- Most B2B database providers are one of four kinds: compilers selling files under licence, subscription platforms, list brokers renting lists, or cleansing bureaus.
- Each kind charges differently: per 1,000 records, per user per month, per use, or per record processed, so convert every quote to the same basis.
- Ask where the data comes from, how accuracy is measured, when phone numbers were screened against the TPS and CTPS, and what the licence allows.
- Test a sample yourself: ring a few numbers, look up each business's website and check the email format against it.
- Walk away from a supplier that won't give a free count, has no written licence, is vague about its source or promises results.
01
What kinds of B2B database providers are there?
There are four main kinds of B2B database providers: compilers that research data and sell it as a file under licence, subscription platforms that let you search and export records online, list brokers that rent other people's lists, and data cleansing bureaus that check and fix data you already hold. They suit different jobs and charge in different ways.
Whether you search for B2B data providers UK-wide or for a specialist in one sector, many suppliers do more than one of these, so think of them as ways of selling data rather than strict labels. What matters is which model you are actually paying for in the quote in front of you.
Compilers selling files under licence
They collect and check business records themselves (often by telephone research) and sell you a file of the records that match your selection. You keep the file for the licence period.
Good for: a whole sector or region at once, repeated campaigns, importing into your own CRM.
Watch for: single-use licences, short licence periods, and paying for fields you won't use.
Usual pricing: a rate per 1,000 records, often lower for bigger orders, with a minimum order.
Subscription prospecting platforms
Online tools where you search a database, build lists and export contacts while your subscription runs. Some add features such as company news or sales tool add-ons.
Good for: sales teams who prospect every day and want to search as they go.
Watch for: export limits, rights to keep data after you cancel, auto-renewal and per-seat costs.
Usual pricing: a fee per user per month or year, often with credits that cap exports.
List brokers and list rental
A broker finds a list owned by someone else (a compiler, a publisher, an events business) and arranges its use for your campaign. Rented lists are often mailed by the owner or a mailing house, so you may never see the records.
Good for: one-off direct mail tests, and specialist audiences such as subscribers or event visitors.
Watch for: single-use terms, no follow-up calls from the list, and little view of how fresh the data is.
Usual pricing: per 1,000 names per use, often with a minimum charge and extra for selections.
Data cleansing bureaus
They don't sell you new prospects. They take the data you hold and remove duplicates, correct addresses, flag closed businesses and screen phone numbers against the TPS and CTPS.
Good for: tidying an ageing CRM before a campaign.
Watch for: set-up fees and charges per check, so you can pay several times for one record.
Usual pricing: per record or per 1,000 records processed, sometimes with a set-up fee or minimum.
If you are still deciding whether to buy, build or rent at all, the complete guide compares the three: buy, build or rent a marketing database.
02
What should you ask a B2B database provider before you buy?
Ask questions you can check: where the data comes from, how accuracy is measured and guaranteed, when the phone numbers were screened, what the licence lets you do, how many records have each field, how it's delivered and what help you get with compliance. Get the important answers in writing.
These 18 questions work for any of the four kinds of supplier. A good provider answers them quickly and plainly. Send them by email so the replies form part of your paper trail.
Where the data comes from and how it's checked
- Where do your records come from. Telephone research, public registers, websites, or another company's data? A supplier reselling someone else's data should say so.
- How do you check records, and how often. Ask whether records are checked continuously or in batches, and how they find businesses that have closed or moved.
- When was this selection last checked. An answer for your selection is better than a general claim about the whole database.
Accuracy and how it's measured
- What accuracy do you guarantee, in writing. A percentage with no written terms isn't a guarantee.
- What counts as an inaccurate record. A closed business? A contact who has left? A bounced email? Each supplier draws the line differently.
- How and by when do I report problems. Find out the time limit and what evidence they need, before you buy.
TPS and CTPS screening
- Are phone numbers screened against both the TPS and the CTPS. Both registers matter for business numbers, because sole traders and partnerships can register on the TPS.
- On what date was the file screened. A new registration is protected after 28 days, so you need the date to know when to re-screen.
- Are registered numbers removed or flagged. Flagged numbers stay in the file for post and email, so you must filter them out before calling.
Licence and resale
- How long is the licence, and is it single use or multi-use. This changes the real price more than the rate per 1,000 does.
- Can the data go into my CRM, and what happens when the licence ends. Ask what you must delete, and whether you can keep records of prospects who became customers.
- Who can use it. Just your business, or partners and agencies working for you? Resale is almost always banned.
Field counts, delivery and format
- How many records match, field by field. Ask for counts of named contacts, phone numbers, named emails and general emails, not just a total.
