LP Database Comparison 2025: The Complete Guide
Every major LP database compared. Honest pricing. Real limitations.
Quick Answer
Side-by-side comparison of every LP database with real pricing. Based on surveys of 50+ fund managers. See who actually delivers on LP contacts.
Preqin vs PitchBook vs Dakota vs everyone else. We surveyed 50+ fund managers, analyzed pricing, and tested the platforms. Here's what nobody else will tell you.
Why this comparison exists
Every vendor claims they're the best. Nobody publishes real pricing.
Review sites are pay-to-play. Top rankings go to highest bidders.
Comparison pages from vendors conveniently omit their own weaknesses
You can't trial most platforms without sitting through sales pitches
By the time you figure out the right tool, you've wasted 3 months
The major players compared
Honest assessments from actual users. We surveyed 50+ fund managers who've used these platforms:
Preqin
$12K-$81K/year (varies by modules)The industry standard for alternative assets data. Best for fundraising mandates and LP allocation intelligence. Interface feels dated but data is comprehensive for institutional LPs.
Pros
- Best fundraising mandate data
- Strong institutional LP coverage
- Allocation history
- Industry credibility
Cons
- Clunky interface
- Contact emails can bounce
- Enterprise pricing only
- Weak family office data
PitchBook
$20K-$70K/yearComprehensive but expensive. Best for deal data and company research. LP data exists but isn't the focus. Price increases 20-30% annually.
Pros
- Comprehensive deal data
- Research team adds context
- Strong company coverage
- Good for M&A
Cons
- LP data is secondary
- Price hikes annually
- Feature bloat
- Long sales cycles
Dakota Marketplace
$10K-$25K/yearBuilt specifically for fundraising. Strong for pension funds and institutional consultants. Less comprehensive for family offices and international LPs.
Pros
- Built for fundraisers
- Good institutional contacts
- Mandate tracking
- Fundraiser community
Cons
- Weaker family office data
- US-centric
- Smaller total database
- Annual commitment
FINTRX
$10K-$20K/yearFamily office specialist. AI-driven intelligence on 4,300+ family offices. Strong for direct family office outreach but limited institutional coverage.
Pros
- Deep family office focus
- AI-powered insights
- Investment preference data
- Direct contacts
Cons
- Limited institutional LPs
- Enterprise pricing
- Smaller database
- Annual contracts
LPbacked
From $99/monthPurpose-built for LP contacts. 19,000+ LPs with verified emails and phones. Monthly pricing without enterprise commitment. Strong family office coverage.
Pros
- Affordable monthly pricing
- No sales calls required
- Strong family office data
- Verified contacts
Cons
- Newer platform
- Less allocation data than Preqin
- No M&A data
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
$99-$149/monthNot an LP database but many use it as one. Good for finding people, useless for investment data. Limited InMails and low response rates.
Pros
- Find anyone
- Professional profiles
- Network mapping
- Monthly billing
Cons
- No investment data
- No AUM data
- InMail limits
- Hours of manual research
Which database for which situation
There's no universal "best." Here's our recommendation by use case:
Raising Fund I (<$100M)
Start with LPbacked or similar affordable option. Test data quality with your first 100 outreaches. Upgrade to enterprise if you close and need more.
Raising Fund II-III ($100M-$500M)
Consider Dakota or Preqin entry tier. You have budget and need mandate data. Family office supplements still valuable.
Large institutional fundraise ($500M+)
Full Preqin or PitchBook makes sense. You need comprehensive allocation intelligence and can justify the cost.
Targeting family offices specifically
FINTRX or LPbacked. General databases under-index on family offices. Specialized is better.
International LP coverage
Preqin has broadest international. LPbacked covers 133 countries. PitchBook is US/Europe heavy.
Our recommendation for most fund managers
Unless you're raising $500M+ or have institutional backing, start affordable and scale up. Here's why we built LPbacked:
Test LP data quality at $99/month before committing $20K
19,496 LPs across 133 countries—enough for most raises
Verified emails mean less bounce, more meetings
Cancel anytime—your fundraise timeline shouldn't lock you in
Export data freely—no data hostage situations
No sales calls. See pricing, sign up, start searching.
Cancel anytime.
Frequently asked questions
Is Preqin or PitchBook better for LP data?
Preqin is generally better for LP-specific data and fundraising mandates. PitchBook excels at deal and company data. For pure LP outreach, Preqin wins. For market research plus LP data, PitchBook might be worth the premium.
Can you negotiate LP database pricing?
Yes, especially for annual contracts. End of quarter is best timing. Multi-year commitments get discounts. But you'll still pay $10K+ minimum for enterprise platforms.
How often do LP databases update?
Enterprise databases update quarterly at best. Contact data decays 20-30% annually. Look for platforms that verify contacts continuously, not just at point of upload.
Should I use multiple LP databases?
Many fund managers use an affordable daily driver (LPbacked, Sales Navigator) plus Preqin for mandate research. The combination often beats paying for full enterprise access to everything.
What's the best free LP database?
There isn't one. Free lists are outdated, incomplete, or lead-gen traps. The closest is manually building from conference lists, press releases, and LinkedIn—but that costs 40+ hours of your time.