Cognism vs Lockley: which suits a small UK B2B sales team?

Cognism and Lockley answer different questions. Cognism helps you reach a person: it is a B2B contact-data tool best known for phone-verified mobile numbers and strong coverage of UK and European companies. Lockley helps you decide which UK company to call this week: it gives a short daily list, each company with the public record that says why now. A team that already knows whom to call and needs numbers suits Cognism. A team that does not know whom to call suits Lockley.

This comparison draws on each company's own description and independent reviews. Check current details with each vendor before buying.

Cognism and Lockley compared

What Cognism does well

Cognism's best-known product is Diamond Data, a set of mobile numbers that its researchers verify by phone before they enter the database. For teams that sell by phone into the UK and Europe, that is a real draw. Reviews also say its European coverage is deeper than that of many US-based tools, and that numbers are checked against do-not-call registers before delivery.

Treat vendor accuracy and connect-rate claims with care. Independent reviews quote conflicting figures, and the strongest accuracy claims apply to the verified subset rather than the whole database. Ask for a trial sample from your own target market.

Reviews also say Cognism does not publish prices, requires a sales conversation and tends to be sold on annual contracts to mid-market and larger teams. Confirm current terms directly.

What Lockley does well

Lockley reads UK public records every night and gives a small B2B sales team a short list of companies to call each morning. Each company comes with the record that says why now, whether a new site, a first hire in a function, a contract ending or another filing, and a link so the seller can check it before calling. The 9am email brief carries the top three companies in full, with Call, Tomorrow and Pass working from the email.

It starts with a free scan of the buyer's own website, which builds a private page of companies worth calling. Lockley does not sell contact lists or bulk email data and does not send email on the customer's behalf, so it is not a replacement for a source of phone numbers.

Who each suits

Choose Cognism if your team has a defined target list, calls heavily and needs reliable mobile numbers for named people across the UK and Europe, and has the budget for a quoted annual contract.

Choose Lockley if your constraint is knowing which UK companies deserve a call this week and why, you want evidence you can check, and you prefer published monthly pricing. The two can work together: a team could use Lockley to choose the company and a contact-data tool to reach the person.

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