
TL;DR - What are the best AI sales agents?
AI sales agents are intelligent systems that automate your sales conversations, qualify your leads and support you throughout your sales cycle.
The best types of AI sales agents include omnichannel messaging agents, outbound automation agents and prospecting intelligence agents.
For best results, use respond.io to get a full-cycle, omnichannel AI sales agent that can handle conversations from your first moment of contact up through to conversion.
The best AI sales agents can be hard to find, with every tool out there being hyped up as a revolutionary tool. The thing is that most of these tools promise you the world only to fall apart the very second you start using them. But you don’t want that. You want consistency and most importantly, tools that deliver.
In this guide, you’ll learn about the AI sales agents that actually work in practice.
What is an AI sales agent?
An AI sales agent is software that uses natural language processing and automation to handle parts of the sales process for you. The tools involved can carry on conversations, answer questions (accurately) and collect information in real time.
The best way to think about AI agents for sales is to consider them your digital assistants. They never get tired and they never miss a message.
So your team can move faster and keep the quality of your work high.
How AI sales agents work
AI sales agents rely on large language models (LLMs), which interpret messages, understand intent and produce natural responses. They connect with your CRM and messaging platforms in order to pull data, update records and guide your buyers based on your content.
Some of them will even operate across channels like WhatsApp and Instagram. Others will focus on outbound outreach or researching leads. Most of these tools are plug-and-play. You can start using them without having to get help from a developer.
AI or scripted chatbot?
So… what’s the difference between this and a chatbot? The biggest difference is that a chatbot is typically used in if-this-then-that scenarios. Any question from a customer has to be one that’s plugged into the system already.
If a customer asks a question outside of the expected parameters, the chatbot breaks.
AI sales agents, in contrast, will respond based on the intention of the question. They can handle messy human language and respond to new situations with accuracy. With the sales agent, you’ll get smoother conversations and way fewer dead ends.
The tasks an AI agent can perform
Here’s what your AI sales agent can do, in general:
Qualify leads
Ask screening questions
Capture missing details
Route conversations to the right team
Send follow-ups
Continue workflows based on timing or triggers
Update CRM records
Detect sentiment
Escalate high-intent buyers
Some of these agents can even write personalized messages or get some early-stage research on your prospects.
Types of AI sales agents
AI sales agents fit into different categories, based on which part of the sales process they automate. The main categories include:
AI-powered omnichannel sales agents
These agents handle conversations across channels like WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, VoIP and web chat. They’ll qualify leads, route conversations, follow up and hand off prospects across the sales cycle.
These are essentially the unified layer that connects your messaging apps, teams and systems. This makes the omnichannel sales agent ideal for businesses that work in real-time conversations.
AI SDR & outbound automation agents
These tools focus on top-of-funnel tasks like outreach, cold messaging, sequencing and follow-ups. They automate SDR-level workflows so your reps will spend less time prospecting and more time closing deals.
You’ll often see these agents working with leaner teams that want predictable pipelines without having to hire more SDRs.
AI prospecting intelligence agents
These tools support your lead research, enrichment, personalization and identifying your high-intent buyers. They’ll help your sales team target prospects more accurately, using better data.
These agents are especially useful for B2B teams that want to scale personalization without having to spend hours researching every prospect.
Turn customer conversations into business growth with respond.io. ✨
Manage calls, chats and emails in one place!
Key factors to consider when choosing an AI sales agent