- Can I pay only for records that have the field I need. If you only plan to email, you may not want records without an email.
- What format, how is it sent, and how fast. Excel or CSV by secure transfer is common; check the column layout suits your CRM.
Compliance support
- How was the data collected, and what were people told. You need this to give privacy information to the people in the data.
- Are sole traders and partnerships marked. PECR rules on email differ for them, so you need to be able to tell them apart.
- Can you suppress my existing customers and opt-outs. Removing them before supply saves you paying for records you can't use.
03
How do you test a sample of B2B data yourself?
Ask for sample records from your own selection, then spend half an hour checking them: ring a handful of numbers, look up each business online, and compare the email addresses with each business's website. You'll learn more from that than from any sales claim.
Ask for samples from the sector and area you plan to target, not a showcase file. A sample of popular sectors in big cities tells you little about rural engineering firms, for example.
- Ring a few numbers. Does the number reach the business named? Is the named contact still there, and in the job shown? Keep it short and polite, and check the number isn't on the TPS or CTPS before you call.
- Look up the website. Is the business still trading at that address? Does its own site show the same name, phone number and type of business?
- Check emails against the website. If the site shows staff emails as firstname.surname@, does the sample match that pattern? Is the domain the same as the website's?
- Check Companies House. For limited companies, search the register (Companies House) to see whether the company is still active. The registered office can differ from the trading address, so don't treat that alone as an error.
- Check the selection was applied. Are the businesses in the right area, sector and size band? Do the job titles match what you asked for?
- Check the layout. Open the file in Excel or your CRM's import tool. Are names, addresses and postcodes split into separate columns, with no odd characters?
Write down what you find for each record. If you're comparing several suppliers, use the same checks on each sample so the comparison is fair.
A sample shows how the supplier works, but it's small, so treat it as a test of quality rather than a measure of the whole file.
04
What are the warning signs of a poor database supplier?
Be wary of any database supplier that won't give you a free count, has no written licence, is vague about where its data comes from, can't tell you how or when phone numbers were screened, or promises leads, sales or appointments. Any one of these is a reason to ask more questions; several together are a reason to walk away.
- No free count. A supplier should tell you how many records match before you pay. If it can't, you're buying blind.
- No written licence. If the terms aren't written down, you can't show what you're allowed to do with the data, or hold the supplier to anything.
- Vague about the source. "Multiple trusted sources" with no detail doesn't tell you how fresh the data is or what people were told.
- No screening date. If the supplier can't say how phone numbers are screened against the TPS and CTPS, or when, you carry the risk on every call.
- Promises of results. No database supplier controls your offer, timing or follow-up, so promised response levels or sales aren't something it can deliver.
- Sole traders mixed in with no flag. Emailing sole traders and ordinary partnerships from a bought list breaks PECR. A supplier that doesn't understand this may not understand the rest.
- Pressure to decide now. Prices that are only good today, or a reluctance to send sample records, leave you no time to check.
- No company details. You should be able to find the supplier's registered company, address and contact details.
05
How do you compare quotes from database suppliers like for like?
Turn every quote into the same terms: total price, price per record and per 1,000, what the licence lets you do and for how long, which fields are included, and any minimum order. Only then is a cheaper-looking quote actually cheaper.
Quotes from database vendors are rarely written the same way. Before you compare totals, check each of these:
- Per 1,000 or per record. Multiply a per-record price by 1,000, or divide a per-1,000 rate by 1,000, so they match.
- Licence length and number of uses. A single-use rental has to be paid again for each mailing; a 12-month multi-use licence lets you call, email and write as often as you like for a year.
- Which fields are included. Some prices cover the address only, with phone, contact names or emails extra.
- Minimum order and price bands. A minimum can make a small order cost more per record than it seems. With bands, a slightly bigger order can cost less.
- VAT and extras. Check whether prices include VAT, and whether there are charges for selections, delivery or set-up.
Worked example using our prices
Here is what our own price list works out to. Every record in an order is charged at the rate for the size of the whole order, with a £300 minimum, plus VAT.
| Records | Rate per 1,000 | Total | Per record | Per month of a 12-month licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 | £295 | £590 | 29.5p | £49.17 |
| 4,800 | £270 | £1,296 | 27.0p | £108 |
| 5,000 | £245 | £1,225 | 24.5p | £102.08 |
| 10,000 | £220 | £2,200 | 22.0p | £183.33 |
Two things stand out. First, 4,800 records cost £1,296 but 5,000 cost £1,225, because 5,000 moves the whole order into a lower band: the bigger order is £71 cheaper. Second, dividing by the licence length shows the cost per month of use, which is the fair way to set a 12-month licence against a single-use rental or a monthly subscription.
