Where to Buy Email Lists in 2026: 12 Best Databases Compared

As a result, it’s essential to which databases can offer high-quality, compliant lead data, especially since you need to account for real-world impacts like ESP terms and lead freshness.

This guide compares reputable providers you can trust, breaks down legality of email list usage, and gives you a safe rollout checklist so you can make an informed decision.

12 Best Places to Buy Email Lists in 2026

We know this space well, and we evaluated providers based on data quality, compliance posture, regional coverage, and pricing transparency based on what brands are doing right now. Here’s a quick breakdown to help you compare email lead generation providers: 

Note: Always verify your ESP's terms and run independent verification regardless of vendor claims.

1. Leadfeeder: Best for GDPR-First B2B Prospecting in Europe

Leadfeeder is a European B2B lead generation platform with GDPR-compliant prospecting data. It has a user-friendly interface and has been trusted by brands like Amazon, Hertz, and Siemens. 

Image source: Leadfeeder 

Strengths:

• Deep European coverage with emphasis on DACH markets

• Verified emails, direct dials, firmographics, technographics, and intent signals

• GDPR-first features with transparent documentation, legal basis guidance, and DPA readiness

• Built-in audit trails and compliance support 

• Integrations with popular CRMs, communication, and sales tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Slack

Limitations: Primary focus is Europe, with less coverage outside EU markets.

Pricing: Subscription-based pricing, with paid plans starting at $99 per month when paid annually. A limited free plan is available. 

Compliance notes: Purpose-built for GDPR compliance with proper legal basis documentation and data subject request workflows.

Best for: Mid-market and enterprise teams doing multichannel outbound in Europe and DACH regions. 

2. Cognism: Best for Enterprise-Grade B2B Data and Global GTM Intelligence

Cognism is a global B2B database with enterprise workflow integrations and a strong focus on human-verified contact data. 

Strengths:

• Human and phone-verified mobile numbers

• Signal Data including hiring trends, funding rounds, and technographic insights to identify in-market leads

• Strong CRM integrations, including two-way integrations with popular tools 

• Global coverage, though there’s still a focus on EU markets 

Limitations: Higher price point with annual contract requirements, best suited for larger teams with dedicated RevOps. Data accuracy can vary in non-European markets.

Pricing: Enterprise, quote-based pricing. 

Compliance notes: Offers compliance documentation and supports GDPR workflows.

Best for: Enterprise GTM teams, RevOps, and companies needing multi-region coverage.

3. BookYourData: Best Pay-As-You-Go B2B Email Lists

BookYourData is a credit-based B2B contact database, which allows you to pay as you go.

Image source: BookYourData

Strengths:

• Flexible pay-as-you-go model with no long-term contracts

• Real-time email verification with 97% accuracy guarantee

• Replacement credits for invalid contacts

• Immediate CSV downloads for quick campaign deployment

Limitations: Verify independently even with "verified" claims; plan your deliverability ramp carefully.

Pricing: Credit-based starting around $99 for 250 contacts. Free pack includes 10 credits with no credit card required.

Compliance notes: B2B focused, but buyers must ensure proper use for their jurisdiction.

Best for: Agencies, small teams, and one-off campaign projects needing flexible purchasing without subscriptions.

4. ZoomInfo: Best for Large US-Centric Sales Orgs Needing a Data Suite

ZoomInfo is a comprehensive B2B intelligence platform combining contact data, intent signals, and ABM tools in an all-in-one suite.

Strengths:

• Massive US database with extensive firmographic and technographic coverage

• Intent data and buying signals to prioritize in-market accounts

• Deep integration ecosystem with CRMs and sales engagement platforms

• Account intelligence features beyond basic contact data

Limitations: Significant cost with annual contract commitments and implementation learning curve. Best suited for teams wanting a full suite, not just contact exports.

Pricing: Annual contracts with custom enterprise pricing. 

Compliance notes: US-focused with compliance support; verify regional requirements for international use.

Best for: Large US sales organizations wanting an all-in-one intelligence platform rather than point solutions.

5. Data Axle USA: Best for US Business and Consumer Email Lists

Data Axle USA is an established data provider offering both B2B and B2C email lists with deep segmentation options.

