Best AI Sales Agents in 2026
Short answer: Salesforce Agentforce is the AI sales agent to start with in 2026 when the pipeline already lives in Salesforce. Sales Cloud Max is $550 per user a month, billed annually, and that edition includes Agentforce for Sales. Choose HubSpot when the contact sits in HubSpot: Sales Hub starts at $20 per seat a month, and one lead recommendation spends 100 credits. Choose 11x Alice, from $3,750 a month billed annually, when you want an outbound worker instead of a CRM seat. AiSDR is the autonomous plan you can start month to month.
10 tools compared on price, features and fit, with prices checked on vendor pages in September 2026.
Most sales teams should start with Salesforce Agentforce when the opportunity already lives in Salesforce. Sales Cloud Max includes Agentforce for Sales, so the agent is a line in the contract rather than a demo an admin switched on. Core and Advanced mark that same agent as available for purchase, which means a team on those editions still has to buy it, and the cheaper suites leave it out entirely.
This ranking is for software that takes a sales action on a record: a lead recommendation, an outbound touch, a sequence, or a next step on the deal. A prompt box that waits for a rep to paste a name is a writing tool, and the AI sales assistants guide is the list for that job. Price the record the agent is allowed to change, or the cheapest sticker will be the wrong contract.
Toolradar data: of the 17 AI-for-sales tools we track, 1 are free and 5 are freemium (35% with a free or freemium plan), while 11 are paid only (65%). A free listing in that catalog is often a data tool or a dialer, so it does not mean an agent that can update an opportunity.
Methodology: these 10 agents were ranked for a team that needs a sales action executed, against the 17 tools in the AI for sales category. Prices were verified on vendor pages in September 2026. No paid placement.
Reps who still write the email themselves belong in the AI sales tools guide, and outbound sequencing as a category is the SDR tools guide. If the open question is which CRM holds the record, settle HubSpot vs Salesforce before you add an agent on top.
Top Picks
Picked by editorial review, informed by G2 and Capterra review volume and rating and by media mentions, the signals behind our category rankings. How we rate
| Tool | Starting price | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce Agentforce | From $550/user/mo yearly | 3.22,129 reviews | Teams whose opportunities already live in Salesforce. |
| HubSpot | From $20/seat/mo | 3.919,150 reviews | Teams whose contacts already live in HubSpot. |
| 11x | From $3,750/mo yearly | n/a | Teams ready to fund an outbound worker for the year. |
| AiSDR | From $250/mo | 4.6101 reviews | Teams that want an autonomous sender without an annual term. |
| Apollo | From $99/mo | 4.111,273 reviews | Teams that want AI research with a person in the loop. |
| Regie.ai | From $49/mo | 4.4355 reviews | A single seller who wants agents without an annual worker. |
| Clay | From $167/mo | 4.6228 reviews | Teams that need account research before anyone sends. |
| Outreach | No public dollar | 4.33,902 reviews | Teams that already run sequences in Outreach. |
| Artisan | No published price | 3.819 reviews | Teams comparing an autonomous BDR that will not print a price. |
| Gong | Quote, per user | 4.77,281 reviews | Teams that want agents on calls and forecast context. |
Salesforce Agentforce
Top Pick- 4.3 on G2 (1,477 reviews)
- 1.5 on Trustpilot (610 reviews)
- 3.9 on PeerSpot (42 reviews)
Teams whose opportunities already live in Salesforce.
HubSpot
- 4.4 on G2 (13,374 reviews)
- 4.5 on Capterra (4,455 reviews)
- 4.3 on TrustRadius (669 reviews)
- 1.8 on Trustpilot (613 reviews)
- 4.1 on PeerSpot (39 reviews)
Teams whose contacts already live in HubSpot.
HubSpot's pricing is the most complex in SaaS, 7 Hubs, 4 tiers each, per-seat AND per-contact charges, plus mandatory onboarding fees.
Watch out
Marketing contacts vs non-marketing contacts: HubSpot only charges for 'marketing contacts' (those you email, use in ads, or include in workflows). But the distinction is confusing, and accidentally including contacts in a marketing email converts them to paid marketing contacts with no undo
Teams ready to fund an outbound worker for the year.
