Best AI SDR Tools for Startups (2026)

The short answer: An AI SDR (sales development rep) is software that finds prospects, writes the first message and sends it. Some products also answer replies and book the meeting. Here is what fits each kind of startup, with the current price.
  • If you want to see a price before you talk to anyone and run outbound from a chat box: 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 you already have a list and want cheap, high-volume sending: lemlist starts at $69 a month and Smartlead at $39, both on monthly billing, and Instantly at $47 to $76.50 a month depending on the plan set shown to you. Each one includes tools that protect your sender reputation. That is the trust that email providers, such as Gmail, place in your sending domain (the part of your address after the @).
  • If you need the list first: Clay has a free plan, then $185 a month. Apollo has a free plan, then $65 a seat on monthly billing.
  • If you want a team behind the agent: Amplemarket's Startup plan is $600 a month on a yearly term. Artisan has a free plan, then $280 a month ($250 on yearly billing). 11x's Alice plan starts at $3,750 a month on yearly billing; expect to book a demo.
  • Quote only: Outreach, ZoomInfo and Artisan's business plans.
Prices are as of 19 October 2026. Confirm the price with the company before you buy.
If you sell an AI SDR or sales tool: when a founder asks ChatGPT which AI SDR to buy, does it name you? Check it free with the AI visibility checker or submit your tool to be considered for this page.

By Appscribed. Updated October 2026. About our criteria.

An AI SDR is a piece of software that does the first-contact work a sales development rep (SDR) does. That work covers a few jobs: find the right people, write a message that fits each one, send it, and in some products, handle the replies and book the meeting.

This page is for founders and first sales hires at startups who are buying the software. It compares 16 tools on what they cost, what they automate and who they fit. It covers sales software only, not sales job advice.

Which agentic sales tools fit early-stage startups?

An "agentic" sales tool is software that takes steps toward a goal on its own, such as building a list, researching each person and starting a sequence of emails. For a startup with one to three sellers, these three have a clear price and let you start without a sales call. Several others on this page do too.

ToolWhat it doesStarts at
UnifyYou describe who you want in a chat box. It builds the list, researches each person, writes the messages and runs the sequence.Free plan; paid from $20 per seat a month, billed monthly
AiSDRIt builds a campaign, finds people, writes researched messages and handles replies.$1.50 per person prospected, pay as you go
ClayA spreadsheet-style tool that pulls data from many providers and researches each row.Free plan; paid from $185 a month, billed monthly

Unify and AiSDR do the outreach. Clay builds the list, so pair it with a sender.

How are the 16 AI SDR tools grouped?

The 16 tools fall into four groups, because they do different jobs.

A startup usually needs one tool from the data group and one from the sending or AI SDR group.

On each card, longer bars mean a stronger fit on that point. The Fits line tells you who each tool suits. The five bars are Research, Deliverability, Automation, Setup and control, and Price clarity. Deliverability means whether your email reaches the inbox instead of the spam folder. Warm-up means slowly raising your sending volume so email providers learn to trust a new mailbox.

How much does each AI SDR tool cost?

