LinkedIn lead generation agencies vs software: a fair comparison

LinkedIn lead generation agencies such as SalesBread, Cleverly, Belkins, Martal Group, Callbox and ScaliQ run LinkedIn prospecting for you, often alongside email. Software such as HeyReach, Expandi, Sales Navigator or GTM Plays lets your own team do it for less. Choose an agency if no one has time; choose software if someone can handle replies.

Each agency here was checked on its own website on 24 Oct 2026. GTM Plays is our product; it is software, not an agency, and it does not book meetings by itself.

How we picked

We started from the agencies most often listed in current "LinkedIn lead generation agency" search results and kept those that:

• offer LinkedIn outreach as a named, core service
• explain on their own site how they work and how they charge
• serve B2B companies

We added four software options covering multi-account sending, sequences, research and signal-led outreach.

Agency or software for LinkedIn?

	Agency	Software
Who writes and sends	The agency, usually from your profile or a team profile	You, or an AI agent from your own profile
Who handles replies	Agency, then hands over	You
Typical cost	Monthly fee, per-meeting fee or quote	Per seat or flat monthly
What you learn	Shared with the agency	Stays with you
Best for	No time and a proven offer	A founder or rep who can reply quickly

Quick comparison

Provider	Type	Pricing as of Oct 2026
SalesBread	Agency	Not published; consultation call
Cleverly	Agency	Not verified on its site
Belkins	Agency	Retainer, quoted
Martal Group	Agency	On request
Callbox	Agency	Custom
ScaliQ	Pay per meeting	$99 to $499 per attended meeting
HeyReach	Software	$79 per sender/mo
Expandi	Software	$99/mo, or $79/mo billed annually
Sales Navigator	Software	Core from US$119.99/mo
GTM Plays	Software	Pro $149/mo, 7-day free trial

LinkedIn lead generation agencies

SalesBread (agency)

Why it is on this list: LinkedIn is its main channel, and it ties its fee to a stated lead target.

What it is: a done-for-you LinkedIn and email lead generation agency. It promises 20+ sales-qualified leads a month using personalised LinkedIn and email outreach "or your money back", on a month-to-month service (salesbread.com).

Pricing (as of Oct 2026, salesbread.com): not published on its home page; discussed on a free consultation call.

Best for: B2B companies that want LinkedIn-first outreach run for them on monthly terms.

Watch out for: read the guarantee terms so you know exactly what counts as a sales-qualified lead.

Cleverly (agency)

Why it is on this list: one of the best-known LinkedIn-first agencies for small businesses.

What it is: a LinkedIn lead generation agency that also offers cold email lead generation, appointment setting and cold calling. It says it has won LinkedIn leads for 10,000+ clients (cleverly.co).

Pricing (as of Oct 2026): we could not load a current price on Cleverly's own pricing page, so check cleverly.co directly.

Best for: small businesses that want LinkedIn outreach run for them at a lower entry point than full SDR teams.

Watch out for: agree volumes, message approval and whose LinkedIn profile is used before you start.

Belkins (agency)

Why it is on this list: LinkedIn is one channel in a broad, managed programme.

What it is: a B2B lead generation and appointment-setting agency. Its site lists omnichannel outreach across cold email, cold and intent calling, voicemail, SMS and WhatsApp, LinkedIn and paid advertising, plus lead research, ABM, deliverability consulting and outsourced SDRs (belkins.io).

Pricing (as of Oct 2026, belkins.io/pricing): monthly retainer packages built around your goals, markets and channels. No figures are published, so you get a quote on a call.

Best for: mid-market and larger B2B teams who want a full outbound programme run for them.

Watch out for: retainers are a monthly commitment, so agree in writing what counts as a qualified appointment before you start.

Martal Group (agency)

Why it is on this list: its sales executives run LinkedIn alongside email and calls.

What it is: a B2B lead generation and sales outsourcing agency that lists 200+ onshore sales executives and 15 years in business. Services include appointment setting, cold email, LinkedIn lead generation, cold calling and inbound lead qualification (martal.ca).

Pricing (as of Oct 2026, martal.ca): on request through a "Request Pricing" form; no figures are published.

Best for: tech and SaaS companies that want experienced reps, with the option of help further down the funnel.

Watch out for: confirm which services are included in the base fee and which cost extra (its site lists trade-show appointment setting as an extra-cost item).

Callbox (agency)

Why it is on this list: LinkedIn alongside phone and email for multi-region campaigns.

What it is: an outsourced B2B lead generation and appointment-setting provider founded in 2004. It runs multi-channel outreach across phone, email, LinkedIn and digital channels, and says it serves clients in 60+ countries (callboxinc.com).

Pricing (as of Oct 2026, callboxinc.com): custom. Callbox says price depends on campaign scope, target market and engagement model.

Best for: companies selling into several regions, including APAC, that want phone-led campaigns.

Watch out for: without a published price, ask for the full cost per campaign and the exact definition of a qualified lead.

