Top 12 Intent Data Providers to Fuel Your Outbound Strategy in 2026

In outbound sales, timing is everything. Reaching a prospect who is actively researching a solution like yours dramatically increases the probability of booking a meeting and closing a deal. The most effective way to identify these in-market buyers before your competitors is by leveraging B2B intent data.

This guide provides an actionable, comparative look at the top 12 intent data providers. We cut through the marketing fluff to deliver a detailed breakdown of each platform, helping you find the right fit for your go-to-market strategy. If you're new to the concept, understanding what intent data is and how it drives growth is the first step. This resource is your blueprint for turning raw behavioral signals into predictable revenue.

We'll analyze the nuances that matter most: data sources, accuracy, refresh rates, and key integrations with your existing tech stack. You'll get an honest assessment of each provider's strengths and limitations, complete with screenshots and direct links. Whether you're building a targeted account-based marketing (ABM) campaign, refining your lead scoring model, or aiming to supercharge your SDR team's outbound efforts, this list will help you make an informed decision.

1. Bombora

Bombora is a foundational name among intent data providers, best known for its "Company Surge" data. It operates a massive data cooperative, aggregating consented, privacy-compliant browsing behavior from thousands of B2B websites and publishers. This model allows them to identify which companies are actively researching specific topics related to your products, signaling purchase intent before a prospect ever fills out a form.

Unlike providers relying on bidstream data, Bombora's co-op is built on a consent-based framework, making it a reliable choice for privacy-conscious organizations. The platform excels at providing account-level insights, making it a powerhouse for Account-Based Marketing (ABM), outbound sales prioritization, and targeted advertising. It helps GTM teams answer the crucial question: "Which of our target accounts are in-market right now?"

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Use Bombora's "Surge Score" to prioritize your existing target account list. A high score means the account is actively researching relevant topics. Move these accounts to the top of your SDR's call list.

• Best Practice: Create segmented advertising audiences based on intent topics. For example, target accounts surging on "cybersecurity solutions" with ads highlighting your security features.

Pros:

• Widespread Integration: Plugs into virtually every major sales and marketing platform.

• Topic Depth: Its taxonomy of over 18,000 topics allows for highly specific intent signal strategies.

Cons:

• Account-Level Focus: Identifies which companies are interested, not which individuals, requiring further research.

• Opaque Pricing: Requires direct sales engagement for access.

2. 6sense

6sense is a comprehensive Revenue AI platform that combines first-party data analytics (from your website) with aggregated third-party intent signals. Its core differentiator is using predictive AI to not only identify accounts showing intent but also to predict their buying stage and recommend specific actions for sales and marketing teams.

This AI-driven approach helps GTM teams move from "who is in-market?" to "who is in-market, how close are they to buying, and what should we do about it?" 6sense excels at orchestrating cross-channel engagement, making it a powerful tool for sophisticated ABM strategies. It provides a Sales Intelligence module that de-anonymizes web visitors, offers technographic data, and surfaces actionable insights directly within your CRM.

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Use the "Buying Stage" prediction to tailor outreach. An account in the "Decision" stage should receive a demo offer or case study, while an account in the "Awareness" stage might get a relevant blog post or webinar invitation.

• Best Practice: Set up CRM alerts for your sales team when a target account's 6sense score increases significantly or they visit a high-value page on your website.

Pros:

• Strong Orchestration: Excels at coordinating engagement across marketing and sales channels based on AI-driven recommendations.

• Free Tier: Offers a valuable free plan to trial the user interface and get a taste of the data.

Cons:

• Enterprise-Priced: The full platform is a significant investment for most small to mid-sized businesses.

• Sales-Led Process: Accessing paid tiers requires engaging with their sales team.

3. Demandbase

Demandbase has evolved into a comprehensive Go-to-Market suite powered by its own robust intent data, processing over two trillion signals monthly across an extensive keyword graph. This global reach makes it a formidable choice for international B2B organizations looking for versatile intent data providers.