ToolGroupFitsStarts atFree plan or trial
Salesforge (Agent Frank)AI SDR agentsTeams that want cold email now and an agent later$40 a month on yearly billing ($48 monthly); Agent Frank $499 on yearly billing ($599 billed quarterly)14-day trial on Growth; none for Agent Frank, which starts with a demo
ArtisanAI SDR agentsTeams that want an agent the company runs for you, one that books meetingsFree (300 credits a month); Intern $280 a month and Employee $660 a month on monthly billing ($250 and $600 on yearly billing). Business plans: quote onlyFree plan; 30-day trial of 10,000 credits, no card
UnifyAI SDR agentsSolo founders and small teamsFree; paid from $20 per seat a month, monthly billingFree plan; 14-day Pro trial, no card
AiSDRAI SDR agentsTeams that want to pay per person reached$1.50 per person prospectedNo sales call; sign up without a card, build and test a campaign, and pay when you launch
Regie.ai (RegieGO)AI SDR agentsSolo founders who want a free startFree; Pro $49 a month, monthly billingFree plan, no card
AmplemarketAI SDR agentsTeams with a demo process and a yearly budget$600 a month on a yearly term (Startup plan)Free trial on all plans
11xAI SDR agentsTeams that will book a demoAlice from $3,750 a month on yearly billing. Julian from $2,417 a month for chat and $5,333 for voice. Pro and Enterprise are by quoteDemo
InstantlyCold email and outreachSenders who want volume across many mailboxes$76.50 a month (Starter) on yearly billing; some accounts still see Growth at $4714-day free trial
lemlistCold email and outreachTeams that want email plus LinkedIn, calls and WhatsApp$69 a month (Email plan), monthly billing14-day free trial (Email and Multichannel)
SmartleadCold email and outreachSenders who want control of mailboxes and sending$39 a month (Base), monthly billingFree trial, no card
OutreachCold email and outreachLarger sales-led teamsQuote onlyDemo
ApolloLead data and enrichmentFounders who want data and sending in one appFree; Basic $65 per seat a month, monthly billingFree plan; 14-day trial
ClayLead data and enrichmentPeople who will build their own lead listsFree; Launch $185 a month, monthly billingFree plan; 14-day trial on paid plans
ZoomInfoLead data and enrichmentLarger teams that will talk to salesQuote onlyFree trial available
RoxABM and account agentsTeams that keep deals in a CRMFree start; Individual $100 a month (10,000 actions)Free start; ask what the limits are
LandbaseABM and account agentsTeams that want account lists from a plain description$499 a month (15,000 credits)1,000 free credits, no card

Prices are in US dollars as of 19 October 2026. Credits are the units a tool uses up when it works. A CRM is the app where you keep customers and deals, such as HubSpot or Salesforce.

What does each AI SDR tool do?

ToolSends the messages itselfHandles repliesBooks meetingsHuman approval before sendingDeliverability tools
Salesforge (Agent Frank)YesYesYesYes (co-pilot mode asks for your review before sending)Yes
ArtisanYesYes (startup plans from Intern; business plans)Yes (same plans)Yes (a per-campaign setting; autonomous by default)Yes (monitoring from Intern; warm-up and rotation too)
UnifyYesPartly (replies are sorted by intent and sent to a rep's task queue; a person writes the answer)Not listedYes (drafts from a chat-built sequence wait for your approval; approve in bulk or spot-check)Yes (managed mailboxes and warm-up on Business; every plan has send limits and email checks before sending)
AiSDRYesYesYesYes (a first campaign can stay behind an approval step; the managed service approves before anything sends)Yes
Regie.ai (RegieGO)YesReplies land in your own Gmail or Outlook inboxAsk the companyYes (you read each draft before it goes out; messages queue for your sign-off)Yes (contacts are verified, sending is throttled, unsubscribes are handled and mailbox rotation with domain warming is included)
AmplemarketYesPartly (Duo Inbox drafts replies; included on Elite, add-on on Growth, not on Startup)Partly (follow-ups with calendar links in Duo Inbox)Yes (reps review, edit and send Duo suggestions and reply drafts)Yes (the spam checker and mailbox recommendation start on Growth)
11xYesYes (Smart Replies)YesYes (review every message, set a sign-off step for a named person, or run on autopilot)Yes
InstantlyYesYes (shared inbox and an AI Reply Agent)Yes (the AI Reply Agent books the meeting; ask which plan includes it)Partly (the AI Reply Agent can hold each reply for your approval; Autopilot, which sends without approval, is on higher plans)Yes
lemlistYesYes (shared inbox)Partly (a lemcal booking link goes in your signature or an email step)Ask the companyYes
SmartleadYesYes (unified inbox with sentiment tags; the Reply Agent drafts replies)Partly (the inbox can route leads into booking calendars)Partly (Reply Agent drafts replies for you to review, edit and send)Yes
OutreachYesPartly (AI reply features and out-of-office detection)Yes (a meeting scheduler)Yes (a setting chooses full automation or review by a person)Partly (daily and weekly send limits for each mailbox)
ApolloYesYes (unified inbox)Yes (meeting scheduler)Partly (a manual email step makes a task you edit and send)Yes (reputation and bounce protection on every plan; warm-up from Basic)
ClayYes (from the Launch plan)Partly (a reply inbox inside Clay)Not listedPartly (reply drafts go to Slack for a rep to approve or edit)Partly (mailboxes bought inside Clay are warmed for you; buying mailboxes starts on Growth, and on Launch you connect mailboxes you already own)
ZoomInfoYes (cadences with a phone dialer and an email tool)Ask the companyAsk the companyPartly (Copilot email drafts can be edited before sending)Partly (contact emails are verified)
RoxYesAsk the companyYes (its agents book meetings)Ask the companyAsk the company
LandbaseYes (email, LinkedIn and dialer campaigns)Partly (its agents handle replies inside campaigns)Partly (campaigns run from signal to booked meeting)Ask the companyYes (sending domains are warmed and monitored; contacts pass four layers of verification)