Strengths:

• Both business and consumer data available in one platform

• Deep segmentation by location, industry, firmographics, and demographics

• Long track record as established data provider

• Custom list building based on specific criteria

Limitations: B2C lists carry higher compliance and deliverability risk than B2B, so it requires careful separation of use cases.

Pricing: Custom quotes based on list size and targeting criteria.

Compliance notes: Strongly separate B2B prospecting from B2C promotional emailing, as legal requirements differ significantly by use case.

Best for: US-based campaigns needing targeting by location, industry, or demographics across both B2B and B2C audiences.

6. LeadsPlease: Best for Highly Segmented US Consumer Email Lists

Image source: LeadsPlease

LeadsPlease is a consumer email list provider with detailed demographic targeting for US marketing campaigns.

Strengths:

• Granular segmentation by demographics, interests, and behaviors

• Verification services included with list purchases

• Flexible list sizes for different campaign needs

• Fast delivery of purchased lists

Limitations: Consumer lists carry higher spam complaint risk and stricter consent expectations than B2B data.

Pricing: Records-based pricing varies depending on B2C or B2B usage, with minimum orders of $299.75 for 1000 consumer records or 500 B2B records. 

Compliance notes: Use with extreme caution. B2C purchased lists face stricter ESP restrictions and higher complaint risk. Verify CAN-SPAM compliance and your ESP's terms before purchasing.

Best for: US consumer marketing with specific demographic targeting needs, understanding the higher deliverability risk.

7. Kaspr: Best Lightweight Chrome Extension for Individual Reps

Kaspr is a LinkedIn-focused contact finder and enrichment tool designed for quick, individual prospecting workflows.

Image source: Kaspr 

Strengths:

• Quick lookups directly from LinkedIn and Sales Navigator

• Professional phone numbers and email addresses in real-time

• Easy for individual contributors without training

• GDPR-compliant data collection for EU prospecting

Limitations: Not a full database replacement for large-scale targeting campaigns or team-wide prospecting.

Pricing: Freemium model with paid plans starting around €45/month per user ($49 USD).

Compliance notes: GDPR-compliant for EU prospecting with proper consent workflows.

Best for: Solo SDRs, recruiters, and founders doing targeted outreach on LinkedIn.

8. Apollo.io: Best All-in-One Prospecting + Outreach Platform for Startups

Apollo.io combines a contact database with email sequencing and outreach tools in a single platform for fast-moving teams.

Image source: Apollo

Strengths:

• All-in-one solution for email contact data, phone outreach, and email outreach. 

• Database plus email sequences in one tool for streamlined workflows

• Quick setup with minimal onboarding required

• Intent data and buying signals available on higher tiers

• Data enrichment solutions to keep lead data up-to-date 

Limitations: Data quality and coverage vary by region and vertical. 

Pricing: Freemium plan available, and paid plans start at $49/user/month that includes up to 30,000 credits per user per year. .

Compliance notes: Buyers responsible for ensuring proper use; review terms for international outreach.

Best for: Startups and small teams wanting database and sending tools in one place without managing multiple vendors.

9. Lusha: Best for Small Sales Teams Needing Simple Contact Lookups

Lusha is a simple contact enrichment and lookup tool focused on ease of use for small teams.

Strengths:

• Browser extension for easy access from LinkedIn and company websites

• Direct dial phone numbers included with contact data

• User-friendly interface requiring minimal training

• Quick contact enrichment for existing prospect lists

Limitations: Compare coverage and compliance features against your specific region before scaling to larger volumes.

Pricing: Freemium plans are available, but pricing for paid plans are not published online.

Compliance notes: GDPR and CCPA compliance features. .

Best for: Small sales teams, recruiters, and teams with lightweight prospecting needs.

10. Hunter: Best for Domain-Based Email Finding and Verification

Hunter is an email finder and verification tool that discovers contacts based on company domains rather than bulk list purchasing.

