ContactOut and Lusha are two prominent players in the sales intelligence and B2B contact data space. Both platforms have established themselves as go-to solutions for sales teams, recruiters, and business development professionals seeking accurate and actionable contact information to drive their outreach efforts.

Brief Overview of ContactOut and Lusha

ContactOut is a sales intelligence tool primarily focused on discovering and extracting prospect information from LinkedIn profiles. Founded in 2016, the company has gained popularity among recruiters and sales teams for its ability to provide accurate email addresses and phone numbers.

Lusha, on the other hand, is a comprehensive B2B contact data provider that offers a range of sales intelligence features. Founded in the same year as ContactOut, Lusha has evolved from a simple Chrome extension for finding contact information to a robust platform providing company data, technographics, and more.

Importance of Accurate Contact Data

In the realms of sales and recruitment, having access to accurate and up-to-date contact information is crucial. Inaccurate data can lead to wasted time, resources, and opportunities. A single incorrect email address or phone number can derail an entire outreach campaign, resulting in lost revenue and damaged reputation.

This is where ContactOut and Lusha come into play, offering solutions to the contact data conundrum. However, with two prominent options available, it's essential to make an informed decision about which platform best suits your specific needs.

Purpose of this Article

In this article, we'll delve into the key differences between ContactOut and Lusha, exploring their company backgrounds, data sources and quality, features and functionality, pricing, target audience, integration capabilities, compliance, and customer support. By the end of this comprehensive comparison, you'll be equipped with the knowledge needed to choose the ideal platform for your business goals.

Company Backgrounds

In this section, we'll delve into the company histories, milestones, and growth statistics of ContactOut and Lusha, to better understand their approaches to sales intelligence and contact data provision.

ContactOut

ContactOut was founded in 2016 by Rob Liu, with its headquarters in San Francisco, California. Initially, the company focused on developing a sales intelligence tool that could extract valuable information from LinkedIn profiles. Over time, ContactOut expanded its data sources to include public databases and social media platforms, enhancing its ability to provide accurate and reliable contact information.

ContactOut has achieved significant growth milestones, including:

• Achieving a 99% accuracy rate for contact information, as claimed by the company

• Expanding its user base to include top recruitment and sales teams globally

• Establishing partnerships with leading companies to enhance its data sources and services

Lusha

Lusha was founded in 2016 by Assaf Eisenstein and Yoni Tserruya, with its headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel. Initially, Lusha developed a Chrome extension that enabled users to find and extract contact information from various online sources. Over time, the company evolved into a comprehensive B2B data platform, offering a range of sales intelligence features and datasets.

Lusha has achieved significant milestones, including:

• Expanding its data coverage to over 100 million business profiles and 50 million email addresses

• Establishing a strong presence in the sales intelligence market, with a user base spanning multiple industries

• Continuously updating and refining its algorithms to ensure the highest accuracy and freshness of its data

Understanding the company backgrounds and milestones of ContactOut and Lusha provides valuable context for evaluating their approaches to sales intelligence and contact data provision. In the next section, we'll examine the data sources and quality of each platform in greater detail.

Data Sources and Quality

When it comes to sales intelligence tools, the accuracy and freshness of the data are crucial. In this section, we'll dive into the data sources and quality of ContactOut and Lusha.

ContactOut

ContactOut's primary data source is LinkedIn profiles. They also collect data from public databases and social media platforms. Their triple verification process, which involves AI and social media, ensures a claimed 99% accuracy rate for contact information.

This high accuracy rate is impressive, but it's essential to note that ContactOut's data is heavily reliant on LinkedIn. As a result, their data may not be as comprehensive as Lusha's, which collects data from a broader range of sources.

Lusha

Lusha, on the other hand, collects data from various online sources, including web crawling and data partnerships. They have a regular data cleansing and verification process in place, which helps maintain a reported 86% accuracy rate for business emails.

Lusha's diverse data sources and regular cleansing process ensure that their data is fresh and comprehensive. However, their accuracy rate is slightly lower than ContactOut's, which might be a concern for some users.

