The Best B2B Data Providers for France in 2026 (Paris, Lyon, Marseille)
For France, Cognism suits enterprise teams that call, Sendburg and Apollo are the self-serve options with free plans and verified emails, and Sales Navigator maps accounts. France allows B2B email to professional addresses when it relates to the person's job - with a clear opt-out.
France is one of Europe's largest B2B markets, centred on Paris but with strong regional hubs in Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Lille and Nantes. French buyers expect outreach in French and relevant to their role. Here's how the main tools compare.
Disclosure: Sendburg is our product. We have tried to be fair - where another tool is the better fit, we say so. Prices are from each vendor's public pricing page or widely reported figures as of November 3, 2026; they change often, so check before you buy.
How we compared
- Coverage of the region's companies and decision-makers (we tested searches in the main business cities)
- Email accuracy: is there a verified-email filter, and what happens when an email bounces
- Price for a small team, and whether there is a usable free plan
- Filters that matter for local prospecting (city, industry, title, company size)
- Phone numbers and how much they cost
- Data-protection posture for the region's laws
At a glance
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid from | Phone numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sendburg | Self-serve teams that want French data with a free plan | Yes - 10,000 credits/month | $35/month (Growth) | Yes (extra credits) |
| Cognism | EMEA phone-verified mobiles for enterprise teams | No (demo) | Custom annual contract | Yes (phone-verified) |
| Apollo.io | An all-in-one database plus sequencing | Yes - limited credits | $49/user/month (annual) | Yes (extra credits) |
| Lusha | Quick direct dials from a browser extension | Yes - 40 credits/month | About $49.90/month (Starter, monthly) | Yes (10 credits each) |
| Hunter | Finding emails by company domain | Yes - limited monthly searches | Monthly plans | No |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | Finding the right people and job-change alerts | Free trial | Monthly subscription | No |
1. Sendburg - best for self-serve teams that want french data with a free plan
Sendburg has 3.1M+ contacts in France, including 656K+ in Paris and 460K+ at director level and above, with city, industry, title and seniority filters, a verified-email filter and automatic refunds for bounced emails.
Strengths
- Free plan large enough for real prospecting, not just a trial
- City, industry, title and seniority filters with a verified-email filter
- Credit refunded automatically if an unlocked email bounces
- Month-to-month plans, no annual contract
- City page for Paris
Watch out for
- Newer brand with fewer third-party reviews than Apollo or ZoomInfo
- Phone numbers cost more credits than emails
- No built-in email sequencer - lists go to Instantly, Smartlead or your CRM in one click
2. Cognism - best for emea phone-verified mobiles for enterprise teams
Cognism covers France as part of its EMEA focus, with phone-verified mobiles - a fit for enterprise teams that rely on calling.
Strengths
- Strong EMEA focus, especially UK and Europe
- Phone-verified mobile numbers
- Compliance tooling (do-not-call screening)
Watch out for
- No public pricing; contracts are commonly reported around $15,000-25,000+ a year for small teams
- Sales-led buying process
- Less depth in some emerging markets - ask for a sample
3. Apollo.io - best for an all-in-one database plus sequencing
Apollo covers French tech and larger companies; test PME / ETI targets and regional companies separately.
Strengths
- Very large global database
- Sequences, dialer and CRM sync in one tool
- Well-known, lots of tutorials and integrations
Watch out for
- Credits are per seat and run out quickly on larger teams
- Mobile numbers use many more credits than emails
- Data quality outside North America and Western Europe varies by market - test a sample first
4. Lusha - best for quick direct dials from a browser extension
Lusha works for one-off direct dials from LinkedIn profiles; credit limits make it a lookup tool.
Strengths
- Simple Chrome extension for LinkedIn and company websites
- Known for direct-dial phone numbers
- Easy to start, no sales call needed
Watch out for
- Small credit allowances - phone reveals use 10 credits
- Fewer list-building filters than full databases
- Costs climb fast at volume
5. Hunter - best for finding emails by company domain
Hunter's domain search is useful for French companies - it shows the pattern (prenom.nom@ is common) at a domain you already know.
Strengths
- Domain search shows a company's email pattern and known addresses
- Clean email finder and verifier
- Good free tier for occasional lookups
Watch out for
- Email only - no phone numbers
- Not built for filtering by title, industry and location at scale
- Coverage of small local companies varies
6. LinkedIn Sales Navigator - best for finding the right people and job-change alerts
Sales Navigator is the best way to find the right people at French accounts; pair it with a database for emails and phones.
Strengths
- The most complete view of who works where
- Lead and account alerts, including job changes
- Strong in every market where LinkedIn is used
Watch out for
- No email addresses or phone numbers - pair it with a contact database
- Exports are restricted
- Per-seat pricing adds up
France-specific tips
- Formats: from our study of verified French work emails - France: 58.1% first.last@, 14.0% flast@, 8.8% first-name-only.
- Write in French - English cold emails get much lower reply rates from most French SMEs.
- The CNIL accepts B2B prospecting emails to professional addresses without prior consent if the message relates to the recipient's job and includes an easy opt-out.
- Filter beyond Paris: Lyon, Toulouse and Nantes have strong industrial and tech clusters.
Data protection
GDPR applies, supervised in France by the CNIL. B2B email prospecting to professional addresses is allowed without prior consent when it relates to the person's profession, provided you identify yourself and offer a simple opt-out. Bloctel applies to calls to consumers, not companies.
Which one should you choose?
Testing the market first: Run 50-100 of your target accounts through Sendburg's and Apollo's free plans and compare verified emails found and bounce rate.
Enterprise team that calls: Cognism.
Small team or startup: Sendburg's free plan or Apollo's free plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best B2B database for France?
Cognism for enterprise phone-led teams; Sendburg or Apollo for self-serve teams with free plans and verified emails. Test your own target accounts first.
Is B2B cold emailing legal in France?
Yes to professional addresses, when the message relates to the recipient's job and includes an easy opt-out, under GDPR and CNIL guidance.
Is there a free B2B contact database for France?
Yes. Sendburg's free plan includes 10,000 credits a month with no card and covers 3.1M+ contacts there. Apollo, Lusha and Hunter also have free tiers with smaller limits.