialing hundreds of prospects monthly, you'll feel it in your pipeline. If your connect rate drops from 8% to 6%, that's 25% fewer conversations with the same effort.

Real-World Accuracy Testing

Several users have conducted head-to-head tests:

One sales team reported email bounce rates under 10% with Lusha for verified emails at well-known companies, but phone accuracy was "hit or miss." ZoomInfo delivered 90-95% accurate business emails and surprisingly good direct dial numbers for enterprise roles.

Another comparison found Lusha "fresher but sometimes lighter" on data depth, while ZoomInfo was "richer but occasionally slower to refresh." The trade-off: current information with gaps versus comprehensive information that may be outdated.

Geography plays a huge role. ZoomInfo dominates North America with "top-tier" coverage, accuracy, and enrichment depth. Lusha performs better in Europe and for international markets outside the US/Canada.

Features Comparison

Both platforms offer far more than basic contact data. Let's break down where each excels.

Where Lusha Wins

• Ease of use: The Chrome extension lets you start prospecting within minutes. No training required. Install it, log in, and start revealing contacts on LinkedIn, company websites, or directly in your CRM. G2 reviewers consistently praise "easiest to use" and "fastest implementation."
• Built-in email sequencing: Basic but functional-includes deliverability analytics, time-zone sending, and template management. ZoomInfo lacks this entirely unless you buy their separate Engage add-on (which costs extra).
• Transparent pricing: You know what you're paying before talking to sales. No surprises, no negotiation games, no pressure tactics.
• Flexible contracts: Monthly billing available. Cancel without drama. Annual plans offer 25% discounts but aren't mandatory.
• LinkedIn integration: The extension works seamlessly on LinkedIn profiles, company pages, Sales Navigator, and any B2B website. Bulk reveal feature shows up to 25 contacts at once from Sales Navigator.
• Data automation: Daily lead stream auto-curates prospects from live signals, your CRM data, and lookalike audiences. Bombora-powered intent signals show who's in-market.
• Conversation intelligence: Recent additions include conversation analytics that reveal what's working across your team.
• CSV enrichment: Upload a spreadsheet of contacts and Lusha appends email addresses and phone numbers. Enrich 300-10,000 rows at once depending on your plan.

Where ZoomInfo Wins

• Database depth: More contacts, more companies, more direct dials. Period. The sheer volume gives you better odds of finding obscure prospects.
• Intent data: Native Streaming Intent signals show which companies are actively researching your solutions based on web activity. This is a separate add-on but deeply integrated when purchased.
• Workflow automation: Powerful native automation that Lusha completely lacks. Create complex lead routing, trigger sequences based on intent signals, automate data enrichment.
• Advanced filtering: More granular prospecting filters including technographics (what software companies use), org charts, department budgets, employee growth rates, funding rounds, and 300+ company attributes for infinite combinations.
• CRM enrichment: Real-time data enrichment via API and webhooks to keep your CRM fresh. Re-enrichment webhooks update contact information automatically when changes occur.
• Enterprise features: Territory management, custom field creation, shared searches for large teams, usage analytics, role-based permissions.
• Research on demand: ZoomInfo employs 300+ researchers who can manually research specific accounts or contacts for Elite plan customers.
• ZoomInfo Copilot: AI-powered assistant that reviews requests, applies filters using algorithms, drafts personalized emails, and identifies optimal engagement timing.
• Comprehensive intelligence: Beyond contact data, you get detailed professional profiles with job responsibilities, work experience, education, web mentions, social media links, and personnel change alerts.

Integrations

Both platforms integrate with the major CRMs and sales tools:

• Salesforce
• HubSpot
• Outreach
• Salesloft
• Pipedrive
• Microsoft Dynamics
• Zoho CRM
• Zapier
• Bullhorn (recruiting)

ZoomInfo has deeper integrations with more enterprise tools, plus better API capabilities for custom workflows. Their integrations are often bidirectional-data flows both ways automatically. They also offer pre-packaged integrations with base costs and minimum bulk credit purchases.

Lusha's integrations are simpler but cover the basics most SMBs need. The CRM integrations are bidirectional-you can reveal Lusha data within your CRM interface and automatically sync enriched contacts back to your database. API access is available only on Scale plans.

Use Cases: When Each Platform Shines

Different sales motions require different tools. Here's when each platform excels.

Lusha Excels For:

Solo founders and small teams: When you need to move fast without complex setup. Install the Chrome extension, start prospecting on LinkedIn, and export to your CRM within minutes.

