Backstory (formerly People.ai) vs UserGems

Comprehensive side-by-side comparison — features, pricing, performance, and more.

Data last refreshed October 2026

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

People.ai, Inc. d/b/a Backstory

AI Revenue Platform for Sales Teams

Enterprise

75% verification coverage

UserGems

ShelfFlip, Inc. dba UserGems

The AI Command Center for Outbound and ABM

Paid

72% verification coverage

Trust & Reliability

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

Uptime:100%Status page

Users:100K-1M

Customers (per vendor):Red Hat, AMD, OpenAI +7

GDPR

SOC 2

UserGems

Customers (per vendor):Mimecast, Sendoso, Docebo +7

GDPR

SOC 2

Overall Winner: UserGems

6.1/10 vs Backstory (formerly People.ai) at 5.1/10

Leads in:

Customization

Support

Integration

Scores are AI-estimated from publicly available data — not an independent test or a verified user rating. How we rank →

AI Comparison Summary

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

5.1

avg score

UserGems

6.1

avg score

UserGems leads overall — particularly in Ease of Use.

Based on 7 dimensions

Scores are AI-estimated from publicly available data — not an independent test or a verified user rating. How we rank →

Overall Winner

UserGems

6.1 / 10

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

Best For

CROs and VPs of Sales who own the revenue number and drive strategy

Revenue Operations teams needing accurate, traceable engagement data

Sales Leaders focused on coaching and predictable revenue outcomes

Enterprise sales teams managing complex selling motions

UserGems

Best For

Revenue teams looking to build pipeline

ABM marketers prioritizing high-intent accounts

SDRs needing precise buyer targeting and automated outreach

AEs leveraging AI for personalized engagement

* Verdict is based on our algorithmic scoring of publicly available data. Learn about our methodology

Backstory (formerly People.ai) is best for

📊Data & Analytics7.4💻Coding & Dev7.0💬Chat & Conversation7.0

UserGems is best for

🤖Automation & Agents7.6💬Chat & Conversation5.0📊Data & Analytics4.8

Filter by your use case:

Limitations

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

Cons

Pricing is not publicly available and requires a custom quote
Requires integration with existing sales tools and LLMs for full functionality
Focuses on B2B enterprise sales, not individual reps or small businesses

UserGems

Cons

Pricing starts at $40,000 per year, which may be a barrier for smaller businesses or those with limited budgets
Requires integration with existing CRM and data sources, which may involve an implementation fee
The platform is designed for teams with outbound, account-based, or multi-threaded sales and marketing strategies, potentially limiting its fit for other GTM models

Weighted Score — Adjust What Matters to You

Pick a profile or drag sliders — scores and radar update instantly on the right.

Quick profiles:

Ease of Use5

Customization5

Support5

Integration5

Compliance & Data Protection5

Performance5

Planning Quality5

Dimension Comparison

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

5.1

/ 10

UserGems

6.1

/ 10

Clear winner

Dimension Breakdown

Ease of Use

How intuitive is onboarding, UI navigation, and day-to-day usage for the target audience?

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

2.0

UserGems

5.0▲ +3.0

Customization

Calculated

How much can users tailor workflows, settings, prompts, or outputs to their needs?

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

6.0

UserGems

7.0▲ +1.0

Support

How strong is the documentation, customer support, community, and learning resources?

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

6.0

UserGems

7.0▲ +1.0

Integration

Calculated

How well does it connect with other tools, APIs, and workflows?

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

6.0

UserGems

7.0▲ +1.0

Compliance & Data Protection

Calculated

Compliance certifications and data-protection posture, counted from ten verified signals: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR compliance, HIPAA, WCAG AA/AAA, PII redaction, licensed-only training, a published sub-processor list, a downloadable DPA, not training on user data, and a documented deletion path

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

6.0

UserGems

7.0▲ +1.0

Performance

Calculated

Latency + throughput speed

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

5.0

UserGems

5.0

Planning Quality

Calculated

Multi-step planning depth + replanning capability

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

5.0

UserGems

5.0

Calculated = derived from structured signals (integration count, API/open-source config, compliance certs, response-time). AI = LLM-assessed from public website content. Methodology

Task Performance

Backstory (formerly People.ai)

Task

UserGems

7.0

Lead Scoring

9.0

7.0

Pipeline Management

4.0

2.0

Outreach Automation

9.0

5.0

Email Tracking

4.0

1.0

Meeting Scheduling

3.0

9.0

Deal Forecasting

2.0

7.0

Contact Enrichment

9.0

7.0

Conversation Intelligence

5.0

Territory Management

5.0

8.0

Reporting Analytics

6.0

* Task scores (1–10) are algorithmically generated from publicly available data.

Data is sourced from public information and vendor websites. It may not always be up-to-date — verify pricing and features directly with the vendor before purchasing.Report inaccuracy

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main differences between Backstory (formerly People.ai) and UserGems?

Backstory (formerly People.ai) — "AI Revenue Platform for Sales Teams". UserGems — "The AI Command Center for Outbound and ABM". The Features section on this page compares them side by side.

Who is Backstory (formerly People.ai) best for compared with UserGems?

Backstory (formerly People.ai) is best for CROs and VPs of Sales who own the revenue number and drive strategy; and for Revenue Operations teams needing accurate, traceable engagement data. UserGems is best for Revenue teams looking to build pipeline; and for ABM marketers prioritizing high-intent accounts.

How does the pricing of Backstory (formerly People.ai) compare with UserGems?

Backstory (formerly People.ai) is enterprise-priced (custom quote). UserGems is paid. Always verify current pricing with the vendor.

Does Backstory (formerly People.ai) or UserGems have a free plan?

Backstory (formerly People.ai) does not list a free plan in our data. UserGems lists no free plan. Always verify current pricing with the vendor.

Do Backstory (formerly People.ai) and UserGems offer an API?

Backstory (formerly People.ai) offers API access on its enterprise plans. UserGems offers a public API.

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