Most sales teams lose hours to admin work—while the fastest startups have AI for sales doing the heavy lifting.
Want to know how they do it (and which tools are actually worth your time)? You’re in the right place.
What is AI Sales Automation?
AI sales automation means using smart software to take over boring, routine parts of selling. Imagine not having to search for new leads, write every follow-up, or update your CRM after each call. These tools do that work.
You get help with lead generation, email outreach, follow-ups, reporting, scheduling, and CRM cleanup. By 2025, experts say 80% of B2B sales will happen on digital channels powered by automation.
Teams using AI for sales save up to five hours each week and usually see up to 20% higher returns on their sales tools.
The best part? When machines handle repetitive stuff, real reps can focus on building trust and closing deals, not filling out forms or sorting lists.
- 61% of top sales teams use automation (Salesforce, 2023).
- AI speeds up lead qualification by 35% (Gartner, 2023).
- Most startups see a 10-20% ROI boost after adding AI sales software.
The 10 Best AI Sales Automation Tools I Use for My Business
You don’t need a big team or coding skills to start with sales automation AI. After testing dozens, here are the ten AI for sales tools that make the biggest difference in real sales work—not just in theory.
Each one is picked for a different job, so you can build a stack that fits your needs.
Lindy: Best for Automated AI Sales Workflows
Lindy acts like a digital sales assistant. You set up custom sales agents to handle outreach, update your CRM, schedule meetings, and even coach you during live calls. The setup is code-free, so it’s easy to get started.
- Handles whole sales flows, not just tasks
- Learns your style over time
- Multi-agent support lets teams automate together
- Takes a bit to learn all features
My favorite trick is creating a “hot lead” workflow—Lindy watches for signals, then pings me and my team in Slack. I haven’t missed a great lead since.
Apollo.io: Best for AI-Powered Lead Generation
Apollo.io is like Google for leads. Its database has over 275 million contacts. You can filter by job, company, tech stack, or buying intent. The built-in AI writes sales emails for you and keeps testing new ones for better results.
- Up-to-date contact info and intent signals
- Chrome integration for LinkedIn
- Strong analytics dashboard
- Some features cost extra
I use Apollo daily to fill my pipeline and launch bulk outreach without juggling spreadsheets.
Reply.io: Best for Automating Cold Outreach
Reply.io makes it simple to run outreach on email, LinkedIn, or text—then handles follow-ups itself. The AI writes tailored messages and figures out when to send, based on how prospects respond. You get a single inbox for every campaign.
- Personalized, multi-channel outreach
- Keeps sending domains healthy
- Compliance support for large teams
- No free plan
A tip: Use their A/B testing—Reply will automatically favor the messages that get the most replies.
Regie.ai: Best for AI-Written Sales Copy
If you hate writing cold emails, Regie.ai is your new best friend. It generates full sequences—emails, LinkedIn messages, even call scripts—tuned to your audience and sales stage. The Chrome extension personalizes messages on the fly.
- Fast, scalable copy for every channel
- Persona-based templates
- Great for enterprise teams
- Pricey for small teams
I’ve built whole outbound campaigns with Regie in minutes.
Momentum.io: Best for Pipeline Insights and Deal Intelligence
Momentum.io pulls sales data from emails, calls, and help desk tickets into your CRM and Slack. It spots when deals are stalling and reminds reps to follow up or flags if a big deal might slip. Training new reps is easier, too.
- Real-time CRM syncing
- Automatic risk and coaching alerts
- Integrates with Salesforce, Slack, and more
- Setup may take time for custom workflows
I save hours each week since my pipeline always stays up to date.
Dialpad Sell: Best for AI Sales Calls & Coaching
Dialpad Sell listens to calls and gives real-time tips to help handle objections. After the call, it writes up the notes, logs them in your CRM, and flags next actions.
- Live coaching and call summaries
- Auto-syncs to CRM
- Strong analytics for coaching
- Advanced features best for larger teams
Scorecards and playbooks make training new reps a breeze.
Instantly.ai: Best for Scaling Cold Email Automation
Instantly.ai is all about sending lots of cold emails without hitting spam traps. It personalizes every message and rotates sender accounts so your campaigns keep landing in real inboxes.
