Free & Low-Cost B2B Prospect Data Tools for Lean Startups
For lean startups, spending thousands a month on data platforms like ZoomInfo, Statista or LinkedIn Sales Navigator just isn’t on the cards. But that doesn’t mean you need to fly blind. The reality is, there's a wealth of free and low-cost tools out there that give you solid prospect data, firmographics, and even buying signals—if you know where to look.
Here’s the no-fluff guide to scrappy, high-impact tools and tactics that’ll help you build B2B prospect lists, qualify leads, and start meaningful outreach—without bleeding cash.
1. LinkedIn (Basic + Google X-Ray Search)
What it does: Use free LinkedIn accounts and Google searches to find relevant prospects by role, company, and location.
Why it works: Even with a basic account, you can use boolean logic on Google (e.g. `site:linkedin.com/in "CTO" "Berlin"`) to unearth high-quality targets. Then grab names, companies and job titles before using other tools to find contact details.
Pro tip: Pair this with Hunter.io or Apollo to find email addresses once you have a name.
2. Apollo.io
What it does: 250M+ contacts, company firmographics, email validation, and basic outreach tools.
Freebie: 50 email credits/month (600/year) — more than enough to test your cold email engine.
Use it for: Building lead lists, enriching company info, and verifying contacts. It even gives one intent topic to track for basic buying signals.
Watch out: You’ll burn through credits quickly if you’re not specific. Use filters smartly.
3. Lusha
What it does: Email and phone number extractor via Chrome extension. Works on LinkedIn profiles and company websites.
Freebie: 5 phone + 50 email credits/month.
Best for: Sniping direct dials and mobiles for decision-makers, especially in UK/EU where GDPR compliance matters.
Bonus: Alerts when tracked leads change jobs.
4. Hunter
What it does: Finds emails by domain or person name. Verifies them. Suggests company email formats.
Freebie: 25 searches + 50 verifications/month.
Use it for: When you’ve got a name and company, but no contact info. Verifying guessed addresses.
Clever hack: Use their Chrome extension to scan company websites for hidden email addresses.
5. Crunchbase
What it does: Company database for startups and tech firms. Find funding rounds, leadership, location, and competitors.
Use it for: Researching prospect company background before outreach. Finding similar companies by industry.
Note: You won’t get contact info, but great for firmographic enrichment and understanding growth stages.
6. Owler
What it does: Crowdsourced company data with daily news alerts.
Use it for: Tracking competitors, recent news, and getting estimates on revenue and employee size.
Sharp move: Follow your top targets for intel drops straight to your inbox.
7. Growjo
What it does: Ranks the fastest-growing companies in different sectors and geographies.
Freebie: Export 1,000 company records/month.
Use it for: Building intent-rich prospect lists — fast growth usually means new problems and fresh budgets.
Smart play: Combine with Apollo or Hunter to find contacts at these high-growth companies.
8. Leadfeeder
🔗 leadfeeder.partnerlinks.io/peak
What it does: Identifies companies visiting your website.
Freebie: See last 7 days of leads, up to 100 companies.
Why it matters: They’ve shown interest. Now you just need to find the right contact and reach out fast.
Hot tip: Don’t say “we saw you visited”. Instead: “I work with a lot of companies in [sector] looking at [pain point]...”
9. Government & Open Data Sources
EU: Eurostat
US: Census, SBA databases
Use it for: Market research, industry sizing, SIC code targeting, and finding verified company details.
Good to know: Many of these let you filter by industry, geography, and employee size. Tedious? Yes. Valuable? Absolutely.
10. Google Trends & Alerts
What it does: Shows interest over time for search terms. Alerts notify you of key news or content.
Use it for: Spotting seasonal spikes, validating messaging themes, and catching news on prospects or competitors.
Bonus move: Set alerts for buying triggers: "[Company name] expansion", "[Competitor] outage", "[Industry term] regulation".
11. Job Boards as Intent Data
What it does: New hires and open roles signal upcoming projects and pain points.
Where: LinkedIn Jobs, Indeed, Google for Jobs.
Use it for: Noticing when a company is hiring for roles your product supports. E.g., hiring an SEO specialist? They might need SEO tools too.
Wrapping It Up
Startups don’t need premium tools to win deals — just smart systems and sweat equity. Stack a few of these free options together and you’ve got a makeshift tech stack that’s nimble, scalable and won’t torch your runway.
Got a lean GTM plan and want to supercharge it? Let’s talk.
Peak Strategic helps scale-ups and scrappy startups build repeatable revenue without breaking the bank. We design GTM strategies, sharpen commercial models, and coach sales teams that punch well above their weight. Book a free call here
