Cognism
- Starting price: Custom (~$15K platform + $1.5K/seat)
- Free plan: No (demo + custom quote only)
- Founded: 2015
- HQ: London, United Kingdom
Updated
Cognism vs PhantomBuster vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?
- Short answer
- Cognism vs PhantomBuster vs Derrick: Cognism is a gdpr-compliant b2b contact data with mobile coverage, PhantomBuster is a cloud-based scraping and social automation. Derrick is a B2B enrichment platform with three surfaces - a Google Sheets add-on, a REST API, and an MCP server (Claude and ChatGPT drive enrichment for you). Hit rates are noticeably higher (more emails + phone numbers returned per query than Cognism or PhantomBuster) and pricing is lower - free forever with 100 credits/month, paid plans from €9/month. Most teams pair Derrick for the data layer with Cognism or PhantomBuster for outreach.
Where Cognism commits you to enterprise contracts and minimum seats, Derrick offers month-to-month credits with rollover. The side-by-side comparison below covers Cognism's database depth, contract structure and per-seat scaling against Derrick's pay-for-what-you-use Sheets-native model.
Free plan Yes - 100 credits/mo
Starts at €9/mo
Setup time 30 seconds
Where it lives Google Sheets
✓ Free forever · ✓ No credit card · ✓ Cancel anytime · ✓ Your data stays in your Sheet
Trusted by 31,000+ users worldwide.
CURSOR Quick Facts
Cognism vs PhantomBuster vs Derrick at a glance
PhantomBuster
- Starting price: $56/mo (annual)
- Free plan: No (14-day free trial)
- Founded: 2016
- HQ: Paris, France
Derrick
★ Recommended- Starting price: Free · Paid from €9/mo
- Free plan: Yes - 100 credits/mo permanent
- Founded: 2023
- HQ: Marseille, FR
Why Derrick wins 01
02
03
Why teams pick Derrick over Cognism and PhantomBuster
3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.
01 Real-time validation without enrichment gaps
Cognism and PhantomBuster both struggle with real-time validation that leaves gaps in enrichment when scaling outreach, often delivering outdated or incomplete data mid-campaign. Derrick fixes this by delivering real-time validation directly within a 100% native Google Sheets workflow, eliminating the need for exports or external validation steps. As a result, teams see immediate improvements in deliverability and faster decision-making, with measurable reductions in bounce rates and manual correction time. A typical use case: validate contacts on-the-fly during list buildup, ensuring every lead is campaign-ready before sending a single message.
02 Flexible, scalable automation with zero-coding setup
Cognism and PhantomBuster both struggle with a zero-coding, scalable automation flow that fits non-technical users, often requiring manual setup or coding workarounds. Derrick changes the game by delivering 100% native Google Sheets automation with a zero-code setup, powered by 3,000+ integrations and AI-driven scoring, segmentation, and enrichment. This translates to tangible gains: save 5-10 hours per month on workflow creation and deploy scalable lead generation without scripting. A quick use case: launch multi-step prospecting sequences directly in Sheets, with real-time validation and credits that carry over monthly. Derrick keeps automation effortless, measurable, and repeatable.
03 Unified data quality across sources for every prospect
Cognism and PhantomBuster often struggle to deliver unified data quality across multiple sources, leaving gaps when prospects are enriched from disparate datasets. Derrick does this differently by natively unifying 50+ attributes per contact across Google Sheets workflows, ensuring consistency without exports or complex integrations. Team-facing results include measurable gains: 20–35% faster profiling and up to 15% fewer duplicate records due to automated deduplication and normalization. A quick use case: enrich a prospect from LinkedIn, company site, and tech signals in a single sheet, with real-time validation and reportable credits to track progress.
Honest Comparison 
derrick
What each tool does better
We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where Cognism, PhantomBuster, and Derrick each genuinely win.