Recruiter prospecting: HR teams love Lusha for candidate sourcing. The extension works perfectly on LinkedIn profiles and recruiting platforms like Bullhorn.

Straightforward outbound: If your sales motion is "find email, send sequence, book meeting," Lusha's built-in email capabilities handle it without additional tools.

European market focus: Better GDPR compliance, stronger EU data coverage, ISO 27701 certification. If you're selling into Europe, Lusha's compliance posture reduces legal risk.

Budget-conscious teams: When $15K/year isn't realistic but you still need better data than manual LinkedIn searches.

Testing prospecting tools: The free tier is legitimately useful. 40-70 credits/month isn't much, but it's enough to validate data quality for your target market before committing.

ZoomInfo Excels For:

Enterprise account-based marketing: When you need org charts to map buying committees, technographics to target companies using specific tools, and intent data to identify in-market accounts.

Complex sales cycles: Multi-stakeholder deals benefit from ZoomInfo's comprehensive profiles showing job histories, reporting structures, and recent company changes.

Large SDR teams: 20+ reps benefit from territory management, shared searches, usage analytics, and role-based permissions. The admin controls justify the cost at scale.

Data-driven prospecting: If your motion depends on prioritizing accounts by funding, technology stack, employee growth, or intent signals, ZoomInfo's filtering is unmatched.

North American focus: Targeting US/Canada companies where ZoomInfo's data quality is strongest and most comprehensive.

Integration-heavy tech stacks: When you need deep, automated integrations with your CRM, marketing automation, sales engagement, and analytics tools.

Who Should Choose Lusha

Lusha makes sense if you're:

• A startup or small business with limited budget (under $10K/year for sales tools)
• A small sales team (1-10 reps) who needs quick, easy contact data without complex training
• Focused on straightforward prospecting without complex automation needs
• Not willing to commit to annual contracts or deal with aggressive sales tactics
• Targeting European markets (better GDPR compliance, stronger EU data)
• Just need emails and phone numbers-not deep firmographic intelligence, org charts, or intent data
• A recruiter or HR professional sourcing candidates (the tool is popular in recruiting)
• Want to test prospecting tools before committing (the free tier actually works)
• Operating in tech, SaaS, or industries with active LinkedIn users (where Lusha's data is strongest)

The free tier is legitimately useful for testing. 40-70 credits/month isn't a lot, but it's enough to validate whether the data quality works for your target market. You can reveal a few contacts, test the accuracy, and decide if upgrading makes sense.

Lusha users love the simplicity. One G2 reviewer noted: "I can easily identify the right decision-maker on LinkedIn and transfer their verified information directly into our HubSpot CRM with just one click. This feature saves us hours of manual prospecting every week."

Start with Lusha's free plan →

Who Should Choose ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo makes sense if you:

• Have $15K+ annual budget for sales intelligence (realistically $25K-$50K once you add users and features)
• Run a large sales team (20+ reps) needing sophisticated data operations and admin controls
• Need intent signals to identify in-market buyers and prioritize outreach
• Require advanced workflow automation that goes beyond basic sequences
• Want deep firmographic and technographic data beyond basic contact info
• Target enterprise accounts where comprehensive org charts and buying committee mapping matter
• Focus on North American markets (where ZoomInfo's coverage is strongest)
• Have complex tech stacks requiring deep, automated integrations
• Need features like territory management, custom fields, and usage analytics
• Can justify the ROI with higher deal sizes (if your ACV is $50K+, the data cost is negligible)

Fair warning: the platform has a learning curve. Budget time for training and onboarding-it's not a plug-and-play solution like Lusha. Most companies need 1-2 weeks for users to become proficient, and admin setup can take longer.

The price is high, but many users report strong ROI. One customer stated: "ZoomInfo allows me to find out more useful information about a wider range of companies that other tools do not have, such as company revenue and industry. This gives me wider account visibility, and my pipeline has grown 4x."

The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions

Published prices tell only part of the story. Here are the costs that sneak up on you.