Comparison of Data Quality and Freshness

Independent studies have shown that both ContactOut and Lusha have high accuracy rates for contact information. However, user-reported experiences suggest that Lusha's data may be slightly more comprehensive due to their diverse data sources.

In terms of data freshness, both platforms update their databases regularly. However, Lusha's more frequent updates and real-time data validation process give them an edge in this regard.

Ultimately, the choice between ContactOut and Lusha will depend on your specific needs and priorities. If you require highly accurate contact information, ContactOut might be the better choice. However, if you need a more comprehensive range of data points and real-time updates, Lusha could be the way to go.

Features and Functionality

When it comes to features and functionality, both ContactOut and Lusha offer a range of tools and capabilities to support sales intelligence and outreach efforts. Here's a breakdown of what each platform has to offer:

ContactOut

ContactOut's features are centered around extracting and verifying contact information from LinkedIn profiles. Some of the key features include:

• A Chrome extension for extracting data from LinkedIn profiles

• A web-based search portal with over 20 search filters to narrow down results

• API access for integrating ContactOut with other tools and platforms

• An email verification system to ensure accuracy and deliverability

Lusha

Lusha's feature set is more comprehensive, offering a broader range of data points and capabilities. Some of the key features include:

• A Chrome extension that works with multiple platforms, including LinkedIn, Gmail, and more

• A prospecting platform with advanced search filters and Boolean search capabilities

• Company data enrichment to provide additional context and insights

• CRM integration with popular platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and more

• Team collaboration features to support multiple users and workflows

Unique Selling Points

Each platform has its unique selling points. ContactOut's focus on personal email addresses and LinkedIn data extraction sets it apart, while Lusha's broader range of data points, including company information and technographics, makes it a more comprehensive solution.

User Interface and Ease of Use

In terms of user interface and ease of use, both platforms are generally intuitive and easy to navigate. However, Lusha's more comprehensive feature set may require a slightly steeper learning curve. ContactOut's focus on a single, core feature – LinkedIn data extraction – makes it a more straightforward and easy-to-use solution.

Ultimately, the choice between ContactOut and Lusha will depend on your specific needs and use cases. If you're looking for a straightforward, easy-to-use solution for extracting contact information from LinkedIn profiles, ContactOut may be the better choice. If you need a more comprehensive platform with a broader range of data points and features, Lusha is worth considering.

Pricing and Plans

When it comes to pricing, both ContactOut and Lusha offer a range of plans to suit different user needs and budgets. In this section, we'll break down the pricing structures of each platform and analyze the value they offer.

ContactOut Pricing

ContactOut offers a free plan, as well as several paid tiers. Here's an overview of their pricing structure:

* Free Plan: 10 credits per month (1 credit = 1 contact's details)* Paid Plans: Starting at $29/month (50 credits)* Custom Enterprise Plans: Available for large teams and organizations

In terms of features, ContactOut's free plan is relatively limited, but the paid plans offer increasing levels of functionality, including bulk search and export capabilities, API access, and email verification.

Lusha Pricing

Lusha's pricing structure is similar to ContactOut's, with a free plan and several paid tiers. Here's an overview:

* Free Plan: 5 credits per month* Individual Plan: $39/month (50 credits)* Team Plan: $69/month (150 credits)* Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for large teams and organizations

Lusha's paid plans offer more features than ContactOut's, including company data enrichment, CRM integration, and team collaboration tools.

To determine which platform offers better value for money, let's compare the cost per contact and the additional features each platform provides.

ContactOut's pricing is more competitive for small to medium-sized teams, with a lower cost per contact compared to Lusha. However, Lusha's paid plans offer more features and a broader range of data points, which may justify the higher cost for larger teams and enterprises.

In terms of flexibility, both platforms offer custom enterprise plans, which can be tailored to meet the specific needs of large organizations.

Ultimately, the choice between ContactOut and Lusha will depend on your specific needs and priorities. If you're looking for a more affordable solution for small-scale contact data extraction, ContactOut may be the better choice. If you need a more comprehensive B2B data platform with advanced features, Lusha's higher pricing may be justified.