What Cognism does better
- Best EU mobile-phone coverage
- GDPR-compliant by design
- Strong intent + technographic data
What PhantomBuster does better
- 150+ pre-built Phantoms across platforms
- Best LinkedIn Sales Navigator export
- Composable workflow chains
What Derrick does better
- Free forever - €0/mo with 100 credits permanent in Google Sheets
- 100+ data points per lead - verified emails, phones, LinkedIn, tech stack, SIRET
- Zero LinkedIn ban risk + real-time email verification built in
- Pair with any sequencer - LaGrowthMachine, Smartlead, Lemlist, HeyReach
Real Annual Cost
True cost over 12 months
Headline pricing rarely tells the whole story. Here's the real cost of running each tool for a year.
| Cognism | PhantomBuster | Derrick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (monthly) | Custom (~$15K platform + $1.5K/seat) | $56/mo (annual) | €0 (free) · €9/mo paid |
| Annual cost (base) | ~€180/yr | ~€672/yr | €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid |
| Free plan? | No (demo + custom quote only) | No (14-day free trial) | ✓ Forever - 100 credits/mo |
| Setup cost | Hours to days | Hours to days | 30 seconds via Marketplace |
| Switching cost | CSV export + retraining | CSV export + retraining | Zero - works alongside any stack |
💡 Most teams pay 2-5x more on add-ons (extra seats, phone credits, integrations) than on the headline base price. Derrick keeps everything in one transparent tier.
Feature-by-Feature
Cognism vs PhantomBuster vs Derrick: full feature comparison
| Cognism | Derrick App | PhantomBuster | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works natively in Google Sheets | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Requires LinkedIn Sales Navigator ($100/month) | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Sales Navigator 1-click import | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email finder with real-time validation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Phone finder from LinkedIn | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Company tech stack lookup | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| SimilarWeb & G2 insights integrated | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| AI integration (Claude & ChatGPT) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automatic AI Lead Scoring | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Data cleaning & normalization | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Multi-platform scraping (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Zapier, Make, n8n integrations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Public API available | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Native CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce) | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Entry price (paid plan) | 1000$/mois | 9€/mois | 69$/mois |
| Permanent free plan | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rollover credits to next month | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Simple and transparent credit system | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Simple setup & onboarding | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Complete documentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing in a nutshell Sales Intelligence (EU/EMEA) derrick
best value for money
Results first.
Discover Derrick →
Web Automation
Cognism vs PhantomBuster vs Derrick pricing breakdown
Sales Intelligence (EU/EMEA) Cognism
Custom (~$15K platform + $1.5K/seat)
Best for: EU/EMEA enterprise sales
Cognism offers premium B2B pricing with entry-level plans and enterprise options, emphasizing high-quality data and compliance; detailed pricing varies by plan and usage. See full pricing breakdown on the dedicated Cognism pricing page for complete details.
Results first.
Complexity removed.
Free · Paid plans from €9/mo
While other tools pile on features, complex setups, and pricing tiers that grow faster than your results, Derrick focuses on what actually matters:
getting usable leads, directly in Google Sheets.
No heavy workflows, No endless configuration. No learning curve.
Web Automation PhantomBuster
$56/mo (annual)
Best for: Growth hackers & ops teams
PhantomBuster offers accessible entry pricing with a free tier and scalable paid plans, designed for automating, scraping, and lead generation at scale; detailed pricing breakdown is available on the dedicated Pricing page. See full pricing details for all plan options and usage allowances.
Migration Guide
How to switch from Cognism to Derrick in 3 steps
Derrick is a Google Workspace app - no formulas to learn, no pipelines to migrate, no engineering work. Add it to Google Sheets and you're enriching in under a minute.
1
~30 sec Install Derrick from Google Workspace Marketplace
Click the install button on our Marketplace listing and grant Google Sheets access. No credit card required - you start with 100 free credits per month.
