Common Room vs Cognism
Short version: Common Room is the better fit for product-led and modern GTM teams acting on real-time buying signals, while Cognism is built for outbound teams selling into Europe that live and die by phone connect rates.
Common Room
Capture buying signals across the web
Free plan
Free starter plan; paid Essential from ~$2,500/mo annually
Cognism
Phone-verified data with strong EU coverage
Custom pricing
Custom annual pricing; unrestricted-data packages available
At a glance
| Spec | Common | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free plan | Custom pricing |
| Budget tier | Mid-range | Premium |
| Complexity | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Primary category | Sales Intelligence & Signals | Prospecting & Lead Data |
| Integrations | 50+ | 30+ |
| Founded | 2020 | 2015 |
Feature comparison
Common offers 9 of 11 tracked sales intelligence & signals features; Cognism offers 3.
| Feature | Common | Cognism |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer intent data | ||
| Account & company research | ||
| Waterfall data enrichment | ||
| Job-change & hiring signals | ||
| ICP / lead scoring | ||
| Workflow automation | ||
| AI research agents | ||
| CRM enrichment | ||
| Free plan | ||
| API & webhooks | ||
| Priority / 24-7 support |
Common Room
Pros
- Aggregates many signal sources into one view
- Identifies warm people and accounts
- Automations to route signals to reps
Cons
- Setup and signal tuning take effort
- Custom pricing at scale
- Best for signal-led motions
Cognism
Pros
- Excellent EU/UK coverage and GDPR/DNC compliance
- Phone-verified 'Diamond' mobile numbers
- Unrestricted data views on most plans
Cons
- Custom annual contracts, no self-serve or free plan
- US coverage trails ZoomInfo
- Best value only at team scale
Which should you choose?
Choose Common if…
- you want aggregates many signal sources into one view
- you want identifies warm people and accounts
- you want automations to route signals to reps
Choose Cognism if…
- you want excellent EU/UK coverage and GDPR/DNC compliance
- you want phone-verified 'Diamond' mobile numbers
- you want unrestricted data views on most plans
The verdict
Both are solid sales intelligence & signals tools. The best choice comes down to fit: Common for product-led and modern GTM teams acting on real-time buying signals, and Cognism for outbound teams selling into Europe that live and die by phone connect rates.
Browse all tools →Frequently asked questions
Is Common Room or Cognism cheaper?
Common Room is the more affordable option (Free plan versus Custom pricing). The lower sticker price isn't always the better value, though, weigh the tier your team will actually land on and any add-ons.
Which is better, Common Room or Cognism?
Neither is strictly better, they're built for different priorities. Common Room is the stronger pick for product-led and modern GTM teams acting on real-time buying signals, while Cognism suits outbound teams selling into Europe that live and die by phone connect rates.
What's the main difference between Common Room and Cognism?
Common Room is intermediate and mid-range, while Cognism is intermediate and premium. On tracked sales intelligence & signals features, Common covers 9 and Cognism covers 3.