Demandbase provides not just account-level intent but also geolocation-aware signals, allowing sales teams to focus on specific territories. GTM teams can leverage this data directly within the Demandbase One platform for orchestration or pipe it into their own data warehouse for custom analysis, offering a level of control that sophisticated data teams will appreciate.

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Use geolocation intent to route leads to the correct regional sales rep automatically. For example, if a London-based office of a global company shows intent, alert the EMEA sales team.

• Best Practice: For data-savvy teams, pipe Demandbase data into your own BI tools. Correlate intent trends with historical sales data to identify which keywords are most likely to predict a closed deal.

Pros:

• Deep Controls: Offers granular controls and historical intent views for trend analysis.

• Flexible Delivery: Data can be used in-platform or delivered directly to a cloud data warehouse for BI and analytics.

Cons:

• Platform Complexity: The full suite may be more than what smaller teams need.

• Opaque Pricing: Custom, quote-based pricing makes it difficult to assess costs without a sales consultation.

4. ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo is a dominant force in the B2B data space, integrating its vast company and contact database with actionable buyer intent signals. Its SalesOS platform offers powerful intent data features, including "Streaming Intent," which identifies companies showing buying signals across a wide range of topics. This creates a single platform where GTM teams can find both who to contact and why they should contact them now.

The platform's key advantage is its ability to seamlessly connect account-level intent spikes directly to detailed contact records and workflow triggers. Unlike standalone intent data providers, ZoomInfo allows users to immediately identify decision-makers at surging accounts and push them into sales cadences or marketing campaigns. This direct line from signal to action makes it an efficient, all-in-one solution.

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Create a "Workflow" in ZoomInfo that automatically adds contacts from companies showing high intent for a specific topic into a predefined sales cadence in your engagement tool (like Outreach or Salesloft).

• Best Practice: Use intent data to enrich existing leads in your CRM. If a cold lead's company suddenly shows buying signals, re-engage them with a personalized message referencing their potential new project.

Pros:

• Unified Platform: Ties account intent directly to world-class contact data, streamlining prospecting.

• Broad Ecosystem: Integrates with a massive network of tools for a holistic view of buyer signals.

Cons:

• Premium Feature: Intent data is often gated in higher-cost tiers or requires an additional subscription.

• Signal Precision: Reliance on bidstream data can occasionally produce less precise signals that require validation.

5. TechTarget Priority Engine

TechTarget's Priority Engine is a dominant force among intent data providers for the B2B technology sector. It derives its power from a vast network of over 150 specialized tech editorial websites, capturing rich, first-party data directly from active buyers. This approach allows it to deliver both account-level and highly coveted prospect-level intent signals, answering not just which company is in-market, but also who within that company is leading the research.

Priority Engine excels at providing deep context tied to the buyer's journey. It links intent signals directly to the content individuals are consuming, giving sales teams unparalleled insight into a prospect's specific pain points and interests. This makes it an incredibly actionable platform for technology companies looking to engage active buying committees with hyper-relevant messaging.

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: When a prospect-level signal is identified, reference the topic of the content they engaged with in your outreach. For example, "Saw your company is researching data virtualization, and I thought you'd find this case study on the topic useful."

• Best Practice: Align your content marketing calendar with the most popular research topics you see in Priority Engine. This ensures your content directly addresses the active pain points of your target audience.

Pros:

• Highly Actionable Intent: Provides named contacts and the specific content they've engaged with.

• Trusted Tech Audience: Data is sourced from an engaged audience of verified technology buyers, ensuring high signal quality.

Cons:

• Niche Focus: Its primary strength is in the technology sector; it offers less relevance for companies outside of B2B tech.

• Sales-Led Model: Pricing is not publicly available and requires engaging with their sales team.

6. G2 Buyer Intent

G2 leverages its position as a leading software marketplace to offer a unique and powerful source of buyer intent data. Instead of tracking broad web browsing, G2 Buyer Intent captures signals directly from user activity on its own platform. This includes which companies are viewing your product profile, comparing you against competitors, and researching your pricing, providing high-fidelity, bottom-of-funnel indicators.