Now, how do you figure out how to silence the noise and find the right AI sales agent for you?
Start with your workflow.
If you’re having conversations virtually everywhere, you’ll need an omnichannel agent.
If you’re working primarily on top-of-funnel outreach, you probably want an AI SDR tool.
Next, you’ll want to consider how sophisticated the AI tool is and whether you need a high level of sophistication (because it might cost more).
You must go into this search with the long term in mind as well. Will this tool scale with your company? Is it going to be reliable months down the road? And does the AI sales agent cover the entire lifecycle?
Also, always look for ease of use. You and your team are not going to adopt a tool you can’t even figure out how to work with.
The best tools will allow the most non-techie teams to build automations without needing to write code.
So make sure you ask what kinds of guardrails your tool will have and at what point the sales agent hands off to your human team.
Finally, check out how well the tool integrates with your CRM, messaging platforms and data sources.
A good AI agent is only as strong as the information it has access to.
The top 10 AI sales agents on the market today, by category
Tool | Category | Best For | Key Strengths | Limitations | Mid-tier Price |
Respond.io | AI-powered omnichannel sales agents | Teams needing full-cycle messaging automation across WhatsApp, IG, Messenger, SMS, calls, and emails | True omnichannel inbox, AI qualification/routing, deep CRM/workflow integrations, human handoff | More robust than needed for very small teams | $199/mo |
Kommo | AI-powered omnichannel sales agents | Small–mid teams wanting CRM + messaging in one place | Built-in CRM, easy automations, strong WhatsApp focus | Fewer advanced AI features; limited enterprise customization | $25/user/mo with a 6-month minimum subscription period |
Wati | AI-powered omnichannel sales agents | WhatsApp-heavy inbound/outbound workflows | WhatsApp-first automations, templates, broadcasts | Only supports WhatsApp, Instagram and FB | $99/mo + WhatsApp API fees |
SleekFlow | AI-powered omnichannel sales agents | Retail, DTC and eCommerce teams wanting chat + payments | Payment links, checkout flows, strong IG features | AI is lighter than respond.io; more commerce-specific | $399/mo |
Ava by Artisan | AI SDR & outbound automation agents | Teams wanting a fully autonomous SDR that sequences + books meetings | Human-like outreach, automated sequencing and booking meetings | Best for clean ICPs; not ideal for complex enterprise deals | Custom pricing only. Users must contact sales. |
SalesCloser.ai | AI SDR & outbound automation agents | Teams needing follow-up consistency + scheduling automation | Excellent follow-up automation, CRM integrations | Not a full SDR replacement; basic personalization | Custom pricing only. Users must contact sales. |
Lindy | AI SDR & outbound automation agents | Teams needing help writing emails, messages and repetitive tasks | Versatile, natural writing and wide integrations | Not specialized in sales; depends on prompt clarity | $199/mo |
Clay | AI prospecting intelligence agents | Teams needing hyper-personalized outreach + enrichment | Deep data enrichment, advanced personalization and custom automations | Steeper learning curve; requires API keys | $349/mo |
Regie.ai | AI prospecting intelligence agents | Teams wanting AI-built outbound sequences and tested messaging | Great AI copy, sequence building, A/B testing | Less flexible than Clay; outbound-only focus | AI agents start at $35k per year. |
Cognism | AI prospecting intelligence agents | B2B revenue teams needing compliant, verified contact data | High-accuracy data, strong compliance and intent signals | More expensive; best for larger teams | Custom pricing |
Category 1: AI-powered omnichannel sales agents
1. Respond.io (best overall)
Respond.io is an AI-powered omnichannel messaging platform designed to manage customer conversations across multiple channels. It also automates lead qualification, routing and the follow-up process.

Best for
Scaling B2C teams looking for a full-cycle AI sales agent that can handle messaging on every channel, including support emails and calls.
Customer sentiment
Customers praise respond.io for the reliability, real-time omnichannel routing and powerful automation builder. Users love how easy it is to unify WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and SMS conversations in one place.
G2 rating: 4.8/5 (401 ratings)
Capterra rating: 4.7/5 (46 ratings)
Pros
True omnichannel management, with messaging, emails, and calls with a single inbox
AI agent that qualifies, routes and follows up
Deep CRM and workflow integrations
Human handoff and team collaboration are built in
Robust reporting and analytics that give sales leaders high-quality visibility
Rock-solid stability across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, SMS and more
Cons
More robust than you might need for a very small team
Pricing
Paid plans start around $99 per month, with mid-tier pricing at $199/mo.
2. Kommo
Kommo, formerly known as amoCRM, helps automate sales conversations. It’s designed to help both small and mid-sized teams manage customer interactions across multiple channels while maintaining a strong CRM focus.

Best for
Small to mid-sized teams that want a CRM built around instant messaging channels.
Customer sentiment & platform rating
Users like how simple the interface is and the WhatsApp-centric workflow. Many also appreciate that the CRM tools and automations live in one place.
G2 rating: 3.8/5 (35 ratings)
Capterra rating: 4.3/5(165 ratings)
Pros
CRM plus messaging under one roof
Easy-to-use automations
Strong WhatsApp support
Cons
You’ll get fewer advanced AI capabilities
There’s limited customization for larger teams
Outdated UI
Pricing
Their starting plans start at $15 per month under the 6 month minimum plan. Their mid-tier plans start around $25 per user per month.
3. Wati
Wati is a messaging platform that focuses specifically on Meta messaging automation. It helps teams manage sales workflows, automate templates and handle inbound/outbound messages on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.

Best for
Users relying heavily on WhatsApp for inbound and outbound sales.
Customer sentiment
Customers love how reliable the WhatsApp automation is, as well as the options for templates. Teams love the broadcast tools and how easy the platform is to set up.
G2 rating: 4.6/5 (425 ratings)
Capterra rating: 4.6/5(185 ratings)
Pros
WhatsApp-first platform
Easy broadcast and notification workflows
Affordable pricing for growing teams
Cons
Not a full omnichannel solution
AI capabilities are improving, but as of now, they’re still pretty basic
Markup on WhatsApp API fees
Pricing
Wati starts around $49 per month, plus the WhatsApp API fees you’ll pay. Their mid-tier plans start at $99 per month.
4. Sleekflow
SleekFlow tailors its messaging platform for eCommerce businesses that need to manage customer chats and payment workflows. It integrates with popular messaging channels and provides payment links and checkout features directly within the chat space.

