7 Best B2B Prospecting Tools 2023 (50 Software Ranked)

by Chris Von Wilpert • Last updated May 31, 2023

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Today there are 172 different B2B prospecting tools. We spent 93 hours comparing the top 50 to find the seven best you can use to streamline your B2B prospecting process.

What is the Best B2B Prospecting Tool?

  1. UpLead — best of the best
  2. HubSpot Sales Hub — best for inbound sales teams
  3. Apollo.io — best for data-driven sales
  4. LinkedIn Sales Navigator — best for social prospecting
  5. Salesforce — best for enterprises
  6. ZoomInfo — best for sales intelligence
  7. Outreach — best for automation

Our Verdict — Best Of The Best

Price: Starts at $99/month

UpLead is like a gold prospector for B2B companies. We think it's the best B2B prospecting tool because of its user-friendly interface, accurate contact data, and beefed-up filtering options.

The Best Part:

  • Incredible data accuracy. UpLead's real-time verification ensures you're spending more time connecting with up-to-date contacts, and less time spent chasing dead ends.

The Worst Part:

  • Steep learning curve. UpLead's jam-packed menu can cause a bit of a headache for new users trying to get the hang of the platform.

Get it if you want a reliable prospecting tool that helps you generate high-quality B2B leads with real-time data.

I recommend you start with the 7-day free trial, then get the Essentials plan for $99/month.

(7-day free trial)

Best For

UpLead is best for sales teams and professionals who want reliable contact data to expand their network and increase B2B sales opportunities.

Top Features

  • Sky-high data accuracy. UpLead's 95% data accuracy guarantee creates close to perfect prospecting lists from the get-go.

  • Pinpoint your ideal leads. Apply 50+ search filters to find contacts and companies that align with your ideal buyer profile. 

  • Connect and conquer. Push leads straight to your favorite CRM, outreach tool, or a CSV file that fuels your campaigns without manual data entry.

  • Master the perfect pitch. Dive into comprehensive company insights of your prospects to create personalized pitches that hit the spot, every time.

  • Strike while the iron is hot. With UpLead's Intent Data you can pinpoint when prospects are actively looking for your solution, maximizing your chances of closing the deal.

Pricing

UpLead offers three pricing plans:

  • Essentials: $99/month for sales professionals who want to fetch clean B2B prospects using a dependable platform, providing up to 170 leads per month along with access to over 50 search filters and email verification.
  • Plus: $199/month for expanding businesses and sales teams that want a higher volume of leads and advanced features, including 400 monthly leads, CRM integration, API access, and bulk lookup capabilities.
  • Professional: $399/month for well-established organizations and enterprises that require extensive lead generation solutions, including 1,000 monthly leads, data enrichment, intent data insights, and all features available in the Plus plan.

Annual plans provide a 25% discount.

Try UpLead today with a free 7-day trial.

Our Verdict — Best For Inbound Sales Teams

Price: Starts at $20/month

HubSpot Sales Hub is an all-in-one solution for B2B businesses to effectively manage leads and close deals. We think it’s the best for inbound sales teams because of its cutting-edge pipeline management, powerful analytics tools, and seamless contact management features.

The Best Part:

  • Robust lead tracking features. HubSpot makes it a breeze to keep tabs on all your leads and their activities, making sure no valuable prospect slips through the cracks.

The Worst Part:

  • Minor email template discrepancies. HubSpot's template emails may appear slightly different in a recipient's inbox compared to how they look on the platform, which can be a bit of a pain in the ass.

Get it if you want a robust, all-in-one sales platform that streamlines B2B prospecting and keeps inbound sales teams firing on all cylinders.

I recommend you take advantage of HubSpot's 14-day free trial, then get the Professional plan for $500/month.

(14-day free trial)

Best For

HubSpot Sales Hub is best for inbound sales teams who want a comprehensive, user-friendly platform to effortlessly manage and nurture their prospects.

Top Features

  • Close deals faster. Save time and automate your processes like a boss with HubSpot's sales automation tools and 1,000+ integrations, designed to do the heavy lifting for you.

  • Stand out from the crowd. Craft personalized, professional emails in a snap with HubSpot's customizable email templates.

  • Call with confidence. Make, record, and log sales calls directly within HubSpot, keeping your data up-to-date and accurate.

  • Supercharge your sales skills. Unlock insights and coaching opportunities with HubSpot’s AI-powered call analysis, recording and analyzing your sales calls like a personal mentor.

  • Forecast your future success. Keep your sights set on victory with HubSpot's sleek sales pipeline views and in-depth forecasting tools.

Pricing

HubSpot Sales Hub offers four pricing plans:

  • Free Tools: Free forever, for individuals and small teams who want to get started with time-saving sales CRM tools.
  • Starter: $20/month for small teams and businesses that want to improve close rates and streamline their sales process with user-friendly tools and key features such as conversation routing and simple automation.
  • Professional: $500/month for growing businesses that want a comprehensive sales software that helps them automate tasks, optimize their sales funnel, and better understand their prospects through advanced features in the HubSpot Sales Hub.
  • Enterprise: $1,200/month for large organizations that require a powerful, flexible solution with advanced control and insights to supercharge their sales performance using top-tier features in the HubSpot Sales Hub.

