CB Insights

CB Insights pairs large-scale company and market coverage with predictive analysis and research tools. It is aimed at corporate strategy, M&A, corporate venture capital, and innovation teams. The breadth is a strong fit for sustained market and competitor work, but annual billing and no free plan make it a substantial commitment.

Overview

The platform tracks more than 12 million companies across more than 1,600 technology markets. Its data spans funding, investments, acquisitions, hiring, revenues, financials, business relationships, customers, partners, vendors, patents, news, earnings calls, customer sentiment, and product launches. Competitor tracking, change alerts, and extensive historical data help teams follow developments over time rather than relying on a static company list.

This range is useful when a decision requires several signals—such as financing, hiring, and customer relationships—to be considered together. For a narrow lookup or occasional startup search, the breadth may be difficult to justify against the paid-only model.

Key features

Predictive intelligence and research

Strategy Terminal uses predictive data science and AI agents to surface signals about private companies, markets, and competitors. That is the clearest fit for teams seeking forward-looking inputs alongside historical and company data. Research access is included in the User License and Team Access plans, while Strategy Terminal is a separately described offering with custom pricing.

Browser Analyst and integrations

Browser Analyst analyzes webpages, generates scouting reports and SWOT analyses, and provides company, executive, funding, customer, partner, and competitor information. Unlimited scouting reports are included in its offering, but pricing is custom. Microsoft Copilot and Salesforce integrations provide turnkey routes into existing workflows; data is also distributed through Snowflake Marketplace.

APIs and mobile

APIs and data feeds deliver company and technology-market profiles, research reports, and ChatCBI responses for use in applications, CRMs, data lakes, and models. The iOS and Android app supports company search, scouting reports, ChatCBI, personalized feeds, and research access. These options extend access beyond the web terminal, though the data solutions offering is custom-priced.

Security

CB Insights states that its infrastructure is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant. It encrypts data at rest with AES-256 and in transit with TLS 1.2, maintains audit trails, and supports role-based access control, SSO, and MFA. The company also states that customer data is not used to train the AI models it uses, a relevant assurance for teams working with sensitive internal research.

Pricing

CB Insights has no free plan. The paid plans shown have annual billing, so the monthly figures should not be mistaken for month-to-month prices.

PlanPriceWhat it includesUser License$417 a month (billed $5,000 annually)Full platform access, AI-powered insights, 12M companies, 1B data points, web terminal, Browser Analyst, mobile app, email alerts, and research access.Team Access$1,700 a month (billed $20,400 annually)Full platform access, AI-powered insights, 12M companies, 1B data points, web terminal, Browser Analyst, mobile app, email alerts, and research access.Strategy TerminalCustom pricing12M companies, 1,600+ markets, AI agents, research, Salesforce and Microsoft Copilot integrations, and SSO.Browser AnalystCustom pricingUnlimited scouting reports, company profile data, executive contact information, and webpage and document analysis.Feeds / Data SolutionsCustom pricingCompany and market datasets, ChatCBI responses, APIs, Snowflake Marketplace, and integrations.User License is the lower-cost route to the stated full platform package, while Team Access costs considerably more and has the same listed inclusions; the plan names suggest different access needs, but no seat counts are given to establish the practical difference. Strategy Terminal, Browser Analyst, and Feeds / Data Solutions are targeted options for buyers who need those capabilities, but their custom pricing requires a quote. A 10-day trial is offered; there is no free tier for ongoing use.

Strategy Terminal includes a dedicated forward-deployed strategist, onboarding and migration assistance, and chat support. Those services may matter to teams adopting its predictive workflow, but they do not change the need to establish its price before budgeting.

Platforms

CB Insights supports web, iOS, Android, an API, and a browser extension. That mix suits teams that want both a central research terminal and access through mobile or data integrations.

Who it's for

The strongest fit is a corporate strategy, M&A, corporate venture capital, or corporate innovation team that regularly compares technology companies and markets. Broad historical coverage, alerts, predictive signals, research, and data delivery options support ongoing work across both analyst workflows and internal systems.

It is less suitable for an individual or small team that needs only occasional company lookups, particularly if a free plan or transparent lower-cost entry point is essential. The annual commitments and custom pricing for specialist offerings favor buyers prepared to scope a sustained use case.

Pros and cons

Pros: Coverage of more than 12 million companies and 1,600+ technology markets gives strategy and investment teams a broad base for comparison.

Pros: Competitor tracking, change alerts, and extensive historical data support monitoring as well as one-off research.

Pros: Browser Analyst, APIs, feeds, mobile apps, and integrations provide several ways to put company and market intelligence to work.

Pros: The stated security controls include encryption, audit trails, role-based access, SSO, and MFA.

Cons: There is no free plan, and the trial lasts 10 days, limiting evaluation without a paid commitment.

Cons: The listed User License and Team Access prices are billed annually, requiring a substantial upfront commitment.

Cons: Several specialist offerings have custom pricing, making it harder to compare their cost before requesting a quote.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of startup-focused tools, browse Startup Databases; for tools centered on monitoring rivals, see Competitive Intelligence Software.

Tracxn is worth considering if a free plan matters: it is freemium, with a Lite plan that has usage limits and a Premium plan described as unrestricted, with taxonomy and custom reports and analysis. Community Data is the simpler free option for buyers who need an open-source database and public GraphQL API rather than a broad paid intelligence platform.

FirstGlance is a free alternative for readers who want a no-cost option across web and mobile. FlareSight offers a free plan for company browsing, but its five profile views per day and single view-only watchlist make it a constrained starting point; its Starter plan is 24.00 US.

Harmonic is another paid alternative with a free trial and console access covering companies, people, investors, Scout, network mapping, and CSV export. Discover Startups offers a free startup directory. ITjuzi is a freemium option with paid membership plans denominated in CNY. Selva is a freemium alternative with free Public and Login plans.

Verdict

Choose CB Insights if your strategy, M&A, venture, or innovation team needs broad technology-company coverage, predictive signals, and routes to use the data in research and internal systems. Its main reason to buy is the combination of scale and multiple analytical workflows; its main reason to look elsewhere is the annual financial commitment, no free plan, and custom pricing on several focused offerings.