CIENCE alternatives in 2026: 9 agencies compared

Who CIENCE is, and the credit it is owed

CIENCE positions itself as B2B lead generation that books qualified sales meetings: a managed team combining AI orchestration on its graph8 platform with human SDRs across phone, email, social and LinkedIn. It is a large horizontal operation, claiming 2,500+ clients served across 250+ industries on its homepage (self-reported).

CIENCE pricing lists $5,000 one-time GTM setup, $2,000 monthly strategic execution and $499 monthly platform access: $7,499 in month one and $2,499 recurring for those core components. Optional SDR capacity is separate; the page also lists $1,000 onboarding per SDR and meeting/commission economics. Confirm which charges apply to your scope. The core total is not an all-in SDR programme price.

Fit-based reasons people look at alternatives

None of these are complaints; with the prices public, the questions are about model and scale.

• Where the risk sits. The strategic team, platform license and SDR compensation are owed whether or not revenue closes; the per-meeting fee is a performance layer on top of fixed costs, not a replacement for them. Our guide to pay-per-appointment vs retainer models maps who carries the risk in each.
• Entry scope. CIENCE pricing lists $5,000 one-time GTM setup, $2,000 monthly strategic execution and $499 monthly platform access: $7,499 in month one and $2,499 recurring for those core components. Optional SDR capacity is separate; the page also lists $1,000 onboarding per SDR and meeting/commission economics. Confirm which charges apply to your scope. The core total is not an all-in SDR programme price.
• The 2025 restructuring. CIENCE and Tenbound became part of graph8 in 2025, per graph8's company page, and the service and pricing model changed with it.

For what agencies charge across every model, see our cold email agency cost guide. For the wider field beyond the CIENCE question, see the best cold email agencies list. For every delivery model, not only cold email, see the published-price comparison of B2B lead generation companies.

The branch this list does not cover: doing it yourself

An honest alternatives page should say this plainly: not every CIENCE evaluator needs another agency. If your team can write, send and - critically - work the replies, the third path is a data platform plus in-house execution: you buy contact data and sequencing software and run the machine yourself. It is the cheapest path on paper and the most expensive one in staff time, and it lives or dies on whether someone actually owns reply handling every day. The full cost comparison between those two worlds is on agency vs in-house SDR, and what the sending machine itself involves is on the cold email infrastructure guide.

The 9 alternatives

The order after ReplyLead is editorial, justified in one line per entry; we assign no star ratings of our own.

The case studies are named and checkable on the case studies page: CEO Coaching International (client since 2024, 90+ positive replies per month), CTAP Inc. and Media Funds (a client since 2011, 75,000 emails per month, 70+ positive replies per month, and Basil Aribi takes reference calls), and TrailerSteps.com (100,000 emails per month, 60+ leads per month). Our working tools run in the browser with no signup, on the tools hub. Best for: teams that want cold email and LinkedIn outbound, with the agency paid mostly when revenue closes. Not the pick for phone-heavy, multi-channel SDR coverage, which is CIENCE's home turf.

2. Belkins

Why second: the closest like-for-like swap for CIENCE in scale and channel breadth.

Belkins' appointment-setting page lists an average starter price from $5,000, with 1,500 leads monthly, three outreach channels and a vendor-stated annual appointment target. Its plan page describes tailored retainer packages, including an ecosystem-partner small-business option. Confirm the billing period, delivery team, qualification, no-show handling and final scope in a written proposal; an advertised starting figure is not a complete quote.

• Published priceStarter from $5,000 (billing period not stated)
• BillingMonthly retainer packages (per its pricing page)
• Watch forThe starter figure states no billing period and is not a complete quote; packages are tailored.

3. SalesHive

Why third: the structural opposite of CIENCE's layered stack, one flat fee and no setup fees.

SalesHive's pricing page describes a flat fee with no setup fee, month-to-month terms and cancellation with written notice. Quotes vary by team model, channel mix and activity volume; both US-based and offshore SDR options are mentioned. Confirm included people, data and tools, notice requirements and the complete fee for your selected plan.

• Published priceNo figure on its pricing page
• BillingOne flat monthly fee
• Watch forNo current figure on the pricing page; ask for it in writing.

4. Sopro

Why fourth: the strongest fit on this list for UK and European buyers.

