Choosing the wrong private equity database can cost you thousands in subscription fees while delivering outdated contacts and missed opportunities. Whether you're a founder hunting for investors, a consultant building shortlists, or an institutional team running deep analytics, the platform you choose shapes your results.
The challenge? Every database claims to be "comprehensive" and "up-to-date," but their actual coverage, usability, and pricing vary wildly. PitchBook costs $20,000+ annually per seat. Preqin focuses heavily on institutional users. Meanwhile, newer platforms promise accessibility but may lack depth.
This guide cuts through the marketing to compare the leading PE databases honestly. You'll see transparent feature breakdowns, real pricing context, and specific recommendations based on your role and budget, so you can pick the right tool without overpaying or settling for gaps in coverage.
What Makes a Great Private Equity Database?
Before comparing specific platforms, understand what separates genuinely useful databases from expensive disappointments.
Data coverage and freshness determine whether you're contacting active funds or chasing dead ends. The best databases update monthly (or faster) and cover both mainstream US/EU funds and harder-to-find investors in emerging markets, minority-focused funds, and niche sectors.
Search and filter flexibility saves hours of manual work. You should be able to filter by geography, industry focus, investment stage, fund size, and deal thesis, then export clean lists in minutes, not days.
Usability matters more than most buyers realize. Enterprise platforms often require extensive training, while user-friendly alternatives let you find contacts on day one. If your team wastes a week learning the interface, that's budget burned before you even start outreach.
Pricing transparency is rare in this market. Many providers hide costs behind "request a quote" walls, leading to sticker shock after sales calls. The best platforms show clear pricing upfront and offer trials so you can test before committing.
Export and API access determine how easily you integrate data into your workflow. CSV exports work for most teams, while larger organizations may need API access for CRM integration or automated reporting.
Here's what to prioritize:
Overview: Leading Private Equity Data Platforms
The PE database market splits between expensive institutional powerhouses and newer, accessible alternatives.
PitchBook dominates the enterprise market with the deepest dataset covering PE, VC, M&A, and public markets. If budget isn't a constraint and you need advanced analytics, it's the institutional standard.
Preqin specializes in alternative assets with exceptional LP/GP data and performance benchmarking. Asset allocators and research teams rely on it for fund intelligence and trend analysis.
Private Equity List takes a different approach: AI-powered search, transparent pricing, and exceptional coverage of emerging markets and minority-focused funds. It's built for accessibility without sacrificing global reach.
CB Insights excels at tech and venture trend analysis with strong market mapping features, though coverage outside tech-heavy sectors can be limited.
Crunchbase, Tracxn, and SourceScrub serve more specific use cases, Crunchbase for basic prospecting and funding news, Tracxn for detailed startup tracking, SourceScrub for sourcing bootstrapped companies.
Here's how they compare at a glance:
In-Depth Review: Top Private Equity Data Providers
PitchBook: The Institutional Powerhouse
PitchBook sets the enterprise standard with unmatched data depth across private equity, venture capital, M&A, and public markets. If you're managing a large team conducting extensive due diligence, PitchBook's analytical tools and research capabilities are hard to beat.
The platform excels at granular company profiles, deal histories, fund performance data, and LP/GP intelligence. Its Excel plugin and API integrations make it valuable for teams that need seamless workflow integration and automated reporting.
The tradeoff? PitchBook costs $20,000-30,000+ per user annually, requires lengthy contracts, and has a steep learning curve. Small teams and individual users often find themselves paying for features they'll never use.
Best for: Large PE/VC firms, investment banks, and corporate development teams with substantial budgets and dedicated research staff.
Preqin: Alternative Asset Deep Dive
Preqin built its reputation on comprehensive alternative asset coverage, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and hedge funds. The platform shines for performance benchmarking, LP/GP tracking, and analyzing fund strategies across markets.
Asset allocators value Preqin's ability to compare fund performance, track portfolio company developments, and identify emerging managers. The data updates frequently, and their research team publishes valuable market reports.
Like PitchBook, Preqin targets institutional buyers with enterprise pricing ($15,000-25,000+ per seat). The interface feels built for research analysts rather than quick searches, which can frustrate users who need simple contact lists.
Best for: Institutional investors, fund-of-funds managers, pension funds, and endowments focused on alternative asset allocation and performance analysis.
Private Equity List: Affordable AI-Powered Alternative
Private Equity List breaks the traditional mold by prioritizing accessibility, transparent pricing, and genuinely global coverage, including regions most databases overlook.
The platform's AI-powered search lets you filter by industry, geography, investment stage, fund thesis, and even minority-focused funds. You'll find strong coverage of MENA, APAC, Latin America, and emerging markets that barely register in competitor databases.
Users consistently praise Private Equity List's interface: "I found 50 relevant investors in Vietnam in under 10 minutes" (startup founder). "Finally, a database that doesn't require a PhD to navigate" (M&A consultant). The pricing is transparent, starting at affordable monthly rates with clear team pricing, and there's a free trial with no credit card required.
The platform offers robust CSV export (API access launching soon) and includes tens of thousands of investor contacts with regular updates. While it lacks some of PitchBook's advanced analytics features, the core functionality, finding and exporting relevant investor lists, works exceptionally well.
Best for: Startup founders seeking funding, consultants building investor shortlists, advisors working across markets, and teams needing global coverage without enterprise budgets.
Ready to explore global PE/VC contacts without the enterprise price tag? Try Private Equity List free, no credit card needed.
