Where to Buy Leads in 2026: B2B Data, Pay-Per-Lead Sites and What to Check
Samuel Rondot
7 min read
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You can buy leads in two very different forms. Contact data: lists of companies and decision makers that match your criteria, sold by B2B data platforms such as Apollo.io, ZoomInfo, Cognism, Lusha, UpLead or useArtemis Discover. You still have to reach out and start the conversation. Inbound leads: people who asked for a quote or a callback, sold per lead by marketplaces and pay-per-lead ads such as Google Local Services Ads, Thumbtack or Angi, or by lead generation agencies.
B2B companies usually buy data and run outreach on it. Local service businesses (contractors, lawyers, cleaners) usually buy inbound leads. Below are the main sources in October 2026, what they cost, and how to tell a good lead vendor from a bad one.
Where to buy leads: sources compared (October 2026)
| Source | What you get | Best for | Pricing (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| useArtemis | B2B lead database (Discover) with verified emails + LinkedIn and email outreach | B2B teams and agencies that want data and outreach in one tool | From $69/month (2,500 Discover leads, 500 verified emails) |
| Apollo.io | Large B2B contact database + email sequences | B2B teams on a budget | Free plan; from $49/user/month billed yearly |
| ZoomInfo | Enterprise B2B data, intent signals, workflows | Mid-market and enterprise sales teams | On request |
| Cognism | B2B contacts with phone-verified mobile numbers | Teams that call prospects | On request (Standard and Pro plans) |
| Lusha | Emails and direct dials, browser extension | Small teams revealing contacts one by one | Free (40 credits/month); Starter $49.90/month for 400 credits |
| UpLead | Verified B2B emails and direct dials | Small teams that want verified data | Essentials $99/month for 170 credits |
| Data Axle | US business and consumer lists, email and direct mail | US companies buying lists by selection | Depends on the list |
| Google Local Services Ads | Calls and messages from local customers; you pay per valid lead | Home services and local professionals | Pay per lead; price varies by job and market |
| Thumbtack, Angi | Quote requests from homeowners | Contractors and home service pros | Pay per lead; price varies by category and area |
On Lusha, revealing an email costs 1 credit and a phone number 5 credits, so 400 credits can mean 400 emails or 80 phone numbers. Prices are taken from each vendor's pricing page in October 2026.
B2B data platforms
These sell access to a database rather than a fixed list: you filter by industry, company size, location, job title and other criteria, then reveal or export contacts. The best ones verify emails and update job changes regularly. Data alone doesn't create pipeline, though: you still need a message worth answering and a sequence to send it. We've reviewed several of them in depth: Apollo.io, ZoomInfo pricing and UpLead pricing.
useArtemis takes a slightly different approach: Discover gives you B2B leads with verified emails, the LinkedIn scraper exports leads from your own LinkedIn and Sales Navigator searches, and the same tool runs AI-personalized LinkedIn + email sequences on them.
Pay-per-lead marketplaces and ads
For local services, the buyer comes to you: a homeowner requests a quote, and the platform sells that request to one or several pros. Google Local Services Ads charges only for valid leads (calls, messages, bookings), and Google is moving it into Performance Max campaigns, starting with some US home and storefront service advertisers in August 2026. Thumbtack and Angi also charge pros per lead, with prices that depend on the job type and the market. Leads can be shared with competitors, so speed to respond matters more than anything.
Lead generation agencies
Agencies sell leads or booked meetings in your niche, usually per lead, per appointment or on a retainer. Ask exactly how they generate leads (ads, SEO, outbound, purchased lists), whether leads are exclusive, and what happens when a lead is invalid. If you're curious about the other side of this market, see how to start a lead generation business.
