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 Surfe vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?
- Short answer
- Cognism vs Surfe vs Derrick: Cognism is a gdpr-compliant b2b contact data with mobile coverage, Surfe is a linkedin-to-crm chrome extension for one-click contact sync + enrichment. 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 Surfe) 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 Surfe 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 27 000+ users worldwide.
CURSOR Quick Facts
Cognism vs Surfe vs Derrick at a glance
Surfe
- Starting price: Free 20 emails + 5 phones · Essential $39/mo
- Free plan: Yes - 20 emails + 5 phones/yr permanently
- Founded: 2020
- 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 Surfe
3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.
01 Real-time emails without LinkedIn dependency
Cognism and Surfe both rely on LinkedIn-centric workflows for email discovery, which can bottleneck real-time outreach and limit independent email validation. Derrick breaks that dependency by delivering real-time email access directly within 100% native Google Sheets, without requiring LinkedIn data or exports. This enables immediate outreach and improves deliverability, saving 5-10h per month in manual validation and workflow steps. A practical use case is launching a real-time email sequence the moment a contact is added, without logging into LinkedIn.
02 Unified enrichment via 3k+ integrations and AI-powered scoring
Cognism and Surfe both fall short on comprehensive, multi-source enrichment beyond their core strengths, often limiting depth to either verified contacts or LinkedIn-based data. Derrick delivers unified enrichment through 3k+ integrations and AI-powered scoring, combining 3000+渠道 with Claude and ChatGPT for automated scoring, segmentation, and summaries. This approach translates to measurable gains, such as time saved and richer contact profiles, with credits-optional usage and immediate impact on lead quality. In practice, Derrick enables true multi-source profiles in a single workflow, without leaving Google Sheets.
03 Automation-ready data enrichment with no manual validation needed
Cognism and Surfe both require manual verification steps or limited enrichment depth, which slows true automation. Derrick delivers automation-ready data enrichment directly in Google Sheets, eliminating manual validation and avoiding CSV exports or complex setups. Teams gain measurable efficiency, with time saved and validation overhead removed; Derrick’s native email validation, 50+ enrichment attributes, and AI-powered scoring automate the entire pipeline. For rapid, end-to-end prospect profiling, Derrick keeps data clean and ready to activate without leaving the spreadsheet workflow.
Honest Comparison 
derrick
What each tool does better
We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where Cognism, Surfe, and Derrick each genuinely win.
What Cognism does better
- Best EU mobile-phone coverage
- GDPR-compliant by design
- Strong intent + technographic data
What Surfe does better
- Cleanest LinkedIn-to-CRM sync extension in the category
- Compatible with multiple CRMs (not locked to one)
- Speed + simplicity (top G2 mention pattern)
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 | Surfe | Derrick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (monthly) | Custom (~$15K platform + $1.5K/seat) | Free 20 emails + 5 phones · Essential $39/mo | €0 (free) · €9/mo paid |
| Annual cost (base) | ~€180/yr | ~€240/yr | €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid |
| Free plan? | No (demo + custom quote only) | Yes - 20 emails + 5 phones/yr permanently | ✓ 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 Surfe vs Derrick: full feature comparison
| Cognism | Derrick App | Surfe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 29$/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 →
LinkedIn → CRM Sync (Chrome Extension)
Cognism vs Surfe vs Derrick pricing breakdown
Sales Intelligence (EU/EMEA) Cognism
Custom (~$15K platform + $1.5K/seat)
Best for: EU/EMEA enterprise sales
Cognism offers enterprise-grade B2B data with pricing that leans premium, featuring entry-level options and a comprehensive paid tier lineup; see the full pricing breakdown for complete details and options.
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.
LinkedIn → CRM Sync (Chrome Extension) Surfe
Free 20 emails + 5 phones · Essential $39/mo
Best for: SDRs whose entire workflow lives inside LinkedIn
Surfe offers a starter plan with credit-based pricing and access to core LinkedIn prospecting features, with paid tiers unlocking higher credit allotments and advanced workflows. See full pricing breakdown for complete details and plan specifics.