Teams that want an autonomous sender without an annual term.
AiSDR's pricing is on the expensive side, with the 'Explore' tier starting at $900/month and 'Grow' at $2,500/month.
Teams that want AI research with a person in the loop.
Apollo.io's pricing is quite generous, especially with the 'Free' tier offering 50 credits/month and the 'Professional' tier providing unlimited credits for $99/month.
A single seller who wants agents without an annual worker.
The 'RegieOne' offering, free with an annual contract for the AI Agents + AI Dialer package, adds considerable value by consolidating multiple sales tools.
Teams that need account research before anyone sends.
Clay's pricing starts reasonably with a generous Free tier, but scales up quickly.
Watch out
Credit overages not detailed
Teams that already run sequences in Outreach.
Outreach's pricing structure, while not publicly disclosed with specific dollar amounts, appears to be expensive given its modular, per-user, and usage-based model for different functionalities.
Teams comparing an autonomous BDR that will not print a price.
Teams that want agents on calls and forecast context.
Gong is the dominant revenue intelligence platform, but its pricing is deliberately opaque and expensive.
Watch out
Standard contracts are 2-3 years with annual upfront payment, no monthly billing option exists. Early termination means forfeiting the remaining contract value
What an AI sales agent is
An AI sales agent takes a sales goal, uses account context, and completes a step on a lead, a contact, or an opportunity without a fresh prompt for every step.
The bill follows the record, and vendors do not share a unit. A Salesforce user, a HubSpot credit bundle, an 11x prospect, and an AiSDR contact are different purchases, so the cheapest sticker often prices the wrong job. Apollo and Regie still need a person to approve the send, Clay researches before it can send, and Outreach, Artisan, and Gong withhold the contract dollar.
The system of record decides the shortlist before the sticker does. Salesforce opportunities point to Agentforce, HubSpot contacts point to the prospecting agent, and a net-new book points to Alice or AiSDR. Research points to Clay, sequences point to Outreach, and calls or forecasts point to Gong. Inbound chat is a different agent: Qualified sells Piper on Premier, Enterprise, and Ultimate, and that contract does not print a dollar.
Why the edition matters more than the demo
Twelve months of Sales Cloud Max, at the published per-user rate, is $6,600 before credits, add-ons, or a second user, and that figure is the included-agent edition. Starter Suite and Pro Suite are cheaper Salesforce products, and the Sales Cloud grid does not include Agentforce for Sales on either of them. A team that models the suite it already owns will miss the edition that actually contains the agent.
HubSpot's prospecting agent spends a set credit charge to recommend outreach for one lead, and the included pools run out in a busy month. Credits reset monthly and do not roll over, and they do not stack across products, so a quiet month does not fund the next one. At the published pay-as-you-go rate of $0.010 per credit, that recommendation costs $1 if you buy it as overage, invoiced in blocks of 10 credits.
11x's Growth card says Alice starts at the monthly rate in the table, billed annually. The FAQ on that page prices the same plan at $36,000 a year, while twelve months of the card rate is $45,000, and those totals are not interchangeable. Ask which invoice you will sign before you compare Alice with a CRM seat.
If you already pay for an engagement suite, read the sales engagement guide before you add a second agent. A governed build that is not tied to one CRM is the enterprise AI agents guide.
Key Features to Look For
Which record the agent may change (Essential)
Name the record before you compare stickers, because an agent that cannot touch it will not change the quarter. Max includes the sales agent on the lead and the pipeline, while Core and Advanced still sell it as an add-on. HubSpot enrolls a lead that already has history, which suits that CRM and skips a net-new book. Alice works new prospects into the CRM you already license, so the worker does not replace that license. Solo syncs HubSpot while Salesforce sync waits on Scale, and Claygent writes a field rather than an email.
