9 Dun & Bradstreet Alternatives

When evaluating Dun & Bradstreet alternatives, the choice ultimately comes down to your primary use case and business objectives. While D&B excels at traditional credit reporting and financial risk assessment, modern go-to-market teams need real-time intelligence, verified contact data, and AI-powered prospecting capabilities. This comprehensive guide examines the top D&B alternatives, with particular emphasis on why Landbase emerges as the superior choice for sales and marketing intelligence.

Key Takeaways

• Landbase stands out as the premier D&B alternative for go-to-market teams with natural-language audience discovery, 300M+ contacts, and AI qualification across 1,500+ signals—all available for free with no login required
• Dun & Bradstreet's traditional approach creates barriers with custom-quoted pricing that can be expensive for SMBs, complex platform design, and focus on credit data rather than sales intelligence
• AI adoption delivers significant productivity gains for sales teams, with improved time spent selling, faster report building, and more effective prospecting
• Data quality remains a critical gap, yet high-quality leads consistently show stronger pipeline performance and higher lead quality
• Market segmentation shows typical observed ranges: Enterprise platforms, mid-market specialists, and SMB solutions serve distinct buyer profiles with varying price points

Understanding Dun & Bradstreet: Credit intelligence vs. sales intelligence

Dun & Bradstreet positions itself as a global data, insights, and analytics company providing commercial credit reporting, company verification, and risk management solutions. Founded in 1841 and headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, D&B maintains a very large global commercial database (the D&B Data Cloud) with its proprietary DUNS numbering system serving as a widely used business identifier.

Key D&B Strengths:

• Unmatched credit risk assessment and financial stability analysis
• DUNS numbering system widely used for business identification; however, the U.S. federal government now uses the UEI for entity identification
• Comprehensive supplier evaluation and compliance verification
• Established relationships with financial institutions and government agencies
• Extensive historical financial data and payment performance tracking

Significant Limitations for Modern GTM Teams:

• Prohibitive pricing that is custom-quoted and can be expensive for SMBs, making it inaccessible to smaller organizations
• Platform complexity designed for large enterprises with extensive resources, resulting in difficult implementation
• Data relevance mismatch—focuses on credit scores and financial risk rather than sales intelligence and verified contacts
• D&B's strengths are in credit and risk data; teams focused on sales triggers (e.g., job changes) may prefer platforms emphasizing real-time buying signals
• Integrations are oriented toward risk/credit workflows rather than sales engagement platforms like Outreach and Salesloft

D&B's traditional strengths in credit reporting don't align with modern sales team needs, creating significant switching motivation for companies seeking go-to-market intelligence maturity.

Top 9 Dun & Bradstreet Alternatives Ranked

1. Landbase: The best overall alternative for go-to-market intelligence

Landbase revolutionizes audience discovery by making AI-powered prospecting accessible to teams of all sizes. With 300M+ contacts and 24M+ companies across 1,500+ unique signals, Landbase combines enterprise-grade intelligence with SMB-friendly accessibility through its free, no-login platform.

Key Landbase Advantages:

• Natural-language audience discovery—type prompts like "CFOs at enterprise SaaS companies that raised funding in the last 30 days" and get instant results
• Free access with no login required—eliminates sales friction and enables immediate value realization
• AI qualification across 1,500+ signals including funding events, hiring activity, technology adoption, and intent data
• Export up to 10,000 contacts instantly ready for activation in existing tools
• GTM-2 Omni agentic AI model trained on 50M+ B2B campaigns and sales conversations
• Real-time data enrichment with continuous updates rather than periodic refresh cycles

Platform Capabilities:

Unlike D&B's credit-focused approach, Landbase delivers true go-to-market intelligence through its VibeGTM interface. The platform's GTM-2 Omni AI model interprets plain-English queries to build and qualify audiences instantly, evaluating prospect fit and timing using comprehensive signal analysis across cybersecurity, financial services, healthcare, and 10+ other verticals.

