Who This Comparison Is For
If you are a UK B2B team choosing between Dun & Bradstreet's business data and HubSpot's Breeze Intelligence for CRM enrichment, this comparison covers the practical differences. These are very different products from different eras of data - D&B is a 180-year-old business information company; Breeze Intelligence is a technology product built from Clearbit's acquisition by HubSpot in 2023.
ClientWise provides CRM health checks and managed enrichment using multiple sources including both D&B firmographic data and modern enrichment tools. We are not tied to either platform and can assess them based on practical UK client experience.
Quick Comparison
| Criteria | Dun & Bradstreet | HubSpot Breeze Intelligence |
|---|---|---|
| Data heritage | 180+ years; global business registry | Built on Clearbit (acquired 2023) |
| Firmographic depth | Deep - revenue, credit, corporate hierarchy | Moderate - revenue, headcount, industry |
| Contact data | Limited; primarily company-level | Good - job title, email, department |
| UK coverage | Strong for registered companies | Moderate - better for larger companies |
| Pricing | Enterprise; typically £10K-£50K+/year | Bundled with HubSpot; credit-based |
| CRM integration | Salesforce, HubSpot via middleware | HubSpot native |
Dun & Bradstreet: What UK Teams Should Know
D&B's strength is firmographic data - the kind of company-level information that underpins account scoring, territory planning, and credit risk assessment. The DUNS number is a global standard for business identification, and D&B's database covers millions of UK businesses with data sourced partly from Companies House filings, trade references, and proprietary collection.
For UK teams, D&B provides data that modern enrichment tools typically do not: corporate family trees (parent companies, subsidiaries, branches), financial risk scores, payment behaviour, and detailed Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. If your sales process involves understanding corporate structure - who owns whom, which entity is the buying decision-maker - D&B has depth that no technology startup matches.
The weaknesses are significant for modern B2B sales teams. D&B's contact-level data is thin. You can find company details but not necessarily the direct dial for the CFO or the email address of the Head of Procurement. The platform feels dated - interfaces are functional rather than modern, and the integration with CRMs often requires middleware or manual import. Pricing is enterprise-grade, with annual contracts that start at £10,000 and can reach £50,000+ for comprehensive access.
D&B's data freshness is also variable. While company registration data is current (it comes from public records), the enrichment data - revenue estimates, employee counts, technology usage - may be months old. For fast-moving industries, this staleness affects targeting accuracy.
HubSpot Breeze Intelligence: What UK Teams Should Know
Breeze Intelligence is HubSpot's native enrichment feature, built on Clearbit's technology. For HubSpot users, it is the most seamless enrichment option: data flows directly into CRM properties without import/export workflows or third-party integrations.
The enrichment covers both company data (revenue range, employee count, industry, technology stack, social media presence) and contact data (job title, seniority level, department). When a new contact enters your CRM - via form submission, manual entry, or import - Breeze can automatically enrich the record with available data.
For UK teams, Breeze Intelligence works well for larger companies (100+ employees) and technology firms. Coverage drops for UK SMEs, traditional industries (manufacturing in Sheffield and the Midlands, construction, professional services with smaller firms outside London), and contacts outside standard corporate structures. The data originates from Clearbit's web-scraping and machine learning models, which are US-trained and perform better on US companies.
The pricing model is credit-based, bundled with HubSpot subscriptions. For teams already on HubSpot Marketing Hub or Sales Hub Professional, the cost of basic enrichment is effectively included. Heavier usage requires additional credits. This makes it dramatically cheaper than D&B for teams already in the HubSpot ecosystem.
Where D&B Wins
D&B wins for use cases where company-level intelligence matters more than contact details:
- Corporate hierarchy mapping. Understanding that "Acme Services Ltd" is a subsidiary of "Acme Group PLC" which is owned by "Acme Holdings Inc" is valuable for enterprise sales and account planning. D&B's corporate linkage data is unmatched.
- Financial risk assessment. D&B's credit scores and payment behaviour data are standard in procurement and finance. If your sales process involves finance or procurement departments, D&B data carries credibility.
