⚠ Real Cost Warning

What they charge vs.
what you actually pay.

Apollo says $49/mo. You'll spend $300+. Artisan says "affordable AI SDR." That's $2,400/mo minimum. Here's the truth.

✓ Transparent pricing. No mystery credits. ✓ Enterprise AI at startup pricing ✓ No contracts. Cancel anytime.
🛡️

Human-in-loop approval. No AI hallucination risk.

Artisan and 11x users report AI-generated emails with fabricated details damaging brand reputation. Saleslane requires human approval before any email sends. Your brand stays yours.

Side by Side

The real numbers

Advertised prices vs. what 5–10 person teams actually pay after add-ons, credits, and contracts.

Feature ⚡ Saleslane Apollo.io Instantly.ai Artisan (Ava) 11x (Alice)
Advertised Price $49 – $399/mo What you see = what you pay $49 – $99/mo Real: $200–500+/mo $37 – $97/mo Real: $200–400/mo $2,400+/mo Annual auto-renew $5,000–10,000/mo Annual contract, ~$60K+/yr
Pricing Model Flat rate Credit-based
Email 1¢, phone 8¢		 Per-plan + add-ons
Leads sold separately		 Subscription Annual contract
Hidden Costs? ✓ None. Ever. Yes
Enrichment, dialer, CRM extra		 Yes
Lead gen, CRM, visitor ID separate		 ✓ All-in Yes
Calling add-on $200–500/mo extra
Contract Required? Month-to-month Month-to-month Month-to-month Annual auto-renew
Cancellation friction reported		 Annual contract
Limited cancellation
Setup Time 15 minutes 1–2 weeks 1 week 4–6 weeks 6–8 weeks
Brand Safety Human approval required Template-based High volume risk AI hallucination risk Less control over messaging
Autonomy Claim AI + human hybrid
Honest about what AI does		 AI-assisted Template automation «Full autonomy»
15–20% meeting quality		 «Digital worker»
Enterprise only; oversells AI
Meeting Conversion Human-reviewed quality 25–30% 15–20% 15–20%
High volume, low quality		 20–25%
Target Market 2–20 person sales teams SMB + startups Freelancers + agencies Ambitious startups, mid-market Enterprise (50+ reps)
G2 Rating — 4.4/5 (8,200+ reviews) 4.2/5 4.0/5 (390 reviews) 4.5/5 (10 reviews)

* Real costs based on typical 5–10 person team usage. Data current as of March 2026.

The Fine Print

Where competitors hide the money

Every line item below is a real charge that doesn't appear in the headline price.

Saleslane

Zero hidden costs.

  • ✓ Flat monthly rate. Period.
  • ✓ No per-email credits
  • ✓ No enrichment surcharges
  • ✓ No CRM add-ons required
  • ✓ No annual lock-in
Total: $49 – $399/mo. Done.
Apollo.io — what you actually pay

The credit trap

  • ✗ Base plan: $49–99/mo
  • ✗ Email credits: 1¢ each (burns fast)
  • ✗ Phone number credits: 8¢ each
  • ✗ Data enrichment: $50–150/mo extra
  • ✗ Dialer add-on: $50–100/mo extra
  • ✗ CRM: Not included
Real total: $200–500+/mo
Instantly.ai — the add-on maze

Email only, everything else costs extra

  • ✗ Base plan: $37–97/mo
  • ✗ Lead database: Sold separately
  • ✗ No LinkedIn outreach built-in
  • ✗ Visitor ID: Separate plan
  • ✗ CRM: Not included
  • ✗ Calling: Not included
Real total: $200–400/mo
Artisan (Ava) — the commitment trap

AI hallucination + annual lock-in

  • ✗ Base: $2,400+/mo (annual only)
  • ✗ Auto-renews annually
  • ✗ AI fabricates prospect details
  • ✗ 50–70% churn reported
  • ✗ Cancellation friction reported by users
Real total: $2,400–7,200/mo + brand risk
11x (Alice) — enterprise price tag

$60K/year. Calling not included.

  • ✗ Base: $5,000–10,000/mo
  • ✗ Annual contract, limited cancel
  • ✗ Calling add-on: $200–500/mo extra
  • ✗ 6–8 week setup requirement
  • ✗ Pricing negotiation required (no transparency)
Real total: $60,000–120,000+/yr
Total Cost Calculator

See your actual savings

Adjust your team size and monthly outreach volume to see what you'd pay across platforms.

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Why teams switch to Saleslane

Honest positioning.

We know exactly how we compare. Here's what we tell teams considering each alternative.

vs. Apollo
"Transparent pricing. No mystery credits."
Apollo's $49 plan runs out fast. Credit burn on emails, phone lookups, and enrichment adds up to $300+ before you notice. Saleslane: one flat number, no surprises.
vs. Instantly
"Multi-channel built-in. One invoice."
Instantly is email-only. Need LinkedIn? Extra. Need leads? Extra. Need visitor tracking? Extra. Saleslane's Growth plan includes all of it — one price, one login.
vs. Artisan
"AI acceleration, not AI replacement. Your brand stays intact."
Artisan's "autonomous AI SDR" fabricates details. Users report generic emails and brand damage. Saleslane requires human approval before every send. No AI goes out without your eyes on it.
vs. 11x
"Enterprise AI at 10% of the price. No contracts."
11x starts at $60K/year and takes 6–8 weeks to set up. Saleslane Scale is $399/mo, live in 15 minutes, cancel anytime. Test us. Don't marry us.
The honest truth
"AI SDRs replace ~40% of SDR work. We're honest about that."
Every competitor promises full autonomy. Reality: AI handles list-building, personalization, and sequencing. Humans handle qualification and closing. Saleslane gives your SDRs 15 hours/week back — without replacing them.
The bottom line
"Live in 15 minutes. No contracts. Cancel anytime."
Upload your ICP, configure your sequence, go live. No 4–8 week onboarding. No annual commitment. No surprise invoices. If it doesn't work, cancel with one click.
Pick your plan

Start today. No contracts.

Every plan includes AI prospecting, email generation, and human-in-loop approval workflow.

Starter
$49/mo
vs. Apollo's real $200–300/mo
Save $150–250/mo switching from Apollo
Get Started
✓ No contract · Cancel anytime
Growth — Most Popular
$149/mo
vs. Instantly's real $200–400/mo
Email + LinkedIn + multi-touch. One invoice.
Get Started
✓ No contract · Cancel anytime
Scale
$399/mo
vs. Artisan's $2,400–7,200/mo
Enterprise AI capabilities. No annual contract.
Get Started
✓ No contract · Cancel anytime

Stop paying for credits you don't understand.

Flat pricing. Transparent costs. Human-approved AI outbound. Your brand, your control.

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