AI SDR Alternatives for Small Businesses (2026): Artisan, 11x and Cheaper Options
AI SDRs like Artisan's Ava and 11x's Alice promise a sales rep that never sleeps, priced for funded sales teams. Here's what small businesses can use instead, and what each option actually does.
Full disclosure: I'm the founder of Selamly, one of the tools below. I'll be clear about where each fits. Prices are from each company's own pricing page in November 2026.
What an "AI SDR" is
An SDR (sales development rep) finds potential customers, writes to them, follows up, and books meetings for the person who closes. An AI SDR tries to do all of that in software: pick prospects, research them, write personal emails, answer replies, and put meetings in your calendar.
The two best-known names are built for funded sales teams:
- Artisan (Ava) bundles a contact database, writing, reply handling, meeting booking and deliverability. Its Team and Scale plans (around 2,500 and 6,000 leads a month) are priced on a call with sales; no prices are listed.
- 11x (Alice) researches, writes and handles replies. Its Growth plan is listed from several thousand dollars a month, billed yearly only, for up to 5 users and 2,000 new contacts a month.
If you're a founder or a small business owner, that's usually more than you want to commit to before you know outbound works for you.
Quick comparison
| Tool | What it is | Price (as listed) | Commitment | Who picks leads | Who writes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artisan (Ava) | AI BDR with built-in data | Not listed (talk to sales) | Sales call | The agent | The agent |
| 11x (Alice) | AI SDR | From several thousand $/mo | Yearly | The agent | The agent |
| Gojiberry | Signal-based AI sales agent, email + LinkedIn | $99/mo (PRO) | Monthly | The agent, from signals | The agent |
| Selamly | Done-for-you outbound agent, email | $99/mo ($49 first month) | Monthly, cancel anytime | The agent, researched per company | The agent |
| Instantly | Sending tool with AI helpers | $47/mo + data from $47/mo | Monthly | You | You, with AI help |
| Clay | Data enrichment and workflows | Free; paid from $185/mo | Monthly | You build it | You build it |
1. Gojiberry: if your buyers are on LinkedIn
Gojiberry finds people showing buying and social signals, filters them against your ideal customer and writes the outreach, over email and LinkedIn. PRO is $99/month with 2 AI agents and up to 1,800 people reached a month. A good fit if you're happy to connect your LinkedIn account.
2. Selamly: an AI SDR priced for a small business
This is the tool I build. It does the SDR job over email, at a small-business price:
- You enter your website. It works out what you sell and who your best customers are.
- It reads each candidate company's website and scores the fit; it never emails companies that don't fit.
- It checks daily for a reason to write now (someone describing the problem you solve, a company hiring for the role you replace, a launch) and writes to those companies first.
- It finds the right person's work address and verifies it, writes a short email and one follow-up, and brings the interested replies back to you, with a suggested answer you approve.
- Sending domains and mailboxes are set up and warmed up for you.
What it doesn't do: phone calls, LinkedIn messages, or booking meetings on its own. You answer the interested people yourself, with a draft ready. We think that's the right split for a small business: the agent does the volume, you have the conversations.
3. Instantly: if you'd rather stay hands-on
If you want to keep control, a sending tool with AI writing help is the cheapest route. Instantly's Growth plan is $47/month for 5,000 emails, and its lead database is a separate plan from $47/month. You pick the leads and check the copy.
4. Clay: if you have someone technical
Clay isn't an SDR, it's a toolbox for building your own prospecting workflow: pull data from many providers, enrich it, add AI research steps, and send. The Free plan is $0 with limited credits; Launch is $185/month billed monthly ($167 yearly). Powerful, but someone has to build and maintain the workflow.
What to check before you buy any AI SDR
- Who picks the companies? An agent that emails everyone in a database is just a faster way to burn your domain. Ask how it decides a company fits.
- What does it say? Ask to see real first emails before you start. If they could go to anyone, they'll be treated like spam.
- Whose domain is at risk? Sending from your main domain is a mistake at any volume. Separate, warmed-up domains should be part of the setup.
- Can you leave? A yearly contract is a big bet before you've seen a single reply. Prefer monthly until it's proven for you.
Which one should you pick?
| If you… | Pick |
|---|---|
| Are a funded sales team that wants a full AI BDR with data | Artisan or 11x |
| Sell to people active on LinkedIn | Gojiberry |
| Are a small business that wants the SDR work done over email, monthly | Selamly |
| Want to stay hands-on and spend the least | Instantly |
| Have someone technical to build your own system | Clay |
See which companies Selamly would write to for you: enter your website and get your 5 best-fit customers free.
See your 5 best-fit customers, free →FAQ
How much does an AI SDR cost?
The well-known ones are priced for sales teams: 11x lists its Growth plan from several thousand dollars a month on a yearly contract, and Artisan prices plans on a sales call. Small-business options like Gojiberry and Selamly start at $99/month, billed monthly.
Can an AI SDR replace a human sales rep?
It can replace most of the prospecting work: finding companies, researching them, writing and following up. The conversation with an interested buyer still goes best with a person, and small businesses usually want to have it themselves.
Is there a cheap Artisan or 11x alternative?
Yes. Gojiberry ($99/month, email and LinkedIn) and Selamly ($99/month, email) both do the research and writing for you, monthly, without a yearly contract.
Will an AI SDR hurt my email deliverability?
It can, if it sends a lot from your main domain to people who don't fit. Look for one that sends from separate warmed-up domains, verifies every address, and only writes to companies it has checked.