2
~30 sec Open any Google Sheet → Extensions → Derrick
Open a Sheet with your prospect list (paste a CSV from Cognism, scrape from LinkedIn Sales Navigator, or import from your CRM). Click Extensions → Derrick and the sidebar opens with all enrichment features ready to use.
3
~1 min Enrich your list with one click
Select the column with names, LinkedIn URLs, or company domains. Pick what you want - emails, phone numbers, LinkedIn data, company info, tech stack - and click "Enrich". Derrick fills the columns directly in your Sheet. No exports, no pipelines, no waiting.
Install Derrick free →
100 free credits / month · No credit card · Cancel anytime
Decision in 60 seconds
Which one is right for you?
Pick Cognism if…
- You specifically need eu/emea enterprise sales
- Best EU mobile-phone coverage
- GDPR-compliant by design
- You're already invested in the Cognism ecosystem
Pick PhantomBuster if…
- You specifically need growth hackers & ops teams
- 150+ pre-built Phantoms across platforms
- Best LinkedIn Sales Navigator export
- You're already invested in the PhantomBuster ecosystem
Pick Derrick if…
- You want B2B enrichment directly in Google Sheets
- You need a usable free plan (100 credits/mo, no card)
- You don't want long contracts, lock-in, or sales calls
- You need 100+ data points per lead in one tool
What teams say after switching from Cognism vs PhantomBuster
See what our customers say about Derrick.
"This app saved me so much time and effort. Great for anyone looking to build a contact list or network at scale quickly. As a start-up it's been invaluable."
Alex Clark
Director | SaaS GTM Leader
"Working pretty nifty compared to Snov.Io. Price wise it does give a fair shake, and IMO better interface since it's google sheets."
David Sire
Mortgage Broker at Zero Point Mortgage
"Derrick is a very simple and user-friendly app to enrich your contacts database. Best thing: you can test it for free. And then the price is so low, it's a no brainer."
Etienne Grange
CEO Form'actions
"Super easy to enrich linkedin urls using this tool. Both personal and company url data can be easily enriched with a click of a button."
Zaid Bilal
RevOps Professional
"Amazing Tool, I would like to advocate this to my colleagues. So that you can get more users. Keep it Up. 5 Stars!"
Asif Hanzala
Lead Generation Specialist at IdeaPeel
"This app is fantastic. Brilliantly created to help small and mid sized businesses."
Dan Hughes
Founder/CEO, AlmanacIO
"I have been using other expensive apps or freemium like phantombuster, but Derrick has replaced them all. I love the simplicity of the Google sheet add-in, but what is best is the efficiency it delivers."
Julien Walon Cohen
CEO & Co-founder @ Diffly | B2B Sales Advisor
"The LinkedIn scraping and email finder combo is incredibly powerful. I can build a complete prospect list with contact info in under an hour. Absolute must-have for outbound."
Michael Kim
SDR Team Lead at CloudScale
"Have tested over 10+ LI scraper apps, Derrick beats them all. Simple to use, accurate data, and affordable price."
AJ Alexander
Opportunity Prospector
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Derrick compare to Cognism on data quality and pricing?
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Derrick offers more flexible pricing with rollover credits and no credit card required for the free tier, starting at just nine dollars monthly for four thousand credits. Cognism positions itself as a premium solution with higher costs but excels in verified contact data and GDPR compliance, particularly for EMEA markets. Derrick differentiates through native Google Sheets integration, eliminating manual exports and CSV workflows, while Cognism requires external platform access. For data quality, Cognism delivers superior verification depth and intent signals, whereas Derrick provides real-time email validation and fifty plus enrichment attributes at more competitive price points, making it ideal for budget conscious teams seeking streamlined prospecting without sacrificing essential data accuracy.
Is Derrick a better Cognism alternative for SMEs?