"Not listed" means it is not a named feature of the tool. It does not mean the tool cannot do it. Ask the company before you buy.

The 16 AI SDR tools in detail, by group

Each card shows who the tool fits, what it costs and what it automates. Prices are in US dollars as of 19 October 2026.

AI SDR agents

Salesforge logo

Salesforge (Agent Frank)

AI SDR agents
Appscribed App Score for Salesforge: 7.8 out of 10
Salesforge is a cold-email sequencing tool with an optional AI agent, Agent Frank, that does the prospecting for you.
Fits: If you want a low-cost sending tool today and the option of an agent later, this fits.
Starts at: Pro is $40 a month and Growth is $80 a month on yearly billing ($48 and $96 on monthly billing). Agent Frank is $499 a month on yearly billing ($599 billed quarterly), and contacts cost $0.25 each from 2,000 a month. Growth has a 14-day trial. Agent Frank has no free trial and starts with a demo, and it is a separate subscription from the Salesforge plans.
Research
Research: 7.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 8.5 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 8.5 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 7.5 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 8.5 out of 10
What it automates: Cold email sequences with warm-up and mailbox rotation (sending from several mailboxes in turn). Agent Frank prospects for you, replies to emails and sets up meetings, and runs on auto-pilot, where he needs no supervision, or in co-pilot mode, where he asks for your review before sending. An inbox tool reads the tone of replies.
Good to know:
  • Pro covers 1,000 active contacts and 5,000 emails a month.
  • Growth covers 10,000 contacts and 50,000 emails.
Artisan logo

Artisan

AI SDR agents
Appscribed App Score for Artisan: 7.7 out of 10
Artisan sells Ava, an AI "BDR" (business development rep) that finds leads, writes and sends the outreach, handles replies and books meetings for your reps.
Fits: If you want an agent the company runs for you that also books the meeting, this fits.
Starts at: Free plan: 300 credits a month, no card. Intern is $280 a month (10,000 credits, about 500 leads contacted) and Employee is $660 a month (25,000 credits, about 1,250 leads contacted), both on monthly billing. On yearly billing they are $250 and $600. Business plans are priced after a demo: Team (about 2,500 leads contacted a month), Scale (about 6,000) and a custom Enterprise plan.
Research
Research: 8.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 8.0 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 8.5 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 8.0 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 7.5 out of 10
What it automates: Finding leads, writing, sending, replies and meeting booking. Startup plans sync with HubSpot from Intern up; business plans sync both ways with Salesforce and HubSpot. Ava does not make phone calls. A power dialer for your reps (a tool that places calls one after another) is a per-seat add-on: $67 a seat a month on yearly billing, $75 on monthly billing.
Good to know:
  • Cost runs on credits, about 20 per person in a full campaign.
  • Mailboxes and phone numbers are billed separately.
Unify logo