This first-party data approach makes it immune to third-party cookie deprecation and offers a real-time window into active evaluation cycles. For SaaS and technology companies, G2 is a critical resource, turning marketplace research into actionable sales opportunities. The platform helps teams prioritize accounts that are not just "in-market" but are actively comparing solutions and are close to a purchase decision.

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Prioritize immediate outreach to any target account that views your pricing page or compares you to a key competitor. This is a strong signal of late-stage evaluation.

• Best Practice: Create a "G2 Competitor Comparison" sales play. When an account views your profile alongside a competitor, send a tailored email or battlecard highlighting your specific advantages over that rival.

Pros:

• High-Fidelity Signals: Provides strong bottom-funnel indicators that signal immediate purchase intent.

• First-Party Data: Unaffected by cookie deprecation, ensuring a stable and reliable data source.

Cons:

• SaaS-Centric: Most valuable for software and tech companies listed on the platform.

• Profile Dependency: Requires your product to have a G2 profile to unlock its full potential.

7. Intentsify

Intentsify stands out by offering a hybrid model that combines powerful intent data with managed activation services. Instead of just providing raw data, Intentsify focuses on delivering outcomes by helping GTM teams execute campaigns based on persona-level and buying-group insights. Their model identifies which accounts are in-market and helps you reach specific decision-makers within those accounts through targeted media and ABM programs.

This approach is ideal for teams that lack the internal bandwidth to fully operationalize intent data. By monitoring signals from over 460,000 B2B content sites, Intentsify uncovers granular buying signals and then works with you to launch campaigns that engage those high-intent prospects, making it a comprehensive solution for both the "what" and the "how-to" of intent-driven marketing.

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Use persona-level insights to tailor messaging. If Intentsify shows a "Head of IT" is researching a topic, send technical content. If a "CFO" is showing interest, send content focused on ROI and cost savings.

• Best Practice: Leverage their managed services for a pilot program. This allows you to test intent-driven advertising or content syndication with expert support before bringing the function in-house.

Pros:

• Services + Data: Reduces the internal lift required to activate intent data by providing managed campaign execution.

• Persona-Level Granularity: Moves beyond account-level signals to identify the actual roles showing interest.

Cons:

• Less Self-Serve: Less suitable for teams seeking a pure self-serve data tool.

• Services-Based Budget: Requires budgeting for a managed service rather than just a data license.

8. RollWorks (NextRoll)

RollWorks is an Account-Based Marketing (ABM) platform where intent data acts as a powerful activation layer. It combines proprietary Keyword Intent with Bombora's Company Surge® data, providing a comprehensive view of which accounts are actively researching solutions and specific keywords relevant to your business.

RollWorks excels at bridging the gap between identifying intent and taking action, particularly through advertising. The platform is designed to help GTM teams seamlessly build dynamic audience segments based on intent signals and then immediately launch targeted display and social ad campaigns. Its core strength lies in its native ad activation workflows, making it a top choice for marketers.

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Create a dynamic audience in RollWorks for all accounts showing high intent for your top 3 keywords. Launch a targeted display ad campaign to this audience with messaging that directly addresses those keywords.

• Best practice: Sync your RollWorks intent-based account lists with your CRM. Create a report for your sales team titled "Marketing-Engaged High-Intent Accounts" to align efforts.

Pros:

• Strong Ad Activation: Natively built to turn intent signals directly into targeted advertising campaigns.

• Blended Intent Sources: Combines its own keyword data with Bombora's topic data for a more robust view of account activity.

Cons:

• Marketing-Centric: Features are heavily optimized for marketing and advertising use cases over pure-play sales prospecting.

• Requires Contact Resolution: Identifies interested companies, but sales teams still need another step to find the right contacts.

9. Apollo

Apollo is an all-in-one sales intelligence and engagement platform that integrates intent data directly into its prospecting workflow. It sources buying intent from established partners, including LeadSift/Foundry and Bombora, allowing users to identify interested accounts and immediately engage them with built-in tools like a sequencer and dialer. This embedded approach is highly efficient for sales teams looking to act on signals without juggling multiple subscriptions.