Best for
Sleekflow is ideal for teams that want commerce-focused messaging with payment workflows built right in.
Customer sentiment
Users love the payment links, checkout options and strong Instagram features.
G2 rating: 4.6/5 (193 ratings)
Capterra rating: 4.5/5(4 ratings)
Pros
Payment and checkout tools are built right into the chat
Supports most instant messaging channels
You get good omnichannel support
You’ll have a nice interface for commerce teams
Cons
AI tools are lighter than respond.io
The platform lags and has frequent downtime
Pricing
Sleekflow has a free plan, and the mid-tier plan is $399 per month.
Category 2: AI SDR & outbound automation tools
5. Ava by Artisan
Ava by Artisan is an AI sales development representative (SDR) that runs outreach sequences and qualifies leads autonomously. It also books meetings as yet another way of replacing the manual tasks of SDRs.

Best for
B2B teams that want a fully autonomous SDR that can run outreach sequences on its own.
Customer sentiment
Users say that Ava feels more human than most SDR bots. They like the hands-off sequencing and the fact that Ava can automatically generate a meeting.
G2 rating: 3.7/5 (15 ratings)
Capterra rating: not publicly available
Pros
Ava is considered one of the most advanced AI SDRs
Autonomously runs outreach on email and LinkedIn
Books meetings and nurtures leads
Cons
Ava works best in clean ICP environments
It’s not ideal for complex, multi-stakeholder deals
Pricing
Ava offers custom pricing only. Users must contact sales.
6. Sales Closer AI
SalesCloser AI is an agent that is designed to automate repetitive tasks like follow-ups. It integrates easily with CRMs.

Best for
SalesCloser.ai is best for teams that want to handle repetitive follow-ups and get regular meeting confirmations.
Customer sentiment
Users love how this platform frees up reps, so they’re not chasing replies and scheduling details.
G2 rating: 4/5 (2 ratings)
Capterra rating: not publicly available
Pros
Great for follow-up automation
Fast “instant lead response” workflows where you can call new inbound leads quickly, then booking a meeting if qualified
Integrates easily with CRMs via Zapier, like Salesforce and HubSpot
Cons
Not a full SDR replacement
Personalization is quite basic when compared to competitors
Pricing
SalesCloser.ai offers custom pricing only. Users must contact sales.
7. Lindy
Lindy is an AI agent designed to handle inbound lead qualification and follow-ups through natural, conversational interactions, integrating with your CRM to route and schedule qualified prospects automatically.

Best for
Lindy is great for teams that want an AI assistant to write emails, generate messages and automate repetitive tasks.
Customer sentiment
Users like the natural writing style and broad range of automations.
G2 rating: 4.9/5 (170 ratings)
Capterra rating: 3.5/5 (2 ratings)
Pros
Versatile assistant because it can handle voice, email, and workflow automation across sales, support, and internal tasks while integrating with your existing tools and CRM.
Good for writing and operations because Lindy can draft and personalize emails, summaries, and follow-ups while also automating operational workflows like lead routing, scheduling, CRM updates, and internal task coordination.
Connects to many systems CRM (i.e., Salesforce), email, Notion and over 4,000 other direct integrations
Cons
Not specialized in sales
Needs clear prompts and instructions
Pricing
Lindy has a free tier and then their mid-tier pricing is $199/month.
Category 3: AI prospecting intelligence tools
8. Clay
Clay is a data-enrichment and workflow automation platform that pulls from hundreds of data sources to help teams build highly targeted lists, personalize outreach at scale, and trigger actions across their sales and go-to-market stack.

Best for
B2B teams that need hyper-personalized outreach at scale.
Customer sentiment
Customers love Clay for its deep enrichment and personalization capabilities. They rave about the automations.
G2 rating: 4.8/5 (178 ratings)
Capterra rating: not publicly available
Pros
Powerful data enrichment from real-time firmographic, technographic, intent and contact data from hundreds of sources
Custom automations for lead sourcing, enrichment, scoring and routing workflows to keep go-to-market data fresh and actionable.
Great for highly personalized outreach at scale by enriching prospects with real-time context and generating tailored messaging.
Cons
This system can feel complex for beginners
It requires API keys for some data sources
Pricing
Clay offers a free tier and then plans begin at $149 per month. Mid-tier pricing is $349 per month.
9. Regie.ai
Regie.ai is an AI-powered sales content and orchestration platform that helps teams generate, test, and optimize outbound messaging across email and sales sequences.