Unify

AI SDR agents
Appscribed App Score for Unify: 7.7 out of 10
Unify lets you tell an agent which companies and people you want. It builds the list, researches them, writes the messages and runs the sequence from one chat box.
Fits: If you are a solo founder or a small team that wants to start without a sales call, this fits.
Starts at: Free plan ($0, up to 3 seats, limited credits). Base is $20 per seat a month and Pro is $60 per seat a month, both billed monthly. Business is a custom price, billed yearly.
Research
Research: 8.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 6.0 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 8.0 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 7.5 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 9.0 out of 10
What it automates: Building the list, filling in contact details, researching each person, writing the copy, and running sequences across email, calls and social. A click-to-call dialer is included. Replies are sorted by intent and queued as tasks for a person, and chat-built sequences hold drafts until you approve them. Meeting booking is not listed.
Good to know:
  • Each seat gets credits every month: 800 on Base and 2,400 on Pro.
  • Two-way CRM sync starts on Business.
AiSDR logo

AiSDR

AI SDR agents
Appscribed App Score for AiSDR: 7.7 out of 10
AiSDR is an AI sales agent called Ami that builds a campaign, finds people, writes researched messages across email and LinkedIn, handles replies and keeps HubSpot up to date.
Fits: If you want to pay for the people you reach rather than for seats, and you want to start without a sales call, this fits.
Starts at: $1.50 per person prospected on pay as you go, charged daily, stop anytime. Team plans for 1,000 or more people a month are on quote.
Research
Research: 7.5 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 8.0 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 8.5 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 8.0 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 8.0 out of 10
What it automates: Finding people, research, writing, sending, reply handling and meeting booking. It books meetings and connects to Calendly and HubSpot calendars. HubSpot sync is two-way. Salesforce comes on team plans.
Good to know:
  • Research, lists and writing cost nothing extra on pay as you go.
  • A warmed-up mailbox and a managed service are paid add-ons.
Regie.ai logo

Regie.ai (RegieGO)

AI SDR agents
Appscribed App Score for Regie.ai: 7.5 out of 10
Regie.ai, now sold as RegieGO, is a self-serve prospecting tool with research, enrichment, message drafting, agents and a power dialer, sending from your own Gmail or Outlook.
Fits: If you are a solo founder who wants to start free, or a small team that wants a flat low price, this fits.
Starts at: Free ($0, 250 one-time credits per person, up to 10 people share a pool, no card). Pro is $49 a month on monthly billing ($41 on yearly). Team is $150 per seat a month ($125 on yearly), with a two-seat minimum.
Research
Research: 7.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 7.0 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 7.5 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 7.5 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 9.0 out of 10
What it automates: Research, enrichment, drafting, agents and calling. The Team plan adds a shared CRM and prospect list. You read each draft before it goes out. Replies land in your own Gmail or Outlook inbox.
Good to know:
  • Free credits are a one-time 250.
  • Pro gives 5,000 credits a month.
Amplemarket logo

Amplemarket

AI SDR agents
Appscribed App Score for Amplemarket: 7.2 out of 10
Amplemarket is an outbound platform that combines B2B contact data, buying-signal alerts, an AI copilot called Duo, multi-channel sequences and a dialer.
Fits: If you have a demo process, can commit to a yearly term and want data, signals and sequences in one place, this fits.
Starts at: The Startup plan is $600 a month on a yearly term, with 2 users and 27,000 contacts. Growth and Elite are custom prices. All plans include a free trial.
Research
Research: 8.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 7.5 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 7.5 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 7.5 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 6.0 out of 10
What it automates: Research through buying-signal alerts, writing through the Duo copilot, multi-channel sequences and calling. Duo Inbox, which drafts replies and adds follow-ups with calendar links, is included on Elite and is an add-on on Growth. Reps review, edit and send what Duo suggests.
Good to know:
  • A dedicated manager and personalized onboarding start on Growth.
  • The spam checker and the mailbox recommendation start on Growth.
11x logo