Annual plans provide a 10% discount.

Try HubSpot Sales Hub today with a free 14-day trial.

Our Verdict — Best For Data-Driven Sales

Price: Starts at $49/month

Apollo.io claims it allows you to reach every buyer on the planet, which could be a game-changer for sales teams. We think it’s the best for data-driven sales because of its accurate contact data, robust CRM integration, and top-notch customer support.

The Best Part:

  • It's gold. Apollo.io offers access to over 265 million verified contacts, giving you unlimited access to new leads while knowing you’re connecting with the right people and not wasting time on outdated leads.

The Worst Part:

  • Filtering options can become complex. Apollo.io's advanced search functions can be overwhelming for new users.

Get it if you want a tool that effortlessly filters through hundreds of millions of verified contacts, helping you pinpoint the perfect prospects for your B2B offers.

I recommend you start with a 14-day free trial, then get the Professional plan for $99/month.

(14-day free trial)

Best For

Apollo.io is best for data-driven professionals who want a one-stop-shop for B2B prospecting with an intuitive platform that streamlines the entire sales process.

Top Features

  • Consolidate your sales arsenal. Say goodbye to ZoomInfo, Clearbit, Lusha, Cognism, and Seamless with Apollo.io's all-encompassing platform.

  • Discover your dream leads. Explore 265+ million verified contacts with tailored filters like buyer intent, job postings, and headcount growth to pinpoint the right prospects.

  • Ramp up your outreach game. Use Apollo to craft tailored sequences, make calls, engage on social media, and send targeted emails to keep your pipeline filled with quality meetings.

  • It’s like a jet engine for sales. Apollo’s comprehensive funnel automation along with their robust AI-driven insights will let you to seal deals like gangbusters.

  • Team synergy on autopilot. Supercharge your sales team's efficiency with Apollo's user-friendly collaborative lead engagement tools, forging a result-driven end-to-end sales workflow that converts at scale.

Pricing

Apollo.io offers four pricing plans:

  • Free: Free forever, for sales professionals who want to explore Apollo.io’s platform and access features such as LinkedIn extension, Gmail extension, and basic filters.
  • Basic: $49/month for small teams and sales professionals who want to access verified contact data, have uncapped sending limits with SendGrid, A/B testing, and advanced filters.
  • Professional: $99/month for growth-oriented teams that require every feature in the Basic plan, plus advanced features such as Apollo’s built-in dialer, call recordings, and advanced reporting.
  • Organization: $79/month for larger teams with at least five members that require everything in the Professional plan, plus unique features such as lead data enrichment, customizable reports, and advanced API access.

Annual plans provide a 20% discount.

Try Apollo.io today with a free 14-day trial.

Our Top Three Picks

Here’s a quick summary of our top three picks:

  1. UpLead — best of the best
  2. HubSpot Sales Hub — best for inbound sales teams
  3. Apollo.io — best for data-driven sales

Here’s a quick comparison of our top seven picks:

Tool

Entry Offer

Pricing

UpLead

7-day free tria

Starts at $99/mo

HubSpot Sales Hub

14-day free trial

Starts at $20/mo

Apollo.io

14-day free trial

Starts at $49/mo

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

30-day free trial

Starts at $79.99/mo

Salesforce

30-day free trial

Starts at $300/yr

ZoomInfo

14-day free trial

Starts at $15,000/yr

Outreach

Free demo

Custom

Here are the top 50 B2B prospecting tools we considered in this review:

  1. UpLead
  2. HubSpot Sales Hub
  3. Apollo.io
  4. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
  5. Salesforce
  6. ZoomInfo
  7. Outreach
  8. DiscoverOrg
  9. Marketo Engage
  10. Demandbase
  11. Clearbit
  12. PipeDrive
  13. Leadfeeder
  14. Yesware
  15. Zoho CRM
  16. Voila Norbert
  17. Reply.io
  18. Growbots
  19. SalesLoft
  20. Salesforce Pardot
  21. Datanyze
  22. Owler
  23. Prospect.io
  24. Hunter (formerly Email Hunter)
  25. AeroLeads
  26. Lead411
  27. Snov.io
  28. Gong
  29. Vainu
  30. D&B Hoovers
  31. Mailshake
  32. Klenty
  33. Crystal Knows
  34. Chorus
  35. LeadGibbon
  36. PersistIQ
  37. RingLead
  38. Seamless.AI
  39. Adapt.io
  40. LimeLeads
  41. FullContact
  42. Groove
  43. Outreach.io
  44. Leadspace
  45. 6sense
  46. Jigsaw
  47. Demandbase
  48. LeadForensics
  49. Hootsuite
  50. Sendbloom

What are the most useful tools for prospecting?

Prospecting, a crucial aspect of B2B sales strategy, involves identifying and reaching out to potential customers. 

