How to analyze B2B data providers in 2025

What is a B2B data provider?

B2B data — the information sales teams use to identify and connect with prospects and customers — is more important than ever before. When time is of the essence and sales teams have bigger and bigger quotas, having the best B2B data is crucial for success and can mean the difference between successful campaigns and wasted efforts.

With economic uncertainties, tighter budgets, and increased competition, selling is harder than ever — which means selecting the right B2B data provider is an even more critical choice.

But how exactly can you determine which provider is right for you? And how do you evaluate the quality of each provider’s data to really know which B2B data vendor is best? 

In this piece, we examine the key considerations to weigh when evaluating B2B data providers, how to evaluate different solutions, and why you might need more than one data tool if you’re looking to cover the most ground.

Considerations for choosing a B2B data provider in 2025

As you begin searching for a data provider, you’ll likely see that each vendor claims to be the best. But truth be told, what’s “best” for your company really depends on your specific needs and the niche you operate in. 

Ultimately, the right provider should offer data that aligns with your target audience, integrates seamlessly with your tools, and addresses your industry’s challenges. When you’re ready to start your search in full, evaluate each option using these seven criteria to find the best fit.

Data attributes

When evaluating B2B data providers, you need to consider the range of data attributes they offer. While email addresses and phone numbers can be relatively easy to obtain via a simple internet search, not every vendor might serve up extra details — like links to social media profiles and data describing the different technologies an organization uses. 

Beyond that, you should also look for vendors that offer advanced capabilities — like the ability to track contacts as they change jobs and features that let you draft personalized emails based on specific data points in just a few clicks using AI.

Data accuracy

If you’re relying on outdated data for prospecting, it’s pretty much impossible to hit your numbers. 

Data accuracy refers to how precise, reliable, and up-to-date information is within a certain data set. As you shop vendors, it’s critical to evaluate accuracy because inaccurate data can lead to misguided sales strategies, wasted resources, missed opportunities, and overall frustration. 

(Stay tuned: Later in this piece, we share insights into how to evaluate data accuracy when picking a B2B data vendor.)

Industry-specific data

Many data vendors offer a wide range of data. But do they truly have data that fits your industry? 

If you’re selling to other software companies, most providers will likely have the data you’re most interested in. However, if your focus is on more niche markets or industries, you’ll need to do your due diligence to confirm whether they’re able to provide accurate, up-to-date data tailored to those specific sectors.

Integrations with your tech stack

To ensure efficient data flow and minimize manual data entry and the associated errors that come with it, your B2B data provider should seamlessly integrate with your existing tech stack.

Ideally, the right solution will play nicely with CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, and sales engagement tools to ensure your data stays up-to-date and accurate across platforms. Without proper integration, you risk data silos and missed opportunities — which can slow down your team’s productivity and make it that much harder to achieve your goals.

Privacy & legal compliance

Your B2B data provider should prioritize privacy and legal compliance to ensure sensitive customer information stays protected and that you adhere to regulations like GDPR, PCI, HIPAA, and CCPA. Unfortunately, noncompliance can result in severe legal consequences — including hefty fines and damage to your brand’s reputation. 

By choosing a provider that prioritizes privacy, you not only safeguard your organization but also build trust with prospects and clients — reinforcing your commitment to data security. In an age where 94% of organizations agree that customers wouldn’t do business with them if they didn’t properly protect data, it’s imperative to look for solutions built on a foundation of data security and compliance. 

Customer support

When it comes to learning any new piece of technology, it’s only a matter of time before you run into an issue. This is why it’s so important to look for a data provider that has a reputation for excellent customer support.

After all, prompt and knowledgeable support can make a huge difference when it comes to resolving problems quickly and minimizing disruptions to your workflow. On top of this, a responsive support team ensures you’re able to fully leverage the provider’s tools and functionality, increasing the chances you get the most value from your investment in data and data enrichment.

Pricing

Of course, you’ll also need to consider pricing; even the best solution may be out of reach if it doesn’t fit your budget. If a provider seems perfect but the solution is too expensive, explore other cost-effective options that offer flexible pricing tiers. This approach ensures you can find a solution that meets your needs without compromising on your budget, enabling you to make a smart investment that gives you the biggest bang for your buck.

Plus, if you start small with a solution and see a ton of value, you can always upgrade your subscription later on.

How to test B2B data providers

As you begin searching for a B2B data vendor, you’ll quickly find out there’s no shortage of options at your disposal. So, how can you figure out which provider meets your needs most thoroughly? And while many vendors will tell you their product is the best on the market, how can you really be sure? 

In this section, we offer some steps you should follow to narrow down your options and begin testing each solution to find the perfect tool for your requirements.

1. Identify your needs in a B2B data provider

The first step toward finding a B2B data provider is understanding what your needs are. Consider the data attributes that are most important to your business along with data accuracy, how easy each solution integrates with other platforms, and overall ease of use. 

Again, you’ll need to evaluate the pricing structure to ensure you can afford the solution. To make sure your deployment goes off without a hitch, examine the level of customer support provided, and read customer reviews to see what real-world users are saying.

By taking your time and carefully weighing your options, you can begin zeroing in on a solution that aligns with your business objectives and improves your sales processes.

