Timing is everything in B2B sales. You can have the perfect product, flawless pitch, and qualified leads, but if you reach out at the wrong moment, nothing happens.
This is exactly why smart sales teams are turning to B2B intent data providers. These platforms help you identify which companies are actively researching solutions like yours right now, not six months from now.
According to recent industry studies, sales teams using intent data see up to 55% higher conversion rates compared to traditional cold outreach. In this guide, we break down the best B2B intent data providers in 2026, examining their strengths, pricing models, and ideal use cases.
What Is B2B Intent Data and Why Does It Matter?
B2B intent data consists of digital signals that reveal when prospects are actively researching products or services similar to yours. These signals come from website visits, content downloads, keyword searches, review site activity, and community forum engagement.
Think of it as catching prospects in the research phase rather than making cold calls to people who have zero interest. When someone downloads a whitepaper about sales automation tools or compares different CRM solutions on review sites, those actions indicate buying intent.
Research shows that 77% of B2B buyers complete more than half their purchase journey before ever contacting a vendor. Intent data helps you intercept these buyers during their research phase, giving you a competitive advantage.
How We Selected the Best Intent Data Providers
Not all intent data platforms are created equal. We evaluated providers based on several critical factors to ensure our recommendations actually deliver results.
Data accuracy and freshness matter most. Intent signals decay quickly, so providers offering real-time or daily updates outperform those with weekly batch processing. We prioritized platforms with high accuracy rates and reliable signal detection.
Source diversity also plays a major role. The best providers combine multiple data sources like publisher networks, review sites, community forums, and first-party website tracking.
Integration capabilities determine how easily you can act on intent signals. We favoured platforms that sync seamlessly with popular CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot, plus sales engagement tools like Outreach and SalesLoft.
Pricing transparency received high marks in our evaluation. Providers that clearly communicate costs and offer flexible plans scored better than those requiring custom quotes for everything.
7 Best B2B Intent Data Providers in 2026
1. Bombora Company Surge
Bombora pioneered the intent data category and remains a top choice for account-based marketing teams. The platform operates a cooperative network of over 5,500 B2B websites that share anonymized content consumption data.
Key Features:
• Company Surge algorithm identifies when accounts research topics at significantly higher rates than baseline behaviour
• Account-level intent showing which companies are researching, but not specific individuals
• Integrates with most major marketing automation and CRM systems
• Works well for ABM strategies targeting entire organizations
Pricing: $25,000 to $300,000 annually, depending on data volume and topic coverage
Best For: Established B2B companies running sophisticated ABM programs who need broad market coverage across multiple industries
2. 6sense Revenue AI
6sense combines intent data with predictive analytics to identify accounts in different buying stages. The platform uses artificial intelligence to score accounts based on their likelihood to purchase.
Key Features:
• Keyword based intent tracking monitors B2B website activity across millions of domains
• Real-time alerts and dashboard views when accounts show elevated research activity
• Orchestrates multi-channel campaigns and coordinates sales and marketing efforts
• Implementation typically requires 2 to 3 months and significant internal resources
Pricing: Starts around $55,000 annually for mid-market plans, can exceed $130,000 for enterprise packages
Best For: Enterprise organizations with mature ABM programs and dedicated RevOps teams to manage platform complexity
3. ZoomInfo Intent
ZoomInfo built its reputation on contact data and company intelligence. Their intent offering combines proprietary signals with data from partners like Bombora.
Key Features:
• Tracks keyword searches, content consumption, and website visits to surface buying signals
• Integration with a massive B2B contact database for identifying target accounts and decision makers
• Intent data available as an add-on to the core contact database subscription
• Combines contact enrichment with intent signals in a single platform
Pricing: Base plans start around $15,000 annually, intent features require $25,000 to $40,000 per year
Best For: Sales teams already using ZoomInfo for prospecting who want to layer intent signals on top of existing workflows
4. Demandbase One
Demandbase offers a full go-to-market platform with intent data as a core component. The system analyzes content consumption across trillions of monthly web events.
Key Features:
• Natural language processing goes beyond simple keyword matching to understand context
• Aggregates intent signals from multiple sources, including Bombora, G2, and TrustRadius
• Offers 650,000 plus intent keywords across 133 languages for global coverage
• Implementation requires significant internal resources and technical expertise
Pricing: Enterprise pricing with custom quotes reflects a comprehensive feature set.
Best For: Companies wanting an all-in-one ABM platform rather than point solutions, particularly those targeting global markets
5. G2 Buyer Intent
G2 takes a different approach by monitoring activity on its software review marketplace. When prospects visit your product category or compare solutions, those actions signal clear purchase intent.
