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AI SDR software

AI SDR software that does the whole job, not one piece of it.

Many tools do one part of outbound: a lead list here, a sender there. FirstSales is one AI SDR that finds leads, writes each email, follows up, books meetings and protects your inboxes. Here is how to compare it with anything else you are looking at.

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$1 for 3 days · Cancel anytime · No contract

Contacts list in the FirstSales sample workspace with the check status for each contact
  • 01

    Leads, writing, sending and replies in one app

  • 02

    Approval queue before anything sends

  • 03

    Warm-up and health grade on every inbox

  • 04

    Unlimited mailboxes and team members

Why buying is hard

Every AI SDR demo looks good. The gaps show up after you pay.

AI SDR software is new, and the label covers very different products. Some write emails but don't find leads. Some send but don't protect your domain. Some charge for every mailbox you add. A short demo rarely shows which is which.

One piece, sold as the whole

A tool that only writes emails still leaves you to find leads, check them, send them and handle replies somewhere else.

No say before it sends

Some tools send in your name with no review step. One bad email to the wrong list can cost you a domain and a reputation.

Prices that grow with every inbox

Per-mailbox or per-seat pricing punishes you for spreading your sending safely or adding a teammate.

How to evaluate

From shortlist to a decision you trust.

A short, practical way to test AI SDR software with your own offer and your own buyers.

  1. 01

    Score the shortlist

    Take the eight questions below into every demo. Cross off any tool that can't answer them plainly, or that needs three other tools to cover the job.

  2. 02

    Run a real trial

    Connect a mailbox, describe your ideal customer and read the first drafts. Judge the writing with your own eyes, and check how the tool treats contacts it can't verify.

  3. 03

    Measure conversations

    Count replies from the right people and meetings booked, not opens. Keep the tool that starts real conversations without putting your domain at risk.

Buyer's scorecard

Eight questions to ask any AI SDR software.

Take this list into every demo and trial. The left column is the question. The right column is how FirstSales answers it, so you have something to hold other tools against. A vague answer to any of these is an answer too.

  1. 01Leads

    Where do the leads come from, and are they checked before you send?

    AI search and Google Maps, or your own import. Every contact is checked before it sends and Dirty contacts are skipped.

  2. 02Writing

    Is each email written for one person, or is it a template with a name swapped in?

    Each email is written from the contact's company and role, using your knowledge base, offerings and writing profile.

  3. 03Control

    Can I read and approve emails before they send?

    Yes. Drafts wait in Needs approval. Turn on AI Autopilot only when you trust it.

  4. 04Follow-up

    Does it stop the moment someone replies or opts out?

    Yes. A reply or an opt-out ends the sequence for that person.

  5. 05Meetings

    Can it move an interested reply to a booked call?

    Meeting campaigns offer your booking times from Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar.

  6. 06Deliverability

    Is warm-up included, and how do I see the health of each inbox?

    21-day warm-up in three phases, a health grade per inbox and monitoring every hour, on every plan.

  7. 07Scale

    What does it cost to add mailboxes or teammates?

    Nothing extra. Unlimited mailboxes, warm-up and team members on every plan.

  8. 08Risk

    Can I try it with real work before I commit?

    $1 for 3 days, then from $29/mo. No contract, cancel anytime from your dashboard.

What you get

Everything an AI SDR needs, in one place.

FirstSales puts the full outbound job in one app, so nothing falls into the gap between tools.

  • Lead finding built in

    AI search and Google Maps find people who fit your ideal customer. No separate lead database to buy.

  • Writing that sounds like you

    Each email comes from the contact's company and role, your knowledge base and your writing profile.

  • Approval you control

    Needs approval holds every draft until you approve, edit or reject it. AI Autopilot is there when you want it.

  • Deliverability on every plan

    21-day warm-up, contact checks before every send, SPF, DKIM and DMARC checks and a health grade per inbox.

  • Replies and pipeline together

    Unibox puts every reply in one list, and the built-in CRM keeps contacts, companies and deals next to them.

  • Pricing that doesn't punish growth

    Unlimited mailboxes, warm-up and team members on every plan, from $29/mo.

Five things to checkin any AI SDR software

Here is each one, what good looks like, and how it works in FirstSales. Use the same lens on every tool on your list, and write down the answers so you can compare them later.