- Unlimited accounts and domain warm-up
- Easy inbox health checks
- Real-time A/B testing
- Higher-tier features cost extra
Open rates and replies are easy to track. Lead scoring helps focus on the best prospects.
Otter.ai: Best for AI-Powered Sales Call Insights and CRM Syncing
Otter.ai takes notes on your calls, tags key moments like price or objections, and pushes everything to your CRM automatically. It even drafts follow-up emails for you.
- Real-time call tagging
- Works with Zoom, Meet, Salesforce
- GDPR compliant
- Advanced features on higher plans
If you run lots of demos or discovery calls, Otter saves hours on admin.
Braze: Best for AI-Driven Customer Engagement at Scale
Braze helps you send the right message (email, SMS, push) to every customer at the best time. The AI figures out timing and copy based on what users do.
- Personalization across every channel
- Predictive analytics
- Good for big user bases
- Best-suited for B2C; no public pricing
The Canvas visual builder lets you map out journeys and test changes without code.
Trellus: Best for AI Agents Running Backend Sales Ops
Trellus is for teams that live on the phone. Its AI agents dial leads, coach reps mid-call, and log everything into your CRM. You can run up to five calls at once with parallel dialing.
- Supercharges outbound calling
- No-hands CRM updates
- Browser extension is simple to use
- Email and bots are limited
Trellus pops up research on who you’re calling, so you’re never unprepared.
Top Features & Pricing of 10 Best AI Sales Tools
| Tool | Best For | Key Feature | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lindy | Full workflow automation | AI agents + CRM | $0/mo (free plan) |
| Apollo.io | Lead generation | 275M+ contacts | $49/mo |
| Reply.io | Cold outreach | AI sequences | $89/mo |
| Regie.ai | Sales copy | Persona templates | $35,000/yr |
| Momentum.io | Pipeline insights | Real-time sync | $69/mo |
| Dialpad Sell | Sales calls/coaching | Live suggestions | $39/mo |
| Instantly.ai | Cold email scale | Inbox rotation | $30/mo |
| Otter.ai | Call insights | CRM sync | $8.33/mo |
| Braze | Customer engagement | Omnichannel AI | Contact sales |
| Trellus | Backend ops/calling | Parallel dialer | $59.99/mo |
How I Use AI for Sales Automation
Let’s walk through a real setup. I start with Apollo.io to build lead lists. Regie.ai creates the email and LinkedIn copy. Reply.io sends messages, adapts them, and handles replies. For calls, Otter.ai transcribes and logs notes. Lindy’s agents tie it all together, making sure every step is synced in my CRM.
Dashboards show me which leads are hot, which deals are stuck, and what to do next. I get alerts when deals stall and reminders for follow-ups—so nothing sits idle.
I can scale outreach without adding more reps, because AI covers the boring stuff.
Lots of startups do something similar: stack Apollo for leads, Regie for copy, Reply or Instantly for sending, and Otter for calls. The trick is connecting these tools so data flows between them. You can use built-in integrations or hook them up with Zapier.
What’s the Best AI Sales Automation Platform for Startups?
If you’re just getting started, focus on tools that are easy, fast, and don’t need coding. Lindy is a top pick, since you can automate prospecting, outreach, meeting setup, CRM updates—without writing a line of code.
Apollo.io and Instantly.ai are great, too, for affordable, plug-and-play lead generation and cold outreach. Most startups start with one core tool, then layer on others as their workflow matures.
Tip: Avoid adding too many tools at once. Build your stack step by step and connect each piece as you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AI sales automation?
It’s software that takes over repetitive sales work—like lead scoring, outreach, and CRM updates—so you can focus on real selling.
Which AI sales tool has the best lead database?
Apollo.io, thanks to over 270 million contacts plus smart intent filters.
Is AI sales automation useful for small teams?
Yes, automation tools save time, speed up ramp-up, and let small teams do more with less.
Can I use multiple AI sales tools together?
Absolutely. Most tools sync with CRMs or Zapier, so your workflow stays connected.
Can AI-generated emails hurt deliverability?
Not if you warm up domains and use tools like Instantly.ai that rotate accounts.
What’s the biggest risk with AI sales tools?
Messy data and bad integrations. Start with one tool, check your syncs, and add more when you’re ready.
Best AI sales tool for startups?
Lindy for full-cycle automation, Apollo for leads, Instantly for outreach.