Bombora vs 6sense vs G2 Intent
Understanding B2B intent data sources, signal quality, and when to use each
TL;DR - The Quick Answer
Bombora = Publisher co-op intent data. Broadest coverage. $30K-$60K/year standalone.
6sense = AI platform that aggregates multiple sources including Bombora. $50K-$150K/year bundled.
G2 = Buyer review intent signals. Highest quality for software purchases. $20K-$50K/year.
Pick Bombora for raw intent data, 6sense for full ABM platform with predictions, G2 for high-intent software buyers.
42's Intent Data Take
Bombora for data, skip 6sense until you're enterprise. Bombora's Company Surge data is the gold standard for third-party intent - available standalone for $30-40K/year. 6sense bundles intent with a $100K+ platform you probably don't need. Start with Bombora + your existing stack. Graduate to 6sense only when you have a dedicated ops team to actually use it.
- From deploying intent data at 30+ B2B companies
The Truth About Intent Data
Signal, Not Silver Bullet
Intent data is a signal, not a silver bullet. It prioritizes outreach, doesn't replace product-market fit.
Workflow First
Most teams buy intent data and don't change their workflows. That's expensive noise.
First-Party Wins
First-party intent (your own website) beats third-party every time. Fix your tracking first.
42's Recommended Intent Stack
G2 Intent (free with G2 profile) + Website Visitor Tracking
Set up G2 profile, claim free intent data. Add Clearbit Reveal or RB2B for website visitor ID. This covers 80% of what you need.
Bombora Company Surge ($30-40K) + Clay for Enrichment
When you have SDRs who need prioritized lists. Bombora feeds topics into HubSpot/Salesforce. Clay enriches contacts for outreach.
6sense Full Platform - Only with Dedicated ABM Team
You need a full-time admin and 6+ months to see ROI. If you don't have headcount for this, you're buying a Ferrari to drive to the grocery store.
What We Actually Do With Intent Data
We pipe Bombora signals into HubSpot, auto-score leads, and trigger SDR outreach within 24 hours of surge. That's the whole playbook.
Bombora surge detected
HubSpot lead score +10
SDR task created
Outreach within 24hrs
What is intent data and how does it work?
The Concept
Intent data identifies companies actively researching topics related to your product or service, signaling they may be in-market to buy.
By tracking content consumption patterns, search behavior, and engagement signals across the web, intent data providers help you identify accounts before they fill out a form or contact sales.
How It Works
- 1 Track content consumption across B2B websites
- 2 Match activity to company via IP, cookies, or login
- 3 Compare against baseline to detect "surge"
- 4 Score and deliver signals to sales/marketing
Three Types of Intent Data
First-Party Intent
Signals from your own website: page views, downloads, time on site. You own this data.
Second-Party Intent
Partner data from review sites (G2, TrustRadius), publishers, or event platforms.
Third-Party Intent
Aggregated data from publisher networks (Bombora) tracking content consumption at scale.
How do Bombora, 6sense, and other intent providers compare?
Bombora
Publisher Co-op IntentThe largest B2B publisher co-op tracking content consumption across 5,000+ websites. Industry standard for third-party intent data.
6sense
AI Intent AggregatorAI-powered platform that aggregates multiple intent sources (including Bombora) with proprietary signals to predict buying stages.
G2
Buyer Review IntentCaptures high-intent signals from software buyers actively reading reviews, comparing products, and viewing pricing on G2.com.
Where does each provider get its intent data?
Bombora Data Sources
How It Works
- +5,000+ B2B publisher websites in co-op
- +Publishers share anonymous consumption data
- +Bombora aggregates and sells back to publishers
- +Topics mapped via AI content classification
- +Surge scores compare to baseline activity
Coverage
- +10,000+ topic taxonomy
- +20M+ companies tracked globally
- +1B+ monthly content interactions
- +Cross-industry B2B coverage
- +Weekly updated intent signals
6sense Data Sources
Multi-Source Aggregation
- +Bombora publisher co-op (licensed)
- +G2, TrustRadius review platforms
- +Proprietary B2B web network
- +Bidstream data (programmatic ads)
- +IP-to-company mapping
AI Layer
- +Buying stage predictions (Awareness-Decision)
- +Anonymous visitor de-anonymization
- +Keyword-level intent classification
- +Account scoring models
- +Next-best-action recommendations
G2 Data Sources
Signal Types
- +Product profile views
- +Category page browsing
- +Comparison page visits
- +Pricing page views (highest intent)
- +Review reading patterns
Unique Value
- +Explicit buying behavior, not just research
- +Competitive intelligence (who's comparing you)
- +Category-level intent (broad interest)
- +Product-level intent (specific interest)
- +Alternative-level intent (considering competitors)
How much does intent data cost from each provider?
| Tier | Bombora | 6sense | G2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry / Starter | $30K-$40K/yr | $50K-$70K/yr | $20K-$30K/yr |
| Professional / Growth | $45K-$60K/yr | $80K-$120K/yr | $35K-$45K/yr |
| Enterprise | $60K-$100K+/yr | $120K-$200K+/yr | $45K-$60K+/yr |
| What's Included | Intent data only | Full ABM platform | Intent + reviews |
| Contract Length | Annual | Annual (2-3yr common) | Annual |
Pricing Notes
- Bombora: Standalone intent data. Often accessed through platforms like Demandbase, RollWorks, or HubSpot which include it in their pricing.