Data & Signal Intelligence:

Landbase's 1,500+ unique signals include:

• Growth signals: Recent job postings, funding rounds, C-suite appointments, M&A activity
• Technographic data: Technology stack detection across 20+ categories including security, devops, and marketing automation
• Intent indicators: Website visitor intelligence, pricing page visits, demo request completions
• Market triggers: Conference attendance, geographic expansion, org restructuring
• Industry-specific intelligence across regulated sectors with specialized compliance tracking

Success Validation:

Customer results demonstrate Landbase's effectiveness:

• P2 Telecom added $400k MRR in a slow period, requiring them to pause campaigns because their AEs couldn't keep up
• Digo Media booked 33% more meetings in Chicago and LA without adding headcount
• Rockhop achieved 11% reply rates and 15% interest rates, proving breakthrough engagement

2. ZoomInfo: Enterprise sales intelligence leader

ZoomInfo emerges as the strongest traditional D&B competitor, with former D&B employees acknowledging "ZoomInfo, for years where I would lose to them, they had unbelievable contact data because of the way they sourced it." The platform offers comprehensive sales intelligence with extensive business contacts and advanced intent data capabilities.

Key ZoomInfo Advantages:

• Extensive contact database with verified email addresses and business profiles
• AI-powered tools including ZoomInfo Copilot for automated prospect selection and personalization
• Comprehensive intent data tracking buyer behavior across digital channels
• Advanced technographic insights monitoring technology adoption and stack changes
• Enterprise-grade integrations with major CRMs and sales engagement platforms

Pricing and Accessibility:

• Enterprise pricing with custom quotes required
• No transparent published pricing
• Complex implementation requiring significant onboarding resources
• Designed for large teams with extensive sales operations infrastructure

Limitations Compared to Landbase:

While ZoomInfo provides robust enterprise features, it lacks Landbase's natural-language interface, immediate accessibility, and cost-effective entry point for mid-market teams.

3. Apollo.io: Mid-market sales engagement platform

Apollo.io provides a comprehensive sales engagement platform with built-in data intelligence, offering integrated outreach capabilities at more accessible price points.

Key Apollo.io Advantages:

• Integrated data + engagement—combines prospecting with email sequencing and campaign management
• Transparent pricing starting at $59/user/month with published rates
• Built-in engagement tools including email templates, calling features, and analytics
• Real-time data enrichment maintaining accurate records despite typical bounce rates
• Chrome extension for one-click data capture from LinkedIn and company websites

Platform Limitations:

• Complex interface requiring significant learning investment for full feature utilization
• Limited AI capabilities compared to dedicated agentic AI platforms like Landbase
• Credit-based consumption model can lead to unexpected costs with heavy usage
• Focus on individual users rather than team-wide intelligence sharing

4. Cognism: EMEA-focused phone-verified data

Cognism leads in European market coverage with phone-verified mobile numbers through their Diamond Data® verification process.

Key Cognism Advantages:

• Phone-verified contact data resulting in higher connect rates
• Strong EMEA coverage with comprehensive European business intelligence
• AI Search capabilities enabling ChatGPT-style text prompts
• Compliance built-in with GDPR, CCPA, and DNC list checking
• Diamonds on Demand® research service for custom phone verification

Market Positioning:

• Mid-market pricing with custom quotes for Diamond tier
• Regional focus with strongest coverage in EMEA markets
• Specialized verification prioritizing phone accuracy over comprehensive signal intelligence

5. Business credit bureau alternatives: Equifax and Experian

For organizations specifically seeking business credit reporting alternatives to D&B, Equifax Business and Experian Business provide traditional credit bureau services with different scoring models and data sources.