Sopro is a fully managed, email-led prospecting service that layers in LinkedIn, display ads, phone and even physical mail, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Brighton, UK, with 300+ employees per its about page. Per its published pricing page, engagements start at around $3.8K per month on the pricing page shown to US visitors (around 3K GBP for UK visitors), with bespoke quotes beyond that and explicitly no minimum contract. Its homepage counters claim 3,375 clients and more than 91 million outreach messages (self-reported). Best for: UK and European B2B companies with budgets from roughly 3K GBP per month.

• Published priceStarting at 3K GBP a month (as shown to a non-US connection)
• BillingMonth
• Watch forThe price and currency shown follow the visitor's location; confirm the billing currency.

5. Cleverly

Why fifth: the lowest published entry figure in this comparison ($397 a month for LinkedIn outreach), for a narrower scope.

Cleverly sells LinkedIn, cold email and cold calling services on its current website. Select the channel and service scope before comparing price. Its LinkedIn service page lists LinkedIn outreach from $397 a month (checked 25 September 2026); for other channels, obtain the applicable package, setup, tools, minimums and cancellation terms in a written proposal.

• Published priceLinkedIn from $397 a month
• BillingMonth; cold email month to month, no contracts
• Watch forThe $397 figure is for LinkedIn outreach; get other channels quoted in writing.

6. SalesBread

Why sixth: the boutique counterweight, for teams that find even a small agency machine too much.

SalesBread does done-for-you LinkedIn plus email outreach, and its homepage promise is 20+ sales-qualified leads per month or your money back, roughly one lead per day (self-reported). It runs month to month, requires your own LinkedIn account and a Sales Navigator subscription, and cites a typical 3 to 5 week waitlist (self-reported). It publishes no current rate card on its site. Best for: small B2B teams that want low-volume, ultra-personalized outreach from a boutique with a concrete guarantee attached.

• Published priceNo rate card published
• BillingMonth to month
• Watch forNeeds your own LinkedIn account and a Sales Navigator subscription; the 20+ leads a month or money back promise is its own claim.

7. Martal Group

Why seventh: the senior-rep counterpoint to CIENCE's volume model.

Martal Group sells an outsourced senior sales team for B2B tech: flat-fee tiers where Tiers 2 and 3 add a sales commission, with a 3 to 4 month pilot as the standard on-ramp. It publishes the tier structure but no dollar amounts. Best for: teams that want experienced reps and a defined pilot period rather than a large junior SDR pod. The pilot lengths, the commission tiers and Martal's own stated monthly funnel are set out in our Martal Group alternatives comparison.

• Published priceQuote only
• BillingMonth, after the pilot
• Watch forA 3-month or 4-month pilot comes before the monthly subscription; Tiers 2 and 3 add commission.

8. SalesRoads

Why eighth: the US appointment-setting veteran that puts its starting price in writing.

SalesRoads runs US-based SDR appointment setting and lead qualification on four-week engagement cycles (a July 2026 capture of its pricing page also described continuing on a retainer). Its pricing page lists the floor outright: one dedicated SDR costs $11,950 per four-week cycle and a two-SDR program is listed at $16,750 per cycle (checked 25 September 2026; the entry price was $9,950 in July 2026). Best for: teams replacing CIENCE's calling motion that want the starting price in writing before the first conversation. What a year of SalesRoads costs at each team size, billed in four-week cycles, is worked out on the SalesRoads alternatives page.

• Published price$11,950 per 4 weeks (1 SDR); $16,750 (2 SDRs)
• Billing4 weeks (13 a year)
• Watch forBilled per four weeks, so 13 invoices a year; a 12-week lab is recommended first.

9. Leadium

Why ninth: the multi-channel program for teams that want more than email.

Leadium sells managed outbound as a service: an SDR team running outbound email, cold calling, LinkedIn prospecting, gifting and event outreach under one program. It publishes no rate card; its own intake form asks for a budget in brackets from $2,500 to above $10,000, with no billing period stated. Best for: companies that want one accountable team coordinating several outbound channels.

• Published priceNo rate card; intake form budget brackets from $2,500 to above $10,000 (no period stated)
• BillingConsultative quote
• Watch forThe intake brackets are budgets with no billing period stated, not prices; get the scope and fee in writing.

Which alternative fits your requirements?

Tick what your provider must do. The list narrows to the providers whose own pages say they do it, and the table below highlights them.