Fields matter too. Across our whole database, 454,737 of our 1,486,280 records have a named contact email. If you only plan to email, select only records with a named contact email so you don't pay for the rest. If you'll also call and write, a multi-channel file gives you every field we hold for each business. Work out any quote for your own numbers with the cost calculator.
06
How do you check a provider's GDPR and PECR compliance?
You can't take a supplier's word that its data is "GDPR compliant": compliance depends on how the data was collected and how you use it. Check the provider is registered with the ICO, ask what people in the data were told, check sole traders and partnerships can be identified, and confirm TPS and CTPS screening.
- Search the ICO register. The ICO publishes a searchable register of organisations registered with it under the Data Protection Act 2018. Search by name or postcode (ICO register).
- Ask what people were told. When you get personal data from a third party, you must give people privacy information within a reasonable period and no later than one month, or at your first contact if that's sooner (UK GDPR Article 14). The supplier's answer helps you do that.
- Ask which records are individual subscribers. Under PECR, sole traders and most partnerships are treated like individuals. If you're not sure whether a business is a company or not, the ICO says to treat it as an individual (ICO B2B guidance).
- Check the screening. Calling numbers on the TPS or CTPS without consent breaks PECR, so ask when the file was screened and re-screen after 28 days (TPS).
- Remember it's your responsibility too. Buying a list doesn't transfer your duties. You still need a lawful basis (often legitimate interests), an opt-out process and a do-not-contact list.
The complete guide covers the rules in full: is it legal? UK GDPR and PECR.
07
How do we answer these questions?
We put our terms in writing before you pay: a 12-month multi-use licence, at least 95% accuracy guaranteed, daily telephone checks, TPS and CTPS screening before supply, and Excel or CSV delivery, usually within 24 hours. Here they are in full, so you can hold them up against any other quote.
What you can select
- Sector or business type
- Region, county or town
- Postcode area, or a radius around a postcode
- Number of employees
- Turnover band
- Single-site independents or multi-site groups
- Job title of the named contact
- Only records with a named contact email
- Only records with a phone number
We hold 1,486,280 UK business records across 2,284 categories. Every record has a postal address and a phone number; 1,219,031 have a named contact and 454,737 a named contact email (counts updated November 2026). Ask for a free count and you'll get the figures for your exact selection, field by field, with sample records and a written quote.
08
B2B database providers: FAQs
Who are the best B2B database providers in the UK?
There's no single best one: it depends on your market and how you'll use the data. The best choice for you is a provider that gives a free field-by-field count for your selection, sends real sample records, puts its licence and accuracy guarantee in writing, screens phone numbers against the TPS and CTPS before supply, and explains where its data comes from. Test the samples yourself and compare quotes on the same terms.
How do I know if a data provider is GDPR compliant?
Check it's on the ICO's public register, ask how the data was collected and what people were told, and ask whether sole traders and partnerships are marked. No supplier can make your use compliant for you: you still need a lawful basis, privacy information and an opt-out process.
Should I rent B2B data or buy it?
Rent for a single test mailing to a specialist list. Buy if you'll use the data more than once, want to call as well as write or email, or want the records in your CRM. With a 12-month multi-use licence you can follow up as often as you like during the year.
What's the difference between a list broker and a data compiler?
A compiler researches and owns the data it sells. A broker finds lists owned by others and arranges their use for your campaign, usually as a rental. Brokers can reach specialist audiences; compilers can usually tell you more about how their data is checked.
Are subscription data platforms better than buying a file?
They suit sales teams who prospect every day and want to search as they go. A one-off file under licence often suits businesses that want a whole sector or region at once. Compare the cost per month of use, export limits and what you can keep after you stop paying.
How many records should I test before trusting a supplier?
Check every record in the sample you're sent, then test a few hundred records from the full file before your main campaign. If something is wrong, you'll find out early and can raise it with the supplier.
Do B2B data providers screen against the TPS and CTPS?
Many do, but not all, and not all screen against both. Ask on what date the file was screened. A newly registered number is protected 28 days after it joins the register, so screen again before calling after that.
Can I resell or share data I've bought?
Usually not. Most licences, including ours, cover your own business's marketing only and ban resale. If an agency or partner will use the data for you, check the licence allows it before you share it.
Why do quotes from database suppliers vary so much?
Because they price different things: per 1,000 or per record, single use or multi-use, address only or every field, with or without VAT and minimum orders. Convert each quote to price per record, per month of licence and fields included before you compare.
Can a B2B database supplier guarantee me sales?
No. A provider can stand behind the accuracy of its data, but your offer, timing and follow-up decide the results. Treat promises of leads or sales as a warning sign.