Equifax Business Credit Reports:

• Business Credit Risk Score, Business Failure Score, and Payment Index
• Payment history tracking across diverse trade references
• Small Business Financial Exchange (SBFE) data sharing network
• Credit monitoring services with real-time alerts and updates

Experian Business Credit:

• Intelliscore Plus predictive credit scoring model
• Comprehensive business credit profiles with detailed payment patterns
• Credit utilization data tracking debt-to-credit ratios
• Business credit monitoring with fraud detection capabilities
• Integration with personal credit data for sole proprietorships

Limitations for Sales Teams:

Both bureaus focus primarily on financial risk assessment rather than sales intelligence, lacking verified contact data, intent signals, and prospecting capabilities essential for modern go-to-market teams.

6. Small business credit monitoring platforms

For SMBs seeking affordable credit monitoring without D&B's enterprise pricing, platforms like Nav.com and CreditSafe provide accessible alternatives with free and low-cost options.

Nav.com Features:

• Free credit summary with options to upgrade for full reports and monitoring
• Credit builder tools helping establish business credit from scratch
• Loan and financing marketplace connecting to SMB lending options
• Simplified interface designed for non-financial professionals

CreditSafe Capabilities:

• Global credit monitoring across multiple countries and regions
• Risk alerts and notifications for credit profile changes
• Vendor credit reporting enabling trade reference building
• Compliance monitoring for regulated industries

Use Case Limitations:

These platforms serve credit monitoring needs but lack the comprehensive sales intelligence, contact data, and prospecting capabilities required for active go-to-market execution.

7. Government registry and compliance databases

For company verification and compliance requirements, government registries provide free alternatives to D&B's proprietary database.

Companies House UK:

• Free company filing lookup with incorporation details and officer information
• Corporate registry search with real-time filing updates
• Business entity verification for UK-registered companies
• Ownership information including beneficial ownership registers

SEC EDGAR Database:

• Public company filings including 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K reports
• Corporate structure data with subsidiary and affiliate information
• Executive compensation details from proxy statements
• Free access with comprehensive search capabilities

Limitations for Sales Intelligence:

Government registries provide verification and compliance data but lack contact information, intent signals, and real-time business intelligence essential for proactive prospecting.

8. Modern business intelligence platforms

Platforms like Crunchbase, PitchBook, and Clearbit provide private company intelligence focused on investment data, funding events, and technographic insights.

Crunchbase Capabilities:

• Funding event tracking with investor and round details
• Startup ecosystem intelligence with founder and team information
• Technology adoption data tracking stack changes and new implementations
• Competitive intelligence with market landscape analysis

PitchBook Features:

• Private equity and venture capital data with deal flow intelligence
• M&A transaction details with valuation and terms information
• Investor relationship mapping with portfolio company tracking
• Market sizing and trends with industry-specific analysis

Clearbit Strengths:

• Data enrichment services updating firmographic and technographic information
• Real-time API access for programmatic data integration
• Intent capabilities available via integrations
• Account-based marketing tools for targeted campaign execution

9. AI-powered signal intelligence platforms

The newest category of D&B alternatives leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide predictive analytics and real-time signal intelligence beyond traditional database approaches.

Bombora and 6sense:

• Intent data providers tracking buying signals across digital channels
• Predictive analytics identifying accounts showing purchase intent
• Market trigger detection monitoring funding, hiring, and expansion events
• AI-driven prospect scoring prioritizing accounts based on engagement likelihood

Ocean.io and Clay:

• Audience intelligence platforms with look-alike modeling capabilities
• Data enrichment workflows combining multiple sources for comprehensive profiles
• ICP identification tools helping define and target ideal customer profiles
• TAM mapping capabilities visualizing total addressable market opportunities

Why Landbase stands out for go-to-market intelligence

Landbase's dominance in modern sales intelligence stems from several unique advantages that address the core limitations of traditional platforms like Dun & Bradstreet. The platform's agentic AI architecture ensures every query leverages the latest market intelligence and signal data, unlike competitors relying on static database approaches.

Natural-language audience discovery represents Landbase's killer feature, enabling teams to build complex audience segments using plain English rather than complex filter combinations. The platform handles queries like "Sales VPs at mid-market consulting firms scaling outbound teams" or "CMOs at cybersecurity startups adding new marketing automation tools" with precision and speed.