- Compliance and due diligence. For regulated industries (financial services, legal, government contracting), D&B data is often required as part of Know Your Customer or supplier due diligence processes.
- UK company verification. D&B's integration with Companies House data means you can verify that a company is active, check its filing history, and confirm director information - useful for data cleaning and validation.
Where HubSpot Breeze Intelligence Wins
Breeze Intelligence wins for modern B2B sales workflows where speed, integration, and contact-level data matter most:
- Real-time enrichment. When a prospect fills in a form on your website, Breeze can enrich the record within seconds - appending company data and contact details before the SDR reviews it. D&B's enrichment is typically batch-processed.
- Contact-level data. Breeze provides individual contact details (email, title, department) that D&B largely does not. For outbound prospecting, you need people, not just companies.
- Native CRM integration. For HubSpot users, Breeze requires zero configuration. D&B integration with HubSpot requires middleware or manual CSV workflows.
- Cost for HubSpot users. Basic Breeze enrichment is included with HubSpot subscriptions. D&B is an additional, significant expense.
- Technology data. Breeze inherits Clearbit's technographic data - what software a company uses - which is valuable for technology vendors selling into specific tech stacks. D&B's technology coverage is limited.
The Practical Reality
Most UK B2B teams do not need to choose between D&B and Breeze Intelligence - they need different things from each, or they need neither as a standalone solution.
If you are on HubSpot and your primary need is enriching inbound leads with contact and company data, Breeze Intelligence is the obvious starting point. It is already there, it works, and it costs nothing extra for basic use. Start with it and evaluate the gaps.
If you need corporate hierarchy data, financial risk scores, or verified UK company information for compliance purposes, D&B provides data that Breeze does not. But you may only need it for specific accounts or workflows, not for every record in your CRM.
If your CRM contains 20,000 records and you need comprehensive enrichment across multiple data types - contact details, firmographics, technographics, compliance screening - neither tool alone will cover everything. A managed enrichment service pulls from multiple sources per record and delivers complete data, which is often more cost-effective than licensing multiple platforms.
ClientWise uses firmographic data sources including D&B alongside modern enrichment tools as part of our data enrichment process. The output is a complete, CRM-ready record that combines the best of both worlds - without requiring you to manage multiple vendor relationships.
Decision Framework
- Are you on HubSpot? If yes, start with Breeze Intelligence - it is free or low-cost and immediately available. Evaluate coverage gaps before adding another tool.
- Do you need corporate hierarchy or financial data? If yes, D&B is the established source. Consider whether you need it for all accounts or just strategic targets.
- What is your budget? Under £5,000/year: Breeze only. £5,000-£20,000: Breeze plus selective D&B for key accounts. Over £20,000: consider a managed service that combines multiple sources.
- Do you need contact-level data or company-level data? Contacts: Breeze or a dedicated contact data tool. Companies: D&B. Both: a multi-source approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is D&B data still relevant in 2026?
Yes, for specific use cases. Corporate hierarchy, financial risk, and Companies House verification data remain D&B's strengths. For contact-level prospecting data, modern tools have overtaken D&B.
Does Breeze Intelligence work for UK SMEs?
Coverage is inconsistent for UK companies under 50 employees. Larger UK companies and technology firms are well covered. Test with a sample of your target accounts before relying on it.
Can I use both D&B and Breeze Intelligence?
Yes. D&B for company-level intelligence on strategic accounts, Breeze for broad contact enrichment. The data serves different purposes and does not conflict.
What does a managed enrichment service offer that tools do not?
A managed service combines multiple data sources per record, handles deduplication, screens for UK compliance (TPS/CTPS), and delivers clean data to your CRM. Tools give you access to a database; a service gives you enriched records.
Is Clearbit still available as a standalone product?
Clearbit is being folded into HubSpot as Breeze Intelligence. The standalone Clearbit product is in maintenance mode with no new features. If you are not on HubSpot, look at Cognism, Apollo, or a managed enrichment service instead.