CB Insights, Tracxn, SourceScrub & Crunchbase
These platforms serve more specialized needs within the broader market intelligence landscape.
CB Insights focuses on technology trends, competitive landscapes, and market analysis. If you're tracking tech sector deals or need visual market maps, CB Insights delivers strong trend data. However, coverage thins outside tech-focused industries, and pricing runs high for what's essentially venture-focused intelligence.
Tracxn provides detailed startup and investor tracking with strong filtering by sector and geography. It's useful for systematic deal sourcing but feels rigid for teams needing quick, flexible searches. Pricing sits in the mid-to-high range.
SourceScrub specializes in finding bootstrapped and lower-middle-market companies, valuable for specific sourcing strategies but less useful as a general PE database.
Crunchbase remains the most widely recognized name, offering solid basic prospecting capabilities, funding news, and a helpful Chrome extension. Coverage outside North America and Western Europe drops off significantly, and while pricing is more accessible than enterprise tools, you'll hit limitations quickly if you need emerging market investors or advanced filtering.
Platform-by-Platform Feature Comparison
How to Choose the Best Database for Your Needs
Founders & Startups: Fast, Broad, and Practical
Startup founders need three things: comprehensive global coverage, simple usability, and affordable pricing. You can't afford to spend $20,000 on a database, and you don't have time to learn complex enterprise software.
Private Equity List excels here. The transparent pricing (starting well under $100/month for individuals), easy interface, and strong emerging market coverage mean you can build relevant investor lists on day one. Unlike enterprise platforms that require sales calls and annual contracts, you can sign up, search for investors matching your sector and geography, and export contacts immediately.
The emerging market and minority fund filters are particularly valuable if you're outside traditional US/EU tech hubs or seeking investors aligned with specific diversity theses.
Consultants & Advisors: Shortlisting, Exporting, Niche Filters
Deal consultants and M&A advisors need speed and flexibility. Your value comes from quickly identifying relevant investors across geographies and sectors, then exporting clean lists for client deliverables.
Look for platforms with strong filter combinations (stage + sector + geography simultaneously), reliable CSV exports, and pricing that won't eat your project margins. Private Equity List's filter flexibility and export capabilities work well for this workflow, while PitchBook may be overkill unless clients specifically request it.
The ability to quickly filter for niche criteria, minority-focused funds, specific emerging markets, particular investment theses, saves hours versus manually combing through general databases.
Institutional Teams: Analytics, API, Research Depth
Large PE firms, investment banks, and corporate development teams have different requirements: API integration for CRM systems, advanced analytics for market research, and deep historical data for due diligence.
PitchBook and Preqin remain the institutional standards here. Their APIs, analytical tools, and research depth justify the cost when you're managing large teams and complex workflows.
That said, institutional teams increasingly layer multiple tools, using enterprise platforms for deep analytics while supplementing with Private Equity List for emerging market coverage and quick searches that don't require firing up heavyweight software.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between PE databases?
The main differences are data scope, pricing, target user, and specific strengths. PitchBook and Preqin offer the deepest institutional-grade data at premium prices. Private Equity List prioritizes accessibility, global coverage (including emerging markets), and transparent pricing. Crunchbase focuses on basic prospecting, while CB Insights specializes in tech trends. Your best choice depends on your budget, team size, and whether you need advanced analytics or primarily investor contact lists.
How often is PE data updated?
Top-tier databases update monthly or more frequently. Private Equity List, PitchBook, and Preqin all highlight recent fund launches and team changes regularly. Lower-cost or free options may update quarterly or less frequently, increasing the risk of outdated contacts. Always check a platform's data freshness policy before committing, contacting closed funds or departed partners wastes time and hurts your credibility.
Can small teams afford quality PE data?
Yes. While institutional platforms cost $15,000-30,000+ per user annually, accessible alternatives like Private Equity List offer monthly plans starting well under $100. Crunchbase sits in the middle at roughly $50-100/month depending on features. The key is matching your needs to the platform, if you need investor lists rather than advanced analytics, you can access quality data without enterprise budgets.
What is the best free private equity database?
Truly comprehensive free PE databases don't exist, quality data requires significant research investment. However, Private Equity List offers a free trial with real search capabilities (no credit card required), and Crunchbase provides limited free access to basic company and funding data. For serious fundraising or deal work, expect to pay at least a modest monthly fee for reliable, current data.
Is Private Equity List reliable for finding international investors?
Yes, users specifically praise Private Equity List's global coverage, particularly in regions other databases overlook. Testimonials from consultants and founders highlight successful investor discovery in MENA, Southeast Asia, and other emerging markets. The platform's minority fund filters and emerging market focus fill gaps that US/EU-centric databases miss. Try it free to test coverage for your specific regions.
Conclusion
There's no single "best" private equity database, there's only the best fit for your specific needs, budget, and workflow.
Large institutional teams with substantial budgets will continue finding value in PitchBook's analytical depth or Preqin's alternative asset focus. But founders, consultants, and growing teams don't need to choose between quality data and affordable pricing anymore.
Private Equity List demonstrates that accessible, user-friendly platforms can deliver comprehensive global coverage, including emerging markets and minority-focused funds that traditional databases overlook, without enterprise complexity or cost.
Start by clarifying what you actually need: Quick investor lists? Deep analytics? Emerging market coverage? Then match those requirements to the platform strengths outlined above.
Ready to find PE and VC investors faster without the enterprise price tag?
Try Private Equity List free today, no credit card required, no sales calls, just transparent access to tens of thousands of global investor contacts.
