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Business leads are potential customers who match your ideal buyer profile, and buying leads remains a common way for B2B teams to support outbound sales and pipeline growth. While many companies generate leads through content, referrals, or ads, lead gen services offer a faster way to access prospects who fit specific targeting criteria.
Today’s lead gen services include B2B contact data platforms, prospecting and sales tools, and on-demand services that connect businesses with freelancers who generate leads on demand. Unlike traditional lead gen agencies, these services give sales and marketing teams direct control over targeting, outreach, and follow-up.
Below are the six best lead gen services to buy quality business leads, along with guidance on when each option makes the most sense.
| Lead-generating services | Best for | Starting price |
| UpLead | Verified B2B contact data for outbound sales | $99 per month |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | Social selling and prospecting on LinkedIn | $89.99 per license/month |
| Lead411 | Unlimited access to verified, real-time B2B contact data | $49 per month |
| ZoomInfo | Enterprise-grade revenue intelligence | Contact sales |
| Apollo | All-in-one prospecting and outbound for SMBs | $49 per user/month |
| Upwork | On-demand lead generation via freelancers | Variable starting price |
| Best lead gen services | Types of service | Best fit | |
 | • Real-time email verification • Buyer intent data • Technographics | B2B contact data service | SMBs and mid-market |
| Visit UpLead | |||
 | • Lead alerts • InMail for LinkedIn outreach • Relationship mapping | Social selling and prospecting platform | SMBs to enterprise teams |
| Visit LinkedIn Sales Navigator | |||
 | • Verified emails and direct dials • Sales triggers • Chrome extension | B2B contact data and sales intelligence | SMBs and growing teams |
| Visit Lead411 | |||
 | • Website visitor tracking • Conversation intelligence • Predictive modeling | Revenue intelligence platform | Mid-market and enterprise |
| Visit ZoomInfo | |||
 | • Automated outbound workflows • Engagement tracking and analytics • AI-powered prospecting | Sales execution and outbound platform | SMBs and startups |
| Visit Apollo | |||
 | • Freelancer-built lead lists • Flexible outreach support • Pay per project | On-demand lead gen service | SMBs, startups, and solopreneurs |
| Visit Upwork | |||
UpLead is best for sourcing verified B2B contact data to support outbound sales strategies.
UpLead is a strong choice for sales and marketing teams that already have an outbound process in place and need dependable contact data to support it.
Rather than emphasizing sheer database size, UpLead focuses on delivering verified contact and firmographic data, backed by a 95% email accuracy guarantee, making it a reliable option for SMBs and mid-market teams that prioritize email deliverability.
However, UpLead is not a full-service lead generation platform. It’s designed to work alongside CRM integrations and outbound tools, meaning teams must handle outreach and campaign execution separately.
| Plans and pricing (per user) | Test drive | The basics | For individuals | Professional |
| Monthly | $0 | $99 | $199 | N/A |
| Annual | $74 | $149 | Customizable per-seat pricing |
Search the UpLead database for specific topics or company data. (Source: UpLead)
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is best for identifying and engaging prospects directly on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator works best for teams that rely on relationship-driven outreach and account-based sales strategies. It’s most effective when used alongside email or phone-based outbound tools, rather than as a standalone lead database.
While standard plans include advanced lead and account search, features like CRM integrations and deeper team management capabilities are only available in the Advanced Plus plan.
Because of this, Sales Navigator is best suited for growing or enterprise sales teams that are willing to invest in higher-tier plans to fully integrate LinkedIn prospecting into their CRM-driven workflows.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator offers multiple plans, but pricing varies by the number of licenses and promotional discounts. Sign in to your LinkedIn account or call a sales representative for the most accurate, up-to-date pricing.
| Plans and pricing (per license) | Core | Advanced | Advanced plus |
| Monthly | $119.99 | $159.99 | Contact sales for pricing |
| Annual | $89.99 | $149.99 |
Send direct messages to LinkedIn leads via InMail. (Source: LinkedIn)
Lead411 is best for accessing verified B2B contact data without restrictive search or export limits.
Lead411 stands out from other lead gen services for its verified, real-time contact data and unlimited search and export options.
Unlike many competitors that cap daily exports or charge based on credit usage, Lead411 allows users to search for and export leads freely, making it a strong choice for high-volume outbound prospecting.
At the same time, teams that need collaborative features or flexible contracts may need to review plan details closely.
| Plans and pricing | Free trial | Spark | Ignite | Blaze |
| Monthly | $0 | $49 | $150 | N/A |
| Annual | $490 | Contact sales | ||
Quickly sort and search for leads in the Lead411 database. (Source: Lead411)
ZoomInfo is best for large sales and marketing teams that need advanced B2B data, insights, and revenue intelligence at scale.