  1. Setup

    Connect the mailboxes you already have

    Good AI SDR software works with your real mailboxes, not a shared pool. In FirstSales you connect Google, Microsoft or any SMTP/IMAP mailbox, as many as you need.

    • Google, Microsoft or SMTP/IMAP. Use the mailboxes and domains you own.
    • Unlimited mailboxes. Add inboxes without paying more.
    • Sending rotation. Volume spread across all your mailboxes.
  2. Writing

    See how each email is made

    Ask to see the steps behind an email. In FirstSales a campaign is a workflow you can open: Contact Harvester, Segmentation, Email Scheduler, Email Drafter, Content Approval and Email Sender.

    • Every step visible. Open any step to see and change what it does.
    • Your knowledge base. Product facts and proof the drafter reads from.
    • Template mode. Send your own words with no AI writing, if you prefer.
  3. Replies

    Know where every reply lands

    Replies are the point of outbound. FirstSales brings every reply from every mailbox into Unibox, and stops the sequence for anyone who answered or opted out.

    • One list for every reply. No more checking each mailbox.
    • Stops on reply or opt-out. Nobody gets chased after they answer.
    • CRM next to the inbox. Contacts, companies and deals in the same app.
  4. Meetings

    Check it can book, not just reply

    An AI SDR should move people to a call. Connect Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar and run a meeting campaign: FirstSales offers your booking times, and with AI Autopilot on it answers interested replies.

    • Calendar connected. Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar.
    • Booking times in the email. An easy next step for interested people.
    • Get-reply campaigns too. A short first email with one easy question.
  5. Deliverability

    Ask how it protects your domain

    Sending more email from a cold domain is risky. FirstSales warms up every mailbox for 21 days, checks every contact before it sends and grades each inbox from its bounce rate and warm-up score.

    • 21-day warm-up. Days 1–7, 8–14 and 15–21, built in.
    • Health grade per inbox. From bounce rate and warm-up score.
    • Hourly monitoring. Trouble shows up early, not after the damage.
Three ways to get outbound done

Hire, stitch tools together, or run one AI SDR.

There are three common paths. Each can work for the right team. Here is what each one asks of you in time, money and attention, so you choose with open eyes instead of finding out after the first quarter.

  • Path 1

    Hire an SDR

    A person who prospects, writes and follows up full time.

    Good for

    • Complex sales that need a human from the first touch
    • Teams with a manager to train and coach

    Watch out for

    • Months of hiring and ramp before results
    • Work stops when they are out or leave

  • Path 2

    Stitch tools together

    A lead database, a sender, a warm-up tool, a verifier and a CRM, each paid for and set up on its own.

    Good for

    • Teams with an ops person who enjoys wiring tools
    • Very specific needs one tool can't cover

    Watch out for

    • Several bills and several logins
    • Data copied between tools, and gaps where they don't talk

  • Path 3

    Run one AI SDR

    One app that finds leads, writes, sends, follows up, books and keeps your inboxes healthy.

    Good for

    • Founders and small teams who need pipeline now
    • Agencies running outbound for several clients

    Watch out for

    • You still need a clear offer and ideal customer
    • Approve the first drafts before you hand over more
See it in the app

Judge the software, not the slide deck.

This is the real FirstSales app with sample data. The dashboard shows campaigns, drafts waiting for approval, sends and replies in one view. Ask every vendor to show you the same screen with real numbers, not a mockup.

  • Campaigns at a glance. Each campaign with its goal and progress.
  • Drafts waiting for you. Needs approval, right on the dashboard.
  • Sends and bounces. Delivery for every campaign in plain view.
  • Replies and meetings. The results that matter, not just opens.
Buyer's guide

How to choose AI SDR software

Plain advice for founders, sales leads and agencies comparing tools.

  1. 01

    Start with the job, not the label

    Write down the steps you need done: find leads, check them, write, send, follow up, handle replies, book meetings. Then check which steps each tool really does and which it leaves to you.

  2. 02

    Insist on an approval step

    Software that writes in your name should let you read its work first. Look for a review queue where you can approve, edit or reject, and a clear switch for when you hand over more.