11x

AI SDR agents
Appscribed App Score for 11x: 6.8 out of 10
11x sells AI agents for outbound, inbound and expansion across voice, chat, email, social and SMS, plus a human dialer for reps.
Fits: If you can commit to a yearly plan and are ready to book a demo to see the product, this fits.
Starts at: Alice starts at $3,750 a month on yearly billing ($36,000 a year), with up to 5 users and 2,000 new prospects a month. Julian starts at $2,417 a month for chat and $5,333 for voice. Pro and Enterprise are by quote. You buy through a demo.
Research
Research: 8.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 8.0 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 9.0 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 7.0 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 4.0 out of 10
What it automates: Finding prospects, researching them, writing messages and sending them across channels. It includes Smart Replies and meeting booking, and campaigns are tuned for meetings booked. You choose how much a person reviews: every message, a sign-off step for a named person, or autopilot.
Good to know:
  • Alice Growth includes 11x-managed Gmail mailboxes and two-way CRM sync.
  • Domain setup, warm-up, inbox rotation and monitoring are included.

Cold email and outreach

Instantly logo

Instantly

Cold email and outreach
Appscribed App Score for Instantly: 7.8 out of 10
Instantly sends cold email at volume across unlimited mailboxes with warm-up, and sells a lead finder and a light CRM beside it.
Fits: If you already have a list and want to send a lot of email across many mailboxes at a clear monthly price, this fits.
Starts at: Instantly is rolling out new plans: Starter is $76.50 a month on yearly billing, Scale $238 and Agency $695, each with a 14-day free trial. Some accounts still see the older Growth plan at $47 a month. Confirm the plan set shown to you before you buy.
Research
Research: 6.5 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 8.5 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 8.0 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 8.0 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 9.0 out of 10
What it automates: Sending, warm-up and a shared inbox for replies. An AI Reply Agent answers interested replies, shares your Calendly link and books the meeting, and can run with your approval of each reply. Autopilot, which sends without approval, is on higher plans. It uses 5 credits for each reply it writes. Ask which plan includes it. A lead finder is sold in credits.
Good to know:
  • The lead finder and the CRM are priced separately from the sending plans.
  • The plans include reputation protection, bounce detection and a global block list.
lemlist logo

lemlist

Cold email and outreach
Appscribed App Score for lemlist: 7.8 out of 10
lemlist runs outreach across email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS and WhatsApp, with AI agents (called lemAgent) that research and write.
Fits: If you want one sequence that mixes email with LinkedIn, calls and WhatsApp steps, this fits.
Starts at: The Email plan is $69 a month with unlimited users and up to 50,000 emails a month. Multichannel is $109 a month per user. Both are on monthly billing. On yearly billing they are $55 and $87. Enterprise is custom.
Research
Research: 7.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 8.5 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 8.0 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 7.5 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 8.5 out of 10
What it automates: Research, writing, sending, a shared inbox for replies, and CRM sync. Booking links come from lemcal, a booking page tool that works with lemlist. The link goes in your signature or an email step.
Good to know:
  • Lead data is an add-on that you buy in credits.
  • The Email and Multichannel plans start with a 14-day free trial.
Smartlead logo

Smartlead

Cold email and outreach
Appscribed App Score for Smartlead: 7.5 out of 10
Smartlead is a cold-email sending platform with a warm-up pool, mailbox rotation, a mailbox store, the SmartProspect lead finder, the SmartDialer for calls and a CRM add-on.
Fits: If you want control of your mailboxes and sending limits at a low monthly price, this fits.
Starts at: Base is $39 a month (2,000 contacts, 6,000 sends). Pro is $94, Smart is $174 and Prime is $379, all on monthly billing. Yearly billing is $32, $78, $144 and $315.
Research
Research: 6.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 8.5 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 8.0 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 7.0 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 8.5 out of 10
What it automates: Sending, warm-up and mailbox rotation, plus a unified inbox with sentiment tags. Reply Agent drafts replies that aim to book the meeting and adds calendar links. You review and send them. The inbox also routes leads to booking calendars.
Good to know:
  • Mailboxes and domains are add-ons.
  • Private sending servers come with Prime and cost extra on Pro and Smart.
Outreach logo