Strengths:

• Domain search to find all emails associated with a company

• Email pattern detection for finding specific contacts

• Verification API to validate existing email lists

• Campaign tracking to monitor email performance

Limitations: Better for enrichment and targeted finding than bulk "buy a list" needs, which means it’s not a replacement for businesses that need more extensive databases.

Pricing: Freemium with paid plans starting at $34/month when billed annually.

Compliance notes: GDPR-compliant, primarily designed for B2B use cases.

Best for: Finding specific contacts at target companies and verifying small lists rather than purchasing bulk data.

11. Lead411: Best for Trigger-Based SMB Prospecting

Lead411 is a B2B database with emphasis on trigger events and real-time signals for timely outreach.

Image source: Lead411

Strengths:

• Trigger event data including funding, hiring, and growth signals for timely outreach

• Unlimited exports on higher-tier plans

• Direct dial phone numbers included with contacts

• Email verification to reduce bounce rates

Limitations: Primarily US-focused with limited international coverage.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $49/month for 1,000 exports per month. A freemium plan is available. 

Compliance notes: B2B focus with US-centric compliance approach.

Best for: US-centric outbound sales teams using trigger events to personalize prospecting.

12. Specialist or Vertical Email List Brokers

For niche industries where general databases are thin—think industrial manufacturing, healthcare specialties, or regional markets—vertical list brokers can offer better coverage and targeting.

When to use them: Your ICP is highly specialized and major databases don't cover it well, or you need hyper-local data for specific regions.

Vetting checklist before buying:

• Source transparency: How was the data collected?

• Freshness: When was it last updated?

• Sample file: Can you review a sample before purchasing?

• Suppression support: Can you suppress existing contacts?

• Refund policy: What happens if bounce rates are high?

• Compliance paperwork: Do they provide documentation and DPAs?

Best for: Niche B2B markets with specialized ICPs that general databases struggle to cover comprehensively.

When Does It Actually Make Sense to Buy an Email List?

Buying email lists don’t make sense in some scenarios, but they can be an invaluable asset in others, so let’s discuss when it makes sense to purchase lead email lists and when it doesn’t. 

Good Fit Scenarios

Buying makes sense when:

• New B2B team building first pipeline: You have a well-defined ICP but zero contacts and need to start outbound quickly.

• Entering a new region or vertical: You're expanding into a new market and need coverage fast.

• Filling specific persona gaps: You need CFOs at mid-market manufacturers or IT directors at healthcare companies—specific segments where databases excel.

Bad Fit Scenarios

If the following scenarios sound familiar, you may want to avoid buying an email list for the time being: 

• B2C ecommerce newsletter growth: Purchased consumer lists kill deliverability and violate most ESP terms.

• Brand-led marketing: If spam complaints would damage your reputation, don't risk it.

• ESP restrictions: If your email platform explicitly forbids third-party data uploads, don't do it.

Alternatives to Buying Lists

Consider these instead:

• Lead magnets and inbound capture: Better long-term deliverability and evergreen engagement.

• Co-marketing and partner newsletters: Faster "warm" distribution to relevant audiences.

• Events, communities, and intent data: Higher relevance and engagement than cold lists.

How to Choose the Right Email List Provider

Start With Your ICP and Region

• Industry, company size, geography, job titles, seniority

• Outreach type: SDR cold email, ABM, enrichment, direct mail add-on

Recommendation: If EU is core, prioritize GDPR-first providers like Leadfeeder  and ask for compliance documentation early.

Must-Ask Questions for Vendors

• Coverage and freshness: how often updated, how they handle job changes

• Verification: methodology, bounce-rate guarantees, refund credits

• Compliance: DPA, lawful basis explanation, audit logs, opt-out handling

• Delivery and integrations: CSV, API, CRM connectors, enrichment workflows

Choose a Pricing Model That Scales 

• Subscription: best for ongoing prospecting

• Credits or pay-as-you-go: best for projects and smaller teams

• Seat-based: budget scales with team size

Actionable tip: Estimate “cost per usable contact” after verification and ICP match, not cost per raw record.