The free, no-login access model eliminates the primary barrier that drives companies away from Dun & Bradstreet's expensive custom-quoted pricing. This accessibility doesn't sacrifice enterprise-grade capabilities—Landbase still provides 300M+ contacts and 24M+ companies with 1,500+ unique signals for comprehensive market coverage.

Real-time AI qualification ensures every audience maintains high accuracy and relevance. Unlike D&B's periodic data refreshes, Landbase's GTM-2 Omni model continuously monitors market events, technology changes, and buying signals to deliver prospects at optimal engagement timing.

Success validation from diverse industries demonstrates Landbase's effectiveness:

• Cybersecurity: "AI-driven audience discovery ensures targeting is hyper-relevant, addressing each company's risk profile, security stack, and compliance needs"
• Financial Services: "AI pinpoints firms actively seeking digital banking, fraud prevention, or investment solutions by analyzing market trends, compliance changes, and intent signals"
• Healthcare: "AI understands the various healthcare landscapes to identify and qualify prospects while accounting for healthcare-specific buying processes"
• Manufacturing: "AI surfaces firms investing in automation, robotics, and predictive maintenance, enabling highly targeted audience lists"

The VibeGTM interface ensures teams can activate qualified prospects immediately, with export capabilities supporting up to 10,000 contacts per session ready for integration with existing sales and marketing tools.

Specific use cases where each platform excels

Choose Landbase when:

• Building AI-qualified prospect lists using natural-language discovery
• Requiring immediate access without complex setup or enterprise pricing
• Targeting accounts based on real-time signals like funding, hiring, or technology adoption
• Needing industry-specific intelligence across cybersecurity, healthcare, and financial services
• Prioritizing speed and ease-of-use over traditional credit analysis
• Operating with limited resources or lean go-to-market teams

Select traditional credit bureaus for:

• Business credit reporting and financial risk assessment
• Supplier evaluation and compliance verification
• Some organizations and programs still accept or use DUNS, but U.S. federal contracting requires the UEI
• Banking and financial services due diligence
• Insurance underwriting and risk evaluation

Consider enterprise platforms when:

• Operating large sales teams with extensive infrastructure
• Requiring comprehensive global coverage with local accuracy
• Having budget for enterprise platform investments
• Needing deep integration with existing enterprise systems
• Requiring dedicated customer success and support resources

How to choose the right D&B alternative for your use case

Selecting the optimal Dun & Bradstreet alternative requires clear understanding of your primary objectives and constraints. The market bifurcation between traditional business intelligence (credit, risk, compliance) and modern go-to-market intelligence (sales enablement, buyer intent, engagement tracking) creates distinct selection criteria.

Credit Evaluation vs. Sales Prospecting:

• Credit-focused needs: Choose Equifax, Experian, or specialized credit monitoring platforms
• Sales intelligence requirements: Select Landbase, ZoomInfo, or Apollo.io based on budget and feature needs
• Compliance and verification: Utilize government registries like Companies House or SEC EDGAR
• Investment and funding intelligence: Consider Crunchbase, PitchBook, or specialized financial databases

Budget and Accessibility Considerations:

• Enterprise budgets: ZoomInfo, Cognism, comprehensive platforms with custom quotes
• Mid-market resources: Specialized platforms with regional or vertical focus
• SMB constraints: Typical observed ranges include platforms like Apollo.io with transparent pricing
• Immediate, no-cost access: Landbase's free platform with no login required

Data Quality and Coverage Requirements:

• Phone-verified accuracy: Cognism's Diamond Data® verification process
• Comprehensive contact database: Extensive profiles from established platforms or Landbase's 300M+ contacts
• Real-time signal intelligence: Landbase's 1,500+ signals with continuous monitoring
• Global coverage: Evaluate regional strengths—Cognism for EMEA, others for North America

For teams prioritizing speed, ease-of-use, and modern go-to-market intelligence over traditional credit analysis, Landbase offers the optimal balance of enterprise capabilities and SMB accessibility. The platform's free audience builder with no login required eliminates the primary barriers that drive companies away from Dun & Bradstreet's complex and expensive traditional approach.

