Quick answer
An AI SDR is a tool that does the first-contact work of a human sales development rep (SDR): it builds a list, researches each person and sends the first message. Unify is free to start and AiSDR charges $1.50 per person. Start with a tool and add a person once replies come in.
Updated October 2026
- If you are a solo founder and no one can manage a hire: buy a tool. Unify has a free plan, then $20 or $60 per seat a month. A seat is one user's license.
- If you want to pay only for the people you reach: AiSDR charges $1.50 per person prospected, with no sales call.
- If each deal needs hand-written research and phone calls: hire a person, or make the calls yourself, and use a free tool for the list.
- If meetings are coming in and replies are piling up: use both. The tool sends, and a person handles the replies and the calls.
- If you want a team behind the tool: Artisan's Intern plan is $280 a month ($250 on yearly billing). Amplemarket's Startup plan is $600 a month on a yearly term. 11x's Alice plan starts at $3,750 a month on yearly billing, and you buy through a demo.
Prices are in US dollars as of 19 October 2026. Confirm the price with the company before you buy.
Who is this page for?
This page is for founders and first sales hires who must choose between hiring an SDR and buying an AI SDR tool. It covers sales software and the job it takes over in part. It is not career advice. For every tool and its price side by side, see the guide to the best AI SDR tools for startups.
Five terms, in plain words:
- SDR: a sales development rep. This person makes first contact with possible buyers and books meetings for whoever closes the deal.
- Outbound: you contact buyers first, instead of waiting for them to find you.
- Seat: one person's license for a tool.
- Credits: the units a tool uses up when it works.
- Sender reputation: the trust that email providers such as Gmail place in your sending domain (the part of your address after the @).
What does a human SDR do, and what does an AI SDR do?
Both do the same job in the same order. They differ in which steps each one does well.
| Step | Human SDR | AI SDR tool |
|---|---|---|
| Pick who to contact | Uses judgment about who is a good buyer and why now | Builds a list from your description of the buyer |
| Research each person | Reads their site and posts, which takes time | Researches each person on the list |
| Write the first message | Writes in a natural voice and can break the pattern | Writes a message that fits each person, and can get a fact wrong |
| Send | Sends a limited number a day | Sends at volume from your mailbox, so it needs warm-up and spam checks |
| Handle replies | Reads tone, answers questions, handles objections | Some tools answer replies and some leave them to you |
| Book the meeting | Agrees a time in the conversation | Some tools book from a calendar link |
| Make calls | Makes calls and reads tone of voice | Some tools give your reps a dialer, and AI phone agents are a separate kind of software |
| Judge a tricky reply | Strong | Needs a person to take these |
Where they overlap most is research, the first message and sending. That is where a tool saves the most time. Tools differ in how many steps they cover. Artisan, AiSDR, Salesforge's Agent Frank and 11x handle replies. Unify sorts replies by intent and queues them as tasks for a person. With Regie.ai, replies land in your own Gmail or Outlook inbox. AiSDR works with Calendly and HubSpot calendars. Artisan's Ava does not make phone calls, and Unify includes a click-to-call dialer. AI phone agents are voice-agent software, covered in our guides to AI voice agents and AI cold calling.
How much does an AI SDR cost compared with a person?
Most tools have a set price. A person costs whatever you pay, plus extras. Both are below.
What do the AI SDR tools cost?
Prices are in US dollars as of 19 October 2026.
