Scaling outbound sales is a must, but budgets often aren’t limitless. That’s why finding the most cost-efficient tools that still pack real value is key to smart growth. We’ve done the digging to present a full lineup of 2025’s cheapest outbound sales tools, split into LinkedIn automation, sales data, and cold email automation categories. You'll see all the competitors, their pricing, and which one wins the crown for affordability.

LinkedIn Automation Tools

LinkedIn automation tools are the frontline for scaling connection-building without costly manual effort. Here’s the lineup sorted starting from the cheapest:

• PhantomBuster — Starting at $56/month. Offers multi-channel automation including LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. A strong choice if you need versatility beyond just LinkedIn and have the technical know-how to set workflows.

• HeyReach — $79/month per seat. Delivers unlimited messages, multi-campaign support across multiple LinkedIn accounts, and is great for agencies scaling outreach efforts.

• Expandi — $99/month per seat. Known for ease of use and hybrid LinkedIn + email sequences, plus message personalization features that boost engagement.

Cheapest LinkedIn tool: PhantomBuster at $56/month.

Sales Data and Lead Intelligence

High-quality data fuels effective outbound campaigns. These tools bring lead intelligence at competitive price points:

• Apollo — From $49/user/month, with a free plan option. Combines rich company and contact data with outreach automation and email AI writing capabilities. It serves as an all-in-one tool for many sales teams.

• Clay — Pricing from approximately $60/month (exact plan varies). Focuses on data enrichment and contact intelligence, adding CRM power and lead scoring to boost targeting.

• People Data Labs — Around $98/month. API-driven data provision for companies building custom solutions or integrations, with high accuracy but no outreach features.

• Cognism — Pricing typically starts above $100/month, positioned as premium global sales intelligence with compliance and accuracy benefits.

Cheapest sales data tool: Apollo at $49/month.

Cold Email Automation

Cold email drives pipelines at scale. Here’s how emails get automated on a budget:

• Instantly — Starting around $37/month for low-volume plans. Focuses on AI-powered deliverability improvements and supports multiple sending accounts for agencies.

• Smartlead — From $49/month. Offers cold email automation with campaign analytics and team collaboration capabilities.

• Reply.io — Begins at $70/month per user. A robust multichannel platform supporting sequences across email, phone, LinkedIn, and SMS, suited for scaling mid-market teams.

• Lemlist — Around $89/month. Popular for highly personalized email campaigns and strong deliverability with a brand-centric approach.

Cheapest cold email tool: Instantly at $37/month.

Overall Cheapest Tools Per Category (Ranked)

Closing Thoughts

No matter the size of your sales team or the scale of your outbound motion, these tools balance affordability with powerful features in 2025’s competitive landscape. From the ultra-budget-friendly cold emails with Instantly, growing pipelines with Apollo’s data + email combo, to LinkedIn automation through PhantomBuster's multi-channel reach — each category has a clear winner for cost-conscious sales teams.

Need help choosing the right tool or getting the most out of your outbound stack? Reach out to us — our team can help you maximize every platform’s potential and build a setup that actually drives results.