Target Audience and Use Cases

ContactOut and Lusha cater to different segments of the market, each with their unique strengths and weaknesses. Understanding the target audience and ideal use cases for each platform is crucial in making an informed decision.

ContactOut

ContactOut is an ideal choice for:

• Recruiters and HR professionals: ContactOut's focus on personal email addresses and LinkedIn data extraction makes it a valuable tool for recruiting and talent acquisition teams.

• Sales teams focusing on LinkedIn outreach: ContactOut's Chrome extension and web-based search portal facilitate efficient LinkedIn prospecting, making it a popular choice among sales teams.

• Startup founders and entrepreneurs: ContactOut's ease of use and affordability make it an attractive option for startup founders and entrepreneurs looking to network and build connections.

Lusha

Lusha is an ideal choice for:

• B2B sales and marketing professionals: Lusha's comprehensive B2B data platform, company data enrichment, and advanced search filters make it a popular choice among B2B sales and marketing teams.

• Account-based marketing teams: Lusha's ability to provide company data and technographic insights makes it an excellent tool for account-based marketing strategies.

• Business development representatives: Lusha's platform and CRM integrations facilitate efficient prospecting and lead research, making it a valuable tool for business development representatives.

In terms of industry-specific suitability, ContactOut shines in the tech and professional services sectors, while Lusha has an edge in manufacturing and retail industries. This is largely due to their respective data sources and the types of companies they cater to.

Case studies and user testimonials for each platform also highlight their effectiveness in different industries and use cases. Ultimately, understanding the target audience and ideal use cases for ContactOut and Lusha will help you determine which platform best suits your sales intelligence needs.

Integration Capabilities

When it comes to integrating sales intelligence tools with existing workflows, seamless connectivity is crucial. Both ContactOut and Lusha offer varying degrees of integration capabilities to streamline user experiences.

ContactOut

ContactOut prides itself on its native integrations with popular Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) like Lever, Greenhouse, and Bullhorn. These integrations enable recruiters to access ContactOut's contact data directly within their ATS platforms, eliminating the need for manual data entry.

In addition to native integrations, ContactOut also offers a Zapier integration, which enables users to connect with over 1000 apps. This level of flexibility is particularly useful for users who rely on a diverse range of tools in their workflow.

ContactOut also provides API documentation and support for custom integrations, catering to users with unique technical requirements.

Lusha

Lusha focuses on direct integrations with popular Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive. These integrations enable sales teams to access Lusha's contact data and enrich their CRM records with a single click.

In addition to CRM integrations, Lusha also offers email client integrations with Gmail and Outlook, allowing users to access contact data directly within their email clients.

Lusha also offers Zapier integration, enabling users to connect with a broader range of apps. While Lusha's API options are available, they are less prominent than ContactOut's.

Comparison of Integration Ease and Flexibility

Both ContactOut and Lusha offer robust integration capabilities, but they differ in their approach. ContactOut's native ATS integrations and comprehensive API documentation make it an attractive choice for recruiters and teams with complex technical requirements.

Lusha's focus on CRM integrations and email client connectivity, on the other hand, caters to sales teams and B2B professionals seeking seamless access to contact data within their existing workflows.

Ultimately, the choice between ContactOut and Lusha will depend on the specific integration needs of your team. If you prioritize flexibility and customization, ContactOut might be the better choice. If you prefer a more streamlined, out-of-the-box integration experience, Lusha could be the way to go.

Compliance and Data Privacy

Data privacy and compliance are critical aspects of any sales intelligence tool. Both ContactOut and Lusha have implemented measures to ensure they adhere to major data protection regulations and provide a secure environment for their users.

ContactOut

ContactOut has taken the following steps to comply with major data protection regulations:

ContactOut is compliant with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). They have implemented measures to ensure data privacy and security, including data encryption, secure servers, and access controls.

ContactOut also has a clear data retention and deletion policy. They retain data for as long as necessary to provide their services and delete it when it's no longer needed. Users can also request their data to be deleted at any time.

