# Cognism — B2B contact and company data for European prospecting, reachable through an MCP server and REST API. > Source: AgentsIndex — https://agentsindex.ai/cognism (structured, researched, re-verified) Cognism is a B2B sales intelligence platform holding company, contact and buying-intent data with phone-verified European mobile numbers. The same data is reachable from the web app, a browser extension, a REST API and a remote MCP server for AI assistants. **Best for:** European outbound sales teams that need compliant phone-verified mobile numbers **Look elsewhere if:** - you want to try it without paying - you want to start without talking to sales - you need to cancel any time without a fee | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Website | https://cognism.com | | Category | AI prospecting and data enrichment | | API | Yes | | Open source | No | | Price | Price on request | | Price source | https://www.cognism.com/pricing | | Price checked | 25 October 2026 | | MCP server | Yes | | Self-host | No | | Facts | 18 facts from 8 sources | | Facts checked | 25 October 2026 | Screenshot of Cognism: https://agentsindex.ai/img/1920/screenshots/cognism.webp, captured 27 October 2026 **What we checked** - Pages last read: 25 October 2026 - Facts checked: 18 facts (From 8 sources) ## What Cognism sells is European contact data with a reveal meter Cognism is a B2B sales intelligence platform: company records (revenue, headcount, HQ, technologies, funding, hiring and job-change events, Bombora intent) joined to people records (job title, seniority, department, work history) and business contact details including emails and phone-verified mobile numbers. Reps work in a web app, in a browser extension that runs over LinkedIn and company websites, and through [AI search and AI company research](https://www.cognism.com/sales-intelligence) features inside the platform. The commercial unit is the reveal, not the search. [One credit is used each time a contact record is revealed](https://www.cognism.com/pricing), and a revealed record stays usable for the rest of the contract unless that person changes job, when it costs a credit again. Intent data is Bombora Company Surge, and an administrator picks [up to 12 intent topics from a library of over 11,000](https://www.cognism.com/pricing). ## Two packages, no published price, and a credit model underneath Sales Prospecting comes as Standard and Pro, each with five seats included, and CRM Enrichment is sold either as an add-on or standalone. Nothing carries a number: both cards end in a sales button and the FAQ states that [pricing is tailored based on the product you need, your team setup and how you plan to use the platform](https://www.cognism.com/pricing). Data-as-a-Service is quoted the same way. The gap between the tiers is specific and worth reading before accepting Standard. The comparison table marks the premium mobile filter, on-demand mobile verification and intent data as Pro only, while MCP and API access, SSO, AI search, the AI persona builder and CSV enrichment are ticked for both. Usage has two meters rather than one. Credits count revealed contacts; [search tokens charge one per row returned](https://docs.cognism.com/docs/credits-and-search-tokens), and count calls cost one token each. When tokens run out the API answers 402 insufficient_budget, and the docs note the retry window can be days. Neither a credit rate nor an overage rate is published. ## The MCP server is a real product surface, not a label Cognism runs a remote MCP server at mcp.cognism.com with Streamable HTTP transport and OAuth 2.0 sign-in, documented with setup steps for Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor and VS Code. [Sixteen tools](https://docs.cognism.com/docs/mcp-server) map onto the API endpoints: company and people search, free counts, dictionaries for industries, countries, departments and technologies, and read-outs of the account's compliance and personalisation settings. Access is read-only and bounded by the signed-in user: territories, exclusions, per-rep credit limits and permissions carry over, and the vendor states an [agent can't reach data the user couldn't already see in the platform](https://www.cognism.com/mcp-api). Do-not-call masking and geo-restriction are enforced server side, so rephrasing a prompt does not widen the result. Two cautions sit in the docs themselves. The server warns that data retrieved through MCP may not be used to train AI models and that revealed contact details are stored in the assistant's conversation. And programmatic access is [new capabilities available on our new packages](https://docs.cognism.com/docs/getting-started): customers on an older package are told to contact their