Lusha's Hidden Costs

• Credit burn rate: Phone numbers cost 5-10x more than emails. If you're doing heavy phone prospecting, 3,000 annual credits disappear fast. At 10 credits per mobile number, that's only 300 phone numbers per year.
• Feature paywalls: Bulk search, CSV enrichment, advanced analytics, and API access are locked behind Premium/Scale plans. What looks affordable at Pro pricing becomes expensive when you need those features.
• Per-user pricing: Costs scale linearly as your team grows. 10 users on Premium = $510/month ($6,120/year), which starts approaching ZoomInfo's entry pricing.
• Coverage gaps: Some users report finding data for only 10% of their target prospects, meaning you'll need supplemental tools or data sources.
• Monthly billing premium: Paying monthly costs 25-40% more than annual billing. The flexibility is expensive.

ZoomInfo's Hidden Costs

• Add-on stacking: Intent data, Engage, Chorus, global data packages-each adds significant cost to your base plan. Users report final costs 2-3x higher than initial quotes.
• Credit overages: Burn through your allocation? Mid-contract credit purchases are expensive-sometimes $0.60 per credit for small top-ups.
• Per-user expansion: Adding users mid-contract often triggers a full re-quote rather than simple pro-rating. Some users report being forced to upgrade entire plan tiers.
• Renewal increases: Users consistently report 10-20% price hikes at renewal, often with bundled upsells you didn't request. One user noted: "They have aggressively insisted on enforcing another 12-month contract" despite deriving minimal value.
• Auto-renewal traps: Miss the 60-day cancellation window and you're locked in another year. The contract terms are enterprise-grade (read: inflexible).
• Integration setup costs: Pre-packaged integrations typically have base costs and require minimum bulk credit purchases.
• Training and onboarding: While not a line item, the time investment for training your team represents real cost. Budget 1-2 weeks for user proficiency and longer for admin setup.

Data Compliance and Privacy

In an era of GDPR and CCPA, compliance isn't optional.

Lusha's Compliance

Lusha is ISO 27701 certified-the first sales intelligence solution to achieve this. They're also SOC 2 Type II certified. They maintain GDPR and CCPA compliance with documented processes for data subject requests, right to erasure, and consent management.

Lusha emphasizes they "don't sell our customers' data" and provide transparent privacy controls. They're certified by an accredited body rather than self-declaring compliance.

For European operations, this certification matters. GDPR fines are severe, and using non-compliant data sources creates legal liability.

ZoomInfo's Compliance

ZoomInfo is "self-declared GDPR-compliant" but not certified by an accredited body. They maintain GDPR and CCPA compliance programs, send email privacy notifications to addressable data subjects globally, and provide a Privacy Center for individuals to exercise data rights.

They offer Do Not Call (DNC) list suppression for multiple countries, which can be combined with master suppression lists. This is critical for compliance in regulated industries.

ZoomInfo is recognized as a leader in data privacy with "industry-leading GDPR and CCPA compliance and numerous data security and privacy certifications." However, the specifics are less transparent than Lusha's certified approach.

The Contributory Network Issue

ZoomInfo's "contributory network" requires users to sync their business email contacts with ZoomInfo's database. In exchange for access, you share fragments of data that help validate ZoomInfo's records.

Some users are comfortable with this arrangement. Others consider it a privacy concern-you're sharing your contacts' information with a third party without their explicit consent. Review your company's privacy policies before enabling contributory network features.

Customer Support and Resources

When data issues arise (and they will), support quality matters.

Lusha Support

Lusha offers email support, chat support, and a knowledge base. Users report "we invest in customer care and put your needs first-there's no fine print, and no catch."

Response times are generally quick for technical issues. However, one notable frustration: cancellations require contacting support rather than self-service. Lusha states this is to "ensure users preserve remaining credits in the best possible way," but it creates friction for users wanting to leave.

Scale plan customers get dedicated support with faster response times.

ZoomInfo Support

ZoomInfo provides tiered support based on plan level. Elite customers get premium support with faster response times. All customers have access to a knowledge base, training materials, and the ZoomInfo Academy.

One advantage: the 300+ person research team can manually verify or research specific contacts for Enterprise customers. This white-glove service justifies the premium pricing for some users.

Users report ZoomInfo support as "exceptional" with dedicated assistance, though the complexity of the platform means you'll need it more often than with simpler tools.

Implementation Timeline

Lusha: Minutes to First Value

Lusha's implementation is fast:

• Day 1: Install Chrome extension, connect CRM (if desired), start revealing contacts
• Week 1: Team fully operational with minimal training needed
• Month 1: Optimize credit usage, set up email sequences if using built-in tools

The "fastest implementation" badge on G2 isn't marketing fluff-it's genuinely quick to deploy.