Outreach

Cold email and outreach
Appscribed App Score for Outreach: 6.0 out of 10
Outreach is an enterprise sales-engagement platform, now sold as an "AI Agent Platform for Revenue teams".
Fits: If you run a larger sales team that buys through a sales process, this fits.
Starts at: Quote only. The model combines per-seat access with usage-based AI credits.
Research
Research: 7.5 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 6.0 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 8.5 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 5.5 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 2.0 out of 10
What it automates: Research, writing and sending through its AI credits. It also has AI-powered reply features, out-of-office detection that pauses a sequence, and a meeting scheduler and click-to-call dialer for reps.
Good to know:
  • Outreach is sold through a sales team, and you get a quote.

Lead data and enrichment

Apollo logo

Apollo

Lead data and enrichment
Appscribed App Score for Apollo: 7.9 out of 10
Apollo is a B2B contact database with email sequencing, a dialer and pipeline tools in one app.
Fits: If you are a founder who wants a contact database and sending in one app at a low per-seat price, this fits.
Starts at: Free (75 credits a month, 900 a year). On monthly billing: Basic $65 and Professional $99, per seat a month. On yearly billing: Basic $49, Professional $79 and Organization $119. Organization is yearly only.
Research
Research: 7.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 7.5 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 8.0 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 8.0 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 9.0 out of 10
What it automates: Finding contacts, sequencing, a unified inbox for replies and a meeting scheduler (both on every plan, including Free), calling and pipeline tracking.
Good to know:
  • The Organization plan is yearly only and needs at least 3 seats.
  • Basic and Professional have a 14-day trial.
Clay logo

Clay

Lead data and enrichment
Appscribed App Score for Clay: 7.9 out of 10
Clay is a spreadsheet-style workbench that pulls data from more than 150 providers, researches each row with an AI agent called Claygent, and can send the outreach.
Fits: If you are happy to build your own lead lists step by step and want them as rich as possible, this fits.
Starts at: Free (500 actions and 100 data credits a month). Launch is $185 a month and Growth is $495 a month on monthly billing. On yearly billing, Launch is $167 and Growth is $446. Enterprise is custom.
Research
Research: 9.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 7.0 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 9.0 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 6.0 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 7.0 out of 10
What it automates: Finding and filling in data from many providers, and researching each row. Sending email from Clay starts on Launch, and CRM sync starts on Growth. Mailboxes you buy inside Clay are warmed for you; buying mailboxes starts on Growth, and on Launch you connect mailboxes you already own. Each sender gets a reply inbox inside Clay, and its analytics show bounce rates for each domain. Reply drafts go to Slack for a rep to approve or edit. Booking meetings is not listed.
Good to know:
  • There are two meters: actions and data credits.
  • All plans have unlimited seats and tables.
ZoomInfo logo

ZoomInfo

Lead data and enrichment
Appscribed App Score for ZoomInfo: 5.9 out of 10
ZoomInfo is a large B2B contact and company database with buying-intent signals, an AI copilot and sales tools, sold mostly by quote.
Fits: If you run a larger team that is ready to talk to sales and wants a big database with buying signals, this fits.
Starts at: Quote only. A free trial is available.
Research
Research: 8.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 6.0 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 7.0 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 5.5 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 2.5 out of 10
What it automates: Contact and company data, AI email writing and calling on the Professional plan, plus buyer-signal tools on the Copilot plans. It also has multi-touch cadences with a phone dialer and an email tool, and Copilot Advanced also exports emails to Outreach or Salesloft.
Good to know:
  • Sales plans are Professional, Copilot Advanced and Copilot Enterprise.