  3. 03

    Read the writing yourself

    Demos use the vendor's best example. In a trial, give the tool your own offer and your own ideal customer, then read ten drafts. If you wouldn't send them, neither should the software.

  4. 04

    Count what you pay to grow

    Check the price of one more mailbox, one more teammate and one more client. Safe sending means spreading volume across mailboxes, so per-mailbox pricing adds up fast.

  5. 05

    Don't skip deliverability

    Ask whether warm-up is included, whether contacts are checked before each send and how you see the health of each inbox. An AI SDR that lands in spam books nothing.

  6. 06

    Keep your data in one place

    Leads, emails, replies and deals spread across tools are hard to act on. A built-in CRM and one inbox for replies save the copying and the gaps.

  7. 07

    Check who you can talk to

    Software breaks in small ways: a mailbox disconnects, a record won't verify, a draft reads wrong. Before you buy, find out whether real people answer support and how fast. FirstSales has real support, and most questions get an answer the same day.

Your AI SDR software

trial checklist

Run these checks in any trial before you decide. They take one sitting, and they tell you more than any sales call.

  • Connect one real mailbox you own
  • Describe your ideal customer in one sentence
  • Find a first list and check how many contacts are skipped
  • Read ten drafts and edit at least one
  • Approve a few and watch them send
  • Reply to one email yourself and confirm the sequence stops
  • Connect your calendar and check the booking times
  • Open the warm-up score and health grade for your mailbox
  • Price one more mailbox and one more teammate
“One of the best email outreach tools I have ever seen in my 9 years of business experience. It has solved the problem of email outreach for my cold emails.”
Santhosh K.Founder and CEO, small business · G2
What people say

From people who use it

Real words from real users. No paid reviews.

“I have always struggled in cold outreach. However, Firstsales has provided an excellent tool for cold outreach.”

Kaushal S.

Founder, small business

G2

“User Interface, Ease of Use, Able to hit the inbox in the first attempt.”

Sadashiv B.

Founder, small business

G2

“One of the biggest pains in cold email is making sure that you have your DNS setup correctly. Firstsales has created a system to make sure you have done this correctly.”

Mike O

Trustpilot review

Trustpilot
Read all reviews
Before and after

Outbound tools, stitched together vs one AI SDR

What changes when the whole job runs in one app.

A stack of tools

Each piece works. The gaps between them don't.

  • Leads exported and importedLists copied from one tool to the next.
  • Warm-up in a separate appOne more bill and one more login.
  • Replies in many inboxesEasy to miss the one that mattered.
  • Deals in yet another toolPipeline updated by hand, if at all.
FirstSales AI SDR

One app, one login, one place to look.

  • Leads found and checked in placeStraight into the campaign.
  • Warm-up built inEvery mailbox, every plan.
  • Every reply in UniboxOne list across all mailboxes.
  • Built-in CRMContacts, companies and deals next to the inbox.
Side by side

FirstSales vs a typical AI SDR tool

What to check on every tool. Where we don't know what another tool does, we say it varies.

AI SDR software features in FirstSales and a typical AI SDR tool
What you getTypical AI SDR toolFirstSales
Lead findingVariesAI search and Google Maps
Contact checksVariesBefore every send
Personal emailsVariesFrom company and role
Approval before sendingVariesNeeds approval queue
Meeting bookingVariesGoogle or Outlook Calendar
Warm-upVaries21 days, included
MailboxesVariesUnlimited on every plan
Team membersVariesUnlimited on every plan
Built-in CRMVariesContacts, companies and deals
PriceVariesFrom $29/mo
Start your $1 trial

Go deeper

Questions,answered plainly.

Can’t find yours? Write to us.

01What is AI SDR software?

AI SDR software does the repeat work of a sales development rep with AI: finding leads, writing first emails, following up and booking meetings. Tools differ a lot in which of these steps they really cover.

02How do I compare AI SDR tools?

List the steps you need done, then ask each vendor the same questions about leads, writing, approval, follow-ups, meetings, deliverability and price. Run a trial with your own offer and read the drafts yourself.

03Is FirstSales an AI SDR or a cold email tool?

Both. FirstSales is an AI SDR that finds leads, writes and follows up, and it is also a full cold email platform with warm-up, contact checks, Unibox and a built-in CRM. If you prefer to write your own emails, Template mode sends them with no AI writing.