In addition, ContactOut has implemented user consent and opt-out processes to ensure that users are aware of how their data is being used and can opt-out if they prefer not to share their information.

Lusha

Lusha has also implemented measures to ensure compliance with major data protection regulations:

Lusha is ISO 27001 certified, which demonstrates their commitment to information security management. They are also compliant with the CCPA and GDPR, ensuring that they adhere to the highest standards of data protection.

Lusha has implemented robust data protection and security measures, including encryption, secure servers, and access controls. They also have a clear data retention and deletion policy, ensuring that data is deleted when it's no longer necessary.

Lusha provides users with the ability to consent to data collection and usage, and they can opt-out at any time. Lusha also provides users with the right to access, correct, or delete their personal data.

Comparison

Both ContactOut and Lusha have implemented robust measures to ensure compliance with major data protection regulations. However, Lusha's ISO 27001 certification sets it apart, demonstrating a higher level of commitment to information security management.

Ultimately, both platforms prioritize user data privacy and security, providing a secure environment for users to access and utilize sales intelligence features.

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Customer Support and Resources

When it comes to customer support, both ContactOut and Lusha prioritize providing excellent assistance to their users. Here's a breakdown of their support channels, response times, and available resources.

ContactOut

ContactOut offers multiple support channels, including email, chat, and phone support. Their team is available 24/7 to help with any queries or issues. According to user reviews, ContactOut's customer support is highly responsive, with an average response time of under 2 hours. They also have an extensive knowledge base with tutorials, guides, and FAQs that cover various aspects of their platform.

Lusha

Lusha provides customer support through email, chat, and phone, with a dedicated team available to assist users during business hours. Lusha's response times are generally quick, with most users reporting resolution times within a few hours. Their support resources include a comprehensive knowledge base, video tutorials, and onboarding processes to help new users get started.

Comparison and Conclusion

Both ContactOut and Lusha prioritize customer support, offering multiple channels and responsive teams. While ContactOut's 24/7 support may give it an edge, Lusha's dedicated team and extensive resources are still impressive. Ultimately, the choice between these two platforms will depend on individual user needs and preferences.

When evaluating customer support, consider factors like response times, availability, and resource quality. While both ContactOut and Lusha excel in these areas, it's essential to weigh their strengths and weaknesses against your specific requirements.

Conclusion and Recommendations

In conclusion, ContactOut and Lusha are both powerful sales intelligence tools that cater to different user needs and preferences. While ContactOut excels in providing accurate and up-to-date contact information, Lusha offers a broader range of data points and advanced search filters. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each platform, users can make an informed decision that aligns with their sales strategies and goals.

Ideal Use Cases

ContactOut is ideal for recruiters, HR professionals, and sales teams that focus on LinkedIn outreach. Its accurate contact information and triple verification process make it an excellent choice for those who need to reach decision-makers quickly. On the other hand, Lusha is better suited for B2B sales and marketing professionals, account-based marketing teams, and business development representatives who require a more comprehensive understanding of companies and their prospects.

Factors to Consider

When choosing between ContactOut and Lusha, consider the following factors:

• Data accuracy and freshness: If accuracy is your top priority, ContactOut might be the better choice. However, if you need a broader range of data points, Lusha's data quality and freshness might be more suitable.

• Feature set: Evaluate the features you need most, such as search filters, company data enrichment, or CRM integration. Choose the platform that offers the features that align with your sales workflow.

• Pricing and plans: Assess your budget and the cost per contact. Consider the value you receive from each platform and choose the one that provides the best ROI.

• Industry and use case: If you operate in the tech or professional services sector, ContactOut might be a better fit. For manufacturing and retail, Lusha's strengths might be more beneficial.

Final Thoughts

The future of sales intelligence tools is promising, with both ContactOut and Lusha continuously innovating and improving their offerings. As the sales landscape evolves, it's essential to stay adaptable and open to new solutions that can help you stay ahead of the competition. By choosing the right sales intelligence tool, you can optimize your sales workflow, increase productivity, and drive revenue growth.