This platform makes intent-driven prospecting accessible, making it an excellent starting point for smaller teams. Instead of purchasing enterprise-level data packages, users can access intent signals within the same interface they use for finding contacts and launching outreach. This native integration between signal and action answers the question: "Which accounts are in-market, and how can I contact them right now?"

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Use Apollo's search filter for "Buying Intent" to create a saved list of prospects. Enroll this list directly into a multi-step email and call sequence within Apollo's engagement module.

• Best Practice: Start with the free or low-cost plans to validate the value of intent data for your business. Track the conversion rate of intent-based leads vs. standard cold leads to build a case for upgrading.

Pros:

• Cost-Accessible: Provides a freemium and low-cost entry point to experiment with intent-driven outreach.

• Natively Integrated Workflow: Combines data, intent signals, and engagement tools in one platform.

Cons:

• Dependent on Partners: The depth and topic coverage of intent data are limited by the partner feeds and the user's plan.

• Upsell for Quality: The highest quality intent data requires upgrading to higher-tier paid plans.

10. Cognism

Cognism is a global sales intelligence platform that embeds high-quality intent data alongside its core offering of verified B2B contact data, particularly phone numbers. The platform partners with Bombora to provide Company Surge intent signals, allowing teams to identify in-market accounts and instantly access the direct-dial numbers and emails of key decision-makers.

This all-in-one approach solves the "what next?" problem. Instead of exporting a list of surging accounts to another tool, sales reps can immediately build a calling or email list, drastically reducing the time between signal and outreach. This makes it an ideal solution for sales development teams that prioritize phone-based prospecting.

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Create a daily workflow for your SDRs: 1. Filter for new high-intent accounts in Cognism. 2. Reveal the verified direct-dial numbers for 3-5 relevant personas at each account. 3. Begin cold calling immediately.

• Best Practice: Use the intent signals to warm up your cold calls. Instead of a generic opening, try: "We're helping leaders in your industry solve [Problem related to intent topic]. Is that a priority for you right now?"

Pros:

• Actionable Data: Pairs intent signals directly with verified contact and phone data, perfect for dial-centric sales teams.

• Tool Consolidation: Combines a top-tier contact database with intent data.

Cons:

• Tiered Access: Intent data is typically included in higher-priced plans.

• Sales-Led Model: Pricing is not transparent and often requires annual contracts.

11. SalesIntel

SalesIntel is a sales intelligence platform that packages powerful third-party intent data directly into its solution. It integrates Bombora's Company Surge data, allowing GTM teams to access top-tier intent signals within the same tool they use for contact and company research. This bundling simplifies workflows by eliminating the need to jump between separate platforms.

The platform's primary value is pairing account-level buying signals with its core offering of human-verified B2B contact data. For sales teams, this means they can not only identify which target accounts are actively researching their solutions but also immediately access the contact information of key decision-makers within those accounts. This makes SalesIntel a highly actionable choice for outbound sales.

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Use the "Research on Demand" feature for high-value intent accounts. If you identify a key company but lack specific contacts, request that SalesIntel's team verifies the decision-makers for you.

• Best Practice: Integrate SalesIntel with your CRM to automatically enrich existing account records with intent data. This surfaces up-sell or cross-sell opportunities within your customer base.

Pros:

• All-in-One Efficiency: Combines high-quality Bombora intent data with verified contact details.

• Actionable Data: Immediately provides the "who" to contact at an account showing intent.

Cons:

• Packaged Offering: Intent data is not a standalone product and is part of higher-tier plans.

• Quote-Based Pricing: The cost is not transparent and can vary.

12. Lead411

Lead411 is a B2B contact and company data platform offering an affordable entry point into GTM intelligence. Its key differentiator is providing access to Bombora's "Company Surge" data as an add-on to its higher-tier annual plans. This makes it an excellent choice for small to mid-sized teams that need a cost-effective solution for core contact data but also want the option to layer on powerful account-level intent signals.