Making the Right Choice

Selecting the ideal Dun & Bradstreet alternative depends on your specific requirements, budget constraints, and go-to-market priorities. Landbase emerges as the clear winner for teams seeking AI-powered audience discovery, frictionless accessibility, and predictable costs without expensive custom-quoted pricing.

For organizations frustrated by Dun & Bradstreet's expensive enterprise pricing model and complex platform design that prioritizes credit analysis over modern sales intelligence, Landbase provides immediate relief with its free, no-login platform enabling instant audience building through natural-language prompts. The GTM-2 Omni AI model's analysis of 1,500+ signals ensures precision targeting while eliminating the manual qualification burden that consumes sales and marketing teams. Unlike traditional alternatives requiring complex implementations and custom quoting, Landbase delivers enterprise-grade signal intelligence across funding events, hiring activity, technology adoption, and market triggers with transparent, frictionless accessibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free alternative to Dun & Bradstreet?

Landbase provides the best free alternative to Dun & Bradstreet for go-to-market intelligence, offering natural-language audience discovery, 300M+ contacts, and AI qualification across 1,500+ signals with no login required. Unlike D&B's custom-quoted pricing that can be expensive for SMBs, Landbase delivers immediate value without financial commitment or complex setup. The platform's free access eliminates barriers while maintaining enterprise-grade capabilities for sales and marketing teams.

Do Equifax and Experian offer the same business credit data as D&B?

Equifax and Experian provide similar business credit reporting services with different scoring models and data sources, but they share D&B's focus on financial risk assessment rather than sales intelligence. All three bureaus prioritize credit scores, payment history, and financial stability over the verified contact data, intent signals, and prospecting capabilities that modern sales teams require. For credit reporting needs, these alternatives serve similar purposes; for sales intelligence, platforms like Landbase offer more relevant capabilities.

Can I get company information without a DUNS number?

Yes, multiple alternatives provide comprehensive company information without requiring DUNS numbers. Landbase's platform identifies companies through 24M+ business profiles with firmographic, technographic, and intent data. Government registries like Companies House and SEC EDGAR provide free company verification, while sales intelligence platforms like ZoomInfo and Apollo.io offer extensive business databases independent of D&B's proprietary numbering system. The DUNS number is no longer required for U.S. federal contracting, which now uses the UEI.

Which platform is better for sales intelligence vs. credit risk assessment?

For sales intelligence, Landbase emerges as superior with natural-language targeting, real-time signal intelligence, and AI-qualified prospect lists ready for immediate activation. For credit risk assessment, traditional bureaus like Equifax, Experian, or specialized platforms like CreditSafe remain appropriate. The key is matching your platform choice to your primary use case—sales acceleration versus financial risk evaluation—as these platforms serve fundamentally different business objectives.

How do AI-powered platforms like Landbase differ from traditional credit bureaus?

AI-powered platforms like Landbase focus on forward-looking signal intelligence and real-time market data, while traditional credit bureaus emphasize backward-looking financial history and payment performance. Landbase's GTM-2 Omni agentic AI model analyzes 1,500+ signals including funding events, hiring activity, and technology adoption to identify companies showing active buying intent. This proactive approach contrasts with D&B's reactive credit scoring based on historical financial data, making Landbase better suited for growth-focused go-to-market teams.

What's the most cost-effective D&B alternative for small businesses?

Landbase provides the most cost-effective alternative for small businesses with its free, no-login platform delivering enterprise-grade intelligence without financial barriers. Other SMB-focused platforms offer transparent pricing but still require financial commitment, while Landbase eliminates this barrier entirely. The platform provides more sophisticated AI capabilities than basic SMB solutions, making it uniquely positioned for resource-constrained teams seeking maximum intelligence value without upfront investment or complex procurement processes.