What the meter counts (Essential)
The meter is the purchase, and a low seat on the wrong unit will outrun the budget. Salesforce sells Flex Credits at $500 per 100,000, counts a standard action as 20 credits, and will not run a conversation meter in the same org. HubSpot draws a credit bundle per recommendation from a pool a few suggestions can empty. 11x charges per new prospect, so extra touches on one person stay on the Growth line. AiSDR charges contacts, Regie charges a monthly pool and skips a blank enrichment, Outreach sells actions with no seat dollar, and Clay splits platform actions from data credits.
Who has to hold a seat (Essential)
A per-user contract bills headcount, and a per-contact contract bills the mailbox instead. Max includes the agent, and the cheaper employee license with limited CRM objects does not. HubSpot Starter has no Sales Seat, so that login cannot run the full agent. Alice caps users until a quote, AiSDR prices contacts and mailboxes rather than reps, and Regie's free plan is one user. Clay includes unlimited seats on Free, Launch, and Growth. Gong's platform fee grows with supported users, so hiring changes the quote.
Where the message actually sends (Essential)
Price the mailbox before the model, or the pilot will research and never send. Alice includes managed mailboxes on every tier, and you still bring your own CRM. Multi-language outreach starts on Pro, not on Growth, and AiSDR's entry tier is a thin mailbox stack whose InMail still needs your own Sales Navigator seat. Regie and Ava send from domains you own, Clay's sequencer starts on Launch rather than the free plan, and Outreach puts multi-channel sequences on Core and Amplify Plus while Essentials leaves that block out.
What stops the spend (Important)
Some meters stop at the cap, and others keep going and bill you later. Unused Salesforce Flex Credits do not roll forward, and usage past the entitlement lands on a later invoice. HubSpot credits expire monthly, and extras are a drip or a capacity pack for the rest of the term. Growth stops at its prospect cap, and the next band is a quote. AiSDR requires an upgrade past the cap, so there is no silent overage. Regie pauses when the pool is empty and does not roll credits. Extra Clay credits on paid plans cost more than the included rate.
Approval, or a worker that sends (Important)
Decide who may send before the demo, because that choice removes tools from the list. Alice sources, writes, replies, and books without a rep starting each touch, which fails a team that must see every name. AiSDR can send alone or wait in a co-pilot mode. Artisan locks tone and the call to action, and it can escalate. Apollo and Regie leave a person on the send. HubSpot recommends outreach, and a super admin can remove access. Salesforce's employee add-on seats people who use agents. Gong sorts the quote by team size, then sells agents on calls.
What to weigh before you sign
Check whether the agent is included, an add-on, or a separate worker, because those shapes do not belong on one spreadsheet line. Sales Cloud Max includes Agentforce for Sales, Core and Advanced say it is available for purchase, Alice is a worker with its own annual line, and Outreach will not show you the seat dollar until a quote.
Separate a free plan from a free agent, or the trial will be mistaken for the product. Regie includes a one-time credit grant, Clay includes Claygent, and Salesforce Foundations is a free start for Agentforce building. None of those is Sales Cloud Max or Alice Growth.
Treat a missing dollar as a sales cycle, not as a cheap plan. Artisan, Gong, Outreach, and Qualified's Piper do not publish the contract total. Budget the quote, and do not rank them against a printed seat as if the missing number were zero.
Evaluation Checklist
Ask for the edition rather than the brand: on Salesforce, confirm Max versus an add-on on Core, and on HubSpot, confirm Starter's credit pool versus a Sales Seat.
Check the send path before you assume the pilot can mail. Alice includes mailboxes, AiSDR InMail does not include Sales Navigator, Clay's free plan does not send email, and Outreach Essentials does not list multi-channel sequences.
Read the exit in the order form before you compare monthly stickers. Alice is annual, AiSDR Explore and Scale are quarterly, Regie Pro cancels at the end of the period, and Gong and Artisan are whatever that form says.
Pricing Overview
CRM edition that includes the agent
Salesforce Sales Cloud Max, when Agentforce for Sales has to be in the contract rather than an add-on.
Hundreds per user
Seat, then credits
HubSpot Sales Hub, when the contact is already there. One recommendation costs more credits than a casual test assumes.
