If you’re in sales, marketing, or just tasked with “finding tools to help us hit quota,” you’ve probably heard of Owler and a bunch of other B2B sales intelligence platforms. The problem? Marketing copy all sounds the same, and every demo claims their tool is a game-changer. This guide is for people who want the real story on how Owler stacks up—and how to actually compare these tools without wasting hours in free trials or sales calls.
Let’s keep it simple and practical. Here’s how to figure out if Owler (or any other B2B GTM tool) is the right fit for your team.
1. Get Clear on What Sales Intelligence Actually Means
First, a reality check: “Sales intelligence” is a catch-all term. Under the hood, most tools in this space try to do some mix of these things:
- Give you company and contact info (think: names, emails, job titles)
- Alert you to company news or “trigger events” (funding, leadership changes, etc.)
- Let you build lists of target accounts (good for outbound)
- Offer signals like intent data, hiring trends, or tech stack
- Sometimes wrap in workflow tools or CRM integrations
Some tools do all of these things, but few do them all well. Before you even start comparing, write down what your real must-haves are. If you just want fresh leads and news alerts, you don’t need a platform that also promises AI-driven forecasting.
Pro tip: Don’t let feature lists distract you. Most teams only use 2-3 core features from any sales intelligence tool.
2. Make a Shortlist (Don’t Get Distracted by Hype)
Here’s the honest shortlist of B2B GTM sales intelligence tools you’ll actually hear about in the wild:
- Owler: Big on crowdsourced company data and news alerts. Known for daily news emails and company “trigger” signals.
- ZoomInfo: The biggest name, focused on deep contact and company databases, with tons of integrations and add-ons.
- Apollo.io: All-in-one prospecting with email, phone, and enrichment—plus outreach automation.
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator: The gold standard for social selling and up-to-date profiles, but limited on signals and automation.
- Lusha: Streamlined contact info, quick enrichment, easy to use, and affordable for small teams.
- Clearbit, Cognism, Crunchbase, and a few others—each with their own angle.
Ignore the endless “alternatives” lists online—most products you’ve never heard of won’t be meaningfully different for day-to-day sales work.
3. Compare on What Actually Matters (Not Just Features)
Here’s how to cut through the noise and compare Owler with the rest. Focus on these areas:
A. Data Quality and Coverage
- How fresh and accurate is their data? Most tools claim 90%+ accuracy. In reality, there’s always some lag and junk.
- Owler leans on crowdsourcing—great for fast news, but sometimes spotty on deep contact details.
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ZoomInfo and Apollo scrape and verify, but even they get stale or wrong info.
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What regions and industries do they cover? U.S. tech companies? Global manufacturing? Some tools quietly fall down outside the U.S.
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How often is data updated? Daily, weekly, or “as available”? News alerts are only as good as their speed.
Bottom line: Test data quality with your top 20 accounts. If the info is outdated or missing, keep moving.
B. Trigger Events and Alerts
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Owler’s edge: Its daily news digests and company alerts are genuinely useful for staying on top of changes (funding rounds, exec moves, etc.). This can be gold for jumping on outreach at the right time.
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Other tools: ZoomInfo and Apollo offer some triggers, but often bury them in dashboards you’ll forget to check. LinkedIn gives you job changes and basic news, but no real-time alerts.
Pro tip: If “timing” is your secret weapon, Owler’s alerts are hard to beat.
C. Contact Data and Enrichment
- Owler: Decent for high-level company info, but don’t expect deep, accurate direct dials or personal emails.
- ZoomInfo/Apollo/Lusha: Stronger for direct contacts, emails, and phone numbers, but comes with a price (and sometimes spam complaints).
- LinkedIn: Best for up-to-date job changes, but you’ll still need to hunt for emails.
If you do a lot of cold outreach, prioritize tools with solid enrichment and compliance (think GDPR, CCPA). If you’re more account-based, company-level data might be enough.
D. Integrations and Workflow
- Can you push data into your CRM or outreach tool in one click? This matters more than you think. Manual CSV uploads are a pain and lead to errors.
- Owler: Integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, and a few others, but not as deep as ZoomInfo or Apollo.
- Apollo/ZoomInfo: Strong on integrations, but check if your plan actually includes them (often an upsell).
Check for Chrome extensions or Slack integrations if your team lives in those tools.
E. Pricing and Contracts
- Owler: Offers a free basic tier and reasonable paid plans. No insane lock-ins.
- ZoomInfo: Notoriously pricey, with multi-year contracts and pushy sales tactics.
- Apollo/Lusha: More affordable for smaller teams, but feature limits can sneak up fast.
Watch out: Most sales intelligence tools hide their real pricing. Always ask for a trial and a clear breakdown—don’t get stuck paying for seats or features you don’t use.
4. Run a Real-World Test (Not Just a Demo)
Most buying mistakes happen because teams rely on demos or canned data samples. Here’s how to actually test if a tool fits:
- Pick 10-20 target accounts you actually care about.
- Use each tool’s free trial (or ask for a sandbox) to look up these accounts.
- Check:
- Is the company info correct and up to date?
- Do they have the right contact info (real people, real emails)?
- Are news alerts timely and relevant?
- Can you export or sync to your CRM easily?
- How much time did it save you (or not)?
- Bonus: Try a real outreach sequence using the data—see what bounces or gets replies.
Pro tip: Don’t let vendors cherry-pick your test accounts. Use your real list. If they push back, that’s a red flag.
5. Consider Workflow and Team Fit
No tool is perfect. What matters is how it fits into your team’s actual workflow.
- Solo reps: You might care most about speed and price.
- Large teams: Look for admin controls, seat management, and audit logs.
- Marketing handoff: If you need to align leads with marketing, check if the tool plays nice with your marketing automation stack.
If your team never leaves LinkedIn, Owler’s alerts might just sit in your inbox. If your workflow is heavy on Salesforce or HubSpot, deep integration is a must.
6. Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
- Assuming more features = better. Most people barely use half of what they pay for.
- Forgetting about data compliance. Using sketchy contact data can get you in hot water—especially outside the U.S.
- Overbuying. Don’t commit to more seats or years than you need. Start small.
- Ignoring support and documentation. You’ll need help at some point—see how responsive their team is during your trial.
7. The Honest Take: When to Pick Owler (And When Not To)
Go with Owler if: - You value quick, daily company news and trigger alerts. - You don’t need a massive, always-accurate contact database. - You want a simple tool that won’t break the bank, and basic integrations cover your needs.
Look elsewhere if: - You do high-volume cold outreach and need tons of verified contact info. - You need deep integrations or advanced workflow automation. - Your sales team is huge and needs complex admin controls.
Keep It Simple—And Don’t Overthink It
Comparing B2B sales intelligence tools doesn’t have to be a soul-crushing research project. Get clear on what actually matters for your team, run a hands-on test with your real accounts, and ignore the buzzwords. Most of the time, the right tool is the one your team actually uses—not the one with the flashiest demo.
Start small, stay skeptical, and tweak as you go. Your sales numbers will thank you.