2. Create a shortlist of providers

Since there are only so many hours in a day, you likely can’t afford to drill down deeply into each of the dozens of B2B data solutions on the market today. And even if you could, that’s not the best use of time because each platform has different bells and whistles. While some providers might sell you on the fact they have billions of records, those solutions might not have the depth of data you’re looking for (e.g., links to LinkedIn profiles and technographic data). 

After doing some high-level research, create a shortlist of providers and begin refining your search from there. Since you’re no doubt an intelligent sales leader, your shortlist might look something like this:

• LeadIQ. Here at LeadIQ, we think LeadIQ is an incredible B2B data provider. 😎 In fact, we use LeadIQ every day as we continue scaling our operations and putting LeadIQ in the hands of more sales teams. 🤯

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The LeadIQ team is also big fans of LinkedIn Sales Navigator — to the point we couldn’t imagine life without it! While this is an awesome tool, it can’t surface folks who aren’t on LinkedIn; we recommend using LinkedIn Sales Navigator in conjunction with other data tools — like LeadIQ! 

• ZoomInfo. One of the biggest names in the space, ZoomInfo is a legacy platform built in 2007 that serves up contact data to customers across all industries. While ZoomInfo is packed with data, not all of it is actionable; the platform is also super-expensive too and has a clunky, outdated UX. Caveat emptor! 

Looking to accelerate the research process? Check out our post on the 9 Best B2B Contact Database Providers. While you’re at it, head over to sites like G2 and TrustRadius to see what real-world users are saying about different data providers.

3. If possible, create a list of current customers you have data on

As you continue your search, create a comprehensive list of your existing customers, complete with all the data fields you require. By leveraging your existing data, you can compare it against the caliber of what each vendor offers, allowing you to evaluate the accuracy and depth of their data, along with how up to date it is. This approach not only streamlines the assessment process but it also provides concrete benchmarks you can use to gauge the effectiveness of the data provider.

For the best results, aim to come up with at least 100 companies on your list. If this is not possible — maybe you’re a newer organization or your current data is too fragmented to extract meaningful insights from your CRM — consider creating a list of 100 potential target companies along with relevant titles you’re aiming to reach.

Pro tip: Don’t focus exclusively on CEOs, since their information is typically more easy to find. Instead, look for providers who are able to surface information about lower-status team members to give you a more comprehensive view of the organization. 

4. Run data tests

Since talk is cheap, it’s crucial to conduct data tests to ensure each vendor’s offerings align with your needs. A reputable provider will typically allow you to run a free test on a sample of at least 100 companies. While some may permit larger tests, focusing on a small group is sufficient for the initial phase of your evaluation. If the provider operates on a freemium model, you should be able to assess data quality without having to have a sales conversation.

That said, you should still think about initiating a conversation with a representative during the testing phase. This interaction will give you insights into the data quality and also the provider’s responsiveness and overall approach to customer service. 

To streamline the testing process, create a template CSV file that contains your master list of verified data, which you can share with each vendor. This approach ensures you can directly compare the accuracy of the data they provide against what you already know to be true, making it easier to identify the best fit for your needs.

5. Analyze the results of each B2B data provider

After some period of time, each vendor should send you the list back with new data in the requested fields. If the list you started with is complete and accurate, paste the new data into the same sheet and look for any duplicates. If you requested new fields, see whether the provider was able to deliver on that front.
If you have existing data, you need to ask yourself several questions once the provider gets back to you:

• Are the phone numbers correct?
• Are the email addresses correct?
• Are the job titles correct?
• Are the LinkedIn URLs and other social media profiles correct?

For new fields of data, ask these questions: 

• Does this demographic data seem correct?
• Does the financial data seem reasonable?
• Does the company size seem correct? 
• How accurate are the new fields?
• How many new fields did the provider cover?

After taking care of each of these steps, you should be able to narrow your list down to two or three potential suitors. Once you’re confident with your list of finalists, go back and assess other features relevant to each B2B data provider — like integrations, scalability, privacy, and price.

B2B data providers: One might not be enough!

Just like you use multiple channels for team communication — Slack, Zoom, email, and the phone, for example — you might be best off using multiple B2B data providers. Relying on a single provider can limit your sales team’s potential, as each vendor often excels in specific areas of data collection and accuracy.

To maximize your coverage, we commend engaging multiple providers. This is why integration is such an important feature to consider; you need to keep your CRM organized to prevent it from becoming cluttered with inconsistent, inaccurate, or duplicate data, and integrations can help you do that automatically.

With the right strategy, you can leverage multiple data sources to create a more robust data ecosystem, giving reps access to comprehensive insights they can use to target prospects with more precision.

The right provider will not only help you test their offerings but also ensure their solution seamlessly integrates with your tech stack. Even better, they’ll offer the support you need to ensure a smooth implementation, setting you up for success out of the gate — and putting you in a position to scale with ease when the stars align.

Experience LeadIQ’s award-winning B2B data platform today!

As a top-rated B2B data tool used by countless sales teams around the world, LeadIQ is designed to help modern sales teams prospect with confidence. We believe our powerful platform can give your team the actionable data you need to cover more ground faster — which is why we’ve spelled out exactly what you should do to assess different B2B data solutions in this blog post.

In our experience, other providers tend to be a bit opaque about their data because, well, they don’t want you to actually test their platforms. They just want you to believe everything they say.

As the saying goes, trust but verify. We’re telling you the truth — but we encourage you to take a look at the power of our data with your own eyes.

When you’re ready to begin a data test with us, drop us a line. We look forward to hearing from you!