Tens of dollars, then credits
Autonomous outbound
11x Alice on an annual Growth plan, or AiSDR when you want a month-to-month Solo plan before a quarterly contract.
A monthly worker
Rep still approves
Apollo for research and sequences at a printed monthly rate, or Regie when a small credit pool is enough to start.
A self-serve monthly plan
Pricing Comparison
| Agent | Best for | Entry price | Meter | Try before pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Agent on the opportunity | $550/user/mo Max | Included on Max | Foundations is free | |
Lead recommendations | $20/seat/mo Starter | 100 credits per lead | 14 days on Pro, first time | |
11x Alice | Outbound worker | $3,750/mo Growth | 2,000 new prospects | Annual, no free tier |
Month-to-month outbound | $250/mo Solo | 200 contacts on Solo | No free trial | |
Apollo | Rep-approved sequences | $99/mo Professional | Research agent on paid plans | Free plan |
Credits for one seller | $49/mo Pro | 5,000 credits a month | 250 credits, no card | |
Clay | Research before send | $167/mo Launch | Actions plus data credits | Free plan, 14-day trial |
Outreach | Agents in the sequence tool | No public dollar | 10,000 to 100,000 credits | Quote |
Artisan | Autonomous BDR | No published price | Credits by lead volume | Demo |
Gong | Agents on conversations | Quote, per user | Platform fee by team size | Demo |
Verified September 2026 on vendor pages: Salesforce Sales pricing, Agentforce pricing, HubSpot product catalog, Alice pricing, AiSDR pricing, Apollo pricing, Regie pricing, Clay pricing, Outreach pricing, Artisan pricing, Gong pricing.
Mistakes to Avoid
- ×
Treating Sales Cloud Starter as the Agentforce plan leaves the agent unpriced. The included edition is Max, and the $125 employee add-on is a different line.
- ×
Assuming HubSpot's included credits cover a month of prospecting produces a pack purchase. One recommendation spends the credit charge in the table, Starter's pool is the small one, and unused credits expire.
- ×
Multiplying Alice's monthly card by twelve and ignoring the FAQ prices two different years, so the order has to name which total you will sign.
- ×
Buying AiSDR Solo for a Salesforce shop pays for HubSpot sync. Native Salesforce sync is on Scale, at the higher monthly rate.
- ×
Comparing Clay's free Claygent with a sender ranks a research tool as if it were Alice. Email starts on Launch, and CRM sync starts on Growth.
Expert Tips
- →
If the pipeline is already in Salesforce, price Max against an add-on on Core before you book an 11x call, and use HubSpot vs Salesforce when you are still unsure which system holds the record.
- →
If the contacts are already in HubSpot, run the prospecting window on Professional before you buy a worker, and the broader suite list is the CRM for sales teams guide.
- →
If you want a worker and you can sign annually, get 11x to reconcile the Growth card with the FAQ in writing. If you cannot sign annually, start with AiSDR Solo and the AI SDR tools guide.
- →
If the team already lives in sequences or call recordings, quote Outreach or Gong before you add a third system, and the engagement shortlist is the sales engagement guide.
Red Flags to Watch For
- !
A Salesforce demo on Starter Suite or Pro Suite sold as if it included Agentforce for Sales. The grid includes that agent on Max, and marks it available for purchase on Core and Advanced.
- !
HubSpot Professional sold without the required $1,500 onboarding, or Enterprise sold without the required $3,500, because the seat is not the first check.
- !
An 11x proposal that quotes only the FAQ's annual line, or only the monthly card, without saying which one the order uses. The pricing page publishes both, and they are not the same year.
- !
Outreach Essentials purchased for autonomous sending lists agents and the smallest credit pool, and it does not list multi-channel sequences.
- !
The Bottom Line
Pick Salesforce Agentforce when the opportunity is already in Salesforce and you can buy the edition that includes the agent, because the cheaper Sales Cloud suites do not contain it. Pick HubSpot when the contact is already there, and budget credits for every lead recommendation plus onboarding if you leave Starter. Pick 11x Alice when you want an outbound worker and you have reconciled the annual lines on the pricing page, because those lines do not describe the same year.