Buying contact data vs buying inbound leads
| Contact data (B2B lists) | Inbound leads (pay-per-lead) | |
|---|---|---|
| Intent | None yet: they didn't ask to hear from you | Explicit: they requested a quote or a call |
| Price per contact | Low | High |
| Exclusivity | Same data is sold to many buyers | Exclusive or shared, depending on the vendor |
| Work needed | Research, messaging and a multichannel sequence | Fast follow-up and a good sales call |
| Main risk | Bounces, spam complaints, legal limits on cold email | Paying for low-quality or shared leads |
How to evaluate a lead vendor before you pay
- Source and consent: where does each lead come from (public business sources, forms, partners)? For consumer leads, can the vendor prove consent for calls and texts?
- Freshness: when was the data last verified? Job titles and emails go stale as people change jobs.
- Verification: are emails verified before delivery? What bounce rate do they guarantee, if any?
- Exclusivity: is the lead sold to you only, or to several buyers?
- Returns: can you get credit for invalid leads (wrong number, outside your area, fake form)?
- Test before you commit: buy the smallest package, run it through your normal process and measure cost per meeting or per customer, not cost per lead.
- Compliance: does the vendor honor opt-outs and data deletion requests, and can it document its legal basis under GDPR if you sell in Europe?
Is it legal to buy leads?
Buying business contact data is legal in many countries, but what you do with it is regulated:
- US email: CAN-SPAM doesn't require prior consent, even for B2B, but every email needs accurate sender information, a postal address and an opt-out honored within 10 business days (FTC).
- US calls and texts: marketing calls and texts made with an autodialer or prerecorded voice need prior express written consent under the TCPA. Make sure purchased consumer leads come with documented consent.
- EU and UK: you need a lawful basis under GDPR, and e-privacy rules decide when consent is required. In the UK, you can email corporate subscribers without consent if you identify yourself and offer an opt-out, but bought-in lists can only be used to email individuals if they specifically consented to messages from you (ICO).
- Email platforms: Mailchimp and most newsletter tools forbid purchased or rented lists in their terms. More on this in our guide on buying email lists.
How to get results from purchased leads
- Verify before you email. Even "verified" lists age; re-verify right before sending.
- Send in small batches from an authenticated, warmed-up domain, and watch bounces and complaints.
- Personalize by segment, not with a generic blast. One relevant detail per lead beats a long template.
- Combine channels: a LinkedIn connection and an email over two weeks get more replies than a single email.
- Respond fast to inbound leads: shared leads go to whoever calls first.
- Track cost per customer by source, and stop buying from sources that don't convert.
FAQ
Where can I buy leads online?
For B2B leads, use a data platform such as Apollo.io, ZoomInfo, Cognism, Lusha, UpLead or useArtemis Discover, which let you filter by industry, size and job title. For local service leads, pay-per-lead platforms like Google Local Services Ads, Thumbtack and Angi sell requests from customers who asked for a quote.
How much do leads cost?
It depends on the type. B2B contact data is cheap per contact: Lusha's Starter plan ($49.90 for 400 credits) works out to about 12 cents per email, and UpLead's Essentials plan ($99 for 170 credits) to about 58 cents per credit. Inbound pay-per-lead prices vary widely by industry and location, because they reflect the value of the job. Always compare vendors on cost per customer, not cost per lead.
Are purchased leads worth it?
They can be, if the data is accurate, matches your ideal customer profile and you have a process to work it. Bought contact data saves research time but has no intent; inbound leads have intent but cost more and are often shared. Test a small batch and measure meetings or customers before scaling.
What's the difference between exclusive and shared leads?
An exclusive lead is sold to a single business. A shared lead is sold to several competitors at once, usually at a lower price, so the first one to respond tends to win. Ask every vendor which type you're buying and whether you get credit for invalid leads.
Where can a digital marketing agency buy leads?
Agencies usually buy B2B data on the businesses they want as clients (for example, local companies by industry and size) and run outreach on it, rather than buying inbound leads. A database with verified emails plus a LinkedIn and email sequence lets you target exactly the niche your agency serves.