| Tool | Price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforge (Agent Frank) | Agent Frank $499 a month on yearly billing ($599 billed quarterly). The email tool alone: Pro $40 a month on yearly billing ($48 monthly) | Agent Frank has no free trial and starts with a demo |
| Artisan | Free plan. Intern $280 a month and Employee $660 a month on monthly billing ($250 and $600 on yearly billing). Business plans: quote only | Cost runs on credits, about 20 per person in a full campaign |
| Unify | Free plan. Base $20 and Pro $60 per seat a month, billed monthly. Business: custom | Managed mailboxes and warm-up are on Business only |
| AiSDR | $1.50 per person prospected, pay as you go. Team plans for 1,000 or more people a month: quote only | A warmed-up mailbox is $33 extra |
| Regie.ai (RegieGO) | Free. Pro $49 a month on monthly billing | You read each draft before it goes out. Replies land in your own inbox. Ask the company about meeting booking |
| Amplemarket | Startup plan $600 a month on a yearly term | Duo Inbox, which drafts replies, is not on the Startup plan |
| 11x | Alice $3,750 a month on yearly billing. Julian from $2,417 a month for chat and $5,333 for voice. Pro and Enterprise: custom | You buy through a demo. Alice includes up to 5 users and 2,000 new prospects a month |
Some tools do only part of the job. Apollo holds the contact list: it has a free plan, then $65 per seat a month on monthly billing. Clay builds the list: it has a free plan, then $185 a month. lemlist starts at $69 a month and Smartlead at $39 on monthly billing, and Instantly at $47 to $76.50 a month depending on the plan set shown to you. They send the email.
The plan price is rarely the whole bill. Mailboxes cost extra: Smartlead sells Google mailboxes from $4.50 a month each, and Unify's managed mailboxes are $25 each a month on Business. Setup help costs extra too: AiSDR's managed service is $149 per campaign, or $2,500 a month fully managed.
What does a human SDR cost?
Add these lines with your own numbers. This page does not guess your pay figure, because it depends on your city, your offer and whether you hire full-time or on contract.
| Cost line | Human SDR | AI SDR tool |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | Salary and bonus, as in your offer | None |
| Taxes and benefits | The extra your payroll provider adds on top of pay | None |
| Plan price | None | The plan price from the table above |
| Tools they use | A contact list, an email sender and a dialer, priced above | Often built in, so check what the plan includes |
| Setup | A laptop, accounts and a desk | Sending domains and mailboxes |
| Your time | Hours a week of training and coaching | Hours a week to check messages and replies |
| Time to full speed | The weeks a new hire needs to learn your product, which you also pay for | A trial lets you test a small list first |
A trial costs nothing to start. Unify Pro has a 14-day trial with no card. Artisan gives a 30-day trial of 10,000 credits with no card. Amplemarket has a free trial on all plans.
Then do the maths:
- Monthly cost: add up one column.
- Cost per meeting: monthly cost divided by the meetings booked that month.
- Example for a tool: AiSDR at $1.50 a person costs $750 for 500 people ($1.50 x 500). If M meetings come from them, the cost is $750 divided by M. With 5 meetings that is $150 each, before the extras above. The 5 is an example, not a promise. Your results depend on your list and your offer.
Do the same sum for a person, then compare the two numbers.
When should you hire a person, buy a tool, or do both?
Hire a person if
- Your offer is still changing and you need someone to hear what buyers say and adjust.
- You sell to a short list of named companies, and each one needs hand-written research.
- Your deals close on phone calls and trust.
- You have someone who can train and coach them.
If you are the founder and you like talking to buyers, you are the first SDR. Do that before you hire.
Buy a tool if
- You have a clear offer and you know who buys it.
- You want to test outbound before you commit to a salary.
- No one has time to manage a hire.
- You want hundreds of researched first messages, not a handful.
Do both if
- Replies have started to come in, and each one needs a human answer.
- You want the tool to own list building, research and the first message, and a person to own calls, demos and follow-up.
- You want the tool as an assistant. Your reps review, edit and send what Amplemarket's copilot suggests, and Salesforge's Agent Frank has a co-pilot mode that asks for your review before sending.
Which fits your startup?
| Your situation | Start with | Add later |
|---|---|---|
| Solo founder, no budget | A free plan and your own calls | A paid plan once messages get replies |
| Offer still changing | You, talking to buyers | A tool for the repeat steps |
| A few large accounts | A person or you, with hand-written research | A tool for the list only |
| Clear offer and a list, no manager | A tool, with a person checking messages | A person for replies and calls |
| Meetings coming in | A tool and a person | A second person only when the first is full |
| Funding and a sales lead | Both from the start | More credits or seats |
Which AI SDR fits which kind of startup?
These are the AI SDR agents on our list. Each card tells you who it suits. Prices are in the table above.