account team about upgrading, which the pricing table's two ticks do not mention. ## Compliance is the pitch, and most of it is documented Cognism publishes ISO 27001, ISO 27701 and [SOC 2 Type II (Security and Availability)](https://www.cognism.com/security), with encryption at rest under AES-256, annual third-party penetration testing and a public status page. A data processing addendum is incorporated into the general terms, and deletion or return of customer data happens within thirty days of termination on written request. The data itself is collected under legitimate interest, contacts are notified of their inclusion, and phone numbers are screened against national do-not-call registers. The number of registers is stated two ways: the compliance page says data is scrubbed against [15 major Do Not Call and TPS lists](https://www.cognism.com/compliance), while the FAQ names the US, Australia, UK, France, Germany and says the [full list of countries we check DNC lists in is available upon request](https://www.cognism.com/faq). The MCP page advertises screening against global lists without a count. Not published: any uptime commitment or service credit, a customer-facing audit log, a choice of hosting region, and any ISO 42001 or HIPAA position. ## Buying it means a committed term and a sales call There is no self-serve route. Evaluation runs under separate [Proof of Concept terms](https://www.cognism.com/customer-terms/poc-terms) on a non-production instance, for a term set in the Order, with liability capped at US $100 and a duty to delete all profile data when the POC ends. The subscription is not month to month. An Order runs for its Subscription Term and [automatically renews for a period equal to the length of the Initial Term or one year, whichever is longer](https://www.cognism.com/customer-terms/gtc), unless either side gives sixty days written notice. Fees are non-cancellable and non-refundable, and Cognism reserves a renewal uplift of up to ten percent. Leaving is contractually easy in one respect: there are no switching charges and the vendor promises reasonable migration assistance, but the remaining fees still fall due. ## Where it fits, and where it does not The fit is an outbound team selling into Europe that keeps missing mobile numbers, and a RevOps function that wants the same records in the CRM, in a warehouse and in an assistant without maintaining three permission models. Agent builders get a usefully predictable shape: dictionaries resolve wording to exact filter values, counts are free, and only the contacts segment spends credits, so cost can be estimated before an action. It fits badly if the budget needs a number before a meeting, if the team is one or two people (five seats are included in each package whether used or not), or if the plan was to run a one-month test and stop. US-heavy buyers should also test coverage directly: the marketing is built around European depth and the FAQ declines to make a global coverage claim, pointing instead to a tailored estimate on a call. ## Cognism price and terms **Terms** - Free to start: Partly — No standing free plan — Evaluation happens under separate Proof of Concept terms on a non-production instance, for a POC Term set in the Order agreed with sales, after which all profile data obtained must be deleted. - Sign up without sales: No ## For AI agents - MCP server: Yes - API: Yes Pricing page as we captured it: https://agentsindex.ai/img/1920/screenshots/cognism/pricing.webp, captured 27 October 2026 Read on https://www.cognism.com/pricing, 25 October 2026. ## What we checked on Cognism ### What it costs to start **What the price counts** · Yes — Priced only on a quote: packages are sized to the team and metered with credits, with five seats included in each prospecting package. > Cognism pricing is tailored based on the product you need, your team setup and how you plan to use the platform. > — https://www.cognism.com/pricing · Pricing FAQs, 'How does Cognism pricing work?', checked 25 October 2026 **Free tier** · No — The pricing page enumerates its paid lines in full and none of them is a standing free plan; every card routes to sales. > Sales Prospecting is offered in Standard and Pro packages. CRM Enrichment and Data-as-a-Service are priced based on subscription structure, usage and delivery requirements. > — https://www.cognism.com/pricing · Pricing FAQs, 'How does Cognism pricing work?', checked 25 October 2026 **Self-serve signup** · No — Every plan card ends in 'Talk to sales' and the page closes by asking buyers to speak to a Cognism expert for setup and pricing. > Speak to a Cognism expert to find the right setup and pricing for your team - if helpful, we can also walk you through the