CloneICP vs ZoomInfo: Discovery vs Enrichment

ZoomInfo enriches contacts you already know about. CloneICP discovers people you don't. Two fundamentally different tools for different stages of your GTM workflow.

ZoomInfo is an enterprise data platform with 600M+ contacts, intent data, and technographics. CloneICP is a lightweight discovery tool that finds people by description. ZoomInfo answers 'give me contacts at companies using Salesforce.' CloneICP answers 'find me people like my best customer.'

Last updated: February 2026

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Key Facts

ZoomInfo has 600M+ professional profiles and 135M+ verified phone numbers.
ZoomInfo pricing starts at approximately $15,000/year for the Professional tier (varies by contract).
CloneICP costs $1.00 per search with no subscription or minimum commitment.
ZoomInfo excels at enrichment, intent data, and enterprise GTM workflows. CloneICP excels at discovering hard-to-find people from descriptions.
CloneICP is not a ZoomInfo replacement. They solve fundamentally different problems.

Different Tools for Different Problems

ZoomInfo is an enterprise go-to-market platform. 600M+ contacts, intent signals, technographics, org charts, and direct dials. If you need to enrich accounts, score intent, and build outbound sequences at scale, it's the industry standard.

CloneICP is a discovery tool. It answers a different question entirely: 'Who should I be targeting?' Describe your ideal person in plain language, get 20-50 matches ranked by fit.

The comparison isn't really 'which is better.' It's 'which problem are you solving right now?'

If you already know your target accounts and need contact data, ZoomInfo. If you're trying to figure out who your target should be, CloneICP.

What We Found

We compared the tools across their primary strengths to understand where each delivers the most value.

ZoomInfo's database includes 600M+ professional profiles and 135M+ verified phone numbers, with regular data freshness updates.[1]
ZoomInfo pricing typically starts at $15,000/year for the Professional plan, with Sales, Marketing, and Talent tiers available.[2]
ZoomInfo's intent data tracks buying signals across 6,000+ topics, helping teams prioritize accounts showing active purchase interest.[1]

ZoomInfo is designed for enterprise GTM teams who need data infrastructure. CloneICP is designed for individuals and teams who need to discover who to target.

Here's a practical example of the difference:

ZoomInfo: 'Give me all VP of Engineering contacts at companies using AWS with 50-200 employees in the US' -- returns 10,000+ contacts with email and phone
CloneICP: 'Engineering leaders who scaled infrastructure teams at high-growth startups and have experience migrating from monolith to microservices' -- returns 30-50 people ranked by fit
ZoomInfo: Answers 'who matches these firmographic criteria?'
CloneICP: Answers 'who matches this professional pattern?'

Different questions, different tools. ZoomInfo gives you the contacts. CloneICP helps you figure out which contacts to look for.

How ZoomInfo Works

Where ZoomInfo Excels

600M+ contacts with verified email and phone numbers

Intent data tracking across 6,000+ topics

Technographic data (what software companies use)

Org charts and reporting structure

Native CRM and marketing automation integrations

Automated enrichment workflows

Where ZoomInfo Is Overkill

ZoomInfo is enterprise infrastructure. Not every team needs (or can afford) that level of tooling.

A consultant looking for 10-20 potential clients who match their best engagement

With ZoomInfo, you'd need to:

Commit to a $15,000+/year contract before running a single search
Learn the platform's filtering and workflow system
Figure out which firmographic and technographic filters approximate your ideal client
Get more contacts than you could possibly use

For enterprise teams doing high-volume outbound, ZoomInfo's data is worth the investment. For individuals and small teams who need precision discovery, it's a mismatch.

CloneICP is built for the use case where you need 30-50 great matches, not 10,000 contacts with phone numbers.

How CloneICP Works

Semantic Discovery, Not Data Enrichment

CloneICP approaches people search from the opposite direction. Instead of filtering a database, you describe who you're looking for.

What CloneICP understands

Write a natural language description of your ideal person
AI extracts professional signals: role, seniority, industry, company stage, career patterns
Multiple semantic queries search across the open web in real-time
Results ranked by how well each person matches your full description
Each result includes a 'Why this person' explanation

What a CloneICP Search Returns

Results per search: 20-50 ranked profiles
Match explanation: 'Why this person' for each result
Contact data: LinkedIn URLs (use enrichment tools for email/phone)
Cost per search: $1.00 (10 credits)
Time per search: Under 60 seconds

See how CloneICP works for your use case

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature comparison: ZoomInfo vs CloneICP, updated February 2026
Feature	ZoomInfo	CloneICP
Primary function	Data enrichment & GTM platform	Semantic people discovery
Database	600M+ contacts (stored)	Real-time open web search
Contact data	Email, phone, direct dial	LinkedIn URLs (pair with enrichment tools)
Search method	Firmographic/technographic filters	Natural language description
Intent data	Yes (6,000+ topics)	No
Technographics	Yes	No
Match explanation	No	Yes ('Why this person')
Pricing	From ~$15,000/year	$1.00/search (no subscription)
Free trial	Demo required	3 free searches, no signup

When to Use Each Tool

Use ZoomInfo When

You need verified email addresses and phone numbers at scale
You want intent data to prioritize accounts showing buying signals
Your GTM motion requires technographic targeting (companies using specific software)
You need org charts and reporting structures for account-based selling
Your team runs automated enrichment and outbound workflows

Use CloneICP When

You need to figure out WHO to target, not just HOW to reach them
You want to describe your ideal person in plain language
You need 30-50 targeted matches, not a massive contact list
You want to understand WHY each person matches your profile
You're a small team, consultant, or individual who can't justify $15K+/year

Use Both Together

Discovery and enrichment are different stages. Use the right tool for each.

