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If you’re leaving D&B Hoovers for prospecting and account research, start by comparing Apollo and Clay: both cover sales data workflows, but their listed starting prices and usage considerations differ. Apollo starts at $49 and has a free plan; Clay starts at $167 and also has a free plan. For startup research, M&A or partner-led sales, Harmonic, Grata and Crossbeam may fit better. D&B Hoovers is listed from $44.08, but check credit needs and Enterprise pricing before treating that as your likely cost.
01Why people leave D&B Hoovers
Data accuracy concerns
One Reddit commenter said prospecting data is wrong too often, while acknowledging that no provider does it well.
Research gaps need manual work
A Reddit commenter described piecing together company research from news, trade publications, LinkedIn and other sources to fill gaps.
Prospects may feel over-contacted
One commenter argued that accurate prospect data can still be widely available, leaving prospects overwhelmed with sales outreach.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Prospecting and outreach
ApolloApolloApollo is the closest fit here if you want prospecting alongside outbound messaging rather than a research-only workflow. It starts at $49 and has a free plan, according to the pricing page. The tradeoff is credit management: the listing flags monthly credit limits, and its summary advises checking data quality before switching.
Trade-off: Monthly credit limits and data quality need checking.
6.8/10from
$49/mofree plan - Multi-source enrichment
ClayClayClay suits teams that want to combine multi-source enrichment with CRM and data workflows. That is a different route from relying on one business-research product: you can build automated prospect research processes. The pricing page shows a $167 starting price and a free plan, but says usage limits need close scrutiny.
Trade-off: Higher listed starting price; usage limits need scrutiny.
7.2/10from
$167/mofree plan - Private-company research
GrataGrataGrata is a better fit if your research centers on private companies and deal context, rather than general prospecting. The pricing page describes it as an M&A database and workspace for investors and M&A teams. It may not replace a prospecting workflow: the listing says teams should be prepared to handle outreach themselves.
Trade-off: Pricing is not published; outreach is your responsibility.
6.4/10from
Custom - Startup intelligence
HarmonicHarmonicHarmonic focuses on early-stage company sourcing and startup signals, making it relevant when D&B Hoovers is not giving your team the startup coverage it needs. The pricing page also includes corporate development and GTM teams among its audiences. Its price and limits are opaque, so compare those before moving research workflows.
Trade-off: Pricing and limits are not published on the vendor's site.
6.3/10from
Custom - Signal-led outreach
KoalaKoalaKoala may suit a team looking to bring sales plays, signal-led outreach and AI-agent configuration into one workflow. Its the pricing page shows a $200 starting price and a free plan. That is a different emphasis from researching named accounts and verified business identities, so check whether its workflow matches your research needs.
Trade-off: Check credit needs and seat costs before scaling.
7.0/10from
$200/mofree plan - Partner-led sales
CrossbeamCrossbeamCrossbeam is worth considering when partner relationships are a source of sales opportunities. The pricing page says it connects partner data to AI tools and turns CRM overlaps into sales signals. This is not a general-purpose business research replacement; its fit depends on having partner data to work with.
Trade-off: Paid access starts at $400, and costs rise quickly.
6.7/10from
$400/mofree plan
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 D&B Hoovers D&B Hoovers (current) | 5.5 | $44.08/mo | No | Teams researching named accounts |
| Apollo Apollo | 6.8 | $49/mo | Yes | Teams consolidating prospecting and outreach |
| Clay Clay | 7.2 | $167/mo | Yes | Teams running multi-source enrichment |
| Grata Grata | 6.4 | Custom | No | M&A teams researching private companies |
| Harmonic Harmonic | 6.3 | Custom | No | Investors sourcing early-stage companies |
| Koala Koala | 7.0 | $200/mo | Yes | Teams consolidating sales-play tools |
| Crossbeam Crossbeam | 6.7 | $400/mo | Yes | Teams building partner-led sales |
Questions people ask
Who are Dun & Bradstreet’s competitors?
For the workflows covered here, options include Apollo and Clay for prospecting and enrichment, Harmonic for startup intelligence, Grata for M&A research, and Crossbeam for partner-led sales. They address different needs, so compare them against your use case rather than treating them as interchangeable D&B Hoovers replacements.
What type of company is D&B?
The published material identifies D&B Hoovers as a Dun & Bradstreet product for account research and verified business identities. It does not describe Dun & Bradstreet’s broader corporate structure or the full scope of its products, so we can’t make a more detailed company classification from these sources.
How much does D&B Hoovers cost?
The pricing page shows D&B Hoovers from $44.08. It also advises buyers to check credit needs and request Enterprise pricing, so that starting figure does not establish what a particular team will pay. Confirm the relevant plan, credits and custom costs with D&B before comparing quotes.