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 Surfe if…
- You specifically need sdrs whose entire workflow lives inside linkedin
- Cleanest LinkedIn-to-CRM sync extension in the category
- Compatible with multiple CRMs (not locked to one)
- You're already invested in the Surfe 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 Surfe
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
Which Derrick vs Cognism comparison highlights the main difference?
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The main difference between Derrick and Cognism lies in their core approach to B2B prospecting. Cognism focuses primarily on verified contact databases and intent signals for lead generation, excelling at data accuracy and compliance. Derrick, however, operates natively within Google Sheets, eliminating CSV exports and complex integrations while offering AI-powered enrichment with Claude and ChatGPT built-in. Derrick's rollover credits and no credit card requirement for the free tier provide greater flexibility for teams seeking streamlined, in-spreadsheet prospecting without external platform dependencies.
Is Derrick a better alternative to Cognism?
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Whether Derrick is a better alternative to Cognism depends on your specific needs. Cognism excels at comprehensive B2B intelligence and intent signals, particularly for enterprise teams prioritizing data depth and EMEA coverage. However, Derrick offers distinct advantages if you prefer working natively within Google Sheets without CSV exports, need AI-powered enrichment with Claude and ChatGPT, or want to avoid LinkedIn Sales Navigator costs. Derrick's rollover credits and no-credit-card free tier provide more flexibility for variable prospecting workflows, while Cognism delivers stronger intent-based targeting. The choice hinges on whether you prioritize data intelligence or operational simplicity and cost efficiency.
Which is cheaper for startups: Derrick or Cognism pricing?
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Derrick offers significantly better pricing for startups compared to Cognism. Derrick's free tier includes 100 credits with no credit card required, and its paid plans start at just nine dollars monthly for four thousand credits with rollover benefits. Cognism positions itself as a premium enterprise solution with substantially higher entry costs. Additionally, Derrick eliminates the need for LinkedIn Sales Navigator, saving startups over twelve hundred dollars annually, making it the more budget-friendly choice for resource-constrained teams seeking comprehensive B2B data enrichment without expensive subscriptions.
How does Surfe compare to Cognism for data enrichment?
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Surfe excels at LinkedIn-based data extraction and quick contact discovery, with strong real-time verification for outreach. Cognism, by contrast, offers broader data enrichment, verified contact data, and intent signals with strong GDPR/CCPA compliance, though at a higher price and with more complex setup. Compared directly, Surfe provides speed and simplicity for LinkedIn-first outreach, while Cognism delivers deeper, multi-source enrichment and robust intent data. Derrick App complements both by providing 50+ enrichment attributes, real-time validation, and seamless Google Sheets-based workflows, offering a cost-efficient, scalable enrichment layer without leaving Sheets.
Can Derrick replace both Cognism and Surfe for outreach?
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Derrick can effectively replace both Cognism and Surfe for comprehensive outreach workflows. While Cognism excels at B2B intelligence and Surfe at LinkedIn extraction, Derrick combines data enrichment with native Google Sheets automation, eliminating the need for multiple tools. You get fifty plus enrichment attributes per contact, real-time email validation, integrated AI scoring with Claude and ChatGPT, and three thousand plus integrations via Zapier. Derrick's rollover credits and no credit card requirement for the free tier provide greater flexibility than either competitor while reducing your overall software stack complexity and monthly costs.
What do reviews say about Derrick versus Cognism and Surfe?
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Reviews consistently praise Derrick for its native Google Sheets integration, which eliminates CSV exports and complex setups, a contrast to Cognism and Surfe that focus more on dedicated prospecting platforms. Users highlight Derrick’s 50+ enrichment attributes per contact, real-time email validation, and AI-based scoring and segmentation, which complement outbound efforts without leaving Sheets. While Cognism is lauded for data accuracy, international coverage, and intent signals, some users note higher pricing and broader data enrichment limitations. Surfe excels at quick LinkedIn-based data extraction but offers limited depth beyond contact-level details. Overall, reviews suggest Derrick provides strong value for teams seeking seamless data enrichment and automation directly in Sheets, with compelling cost efficiency and flexible credits.
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-oneSurfe vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how Surfe 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