ScaliQ (LinkedIn software with a pay-per-meeting service)

Why it is on this list: it bills per attended meeting sourced on LinkedIn.

What it is: a LinkedIn AI outreach agent, sold as software, with a separate done-for-you service billed per qualified meeting (scaliq.ai).

Pricing (as of Oct 2026, scaliq.ai/pay-per-meeting): from $99 per qualified, attended meeting; ScaliQ says most campaigns range from $99 to $499 depending on geography, seniority and qualification criteria. It lists no setup fee, no monthly retainer and no charge for prospect no-shows.

Best for: teams whose buyers are active on LinkedIn and who want to pay per attended meeting.

Watch out for: ScaliQ says it checks whether a campaign qualifies first, so not every market is accepted.

LinkedIn software you run yourself

HeyReach

Why it is on this list: the common choice when an agency or team runs many LinkedIn accounts.

What it is: LinkedIn outreach across many sender accounts, with rotation, a unified inbox, an API, webhooks and an MCP server, according to heyreach.io.

Pricing (as of Oct 2026, heyreach.io/pricing): Growth is $79 a month per sender. Agency is $999 a month for 25 senders, with white label included. Unlimited is $2,999 a month, capped at 300 senders under its fair-use policy. Quarterly and yearly billing are discounted.

Best for: agencies and teams running outreach from many LinkedIn accounts.

Limits: you need a lead source, such as Sales Navigator, Clay or a signal tool.

Expandi

Why it is on this list: multi-step LinkedIn and email sequences from the cloud.

What it is: cloud LinkedIn automation with a behaviour-based sequence builder, email steps, a dedicated country-based IP per account and automatic warm-up, according to expandi.io.

Pricing (as of Oct 2026, expandi.io/pricing): Business is $99 a month, or $79 a month billed annually, with a 7-day free trial. Agency plans for 10+ seats or white label are priced on request.

Best for: growth teams and agencies who want fine control of sequences and white-label options.

Limits: you supply the audience and design the flow.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Why it is on this list: the research layer most LinkedIn prospectors use, from LinkedIn itself.

What it is: LinkedIn's own prospecting product, with advanced search filters, saved lists, and lead and account alerts, according to LinkedIn.

Pricing (as of Oct 2026, LinkedIn's compare-plans page): Core starts at US$119.99 a month or US$1,079.88 a year per license. Advanced starts at US$159.99 a month or US$1,799.88 a year per license. LinkedIn notes these are estimates and may exclude taxes.

Best for: reps who research and message accounts by hand.

Limits: it does not write or send outreach for you, and LinkedIn prohibits scraping it.

GTM Plays

Why it is on this list: it decides who to contact from intent signals, then writes and sends the messages.

What it is: an AI agent for LinkedIn. It finds people showing intent signals, scores each one for fit against your ICP, writes a message for each person and sends it from your own LinkedIn account. Replies come into one inbox, where you take over. It does not book meetings by itself.

Pricing: Pro is $149 a month after a 7-day free trial, and each extra agent is $59 a month. Live Leads, a one-off extraction of a LinkedIn company page's followers or a post's engagers, is paid per lead with credits and is separate from Pro.

Best for: founders and small teams who want signal-led LinkedIn outreach without building workflows.

Integrations and exports: HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM, Attio, folk, Breakcold, Instantly, Smartlead, SmartReach, HeyReach, Slack, Clay and Zapier, plus webhooks, a REST API and an MCP server. CSV export, and credits for email and phone enrichment. Live Leads exports in Clay, Instantly and Smartlead formats.

Limits: it is not a contact database to browse, and it has no built-in email sequencer or dialer; for email it connects to tools such as Instantly, Smartlead and SmartReach.

Questions to ask a LinkedIn agency

1. Will you send from my profile, a team member's or your own?
2. How many connection requests and messages a week, and how do you warm up new accounts?
3. Can I approve messages before they go out?
4. What counts as a lead or a meeting, and how is it reported?
5. What happens to my connections, conversations and data if we stop?

LinkedIn's User Agreement covers automated activity. We make no legal claim either way; read it and decide what you are comfortable with. Relevant messages at sensible volumes are the best protection, whoever sends them. Our guide to LinkedIn cold outreach covers what to say, and the free LinkedIn message generator drafts a first message.

Where GTM Plays fits

GTM Plays gives you much of what a LinkedIn agency does without handing over your account to a third party's team. It finds people showing intent signals, scores fit against your ICP, and writes and sends messages from your own LinkedIn account. Replies arrive in one inbox, where you take over. It does not book meetings by itself. It connects to HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM, Attio, folk, Breakcold, Instantly, Smartlead, SmartReach, HeyReach, Slack, Clay and Zapier, plus webhooks, a REST API and an MCP server.

For more tools, see the best LinkedIn automation tools or our comparison of GTM Plays vs HeyReach. For strategy, read our guide to LinkedIn lead generation, or start a 7-day free trial.