Salesforge (Agent Frank)
Regie.ai (RegieGO)
What does a person still have to do when you use an AI SDR?
None of these tools runs on its own. Plan for these seven jobs.
- Decide who you are targeting and what you offer. The tool follows your description of the buyer.
- Check the messages. The main risk is a message that gets a fact wrong, so keep a person approving messages during your test. Several tools let you. Artisan has approve-before-sending. With AiSDR, a first campaign can stay behind an approval step. Salesforge's Agent Frank has a co-pilot mode. Instantly's AI Reply Agent can run with approval of each reply. Unify holds drafts from a chat-built sequence until you approve them. Regie.ai queues drafts for your sign-off. 11x lets you review every message, set a sign-off step for a named person, or run on autopilot.
- Watch your spam rate. Google asks senders to keep it below 0.10% and never to reach 0.30% or higher. You can see yours in Google Postmaster Tools.
- Honor opt-outs. In the US, the CAN-SPAM law covers business email too. You must honor an opt-out within 10 business days. Rules differ by country, so check each country you email. This is not legal advice.
- Own the sending domain and mailboxes. Ask who owns them and what happens to them if you leave.
- Watch the meter. Some tools stop and others charge more when the credits run out. Unify and Artisan count credits.
- Take the call. The meeting, the demo and the relationship stay with your team.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI SDR?
An AI SDR is software that does the work of a sales development rep (SDR). It finds prospects, writes a first message and sends it. In some products it also handles replies and books the meeting.
Do AI SDRs actually work?
It can, but results depend on your list, your offer and your sending setup, so run a small test before you commit. The main risk is a message that gets a fact wrong (the tool "hallucinating"), so keep a person approving messages during the test.
Are SDRs being replaced by AI?
Not completely. An AI SDR takes over the repeat steps: list building, research, first messages and sending. It does not set your offer, check its own messages or take the call. Plan for a person to do those jobs.
How much does an AI SDR cost?
It runs from free to several thousand dollars a month. Unify, Regie.ai, Apollo, Clay and Artisan have free plans. AiSDR charges $1.50 per person prospected. Amplemarket's Startup plan is $600 a month on a yearly term. Artisan's business plans are quote only. 11x's Alice plan starts at $3,750 a month on yearly billing.
How much does a human SDR cost compared with an AI SDR?
A tool has a price list. A person has pay, taxes, benefits, tools and management time. Add up each, then divide each total by the meetings it books to get a cost per meeting. Compare the two numbers.
What does an AI SDR do?
It builds a list of people who match your description, fills in their contact details, researches each one and writes a message that fits. It then sends the message from your mailbox. Some products also handle replies and book meetings.
Should a startup hire a human SDR or buy an AI SDR?
Use an AI SDR for the repeat steps: list building, research and first messages. Keep the calls and the relationship with your team. Start with a tool if your offer is clear and no one can manage a hire. Hire a person if each deal needs hand-written research and calls. Use both once replies start to come in.
Can I keep a person in the loop with an AI SDR?
Some tools let you. Artisan has approve-before-sending. With AiSDR, a first campaign can stay behind an approval step. Salesforge's Agent Frank has a co-pilot mode that asks for your review before sending. Instantly's AI Reply Agent can run with approval of each reply. Amplemarket's higher plans draft replies for a person to send. 11x lets you review every message, set a sign-off step for a named person, or run on autopilot. Unify holds drafts from a chat-built sequence until you approve them, and Regie.ai queues drafts for your sign-off.
Which should a startup pick?
Here is the short version again.
- If you are a solo founder with a clear offer and no one to manage a hire, start with a tool. Look at Unify (free plan) or AiSDR ($1.50 per person prospected).
- If each deal needs hand-written research and calls, hire a person or make the calls yourself, and use a free plan for the list.
- If replies are coming in, use both: the tool sends, and a person talks.
- If you want a team behind the tool, look at Artisan, Amplemarket or 11x.
Prices change, so check the price with the company before you buy. Whatever you pick, start with a small test list, have a person read the first messages, and watch your spam rate.
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