- 6sense: Intent is bundled into full ABM platform. You cannot buy 6sense intent data standalone.
- G2: Intent data comes with G2 Marketing Solutions. Higher tiers include competitive intelligence and buyer engagement features.
Pricing as of Q2 2026. Actual pricing varies by company size, features, and negotiation.
Which intent provider has the best signal quality?
| Signal Type | Bombora | 6sense | G2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Awareness | Best | Best | Limited |
| Research/Consideration | Strong | Best | Best |
| Active Buying (High Intent) | Moderate | Strong | Best |
| Competitive Intelligence | None | Basic | Best |
| Buying Stage Prediction | None | Best | Basic |
| Signal Freshness | Weekly | Daily | Real-time |
| Signal Volume | High | High | Moderate |
Whose topic taxonomy is deepest?
Bombora Taxonomy
- +Deepest B2B topic coverage
- +Custom topic creation available
- +AI-powered content classification
- +Cross-industry coverage
Examples: "Marketing Automation," "Cloud Security," "Supply Chain Optimization," "HR Tech"
6sense Taxonomy
- +Keyword-level intent (more precise)
- +Persona-based clustering
- +Aggregates multiple sources
- +AI-derived buying signals
Examples: "Salesforce alternatives," "CRM pricing," "Marketing automation RFP"
G2 Taxonomy
- +Product-specific intent
- +Category-level research
- +Competitor comparison signals
- +Review engagement metrics
Examples: "Marketing Automation Software," "CRM Software," "Your Product vs Competitor"
How does each intent provider integrate with your stack?
CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot)
All three have native Salesforce and HubSpot integrations
Marketing Automation
6sense has deepest Marketo/Eloqua integration
ABM Platforms
Bombora powers intent in Demandbase, RollWorks, Terminus
Sales Engagement (Outreach, Salesloft)
Advertising (LinkedIn, Display)
What are the best use cases for each intent provider?
Bombora Best For
- 1 ABM Account Prioritization
Identify which target accounts are surging on relevant topics
- 2 Early Awareness Detection
Catch accounts before they enter active buying cycles
- 3 Cross-Platform Intent
Feed intent signals into multiple tools (CRM, MAP, ABM)
- 4 Content Personalization
Tailor messaging based on active research topics
6sense Best For
- 1 Full-Funnel ABM
Orchestrate campaigns based on buying stage predictions
- 2 Anonymous Visitor ID
Identify companies visiting your website before they convert
- 3 Outbound Timing
Alert sales when accounts enter "Decision" stage
- 4 Multi-Channel Activation
Coordinate ads, email, and sales outreach based on intent
G2 Best For
- 1 High-Intent Buyer Capture
Reach buyers actively viewing your G2 profile or competitors
- 2 Competitive Displacement
Target accounts comparing you vs. specific competitors
- 3 Category Research Signals
Identify accounts researching your software category
- 4 Social Proof Integration
Combine intent with G2 badges and review content
Which intent provider fits your company?
SMB / Startup
ARR: $0-$10M
Best Choice G2 offers the best value for SaaS startups. If not in software, consider Bombora via HubSpot or RollWorks.
Why G2:
- + Lowest entry cost ($20K/yr)
- + High-intent buyer signals
- + Review platform benefits
- + Quick to implement
Mid-Market
ARR: $10M-$50M
Best Choice Bombora via an ABM platform (Demandbase, RollWorks) or standalone for cross-platform use.
Why Bombora:
- + Broad topic coverage
- + Cross-industry applicability
- + Flexible integrations
- + Balance of cost vs. depth
Enterprise
ARR: $50M+
Best Choice 6sense for full-funnel ABM with predictive AI. May also use G2 alongside for high-intent signals.
Why 6sense:
- + Multi-source aggregation
- + Buying stage predictions
- + Full ABM orchestration
- + Enterprise integrations
How do you actually evaluate intent data quality?
Key Evaluation Criteria
- 1 Match Rate
What % of your target accounts show intent signals? Higher is better, but above 40% may indicate noise.
- 2 Conversion Lift
Do accounts with intent signals convert at higher rates? Run an A/B test comparing intent vs. non-intent accounts.
- 3 Signal Freshness
How quickly do signals appear? Real-time > Daily > Weekly. Stale signals lose value fast.
- 4 Topic Relevance
Can you map topics to your actual product categories? Test with 5-10 core topics before committing.
Red Flags to Watch For
- ! High Volume, Low Conversion
Lots of "intent" accounts but no lift in conversion = noisy data or wrong topics.
- ! All Accounts Show Intent
If 80%+ of your TAM is "surging," the signal is meaningless.
- ! Opaque Methodology
Can't explain where data comes from = can't evaluate quality.