Various sales tools make this task easier, more efficient, and productive for sales reps. One of the top choices for B2B prospecting tools is UpLead. It offers high data accuracy, allowing sales representatives to create accurate prospect lists without the need for multiple verification methods. Advanced search features can help identify ideal customer profiles based on company size and other variables. Additionally, UpLead's Intent Data feature helps you know when potential prospects are actively looking for your solution, significantly improving your chances of closing a deal.

HubSpot Sales Hub is another valuable tool, particularly for inbound sales teams. It offers robust lead tracking features, making sure no prospect slips through the cracks. Furthermore, its powerful analytics tools help analyze sales cycle progress, response rates, and more. Sales reps can also craft personalized emails and automate their email sequences to improve efficiency.

Apollo.io offers access to over 265 million verified contact data, including business email addresses and social media profiles. The platform combines sales prospecting, engagement, and analytics in one, making it an ideal choice for data-driven sales. Additionally, Apollo.io’s AI insights can help sales teams optimize their prospecting efforts, creating a more effective sales prospecting process.

All these tools also integrate with popular CRM and sales engagement platforms, thereby streamlining the entire sales process from prospecting to closing the deal.

How do you prospect a B2B company?

Prospecting a B2B company starts with defining your ideal customer profile. This includes the target company's size, industry, location, and other relevant factors. With a clear target market in mind, you can use B2B sales prospecting tools like UpLead, HubSpot Sales Hub, or Apollo.io to generate a list of prospects.

The advanced search feature in these tools can help identify companies that align with your buyer profile. For example, UpLead provides over 50 search filters to narrow down potential leads. It's also possible to extract contact details, including email addresses and social media profiles, using these tools.

After generating a list of target companies, the next step is outreach. This can involve a mix of strategies, including cold emails, follow-up emails, and reaching out via social networks. Email automation can be useful here, saving time on repetitive tasks by automating email sequences.

Sales reps can then engage potential buyers on social media platforms, using the information gleaned from company profiles to personalize their outreach. It's also important to track responses to outreach efforts, refining sales prospecting techniques based on response rates.

Finally, the promising leads are passed on to the sales team for further engagement and potential conversion into qualified leads. Prospecting is a cyclical process, so ongoing refinement based on analytics and feedback is crucial.

Is HubSpot a prospecting tool?

Yes, HubSpot Sales Hub is an excellent prospecting tool that offers a suite of services for B2B sales teams. It helps businesses manage leads and close deals effectively. Its robust lead tracking features enable sales reps to keep tabs on all their potential customers and their activities, ensuring no valuable prospect goes unnoticed.

The platform provides various tools to enhance prospecting, such as email automation, advanced search features, email sequences, email tracking, and the option to personalize communication with potential customers. The seamless integration of these tools with HubSpot's CRM system creates a comprehensive, user-friendly platform for managing and nurturing prospects.

Does Salesforce have prospecting tools?

Yes, Salesforce, known for its comprehensive CRM platform, offers several tools that can aid in sales prospecting. Salesforce's Sales Cloud platform offers lead management, marketing automation, and intelligent insights that allow sales representatives to identify, track, and nurture potential customers. The platform also offers tools for scoring and assigning leads, tracking the sales cycle, and analyzing customer behavior.

While Salesforce itself may not directly provide detailed prospect lists like UpLead or Apollo.io, it integrates with many B2B sales prospecting tools, including LinkedIn Sales Navigator and ZoomInfo, thereby enriching its capabilities for prospecting.

How do I get new B2B leads?

Generating new B2B leads involves multiple strategies and tools. To start, you should have a clear understanding of your ideal customer profile. This understanding allows you to tailor your prospecting effort to find potential customers that are most likely to convert.

Next, use a reliable B2B prospecting tool, such as UpLead, HubSpot, or Apollo.io, to identify potential prospects. These tools can provide comprehensive company profiles and contact info, including email addresses and social media profiles, for your target companies.

You can then engage these leads through various channels. Cold emails are a common method, and tools like HubSpot can help automate this process, sending email sequences to multiple prospects simultaneously. Ensure your emails are personalized and targeted to increase response rates.

Simultaneously, you can engage with potential customers on social networks and through other online forums relevant to your industry. LinkedIn, for instance, can be a goldmine for B2B leads, and platforms like LinkedIn Sales Navigator can help refine your prospecting on this platform.

Lastly, always track and measure your prospecting efforts, analyze the response rates, and adjust your strategies as needed. Machine learning and AI can help analyze this data, providing insights to optimize your prospecting efforts. Remember, lead generation is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort and refinement.

The Bottom Line

To recap, here are the best B2B prospecting tools to try this year:

  1. UpLead — best of the best
  2. HubSpot Sales Hub — best for inbound sales teams
  3. Apollo.io — best for data-driven sales
  4. LinkedIn Sales Navigator — best for social prospecting
  5. Salesforce — best for enterprises
  6. ZoomInfo — best for sales intelligence
  7. Outreach — best for automation

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