The Best (and Worst) B2B Data Providers for Direct Dials in 2025

Let’s be blunt: most B2B data providers are failing you when it comes to accurate direct dial phone numbers.  They may entice you during a trial with data they vet to make sure it’s accurate, but once you are a paid customer, you soon find out you were duped on the accuracy, which is a horrible feeling when you are locked into a contract.

If your reps are still wasting time on the dialer, dead numbers, or “wrong person” calls, the issue isn’t your team—it’s your data source.

In 2025, bad data is killing sales pipelines.

And yet, many providers are still passing off incomplete, outdated, or unverified direct dials as “premium contact info.”

So which platforms are worth your trust—and which should you drop immediately?

Let’s break down the top B2B data providers, with a hard look at direct dial accuracy.

🥇 Lead411 – The Most Accurate Direct Dials in the Industry

Accuracy: ✅ Verified Direct Dials
Why It Wins: Human-verified contact info, real-time updates, and intent-based alerts

Lead411 consistently delivers industry-best direct dial accuracy—without locking you into a bloated contract. Phone numbers are verified with numerous options including cell phone (re-verified with location of employment), office phone and HQ phone, and contact data is refreshed frequently. The result? Fewer dead ends. More closed deals.

What You Get:

• Verified direct dials (not switchboard numbers)

• Job change and hiring signals

• No annual contracts, unless you want to save on a yearly subscription

“We saw a 40% lift in connect rates after switching to Lead411 from Apollo.” – SDR team lead for a leading SaaS organization

👉 Verdict: If you’re serious about phone outreach, start here.

🟡 ZoomInfo – Broad Coverage, but Not Always Reliable

Accuracy: ⚠️ Mixed results across industries
Why It’s Here: Giant database, but direct dials can be hit or miss

ZoomInfo has scale—but accuracy often takes a back seat. Many users report inflated contact counts where direct dials are outdated, recycled, or mislabeled (i.e., marketing managerial contacts listed as C-suite).

Pros:

• Massive data set

• Rich org charts and filters

Cons:

• High cost

• Accuracy depends on segment

👉 Verdict: Good for research. Risky if you rely heavily on phone outreach.

🔴 Apollo.io – The Worst for Direct Dial Accuracy

Accuracy: ❌ Extremely poor on direct dials
Why It’s Failing: Crowdsourced data, unverified numbers, and false confidence

Let’s be honest: Apollo is not a reliable source of direct dial phone numbers.

Their contact data is mostly scraped and crowdsourced, with minimal verification. You’ll find lots of mobile numbers—but most are office lines, outdated, or simply wrong. Expect a 10-20% connect rate at best.

Why people start with Apollo:

• It’s cheap

• It looks great on the surface and during trial

• Built-in outreach tools

Why they leave Apollo:

• Data decay within weeks

• Wasted time on bad numbers

• Major email and phone bounce rates

“150 dials a day. 3 connects. That was our experience with Apollo.” – BDR Manager, SaaS

👉 Verdict: Skip it if your sales team relies on phones. The cost savings aren’t worth the churn.

🟠 Cognism – Great International Coverage, But Limited in the U.S.

Accuracy: ✅ Strong EMEA numbers, decent U.S.
Why It Stands Out: GDPR-compliant, verified mobile and direct dial data

Cognism is a top-tier choice for international direct dials, especially across Europe and LATAM. It uses Diamond Data® to verify mobile numbers and is fully GDPR-compliant. U.S. coverage is growing but still trails Lead411 vastly in accuracy.

Strengths:

• Accurate mobile numbers in EMEA

• Compliance-first approach

• Intent data included

👉 Verdict: Great if you’re targeting Europe. For U.S. outreach, still second tier.

🟡 SalesIntel – Solid Accuracy, But Slower to Scale

Accuracy:  80%+ human-verified direct dials
Why It’s Here: Manual research approach ensures better data quality

SalesIntel uses a human verification process like Lead411, which makes it more accurate than most—but their refresh rate and contact volume can lag behind. It’s an average choice for niche targeting or industry-specific outreach.

Pros:

• On-demand research

• Strong enrichment tools

Cons:

• Slower refresh cycles

• Requires higher spend for scale

👉 Verdict: Solid, but not as agile as Lead411 for fast-moving teams.

Final Word: Accuracy > Quantity in 2025

It doesn’t matter how many contacts your data provider says they have if your reps can’t get a live person on the phone.

If your direct dial connect rate is under 30%, you’re probably paying for inflated, decayed, or flat-out wrong data.

🔥 Our recommendation: Lead411

• Accurate direct dials

• Intent-based signals for smarter outreach

• Flexible, contract-free plans, savings on annual subscriptions

Don’t let bad data bleed into another quarter. Your reps deserve better.

→ Get 50 Free Phone Numbers Today and start connecting.

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