01Use CloneICP to discover 30-50 high-fit prospects with context
02Export the CSV with names and LinkedIn profiles
03Use ZoomInfo to enrich those specific contacts with email, phone, and company data
04Run your outbound sequences on enriched, high-fit contacts

CloneICP handles the 'who should I target?' question. ZoomInfo handles the 'how do I reach them?' question. Together, they create precision outbound.

Pricing Comparison

ZoomInfo Pricing

Professional~$15,000/year

Company and contact search
Direct phone numbers
Basic intent data
CRM integration

AdvancedCustom (higher)

Everything in Professional
Advanced intent data
Website visitor tracking
Automated workflows

EliteCustom (highest)

Everything in Advanced
Real-time intent signals
Data enrichment API
Custom integrations

Pricing varies by contract. Annual commitment required. Approximate pricing based on publicly available reports as of early 2026.

CloneICP Pricing

Pay-Per-Use (No subscription)

100$10 ($0.10)

500$45 ($0.09)

2,000$160 ($0.08)

No subscription or annual commitment
3 free searches, no signup required
Credits never expire
Each search: 10 credits ($0.80-$1.00)
20-50 ranked results per search

A consultant running 10 searches/month spends $10 with CloneICP vs $1,250+/month with ZoomInfo. The tools serve different needs, but the cost difference matters for small teams.

Cost Analysis

ZoomInfo's pricing reflects enterprise data infrastructure: verified contacts, intent signals, technographics, and automation. For teams running large-scale outbound, the ROI is clear.

CloneICP's pricing reflects lightweight discovery: $1 per search, pay when you need it. For individuals, small teams, and anyone who needs precision over volume, it's a fraction of the cost.

Honest Trade-Offs

ZoomInfo Advantages

Contact data

Verified email, phone, and direct dial

Intent data

6,000+ topics showing active buying signals

Technographics

What software companies use

Org charts

Reporting structures and hierarchies

Automation

Workflows, sequences, and CRM sync

Scale

Built for enterprise teams running thousands of contacts

CloneICP Advantages

Discovery

Find people you don't know about yet

Search paradigm

Natural language vs filter combinations

Match context

'Why this person' explanations for every result

Pricing

$1.00/search vs $15,000+/year

Accessibility

No contract, no demo required, free trial

Speed

First results in under 60 seconds with no setup

Is CloneICP Right for You?

CloneICP Works Best When

You're trying to figure out who to target, not just how to reach them
You describe prospects in patterns, not filter criteria
You need 30-50 targeted matches, not thousands of contacts
You want to understand why each person is a fit before reaching out
You're an individual, small team, or consultant who needs lightweight discovery

It Depends On

Whether you need verified contact data (email, phone) -- if yes, pair CloneICP with an enrichment tool
Whether you need intent data or technographics (ZoomInfo-specific features)
Your team size and budget for GTM tooling

ZoomInfo Is Probably Better If

You need verified phone numbers and email addresses at scale
Intent data is central to your prospecting strategy
You need technographic targeting (companies using specific tools)
Your team runs automated outbound workflows at enterprise scale

Frequently Asked Questions: ZoomInfo vs CloneICP

Is CloneICP a replacement for ZoomInfo?

No. CloneICP is a discovery tool. ZoomInfo is an enrichment platform. They solve different problems. CloneICP helps you figure out who to target. ZoomInfo helps you reach them with verified contact data. Many teams use both.

What's a cheaper alternative to ZoomInfo?

For contact data, consider Apollo.io or RocketReach. For discovery (figuring out WHO to target), CloneICP costs $1.00 per search with no subscription. The right alternative depends on which ZoomInfo feature you need most.

Can CloneICP provide phone numbers or email addresses?

No. CloneICP provides LinkedIn profile URLs and match explanations. For contact data, export your results and use enrichment tools like Apollo, ZoomInfo, Hunter, or RocketReach.

How much does CloneICP cost compared to ZoomInfo?

ZoomInfo starts at approximately $15,000/year. CloneICP costs $1.00 per search with no subscription. For 100 searches/year, that's $100 vs $15,000. But they serve different needs -- the comparison is about the right tool, not just the cheapest one.

Try Semantic People Discovery

3 free searches. No signup. Under 60 seconds.

01Describe who you're looking for in plain language
02Get 20-50 ranked profiles with match explanations
03Export to CSV and enrich with your existing tools

No credit card|No signup required

What to test

Engineering leaders who scaled infrastructure teams at high-growth startups
VP of Sales who built outbound teams from scratch at Series B SaaS companies
Marketing directors at DTC brands doing $5-50M revenue

Sources & Citations

[1]ZoomInfo Product Page - Official product features and capabilities
[2]ZoomInfo Pricing Reports - Approximate pricing based on publicly available information, early 2026
[3]CloneICP Pricing Page - Verified February 2026

About this comparison: I'm Tom Meredith, Founder of CloneICP. This comparison is based on ZoomInfo's public product pages and widely reported pricing. All ZoomInfo claims are sourced. All CloneICP claims are from our product and pricing page. We update comparison pages regularly as competitors evolve.