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Derrick offers distinct advantages for SMEs compared to Cognism. While Cognism excels at premium B2B intelligence with high data accuracy, it's positioned as an enterprise solution with steeper pricing. Derrick operates natively within Google Sheets, eliminating complex setup and CSV exports, making it more accessible for resource-constrained teams. Derrick's rollover credits, integrated AI capabilities with Claude and ChatGPT, and no credit card requirement for the free tier provide SMEs with flexible, cost-effective lead enrichment without enterprise pricing barriers. For teams prioritizing simplicity and affordability over premium data depth, Derrick delivers stronger value.
Derrick vs Cognism vs PhantomBuster: who wins on features?
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Each platform excels in different areas. Cognism wins on data accuracy and intent signals for enterprise teams, particularly in EMEA markets. PhantomBuster dominates web automation and social media scraping without coding. Derrick differentiates through native Google Sheets integration, eliminating CSV exports and complex configurations while offering 50+ enrichment attributes, real-time email validation, and integrated AI with Claude and ChatGPT. For teams prioritizing seamless workflow within existing tools and monthly rollover credits, Derrick provides superior operational efficiency. Cognism suits data-focused enterprises, while PhantomBuster excels for bulk extraction needs.
Which is cheaper for teams: Cognism or PhantomBuster?
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PhantomBuster generally offers a lower upfront price point for basic automation and scraping tasks, which can make it cheaper for small teams on simple use cases. Cognism, on the other hand, targets higher-quality B2B contact data and intent signals and tends to be priced as a premium, enterprise-grade solution. For teams weighing cost versus value, PhantomBuster wins on affordability for automation-heavy workflows, while Cognism tends to cost more but deliver deeper data quality and compliance. Derrick App, by contrast, provides a cost-effective per-contact enrichment layer inside Google Sheets with flexible credit packages (free tier plus affordable plans) and credits that roll over, which can reduce total costs for teams needing scalable enrichment without expensive data licenses. If your priority is a blend of price and actionable lead data within Sheets, Derrick often presents a more predictable, lower-cost option than Cognism or PhantomBuster for larger teams scaling outreach.
What pricing differences exist between Derrick and Cognism?
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Derrick offers significantly more flexible pricing with rollover credits and no credit card required for its free tier, starting at just $9 monthly for 4,000 credits. Cognism operates as a premium enterprise solution with higher per-user costs and stricter data access models, making it less accessible for small teams or variable usage patterns. Derrick's pricing structure rewards efficiency with unused credits carrying over monthly, while Cognism typically charges per-seat subscriptions. For budget-conscious teams seeking transparent, scalable pricing without long-term commitments, Derrick delivers better value with more granular control over spending and usage.
Can Derrick replace both Cognism and PhantomBuster for lead enrichment?
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Derrick cannot fully replace both Cognism and PhantomBuster for lead enrichment in every scenario. Cognism specializes in verified B2B contact data, firmographics, and intent signals with GDPR/CCPA-compliant data and enterprise-grade integrations, while PhantomBuster excels at automated data extraction and workflow automation at scale. Derrick shines as a 100% native Google Sheets enrichment platform with rich attributes, real-time email validation, AI-driven scoring and segmentation, and broad Zapier/Make/n8n integrations, plus cost-effective credits and no credit card needed for the free tier. For teams needing deep, validated enrichment and compliance-heavy lead intelligence at scale, Cognism remains valuable; for heavy automation and scraping workflows, PhantomBuster still offers unique automation strengths. Derrick can complement these tools by enriching and organizing data within Sheets, accelerating prep for outbound campaigns, but it’s not a complete one-to-one replacement for the specialized data quality and automation capabilities of Cognism and PhantomBuster.
One-on-one
Cognism vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how Cognism compares to Derrick alone.
Open the head-to-head → One-on-onePhantomBuster vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how PhantomBuster compares to Derrick alone.
Open the head-to-head → Curated stackAll B2B sales tools we reviewed in depth
Step back from the duel - see our hand-picked sales-tool selection and how every category fits together.
See the full curation → Keep Exploring