- ! No Trial or Pilot
Reputable vendors offer pilots. No pilot = no confidence in their data.
The 30-Day Pilot Test
Request a pilot with 100-500 target accounts. Measure:
% of TAM with signals
Avg signals per account/week
Intent vs. non-intent CVR
Do signals lead to conversations?
What are the pros and cons of each intent provider?
Bombora
Pros
- +Deepest topic taxonomy (10K+)
- +Broadest publisher network
- +Industry-agnostic coverage
- +Flexible platform integrations
- +Lower cost than 6sense
Cons
- -Weekly refresh (not real-time)
- -No buying stage predictions
- -No built-in activation
- -Requires platform to operationalize
- -Topic noise at high volumes
6sense
Pros
- +Multi-source aggregation
- +AI buying stage predictions
- +Anonymous visitor ID
- +Full ABM platform included
- +Enterprise integrations
Cons
- -Highest cost ($50K-$150K+)
- -Steep learning curve
- -4-6 month time to value
- -Requires dedicated admin
- -Can't buy intent standalone
G2
Pros
- +Highest intent quality
- +Real-time signals
- +Competitive intelligence
- +Lowest entry price ($20K)
- +Review platform synergies
Cons
- -Software/SaaS only
- -Lower signal volume
- -No early awareness signals
- -Limited topic taxonomy
- -No buying stage predictions
When should you choose Bombora, 6sense, or another provider?
Choose Bombora When...
- +You need intent data to feed into existing tools
- +Your industry is outside software/SaaS
- +You want the deepest topic taxonomy
- +Budget is $30K-$60K for intent data
- +You already use an ABM platform (it may include Bombora)
- +Early awareness signals are more valuable than high-intent
Choose 6sense When...
- +You want a full ABM platform, not just data
- +Buying stage predictions are critical for your sales process
- +You need to identify anonymous website visitors
- +Budget is $80K+ and you have RevOps to manage it
- +You want to aggregate multiple intent sources
- +Enterprise integrations (Salesforce, Marketo) are required
Choose G2 When...
- +You sell software/SaaS products
- +You want the highest intent quality over volume
- +Competitive displacement is a key sales motion
- +Budget is under $30K for intent data
- +You want to combine intent with review platform benefits
- +Real-time signals are more valuable than broad coverage
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Bombora, 6sense, and G2 intent data? +
Bombora collects intent data through a publisher co-op of 5,000+ B2B websites, tracking content consumption at scale. 6sense aggregates multiple intent sources (including Bombora) with proprietary AI to predict buying stages. G2 captures high-intent buyer signals from software review pages and comparison searches. Bombora costs $30K-$60K/year standalone, 6sense costs $50K-$150K bundled with their platform, and G2 costs $20K-$50K/year.
Is Bombora or 6sense better for intent data? +
Bombora is better if you want standalone intent data to feed into your existing tools at a lower cost ($30K-$60K vs $50K-$150K). 6sense is better if you want an integrated ABM platform with predictive AI that combines Bombora data with other sources. Bombora has deeper topic taxonomy (10,000+ topics vs ~3,000 for 6sense). 6sense has stronger buying stage predictions. Most companies use Bombora through a platform like 6sense, Demandbase, or their CRM rather than standalone.
How accurate is G2 intent data compared to Bombora? +
G2 intent data is generally more accurate for bottom-of-funnel software purchase signals because it captures explicit buying behavior (viewing pricing pages, reading reviews, comparing products). Bombora is better for early-stage awareness signals across broader topics. G2 intent is limited to software/tech purchases, while Bombora covers all B2B topics. For SaaS companies, G2 intent often has higher conversion rates but lower volume than Bombora.
How much does Bombora cost? +
Bombora pricing for standalone Company Surge intent data typically ranges from $30,000 to $60,000 per year depending on the number of topics, accounts, and integrations. Enterprise packages with unlimited topics and dedicated support can exceed $80K/year. Many companies access Bombora data through platforms like 6sense, Demandbase, or RollWorks which include Bombora in their pricing ($50K-$150K/year). Bombora also offers Audience Solutions for advertising at variable CPM-based pricing.
What are the best use cases for each intent data provider? +
Bombora is best for ABM account prioritization, early-stage awareness detection, and feeding intent into existing CRM/MAP systems across any B2B category. 6sense is best for full-funnel ABM with predictive buying stages, anonymous visitor identification, and coordinated sales/marketing activation. G2 is best for SaaS companies wanting to capture high-intent software buyers actively researching solutions, competitive displacement campaigns, and review-based social proof integration.
Need help building your intent data stack?
We've deployed intent data at 30+ B2B companies. We'll tell you what actually works for your stage and budget - not what vendors want to sell you.
Related Resources
Intent Signals Playbook
First-party, second-party, and third-party intent explained with actionable frameworks
COMPARISON6sense vs Demandbase vs RollWorks
Full ABM platform comparison with pricing and best fit analysis
PLAYBOOKABM Enrichment Playbook
Build account intelligence without enterprise ABM platforms