ABM and account agents

Rox logo

Rox

ABM and account agents
Appscribed App Score for Rox: 7.2 out of 10
Rox is a system of "account agents" that sits on top of your CRM, watches your accounts, researches prospects, updates the CRM and runs outbound.
Fits: If you already keep your deals in a CRM and want agents to watch accounts and keep records current, this fits.
Starts at: There is a free start; ask what its limits are. Individual is $100 a month for 10,000 actions. Teams is $255 a month for 15,000 actions, with shared workspaces and CRM sync that writes back. Teams has unlimited seats. Enterprise is on quote.
Research
Research: 8.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 6.0 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 8.0 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 6.5 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 7.5 out of 10
What it automates: Account research, prospect research, CRM updates and multi-channel outbound. Its agents draft outreach, launch prospecting sequences, book meetings and update the records.
Good to know:
  • Usage is counted in "agent actions".
  • Self-serve plans start at $100 a month.
Landbase logo

Landbase

ABM and account agents
Appscribed App Score for Landbase: 7.0 out of 10
Landbase is an account and contact data layer. You use it from your own AI tool (such as Claude Code or Codex) or through an API (a way for your own software to talk to theirs). You describe the accounts you want in plain English, and it returns them and fills in the details. It also has a web app that can run email, LinkedIn and dialer campaigns on the lists it builds.
Fits: If you want lists of target accounts from a plain description and you are comfortable working from a command line or your own AI tool, this fits.
Starts at: $499 a month for 15,000 credits. Larger bundles are $1,999 (75,000 credits) and $4,999 (200,000 credits). Enterprise is custom. 1,000 free credits come with no card.
Research
Research: 7.0 out of 10
Deliverability
Deliverability: 7.0 out of 10
Automation
Automation: 6.5 out of 10
Setup and control
Setup and control: 6.0 out of 10
Price clarity
Price clarity: 8.5 out of 10
What it automates: Account discovery, qualification and filling in details. It also runs cold email sequences, LinkedIn connection and message automation and a power dialer from the same account. Its agents also write the messages, handle replies and run campaigns through to a booked meeting.
Good to know:
  • One verified email costs 1 credit and one phone number costs 10 credits.
  • Searching for leads is free.

Which AI SDR tool fits your stage and budget?

This section shows what sits in each price range. Prices are monthly billing unless noted, in US dollars. Per-seat prices are per person, so multiply by the number of people who will use the tool.

If you are a solo founder spending under $100 a month

These tools have a price in this range:

Choose one data tool and one sender. If you pick an all-in-one such as Unify, you may need only one.

If you have a small team of one to three sellers and spend $100 to $600 a month

If you have funding and can spend about $500 or more a month

What costs extra on top of the plan price?

The plan price is rarely the whole bill. Look for these extra costs.

What should you check before you pay for an AI SDR?

Ask these six questions of any tool you are considering.

  1. Who owns the sending domain and mailboxes? If the company sets them up, ask what happens to them if you leave.
  2. What happens when the monthly credits run out? Some tools stop. Others charge more. Unify, Artisan, Clay and Landbase all count credits or actions.
  3. Can a person approve every message before it goes out? 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. 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.
  4. Is there a contract, and can you leave early? Amplemarket's Startup plan is on a yearly term. AiSDR team plans are billed monthly with quarterly contracts. Unify Business is billed yearly.
  5. Where does the contact data come from? Ask how the company checks emails before sending.
  6. What is the tool's policy on spam complaints? lemlist has a sending policy and an anti-abuse policy.

What are the rules for cold email?

Which other sales tools are not compared here?

Other names you will meet while shopping are Cognism, Lusha, Salesloft and Warmly. They are not compared on this page. Qualified is an inbound tool, so it sits with AI customer service software. Our reviews of other sales tools are Reply.io, Outplay, Snov.io, Conversica, Aomni AI, Hunter and LeadIQ. Related: DayOneLead, B2B Rocket and Salesforce Agentforce.