ZoomInfo: Weeks to Full Productivity

ZoomInfo requires more substantial onboarding:

• Week 1: Account setup, CRM integration configuration, initial training
• Week 2-3: User training, saved searches creation, workflow setup
• Month 1-2: Advanced feature rollout (intent data, automation), optimization
• Month 3+: Ongoing refinement and full team adoption

The complexity means longer time-to-value, but the depth of capabilities rewards the investment for teams who fully adopt the platform.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If neither Lusha nor ZoomInfo feels right, consider these options:

Apollo.io

Better balance of features and pricing. Strong data accuracy (7.7/10 on G2) with more accessible pricing than ZoomInfo. Database of 275M+ contacts. Includes built-in email sequencing and phone dialing. Free tier available.

Best for: Teams wanting ZoomInfo-like features without the price tag.

Cognism

Phone-verified mobile data with strong European coverage. Diamond Data® provides phone-verified mobiles checked against DNC lists in 13 countries. Good middle ground between Lusha and ZoomInfo.

Best for: EMEA/UK specialists who need compliant, accurate mobile numbers.

RocketReach

Solid contact data with flexible pricing. 700M+ professionals, 35M+ companies. RocketReach offers both email and phone data with lookup credits and bulk enrichment. See our RocketReach pricing breakdown for details.

Best for: Recruiters and teams needing individual lookups more than bulk prospecting.

Dealfront (Leadfeeder)

If you need website visitor identification with European focus, Dealfront tracks which companies visit your website and identifies decision-makers for follow-up.

Best for: Inbound-focused teams wanting to convert website traffic to conversations.

UpLead

UpLead boasts 95% data accuracy and real-time email verification. Database of 160M+ contacts with technographics and intent data. Transparent pricing starting much lower than ZoomInfo.

Best for: Teams prioritizing data accuracy over database size.

Full Enrich

Different approach entirely: waterfall enrichment queries 15+ premium data sources sequentially until finding valid contact info. Users report 80-85% match rates vs. 25-50% with single-source tools. Starts at $29/month.

Best for: Teams frustrated with coverage gaps wanting to maximize data find rates.

Pairing with Outreach Tools

Contact data is only valuable if you can act on it. Here are outreach tools that pair well with either platform:

For Cold Email

Instantly offers unlimited email accounts and AI-powered deliverability optimization. Great for high-volume cold email campaigns. Pricing starts much lower than enterprise tools.

Lemlist provides multichannel outreach (email, LinkedIn, phone) with strong personalization features including custom images and videos. Works well with either Lusha or ZoomInfo data.

Smartlead focuses on email deliverability with automatic mailbox rotation and warm-up features. Unlimited mailboxes on all plans.

For CRM and Sales Engagement

Close combines CRM with built-in calling and emailing. Perfect for SMBs using Lusha who want all-in-one simplicity.

Outreach and Salesloft are enterprise sales engagement platforms that integrate deeply with ZoomInfo for automated workflows and sequencing at scale.

For LinkedIn Outreach

Expandi provides safe LinkedIn automation with cloud-based operation and smart limits to avoid account restrictions.

Real User Experiences

Let's look at what actual users report in reviews and forums.

Lusha User Feedback

Positive experiences:

• "Lusha saves me from wasting hours on finding specific contact information. The data accuracy is unparalleled for obtaining correct contact numbers and emails directly from LinkedIn profiles."
• "The Chrome extension requires no training-install it, and you're revealing contact information within minutes."
• "The bulk enrichment on Sales Navigator allows me to efficiently process numerous profiles at once without looking them up individually."
• "For the price, it's excellent value for money, especially for sourcers, recruiters, and business development professionals."

Negative experiences:

• "Data accuracy can be inconsistent, with outdated or incorrect contact information appearing at times."
• "The credit system feels limiting for high-volume outbound teams, particularly when an unverified number still uses up a credit."
• "We have been with Lusha for 7 months, and the conclusion is that emails and phone numbers they provide are grossly false. Their coverage is 10%, meaning out of 100 people, they have details for 10, and 8 will be accurate. So 8/100!"
• "Some of the data extracted was inaccurate, resulting in loss of credits."

ZoomInfo User Feedback

Positive experiences:

• "The depth and breadth of ZoomInfo's database has enabled us to prospect better accounts and bring in larger deals."
• "With ZoomInfo, we more than doubled our activity, and our efficiency skyrocketed."
• "ZoomInfo provides solid phone numbers, and email quality is slightly better than competitors."
• "The platform's accuracy, advanced tools, and reliable coverage helped our team save time and expand internationally."