platform. > — https://www.cognism.com/pricing · Closing section, 'Get a personalised quote for your team', checked 25 October 2026 **Contract** · No — Not month to month: an Order runs for a committed Subscription Term that auto-renews for the same length or a year, and each prospecting package includes five seats. > will remain in force for the Subscription Term ("Initial Term") and shall automatically renew for a period equal to the length of the Initial Term or one year, whichever is longer > — https://www.cognism.com/customer-terms/gtc · General Terms, Section 10.1 Term, checked 25 October 2026 **Cancel any time** · No — Fees are non-cancellable and non-refundable once committed, and avoiding renewal needs written notice sixty days before the term ends. > Payment obligations are non-cancellable, and Subscription Fees are non-refundable, unless this Agreement or an applicable Order is terminated pursuant to Sections 10.2 > — https://www.cognism.com/customer-terms/gtc · General Terms, Section 5.1 Fees, checked 25 October 2026 ### What it works with **Works with** · Yes — Named CRM and sales engagement connectors cover Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Microsoft Dynamics, Bullhorn, Outreach, Salesloft and Zapier; the pages do not tie them to a plan. > Cognism integrates with the most widely used CRMs including Salesforce, Hubspot, Pipedrive, and Microsoft Dynamics. > — https://www.cognism.com/faq · How it works, 'Does Cognism integrate with my CRM?', checked 25 October 2026 **Public API** · Yes — A documented REST API with OAuth 2.0 client credentials, search, count and dictionary endpoints; the plan table ticks API access for both Standard and Pro. > It is a REST API over HTTPS with JSON request and response bodies, authenticated with OAuth 2.0 client credentials > — https://docs.cognism.com/docs/getting-started · Overview, paragraph on the Cognism API, checked 25 October 2026 **MCP server** · Yes — A remote MCP server at mcp.cognism.com over Streamable HTTP with OAuth sign-in, exposing sixteen read-only search, count and dictionary tools to Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor. > The Cognism server is a remote MCP server using Streamable HTTP transport and OAuth 2.0 sign-in, so it works with any client that supports those two things > — https://docs.cognism.com/docs/mcp-server · Intro paragraph above 'Server details', checked 25 October 2026 ### What it does on its own **Acts on its own** · Partly — An assistant can search, count and reveal contacts on its own, but access is read-only and the docs expect a confirmation step before credits are spent. > Read-only access governed by existing Cognism settings > — https://www.cognism.com/mcp-api · 'MCP connector' card, fourth bullet, checked 25 October 2026 **Limits on what it may do** · Yes — Territories, exclusions, per-rep credit limits and user permissions carry into MCP and API calls, so an agent cannot reach records the signed-in user cannot see. > Territories, exclusions, per-rep credit limits, and user permissions all carry over automatically from your Cognism account settings. An agent can't reach data the user couldn't already see in the platform. > — https://www.cognism.com/mcp-api · Frequently asked questions, 'Can we limit what an agent is able to pull?', checked 25 October 2026 **No code needed** · Yes — The platform is a web app with a browser extension, and the MCP route is a URL pasted into an assistant's settings; only the REST API needs a developer. > start with Cognism's MCP connector – it's a URL-based connection, so there's no engineering time needed > — https://www.cognism.com/mcp-api · Frequently asked questions, 'Which route should we start with?', checked 25 October 2026 ### What happens to your data **No training on your data** · Yes — The general terms rule out using customer data or inputs to train or improve the AI features, and the MCP docs add that retrieved data may not train models. > Cognism will not use any Customer Data, or other input provided by Customer, or derived from Customer's use of the Services to train, fine-tune, or otherwise improve any AI Features. > — https://www.cognism.com/customer-terms/gtc · General Terms, Section 2.4 Artificial Intelligence, checked 25 October 2026 **Retention you control** · Partly — Deletion is contractual rather than a setting: customer data is deleted or returned within thirty days of termination on written request, with no published way to shorten retention while subscribed. > Within thirty (30) days following the termination or expiry of the Agreement, Cognism shall cease processing of the Customer Data and, at the Customer's written request, either delete or return the Customer Data > — https://www.cognism.com/customer-terms/gtc · Appendix 1 Data Processing Addendum, Section 4.5 Data Deletion, checked 25 October 2026 **Self-hosted** · No — The contract defines the product as a Cognism-hosted service accessed under license, and no page offers an on-premise or private-cloud deployment. > "Service" means the Cognism-hosted service to which Customer may subscribe as set out in the relevant Order > — https://www.cognism.com/customer-terms/gtc · General Terms, Section 12 Definitions, checked 25 October 2026 **Open source** · No — Access is a revocable license to a proprietary platform, with reverse engineering and derivative works prohibited; no repository or license is published. > Cognism hereby grants Customer a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sub-licensable, revocable license in accordance with the terms of this Agreement to access Cognism online proprietary platform > — https://www.cognism.com/customer-terms/gtc · General Terms, Section 1.1 License grant, checked 25 October 2026 **Take your data out** · Yes — Records export to CSV or straight into a connected CRM, and the terms promise switching assistance with no switching charge, though fees stay payable. > Cognism also provides the option to export the data into a CSV format, to support manual uploads into different systems. > — https://www.cognism.com/faq · How it works, 'How can I export contacts from Cognism?', checked 25 October 2026 ### Whether a company can buy it **Security audits** · Yes — Three named attestations are published, two of them ISO certifications through a UKAS-accredited body; no ISO 42001 and no HIPAA agreement is claimed. > Cognism holds the following certifications and attestations: ISO 27001 ISO 27701 SOC 2 Type II (Security and Availability) > — https://www.cognism.com/security · Certifications, Regulations and Standards list, checked 25 October 2026 **Single sign-on** · Yes — The in-depth comparison table ticks SSO for both Standard and Pro, and the MCP sign-in accepts an organization's SSO in the browser. > Authentication OAuth 2.0 — sign in with your Cognism credentials (or your organisation's SSO) in the browser when your client prompts you > — https://docs.cognism.com/docs/mcp-server · Server details table, Authentication row, checked 25 October 2026 ## Cognism alternatives - [Apollo](https://agentsindex.ai/apollo) · Free plan, then $65 a seat a month: B2B prospecting database, outreach sequencing and enrichment, usable from Apollo, your CRM or an MCP client. - [Clay](https://agentsindex.ai/clay) · Free plan, then $185 a month: GTM data platform with AI research agents, 150+ enrichment providers and an MCP server for ChatGPT and Claude. - [Signado](https://agentsindex.ai/signado) · From $29 a month: Finds LinkedIn posts and comments from your market, then scores and enriches the people behind them. - [ZoomInfo](https://agentsindex.ai/zoominfo) · Free plan, then $20 per top up pack: B2B contact and company data with AI research agents, reachable from the web app, an API, a CLI or MCP. - [Lusha](https://agentsindex.ai/lusha) · Free plan, then $49.90 a month: B2B contact, company and buying-signal data for GTM teams, reachable from an MCP server and a REST API. ## Questions about Cognism ### How much does Cognism cost? Cognism gives its price on request. From cognism.com/pricing, checked 25 October 2026. ### Does Cognism have an API or an MCP server? It has an API. It has an MCP server. ### Is Cognism open source, and can you host it yourself? It is not open source. You cannot host it yourself. ### What have we checked on Cognism? 18 facts, under these headings: What it costs to start, what it works with, what it does on its own, what happens to your data, whether a company can buy it. ### How do we check Cognism? We hold 18 facts on Cognism, quoted from 8 pages. Facts and price last checked 25 October 2026. How we check every listing: https://agentsindex.ai/methodology/ ## Sources and changes Last changed 27 October 2026 **Sources** (8) - https://www.cognism.com/customer-terms/gtc, read 25 October 2026 - https://www.cognism.com/pricing, read 25 October 2026 - https://www.cognism.com/mcp-api, read 25 October 2026 - https://docs.cognism.com/docs/mcp-server, read 25 October 2026 - https://www.cognism.com/faq, read 25 October 2026 - https://www.cognism.com/compliance, read 25 October 2026 - https://docs.cognism.com/docs/getting-started, read 25 October 2026 - https://www.cognism.com/security, read 25 October 2026 ## Is this yours? AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity opened AgentsIndex pages 1,237 times from 17 October to 31 October. Claim Cognism: https://agentsindex.ai/claim/cognism Report an error if a fact is wrong: hello@agentsindex.ai, subject "Report an error: Cognism (cognism)".