04Do I have to let the AI send on its own?

No. Drafts wait in Needs approval until you approve, edit or reject them. AI Autopilot is a choice you make per campaign when you trust the writing.

05Does FirstSales charge per mailbox or per seat?

No. Every plan includes unlimited mailboxes, warm-up and team members. Plans start at $29/mo. See the pricing page for each plan's credits.

06Can agencies use it for several clients?

Yes. Give each client its own workspace, and give each teammate access to all workspaces or only the ones they work on. Billing stays with one organization.

07How can I try it?

Start a trial for $1 for 3 days. Connect a mailbox, build a first list and read the drafts. There is no contract and you can cancel anytime from your dashboard.

08Can I use it with an API or my own tools?

Yes. FirstSales has an API with an OpenAPI 3.1 spec, a CLI and an MCP server, so you can start campaigns, add contacts and read results from your own scripts or AI tools.

Outreach that keeps going after you log off.Leads, emails, follow-ups and replies, handled.

Connect unlimited mailboxes and let AI agents find leads, write each email and follow up. Or send your own templates in manual mode. From $29/mo.

Start your $1 trial See pricing

$1 for 3 days · Cancel anytime · No contract

Install with AI

Your coding agent sets up the FirstSales CLI and skills for you.

Prompt for Claude Code

I'm setting up FirstSales (https://firstsales.io), an AI outbound sales platform: campaigns, contacts, a reply inbox, deliverability and lead signals. Help me get my workspace sending real, good emails end to end, from Claude Code.

Read these first so you know how FirstSales works:
- Developer docs and API: https://developer.firstsales.io
- CLI: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@firstsales.io/cli
- Skills for coding agents: https://github.com/firstsalesio/firstsales-skills (read README.md and GUIDE.md)

Setup
1. Install the CLI: npm install -g @firstsales.io/cli
2. Install the FirstSales skills:
   claude plugin marketplace add firstsalesio/firstsales-skills
   claude plugin install firstsales@firstsales
3. Ask me if I already have a FirstSales account. If not, send me to https://app.firstsales.io to sign up.
4. Ask me to create an API key under Settings → API → API Keys, with only the scopes we need.
   Never ask me to paste the key into this chat. Tell me to run this in my own terminal, so the key stays hidden:
   read -rs FS_KEY && firstsales auth login --api-key "$FS_KEY"; unset FS_KEY
5. Run `firstsales whoami` and tell me which workspace and organisation we are connected to.

Then ask me about my business: what I sell, who I sell to (roles, company size, countries), my best customers, and what I use today for outbound (tools, lists, mailboxes). Walk me through:
1. Teaching FirstSales my business: website, offer, proof points and case studies in the knowledge base, so the AI writes like someone who knows the product.
2. Connecting my sending mailboxes and checking my sending domain: SPF, DKIM, DMARC and warm-up. If anything is unhealthy, tell me the exact DNS record to add.
3. Bringing in contacts: import my CSV or CRM export into a clean list, remove duplicates and bad emails, and block domains I must never email (customers, competitors, my own).
4. Building my first campaign: the right list, senders, steps and timing. Write the sequence with me, show me the drafts, and do not launch until I say yes.
5. Setting up Signals if it fits: find people engaging with LinkedIn posts about topics my buyers care about, and turn them into leads.
6. Inviting my team and giving each person the right access.

Once campaigns run, show me how to work the reply inbox from here: which replies need an answer, draft responses in my voice, and move good conversations into deals. If I use Cal.com, connect it so follow-ups can offer my booking link (not the first email).

Throughout, as you learn about my business, proactively suggest and help create:
- Reply templates for the questions and objections my prospects are likely to raise, based on my product, site and codebase if you can see them.
- Campaign ideas and segments worth testing, with the reason for each.

Safety rules:
- Show every change as a dry run (--dry-run) first and wait for my yes. Never send emails, launch campaigns or delete anything without my yes.
- Tell me before anything that spends credits, and how many.

Be opinionated. If the docs give a sensible default, just use it. Don't make me choose between five options.
Developer docs ↗npm: @firstsales.io/cli ↗GitHub: firstsales-skills ↗