How to Use Purchased Email Lists Safely 

You don’t want to purchase email lists just to violate your ESP provider’s rules, lost trust with customers, and kill your deliverability. Here’s how you can use purchased lead lists safely: 

• Clean and verify before you send: Remove role accounts (info@, sales@), obvious bad patterns, and risky domains. Run third-party verification even if the vendor verifies. Suppress existing opt-outs and past complainers from your system.

• Warm up your domain and IP: Use a dedicated sending domain or subdomain for cold outreach. Then, ramp volume gradually (start with 50-100 per day, increase slowly) and monitor reputation signals.

• Start small and test: Test on 200-500 contacts per segment first in your initial pilot. Measure bounces, spam complaints, and replies before scaling. If the bounce rate exceeds 2-3%, stop and investigate.

• Write email copy for cold, non-opt-in contacts: Focus on relevance, personalizing by role, trigger, or industry pain point. Clear value proposition and low-friction CTA. Include prominent opt-out language and honor it immediately.

• Monitor performance and prune aggressively: Hard bounces should be minimal. Any spike in spam complaints means pause and reassess strategy. Remove non-engagers after three to four touches, suppress risky segments, and refresh data regularly.

Red Flags and Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Email Lists

We’ve heard from customers who have had poor experiences when building or buying email lists. To get the most out of your investment, make sure you avoid these provider red flags and usage mistakes:  

• Too-cheap bulk lists and "one-off" CSV dumps: If a vendor sells 100,000 emails for $99, it's almost guaranteed to be scraped, outdated data full of spam traps. Avoid vendors that cannot explain sourcing, refresh cadence, and refund policy.

• Lack of segmentation or filters: Generic lists fail while relevance prevents spam complaints. If you can't filter by your ICP criteria, don't buy, but there’s too high of a chance the lead data won’t be what you need. 

• No clear compliance story: Red flags include no DPA available, vague "GDPR compliant" claims with no documentation or ability to elaborate further, and no process for opt-outs and data subject requests.

• Ignoring your ESP's terms of service: Mail platforms often restrict purchased lists. Cold outreach tools have different workflows than newsletter tools. Check your ESP's acceptable use policy before uploading any purchased data so you don’t burn client relationships and your ESP contract. 

FAQs About Buying Email Lists

How much should a good email list cost per contact?

B2B contacts typically range from $0.10 to $1.00+ per contact depending on targeting specificity, verification level, and data depth. Consumer lists can be cheaper ($0.05-$0.20) but carry higher risk. Extremely cheap lists are almost always low quality.

How many contacts do I need to see meaningful results?

For B2B cold outbound, start with 500-1,000 well-targeted contacts per segment. This gives you enough volume to test messaging while keeping risk contained. Quality beats quantity—100 perfect-fit contacts outperform 10,000 generic ones.

Can I upload a purchased list to Mailchimp/HubSpot/etc.?

Most ESPs restrict or prohibit purchased lists, so account for that when you’re considering lead generation software and list providers. Mailchimp, for example, explicitly forbids them. Check your platform's terms to make sure you’re compliant. 

How often should I refresh or repurchase data?

B2B contacts decay at roughly 30% per year (people change jobs, companies change). Refresh quarterly if you're running continuous campaigns. For one-off campaigns, verify right before sending.

What metrics show that a purchased list is "working"?

• Bounce rate under 3%

• Spam complaint rate under 0.1%

• Open rate 15-30% (though this metric is increasingly unreliable)

• Reply rate 1-5% for cold B2B outreach

• Meeting booked rate 0.5-2%

Choosing your email list provider 

Buying email lists is a tactic, not a strategy. Success depends on choosing the right provider for your region and use case, maintaining compliance, and executing a safe rollout that protects your deliverability.

The best email list is one you build yourself through inbound and partnerships. But when speed matters and you execute carefully, purchased lists can accelerate your pipeline while you build those long-term channels.

For GDPR-first European B2B prospecting, Leadfeeder offers the compliance documentation and regional coverage you need. For US-focused teams, ZoomInfo and Cognism provide broad coverage. Smaller teams and agencies benefit from flexible options like Bookyourdata and Apollo.io.

Start small, verify independently, test thoroughly, and build owned channels in parallel. Compare providers, request samples, and run a verified pilot before committing to large purchases.