Guides & comparisons

Related categories
Best AI voice agents →platforms to build AI phone agents and voice bots.Best AI receptionists →services that answer inbound calls.Best AI customer service software →agents that handle support chat and email.Best AI visibility tools →track whether ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini name your brand.

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.

How does an AI SDR work?

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. Tools differ on how many of these steps they cover, and the feature table shows which.

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 says something false (the tool "hallucinating"), so keep a person approving messages during the test.

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. Regie.ai queues drafts for your sign-off. Smartlead's Reply Agent drafts replies for you to review and send. Clay sends reply drafts to Slack for approval. Outreach has a setting that chooses full automation or review by a person. The feature table shows which tools do.

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. Paid plans on those start at $20 to $280 a month on monthly billing. AiSDR charges $1.50 per person prospected. Amplemarket's Startup plan is $600 a month on a yearly term. Artisan's business plans, Outreach and ZoomInfo are quote only. 11x starts at $3,750 a month on yearly billing.

Should a startup hire a human SDR or buy an AI SDR?

Use an AI SDR for the repeat steps: building lists, research and first messages. Keep the calls and the relationship with your team. Several tools let a person approve messages before they go out (see question 4).

Which AI SDR tools suit startups?

Start with the tools that have a clear price and let you begin without a sales call. Those are Unify, AiSDR, Salesforge (Agent Frank starts with a demo), Regie.ai, Artisan, lemlist, Instantly, Smartlead, Clay, Apollo, Rox and Landbase. Amplemarket has a set price for its Startup plan only. Artisan's business plans, Outreach and ZoomInfo need a conversation first. 11x has a starting price, $3,750 a month on yearly billing, and you buy through a demo.

Is there a free AI SDR tool?

Yes, with limits. Unify has a free plan with limited credits and up to 3 seats. Regie.ai Free has 250 one-time credits. Apollo has a free plan with 75 credits a month (900 a year). Clay Free has 500 actions and 100 data credits a month. Artisan's Free plan has 300 credits a month, with no card. Rox offers a free start; ask what the limits are. Landbase gives 1,000 free credits with no card.

Can an AI SDR send cold email without hurting my domain?

It can, but no tool can promise it. Google asks senders to keep their spam rate under 0.10% and never reach 0.30%. It also asks senders of 5,000 or more messages a day to personal Gmail accounts to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Instantly, Smartlead, lemlist, Salesforge, AiSDR, Amplemarket, Artisan, 11x, Regie.ai, Apollo and Landbase have warm-up or deliverability tools. Start with low volume and watch your spam rate.

What is the difference between an AI SDR and a cold email tool?

An AI SDR finds people, decides what to say and writes the message. A cold email tool delivers the email and protects your sender reputation. Some products do both. You can use an AI SDR or data tool for the first part and a cold email tool for the second.

How much do Instantly, Smartlead and lemlist cost?

Prices as of 19 October 2026 (Instantly as of 20 October 2026), with Smartlead and lemlist on monthly billing:

  • Instantly: Starter $76.50 a month on yearly billing, Scale $238 and Agency $695, each with a 14-day free trial; some accounts still see Growth at $47 a month. Confirm the plan set shown to you before you buy.
  • Smartlead: Base $39 a month; next plans Pro $94, Smart $174, Prime $379.
  • lemlist: Email $69 a month; next plans Multichannel $109 per user.

Is there a free version of Clay? Who else does a similar job?

Yes. Clay's free plan gives 500 actions and 100 data credits a month. Paid plans start at $185 a month on monthly billing. Similar tools here are Apollo (a contact database with sending), ZoomInfo (a large database sold by quote) and Landbase (finds accounts from a plain description).

The short version

Here is the short version again.

Prices change, so check the price with the company before you buy. Whatever you pick, start with a small test list and watch your spam rate.

Prices are as of 19 October 2026 and can change.

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