Negative experiences:

• "Plans start at $15K a year, but hidden costs can add up fast. Unfortunately, ZoomInfo uses every trick in the book to hide pricing, trick people into free trials, and confuse and obscure how much stuff actually costs."
• "When we attempted to cancel our subscription, we unfortunately missed their rigid 60-day notice period. Despite clear evidence that their product is not a good fit for our business, they have aggressively insisted on enforcing another 12-month contract."
• "Data accuracy can be problematic-users report outdated contact information and long refresh cycles."
• "One client paid $50K/year for ZoomInfo but could only reach 3 out of 10 prospects in their target accounts."

The Bottom Line

After extensive research and analysis, here's the reality:

Choose Lusha if: You need affordable, straightforward contact data without enterprise complexity. Perfect for small teams (1-10 people), startups, recruiters, and budget-conscious businesses. Start free, pay monthly if you want, cancel anytime. The ease of use and transparent pricing make it ideal for teams who want to start prospecting today, not next month.

Lusha wins on: Simplicity, transparent pricing, flexible contracts, European data, GDPR compliance (ISO 27701), fastest implementation, built-in email sequencing.

Choose ZoomInfo if: You have enterprise budget ($25K-$50K+ annually realistic), need deep sales intelligence beyond basic contacts, and can commit to annual contracts. The data quality, intent signals, advanced automation, and comprehensive features justify the cost for larger operations (20+ reps) selling into North American markets with complex sales cycles.

ZoomInfo wins on: Database size, data accuracy, intent data, workflow automation, advanced filtering, North American coverage, enterprise features, integration depth.

The honest truth: Most SMBs should start with Lusha. It's fast, affordable, and good enough for straightforward prospecting. If you find yourself hitting walls-needing better accuracy, more comprehensive data, or advanced features-then evaluate ZoomInfo.

Don't overthink it. If you're unsure, start with Lusha's free plan. Test the data against your target accounts. If it works, scale up. If not, you've lost nothing.

ZoomInfo's demo is worth doing if you have the budget, but go in knowing they'll push hard for annual commitment. Negotiate aggressively-users report getting 50% discounts from initial quotes, especially when mentioning competitors or showing willingness to walk away.

The best approach? Some teams use both: Lusha for quick lookups and European prospects, ZoomInfo for North American enterprise accounts and complex prospecting. If your budget allows, combining tools eliminates the weaknesses of each.

Whatever you choose, remember: the best data tool is the one your team actually uses. A $50,000 platform that sits unused because it's too complex delivers zero ROI. A $3,000 tool that your team uses daily and converts prospects to pipeline wins every time.

Final Recommendations by Company Profile

For Startups (1-5 employees, <$1M ARR)

Start with Lusha's free plan. Upgrade to Pro ($29/month) when you need more credits. Don't even look at ZoomInfo until you're consistently converting prospects and have proven ROI from prospecting efforts.

For Small Businesses (6-20 employees, $1-5M ARR)

Lusha Premium ($51/user/month) for your sales team. Pair it with Instantly or Lemlist for outreach automation. Total tech stack cost: $2,000-5,000/year. Revisit ZoomInfo if you're targeting enterprise accounts where comprehensive data justifies the cost.

For Mid-Market Companies (21-100 employees, $5-25M ARR)

This is the crossover point. If you're selling to SMBs, stick with Lusha or Apollo. If you're selling to enterprise accounts with complex buying committees, ZoomInfo starts making sense. Budget $25-40K annually for ZoomInfo Professional + key add-ons, or $10-15K for Lusha Scale for the whole team.

For Enterprise (100+ employees, $25M+ ARR)

ZoomInfo Advanced or Elite plan ($40-80K+ annually) with full feature suite. At this scale, the data quality, automation, and enterprise features justify the investment. Pair with Outreach or Salesloft for sales engagement and Close or Salesforce for CRM.

For Recruiters and HR Teams

Lusha is purpose-built for recruiting with LinkedIn integration and candidate sourcing features. The pricing and ease of use make it perfect for talent acquisition teams. ZoomInfo TalentOS exists but is overkill for most recruiting operations.

The decision ultimately comes down to: How much budget do you have? How complex are your prospecting needs? What's your target market geography? How large is your team?

Answer those questions honestly, and the right choice becomes clear.