AiSDR is the month-to-month autonomous plan when an annual worker is more commitment than the pipeline deserves. Apollo and Regie keep a person on the send at a printed monthly rate, Clay researches before the send, and Outreach, Artisan, and Gong withhold the contract dollar until a quote.
How we ranked: 10 agents from the 17 tools in this category, vendor prices checked September 2026, no paid placement. Cite this: Toolradar, "Best AI sales agents 2026", September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best AI sales agent in 2026?
Salesforce Agentforce is the best default in 2026 when the pipeline already lives in Salesforce. Sales Cloud Max is the yearly per-user edition in the table, and it includes Agentforce for Sales, so skip the demo if you cannot buy that edition. Choose HubSpot's prospecting agent when contacts already live in HubSpot and each recommendation spends credits. Choose 11x Alice for an outbound worker on an annual plan, after you match the two annual lines on its pricing page. Reps who still write the email belong in the AI sales tools guide.
How much does an AI sales agent cost in 2026?
Verified September 2026, one Sales Cloud Max user for twelve months is $6,600 before credits, and that is the included-agent edition rather than the cheaper suites. HubSpot Professional starts at $100 per seat a month plus required onboarding, so the seat line is not the first check. 11x's FAQ prices Growth at $36,000 a year, which does not match twelve months of the monthly card. AiSDR Solo is $250 a month, Regie Pro is $49 a month, and Apollo Professional is $99 a month on the pricing page. Artisan, Outreach, and Gong do not publish a contract total.
Is there a free AI sales agent in 2026?
Regie's free plan includes 250 credits one time, for one user, with no card, which shows the workspace and will not carry a month of sending. Clay's free plan includes Claygent, 100 data credits a month, and 500 actions a month, and it does not include email sending. Salesforce Foundations is free and includes agent-building tools, and it is not Sales Cloud Max. HubSpot can waive credits on a first Professional or Enterprise setup, then the agent turns off. AiSDR does not offer a free trial, and Alice has no free tier.
Salesforce Agentforce vs 11x: which should I buy?
Buy Salesforce when the opportunity already lives in Salesforce and you can take Max, the edition that includes Agentforce for Sales. Buy 11x when you want a separate outbound worker. Growth includes 2,000 new prospects a month and managed mailboxes, on an annual term, on top of the CRM you already pay. Agentforce meters actions in Flex Credits at $500 per 100,000, while Alice meters prospects rather than each send. The CRM choice under both is HubSpot vs Salesforce.
How many HubSpot credits does the prospecting agent use?
HubSpot's catalog charges 100 credits when the prospecting agent recommends outreach for one lead. Starter includes 500 credits a month, Professional 3,000, and Enterprise 5,000, and those grants do not roll over or stack. Extra credits are $0.010 each, or $10 for a pack of 1,000, and Professional also requires $1,500 of onboarding. A first-time Professional or Enterprise setup may get 14 days without credit use, then the agent turns off until you re-enable it.
Is Apollo an AI sales agent or a tool for reps?
Apollo is the rep-in-the-loop option for a team that wants the database and the sequence in one seat, not meetings booked with no approval. The pricing page lists Professional at $99 a month, a cheaper Basic plan, and a free plan. Apollo's August 2026 page describes an AI Research Agent and an AI Sequence Builder, and a person still decides who is contacted. That is a different purchase from 11x Alice or from AiSDR.
Do I need a separate agent if I already pay for Outreach or Gong?
Often no, if the job is sequences or call context, because a second system would touch a record you already hold. Outreach sells Research, Deal, Revenue, and Personalization agents inside credit packs, and it does not print the seat price. Gong sells agents on captured conversations, with a per-user license and a platform fee, also without a printed dollar. Add HubSpot, Salesforce, or Alice only when their record is the one you need worked. A wider agent list is the AI agents guide.
Cite this page: Toolradar, "Best AI Sales Agents in 2026", updated September 2026, https://toolradar.com/guides/best-ai-sales-agents