Best for
B2B teams that want AI to generate sales copy and build outbound sequences.
Customer sentiment
Users appreciate the quality of the emails and the built-in testing tools.
G2 rating: 4.4/5 (337 ratings)
Capterra rating: 4/5 (13 ratings)
Pros
AI-powered message generation
Great for full sequence creation
Easy A/B testing for messaging
Cons
Less flexible than Clay
Limited to teams only looking for outbound help
Pricing
Regie.ai starts at around $35k per year.
10. Cognism
Cognism is a B2B sales intelligence platform that provides high-quality contact and company data to help revenue teams identify, target, and connect with the right buyers.

Best for
Teams that want compliant B2B contact data and intent signals.
Customer sentiment
Customers like how accurate the phone numbers and intent data are. Many say this platform cuts down on wasted time.
G2 rating: 4.5/5 (1232 ratings)
Capterra rating: 4.7/5 (244 ratings)
Pros
High-quality contact data that typically doesn’t bounce when it comes to emails
Insights into customer intent
Strong GDPR compliance
Cons
More expensive than other tools
Works best for larger B2B teams
Pricing
Cognism offers customer pricing only. You’ll need to call to discuss your data volume.
Verdict: Which AI sales agent is best?
There's no one-size-fits-all AI sales agent & different tools fit different needs.
If you’re running conversations across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, or SMS, you should use an omnichannel agent like respond.io. The platform handles everything in one place.
But if you’re focused mainly on top-of-funnel outreach, sequencing, or just automated follow-ups, you might be better off with an AI SDR tool like Ava or SalesCloser.ai. They’re built specifically for outbound activities.
If your biggest bottleneck is researching leads or scaling personalization, prospecting intelligence tools like Clay, Regie.ai, or Cognism might be a better fit.
Why respond.io wins as the best full-cycle omnichannel AI sales agent
The reality is that respond.io stands out because it covers the entire customer lifecycle. What you’d typically need multiple platforms or systems for, you can do with a single platform at respond.io.
From qualification to routing to follow-ups, respond.io handles your conversations wherever they happen. It’s the closest thing to a true all-in-one AI sales agent that works across all messaging channels.
If your sales team lives in WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, or SMS, the respond.io platform will give you the most lift with the least effort.
How businesses succeed with respond.io’s AI sales agents
In the end, customers succeed with respond.io and you can succeed as well.
GETUTOR
GETUTOR moved from Sleekflow to respond.io after the company struggled with slow setup and broken automations, not to mention high costs. They can now automate WhatsApp templates in a single day and deploy an AI agent for their qualifications and routing.
The results? 50% more leads on a daily basis, zero missed messages and a 24% increase in bookings. And that’s in just 2 months.
iMotorbike
iMotorbike used respond.io’s AI agents to manage their large volumes of mixed inquiries across their WhatsApp, IG, Messenger and TikTok channels. And the AI now handles 70 to 80% of their conversations. It also qualifies their buyers vs. sellers and routes their prospects instantly.
The results? 2x more leads than before, 67% faster responses and higher conversions.
Get started with respond.io’s omnichannel AI sales agents
The businesses that work with respond.io see faster lead response times and more consistent follow-ups. Just that shift alone can increase your conversions because your buyers get the answers they need right when they’re the most interested.
Your team will also save hours working with respond.io because the AI handles your repetitive tasks. Your reps will spend more time talking to real prospects while the AI manages your early qualifications and routing.
In general, companies with multiple channels benefit the most. Instead of switching between apps, your team will manage everything inside a single platform, where your conversions never slip through the cracks.
If you’re ready for an AI sales agent that can handle everything from first touch to final handoff, respond.io is here to help.
Sign up for your free trial today.
Turn customer conversations into business growth with respond.io. ✨
Manage calls, chats and emails in one place!
FAQs about AI sales agents
What is an AI sales agent and how does it work?
An AI sales agent is software that uses natural language processing to handle your sales conversations for you. It qualifies your leads and automates your follow-ups as well. It works by interpreting messages, understanding intent and responding in real time across channels like WhatsApp, Instagram and email.
Can AI sales agents replace human SDRs?
Nope. They can’t replace human empathy, close deals, or create in the same way humans can. But it can reduce the workload of your already overwhelmed SDRs, so they can focus on having those high-value conversations that lead to conversions.
What is the best AI sales agent for omnichannel communication?
Respond.io is one of the strongest omnichannel platforms. The AI sales agents unify WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, email, calls and SMS in a single inbox. The platform also handles qualification, routing, follow-ups and handoffs throughout your entire sales cycle.
How do I choose the right AI sales agent for my business?
You should always choose your AI sales agent based on your workflow. If you need multi-channel conversation management, pick an omnichannel platform like respond.io. If your main issue is outbound outreach or automating your SDR tasks, you can go with an AI SDR tool. And be sure to check integration and ease-of-use.
Further Reading
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