The platform also provides other valuable "growth triggers" like news of funding rounds, new hires, and IPO announcements, which act as complementary buying signals. By combining these triggers with Bombora’s topic-based intent, GTM teams can build highly targeted outreach campaigns. Lead411 is best suited for businesses looking for an all-in-one solution without an enterprise-level contract.

Key Details & Use Cases

Best Practices:

• Action Plan: Combine intent data with "growth triggers." For example, target a company that just received funding (a growth trigger) AND is showing intent for your product category. This dual signal indicates both need and budget.

• Best Practice: Use the monthly plan to test the core contact database. If it meets your needs, you can confidently upgrade to an annual plan with the Bombora add-on to scale your efforts.

Pros:

• Budget-Friendly: Clear, public pricing with a free trial and low-cost entry plans.

• Hybrid Model: Combines essential contact data with the option to add premium Bombora intent.

Cons:

• Limited Intent Access: Bombora intent is not included in base plans and is restricted to specific annual subscriptions.

• Geographic Focus: International data coverage can be less comprehensive.

Top 12 Intent Data Providers Comparison

From Data to Deals: Making Your Intent Data Actionable

Choosing an intent data provider is only the first step. The real value comes from turning those signals into revenue-generating conversations. Simply knowing a company is "in-market" is not enough. The key is to operationalize these signals by integrating them seamlessly into your sales and marketing workflows to create timely, relevant, and personalized outreach.

Key Takeaways and Best Practices

As you finalize your decision, use this strategic framework to choose a provider that will drive tangible results.

• Define Your Use Case First: Are you powering a high-volume SDR team? Platforms with strong contact data like ZoomInfo or Apollo are a good starting point. Are you running a sophisticated ABM program? The deep account intelligence of 6sense or Demandbase is a better fit. Pinpoint your primary objective before you book a demo.

• Data Requires Process: The most common failure is treating intent data as a magic bullet. It is a powerful catalyst, but it requires a clear process. Document how your team will act on a signal: Who gets the alert? What is the outreach sequence? How is the message personalized based on the intent topic?

• Integration is Non-Negotiable: Your chosen provider must integrate smoothly with your CRM and sales engagement platform. A clunky workflow that requires manual data exports will kill adoption and ROI. Prioritize platforms with deep, native connections to the tools your team already uses.

• Start Small, Then Scale: Don't try to boil the ocean. Begin with a pilot program focused on a specific market segment. Measure the results meticulously, from engagement rates to pipeline generated. This approach proves the value of intent data internally and builds a strong business case for wider implementation.

Final Considerations for Implementation

Once you've selected a provider, focus on these practical steps for a successful rollout:

1. Team Enablement and Training: Your reps need to understand what an intent signal means and how to use it. Train them to incorporate the insight into their messaging without sounding intrusive. Instead of, "I see you were researching our competitors," they should use the insight to frame a relevant, problem-solving conversation.

2. Establish Clear Metrics for Success: How will you measure ROI? Go beyond activity metrics. Track key performance indicators like lead-to-opportunity conversion rates, sales cycle length, and deal size for intent-qualified leads versus your standard outbound leads.

3. Iterate Based on Feedback: The insights you gain are not static. Regularly review campaign performance and gather feedback from your sales team. Are certain intent signals leading to better conversations? Is the data accurate? Use this feedback loop to continuously refine your strategy.

Choosing the right partner is critical, but remember that even the most powerful tools are only as effective as the strategy behind them. The journey from raw data to closed deals requires a clear plan, a committed team, and the right operational framework to turn powerful signals into predictable pipeline.

Tired of analyzing data and just want qualified meetings on your calendar? DexyAI transforms intent signals into a fully managed, AI-driven outbound engine. We handle the entire process, from building intent-based prospect lists to executing hyper-personalized outreach, guaranteeing you meetings with your ideal customers. Learn how DexyAI can run your entire outbound motion for you.