ZoomInfo is notable for its extensive use of artificial intelligence and its wide range of data-driven tools that support sales, marketing, and go-to-market (GTM) teams.
In addition to providing contact and company data, the platform includes advanced intelligence features that help enterprise organizations identify, prioritize, and engage high-intent buyers.
At the same time, enterprise-grade solutions are often best for companies with significant budgets. Therefore, the lack of pricing transparency can be prohibitive for some teams.
ZoomInfo offers a variety of plans tailored to different teams, as well as product packages that align with your tech stack, such as Microsoft Copilot. However, pricing information requires a sales call.
| Plans | Sales | Marketing | Talent |
| Pricing | Contact sales for pricing | ||
Track website visits to learn more about your prospects. (Source: ZoomInfo)
Apollo is best for combining lead data with outbound outreach on a single platform.
Apollo is a standout lead gen service for its broad range of tools tailored to sales, marketing, and recruiting teams that rely on both inbound and outbound prospecting.
In addition to its contact and sequencing tools, Apollo includes AI-powered research and lead scoring to help small businesses and startups prioritize prospects more efficiently. That said, some AI features are still evolving, with parts of the AI assistant currently in beta.
| Plans and pricing | Free | Basic | Professional | Organization |
| Monthly | $0 | $59 | $99 | $149 |
| Annual | $49 | $79 | $119 |
Run AI prompts to generate more detailed account data. (Source: Apollo)
Upwork is best for outsourcing lead generation tasks to freelancers on a project-based basis.
Upwork is an excellent option for small teams and founders who need help with lead research, list-building, or outreach without committing to a long-term contract or subscription-based service.
Instead, businesses can hire freelancers to source leads based on specific criteria or to support short-term campaigns.
However, because results depend heavily on the freelancer you hire, lead quality and consistency may vary. Consequently, I wouldn’t recommend Upwork for large teams that need standardized processes or ongoing access to customer intelligence.
Prices vary by freelancer, but typically range from $20 to $1,000 per lead list.
Receive lead gen services and contact lists from freelancers on Upwork. (Source: Upwork)
The best lead gen services depend on your goals, target audience, budget, and sales process. While some teams need direct access to verified contact data, others benefit from prospecting tools or on-demand lead generation support.
Before choosing a provider, it’s important to understand how much control you want over targeting and outreach, and how quickly you need leads delivered.
When evaluating lead gen services, focus on the core capabilities that affect lead quality and usability. Key factors include data accuracy, filtering and targeting options, integrations with your existing tools, and whether the service supports B2B, B2C, or industry-specific lead generation.
Some lead gen services give you raw contact data to use as you see fit, while others deliver leads that have already been researched or generated for you. Decide whether you want full ownership of your leads or prefer a more hands-off approach.
Most platforms specialize in B2B lead generation, but not all effectively support B2C use cases. Make sure the service aligns with your target market and industry.
Pricing varies widely, from low-cost monthly subscriptions to enterprise contracts. Consider whether the service can scale with your team as your lead volume and outreach efforts grow.
Tools that provide data or prospecting features require time and effort from your sales team. If bandwidth is limited, on-demand services may be a better fit.
Look for providers that prioritize data verification and comply with privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA to reduce risk and improve deliverability.
To identify the best lead gen services, I curated a list of companies based on pricing, features, usability, and overall value for B2B sales and marketing teams.
This evaluation framework ensures each service is reviewed consistently and fairly, helping you compare options and select the best lead-gen services for your sales strategy.
Lead gen services provide tools, data, or platforms to source leads, while lead generation agencies actively manage campaigns and outreach on your behalf, often at a higher cost.
Yes, many lead gen services are designed for small businesses and SMBs, offering affordable access to verified leads and prospecting tools without requiring large sales teams or enterprise budgets.
Lead gen services range from under $100 per month for basic tools to several thousand dollars monthly for enterprise platforms, depending on data volume, features, and team size.
Reputable lead gen services follow data protection regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, but businesses should still review compliance policies and ensure their outreach practices meet legal requirements.
Whether you’re willing to pay top dollar for a lead-gen service or just need quality databases to help you build lists, you’ve got all the best options here to buy business leads.
Platforms like UpLead, Lead411, and ZoomInfo work well for teams that want direct access to B2B data, while LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Apollo support more active prospecting and outreach.
For smaller teams looking to reduce their workload, Upwork offers a flexible option without the need to commit to a full-service agency. Begin by outlining your targeting requirements, then try a few lead generation services to determine which one produces leads your team can successfully convert.
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