Key Features:
• Focuses specifically on software evaluation, indicating high-quality buying intent
• Tracks prospects viewing competitor profiles and comparing solutions on G2
• Provides company-level activity data requiring third-party enrichment for contacts
• Works best for categories with strong review activity on the platform
Pricing: Core plans start around $10,000 annually, Buyer Intent typically adds $22,000 to $36,000 per year
6. Cognism Intent
Cognism is known for phone-verified contact data and strong European market coverage. Their intent offering combines Bombora data with verified contact information.
Key Features:
• Combines account-level intent signals with direct phone numbers for decision makers
• GDPR compliance and focus on European markets make it valuable for EU targeting
• Supports intent-driven outbound calling, producing better response rates than email only
• Provides stronger data coverage in Europe compared to US-focused alternatives
Pricing: Grow plans around $15,000 annually plus $1,500 per user, Elevate tier with intent starts at $25,000 plus $2,500 per user
Best For: Sales teams targeting European markets or prioritizing phone-based prospecting alongside digital outreach
7. TechTarget Priority Engine
TechTarget specializes in technology sector intent data with granular prospect-level signals. Unlike account-only providers, TechTarget identifies specific individuals researching your product category.
Key Features:
• Captures early-stage research behaviour among IT decision makers and technical buyers
• Intent signals come directly from first-party sources rather than aggregated data
• Sales activation tools let reps export contacts directly into sales sequences
• Prospect level granularity supports highly targeted outreach
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing based on requirements
Best For: Technology vendors targeting IT decision makers, security professionals, and technical buyers
How to Choose the Right Intent Data Provider
Selecting the right platform depends on your specific business context rather than which provider ranks highest on review sites.
Consider your target audience first. Selling to technical buyers requires different data sources than targeting procurement teams or C-level executives. Make sure your provider monitors channels where your actual prospects conduct research.
Budget constraints matter significantly. Enterprise ABM platforms with comprehensive features cost $50,000 to $150,000 annually, while focused point solutions start around $10,000 to $25,000 per year.
Integration requirements can make or break adoption. Choose providers that connect natively with your existing CRM, marketing automation, and sales engagement tools. Manual data exports rarely get used consistently.
Internal resources play a crucial role. Complex platforms like 6sense and Demandbase require dedicated RevOps support, while simpler tools work for lean teams. Similar to how travel companies now rely on specialized tools to automate bookings and streamline operations, sales teams need intent platforms that match their technical capabilities.
Benefits and Limitations of Intent Data
Key Benefits:
• Sales teams report 30% to 55% higher conversion rates by focusing on accounts showing active buying signals
• Marketing teams improve campaign performance by targeting in-market prospects rather than broad audiences
• Sales reps personalize outreach by understanding which topics prospects care about most
• Enables timely engagement during the evaluation phase rather than cold prospecting
Important Limitations:
• False positives happen when signals indicate research that does not translate to actual purchase intent
• Data freshness varies significantly across providers, affecting signal quality
• Most platforms provide account-level signals, only requiring additional work to identify decision makers
• Enterprise platforms often require annual commitments of $25,000 to $100,000, which may exceed small team budgets
Future Trends in B2B Intent Data
The intent data category continues evolving rapidly as new signal sources and technologies emerge.
Privacy regulations are pushing providers toward first-party and consent-based data collection rather than third-party cookies and bidstream tracking.
Artificial intelligence is improving signal quality by better distinguishing between casual research and serious buying intent. Machine learning models detect patterns that indicate purchase readiness more accurately.
Multi-signal orchestration is becoming standard, with platforms combining website activity, community engagement, job changes, funding events, and technographic shifts into unified buying scores.
Conclusion
Choosing the right B2B intent data provider dramatically impacts your ability to reach buyers at the perfect moment. The platforms covered in this guide represent the strongest options in 2026, each with distinct strengths for different use cases.
Bombora and Demandbase excel for enterprise ABM programs requiring broad market coverage. ZoomInfo and Cognism work well when you need intent signals combined with contact data for direct outreach. G2 and TechTarget provide high-quality signals for software vendors and technology companies.
Remember that intent data amplifies good sales execution rather than compensating for weak fundamentals. The best results come from combining quality intent signals with strong messaging, relevant value propositions, and consultative selling approaches.
Start by defining your specific requirements around target audience, budget, and internal capabilities. Then request demos from 2 to 3 providers that match your criteria. Most platforms offer trial periods that let you evaluate signal quality before committing.
The competitive advantage goes to companies that act quickly on buying signals while competitors still rely on cold outreach. Choose your intent data provider wisely and watch your conversion rates improve.