What year one costs at each published entry figure

Entry prices are quoted per month, per four weeks, per pod or not at all. Multiplying each by a year puts them on one line. It is not a like-for-like quote: the scopes differ, most figures are starting points, and ReplyLead's figure excludes the revenue share, which is owed only on closed revenue.

Side by side

CIENCE appears as the baseline row; "publishes pricing" means figures on the agency's own site, on the check dates in the sources list.

When this comparison does not apply

A comparison of outbound providers is the wrong starting point in these cases:

• You want CIENCE's software and data stack. CIENCE sells GTM setup and platform access as well as SDR capacity; this page compares the outbound service, not the software.
• You would rather hire SDRs yourself. Put the in-house cost next to these prices first: the agency vs in-house SDR comparison and the BLS-based in-house cost model.
• You need inbound, paid media or SEO. Every provider on this page is compared on outbound work only.
• You buy outside the US. Several providers localize prices; Sopro, for example, showed pounds to a non-US connection on 25 September 2026. Confirm the billing currency.
• You are reading this months from now. Prices and terms change. Re-check each provider's own page before you sign; the check dates are in the sources list.

How this list was built and checked

These providers were selected to illustrate different service scopes and commercial models, not ranked by independently measured performance or buyer popularity. ReplyLead publishes the comparison and appears first. Provider claims are self-reported; dated source entries and the scoped pricing review should be distinguished from a complete current proposal.

How the providers were evaluated: we did not buy or test these services. Every provider price and term comes from the provider's own published pages on the dates in the sources list, and ReplyLead is a competing provider, so read the ordering as editorial fit analysis. ReplyLead runs cold email and LinkedIn outbound.

Compare providers. CIENCE is also compared among B2B lead generation companies and outsourced SDR companies, and in the sales outsourcing guide.

Sources and check dates

Every provider price and term on this page traces to one of these pages; company background (founding year, headcount, client counts) is self-reported on each provider's own site. Figures change; each line shows when it was read.

1. CIENCE pricing page: $7,499 in month one and $2,499 a month for the core components; SDR capacity, onboarding and meeting fees separate. checked 22 and 24 September 2026; $7,499 re-checked 25 September 2026.
2. Belkins appointment-setting page: starter price from $5,000 with no billing period stated; dedicated SDRs; a vendor-stated annual appointment target. checked 9, 22 and 24 September 2026; $5,000 re-checked 25 September 2026.
3. Belkins pricing page: custom SLAs and contract terms, listed among package features. checked 22 and 24 September 2026.
4. SalesHive pricing page: one flat monthly fee for an SDR team; no dollar figures on the page. checked 22 September 2026 from a US connection; re-checked 25 September 2026.
5. Sopro pricing page: starting at 3K GBP a month; no minimum contract. checked 25 September 2026 (the page shows GBP to this connection; a US connection saw around $3.8K a month on 22 September 2026).
6. Cleverly LinkedIn lead generation page: LinkedIn outreach from $397 a month. checked 22 and 24 September 2026; re-checked 25 September 2026.
7. Cleverly cold email page: cold email services month to month, no contracts. checked 25 September 2026.
8. Cleverly outsourced SDR page: a done-for-you outsourced SDR service. checked 25 September 2026.
9. SalesBread homepage and FAQ: 20+ sales qualified leads a month or your money back; month to month; Sales Navigator needed. checked 25 September 2026.
10. Martal Group pricing page: tiers, pilot lengths, fee structure, stated Tier 1A funnel, North American team. checked 23 September 2026.
11. SalesRoads pricing page: team prices for 1 to 6 SDRs, per-rep figures, contract terms, 12-week lab. checked 23 and 25 September 2026.
12. Internet Archive capture of the SalesRoads pricing page: the $9,950 per four weeks entry price. capture dated 28 July 2026.
13. Leadium homepage intake form: budget brackets from $2,500 to above $10,000, no billing period stated. checked 25 September 2026.

ReplyLead's own facts and open data (archived with DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22920956):

1. ReplyLead pricing: infrastructure tiers, revenue share, terms.
2. How ReplyLead works: what ReplyLead runs and books.
3. ReplyLead case studies: cold email and LinkedIn programmes.
4. Open data: published pricing (CSV, CC BY 4.0): provider price rows.
5. Open data: contract terms (CSV): quoted contract terms.
6. Open data: price history 2024-2026 (CSV): archived price changes.