Best 11x.ai Alternatives & Competitors [2026]: AI SDR Tools That Won't Break the Bank
11x.ai made waves with Alice, their AI SDR agent that automates outbound prospecting. But at $5,000โ$10,000+ per month with annual commitments, and with no transparent pricing page, many teams are looking for alternatives that deliver AI-powered SDR capabilities without the premium price tag.
Here's what you need to know about the best 11x.ai alternatives in 2026 โ and which one actually fits your team.
Why Teams Switch from 11x.aiโ
The common reasons sales leaders start looking elsewhere:
- Price: $60Kโ$120K/year is a big bet, especially when you're essentially paying for an AI agent with limited customization
- No pricing transparency: You can't see costs until you sit through a sales call
- Outbound-only: Alice handles email outreach but doesn't cover inbound, website visitors, or phone calls
- Limited control: Some teams report the AI's personalization feels generic and difficult to fine-tune
- No built-in dialer: Email only โ if your ICP responds better to calls, you need another tool entirely
- Annual contracts: No flexibility to scale up or down monthly
1. MarketBetter โ Best All-in-One SDR Platform (Outbound + Inbound)โ
Starting at: Transparent pricing on website | Book a demo
Why it's the top alternative: While 11x focuses narrowly on AI-written outbound emails, MarketBetter covers the entire SDR workflow โ from identifying website visitors to making calls to engaging inbound leads via AI chatbot.
Key advantages over 11x.ai:
- Daily SDR Playbook โ prioritized task list tells reps exactly who to contact, how, and when
- Website visitor identification โ know which companies are on your site right now (11x doesn't do this)
- Smart Dialer โ AI-scripted calls directly from the platform (11x is email-only)
- AI Chatbot (FloBot) โ captures inbound leads 24/7 while your team sleeps
- Transparent pricing โ see what you'll pay before talking to sales
- Human + AI hybrid โ augments your SDRs instead of replacing them
- 4.97 G2 rating โ top marks for support and ROI
The key difference: 11x tries to replace your SDR with an AI agent. MarketBetter makes your existing SDRs 3x more effective by telling them exactly what to do next. That's a fundamentally different approach โ and one that actually works for most B2B teams.
Best for: B2B sales teams (50โ500 employees) who want the full SDR toolkit, not just automated emails.
2. Artisan (Ava) โ Closest Direct Competitorโ
Starting at: Custom pricing (estimated $2,000โ$5,000/month)
Artisan's AI BDR "Ava" is the closest competitor to 11x's Alice. Similar concept โ an AI agent that handles outbound email prospecting end-to-end.
Pros: More customizable than 11x (tone, targeting rules), includes a prospect database, growing feature set Cons: Also opaque pricing, email-focused only, mixed reviews on personalization quality, limited integrations
vs. 11x.ai: Artisan generally offers more customization and slightly lower pricing than 11x. Both are email-only AI agents with similar limitations.
3. Apollo.io โ Best Budget Option with AI Featuresโ
Starting at: Free plan available, paid from $49/user/month
Apollo isn't a dedicated AI SDR agent like 11x โ it's a sales intelligence platform with built-in email sequencing and AI-powered personalization. Much more affordable and transparent.
Pros: Huge contact database, AI email writing, sequences, affordable, free tier Cons: Not a true "AI agent" โ requires more manual setup, data accuracy varies, basic intent data
vs. 11x.ai: Apollo costs 90% less and gives you the building blocks to run AI-assisted outbound. You'll do more manual work, but you'll also have more control.
4. AiSDR โ Budget AI Agent Alternativeโ
Starting at: ~$750/month
AiSDR offers an AI SDR agent similar to 11x at a fraction of the price. It handles personalized outbound emails using LinkedIn and intent data for targeting.
Pros: Much cheaper than 11x, handles email personalization, intent-based targeting, responsive support Cons: Smaller company, less proven at scale, email-only, limited integrations
vs. 11x.ai: If you want the "AI agent" approach at a startup-friendly price, AiSDR delivers similar capabilities for 85% less.
5. Salesloft / Outreach โ Best for Enterprise Email Sequencesโ
Starting at: ~$125/user/month
These established sales engagement platforms aren't AI SDR agents, but they offer robust email sequencing with AI-powered personalization, multi-channel workflows, and proven integrations.
Pros: Proven at scale, multi-channel (email + calls + social), strong analytics, enterprise-grade Cons: More manual than 11x, requires human SDRs to operate, expensive per-seat pricing
vs. 11x.ai: If you have SDRs and want to make them more efficient (rather than replace them), Salesloft/Outreach are battle-tested. Less "autonomous AI," more "AI-assisted workflow."
6. Instantly โ Best for High-Volume Cold Emailโ
Starting at: $30/month
Instantly focuses on cold email infrastructure โ unlimited email accounts, warmup, deliverability, and AI-powered personalization. It's the tool for teams that want to run high-volume outbound themselves.
Pros: Extremely affordable, unlimited accounts, great deliverability tools, AI writing Cons: Email only, no phone, no visitor ID, no intent data, requires you to source your own leads
vs. 11x.ai: Instantly gives you the email infrastructure at 1% of 11x's cost, but you bring your own leads and strategy. It's a tool, not an agent.
Quick Comparison: 11x.ai Alternativesโ
| Feature | 11x.ai | MarketBetter | Artisan | Apollo | AiSDR | Salesloft | Instantly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $5K-10K/mo | Transparent | $2K-5K/mo | Free/$49/mo | ~$750/mo | ~$125/user | $30/mo |
| AI SDR Agent | โ | โ Playbook | โ | โ ๏ธ Assist | โ | โ ๏ธ Assist | โ |
| Email Outbound | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Phone/Dialer | โ | โ Smart Dialer | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Website Visitor ID | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| AI Chatbot | โ | โ FloBot | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Contact Database | โ ๏ธ Limited | โ | โ | โ Large | โ ๏ธ | โ | โ |
| Transparent Pricing | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
The Real Question: Replace Your SDR or Empower Them?โ
11x.ai's pitch is compelling: "Fire your SDRs, hire an AI agent." But here's what most teams discover:
- AI emails alone don't close deals โ someone still needs to take the call, handle objections, and build relationships
- Outbound email is getting harder โ deliverability is tightening, and generic AI emails land in spam
- The best SDR teams combine AI + human โ let AI handle research, prioritization, and initial outreach, while humans handle conversations
That's exactly what MarketBetter is built for. Instead of replacing your team, it makes every SDR operate like a top performer โ with a daily playbook, smart dialer, AI chatbot, and visitor intelligence all in one platform.
The Bottom Lineโ
11x.ai pioneered the AI SDR agent category, but the market has caught up โ and in many cases, passed it. Whether you want a cheaper AI agent (AiSDR), a more customizable one (Artisan), or a complete SDR platform that does more than just send emails (MarketBetter), there are better options at every price point.
Want to see what an all-in-one SDR platform looks like? Book a demo with MarketBetter โ
