14 Best Sales Engagement Software to Drive Sales

Choosing the right sales engagement software and creating a sales engagement strategy that rocks can turn your sales pipeline into a reliable revenue engine. As sales teams juggle multiple channels, interact with countless customers, and navigate complex sales cycles, the need for sales engagement platforms has never been more urgent. This comprehensive guide will help you evaluate and choose the perfect solution to supercharge your sales performance.

What is Sales Engagement Software?

Sales engagement software has become the secret weapon of top-performing sales teams, helping them optimize their sales process and maximize impactful customer interactions. These sales engagement platforms work in tandem with your existing CRM data and sales tools to create a centralized system for managing outreach cadences, tracking engagement metrics, and boosting sales performance.

While this guide focuses on sales engagement platforms, many organizations use them in coupling with sales performance management software like Forecastio, which integrates seamlessly with HubSpot Sales Hub to offer accurate forecasting and performance tracking.

The Modern State of Sales Engagement

The sales tech landscape has changed dramatically over the last decade. What was once a simple email tracker has morphed into a sales engagement platform that includes:

• Multi-channel outreach

• Advanced analytics & engagement metrics

• Automated email sequences & follow-ups

• Sales intelligence & CRM integrations

• Scalable personalized outreach campaigns

Sales engagement refers to so much more than just blasting emails or making phone calls. It’s about managing the entire buyer’s journey across multiple communication channels while prioritizing personalization and tracking performance data at every turn.

Key Features of Sales Engagement Platforms

When evaluating the best sales engagement platforms, sales leaders should look for these essential capabilities:

1. Omnichannel Communication Management

Modern platforms enable sales reps to engage prospects through email campaigns, phone calls, social media, and SMS—all from a single interface, enhancing their sales outreach efforts.

2. Automation and Sequencing

Modern sales automation tools enable teams to create sophisticated cadences that automate routine tasks without sacrificing the personal touch in customer interactions.

3. Analytics and Reporting

Comprehensive team reports and engagement metrics help sales managers optimize their sales strategy and improve performance.

4. CRM Integration

Seamless integration with your CRM system ensures all customer data and interactions are properly tracked and managed.

5. Sales Intelligence

Built-in tools help identify potential customers and provide relevant insights throughout the sales cycle.

How It Impacts Sales Performance

When implemented correctly, sales engagement software can greatly enhance your sales execution platform by:

• Freeing up to 25% of time spent on administrative tasks

• Increasing response rates with personalized outreach

• Improving pipeline accuracy with enhanced tracking & engagement metrics

• Enabling more effective account management

• Streamlining processes with marketing tools and sales enablement platforms

How We Chose the Software

Our comprehensive evaluation process focused on the criteria that matter most to sales leaders:

Top Evaluation Criteria

Integration: We evaluated how well each platform integrates with popular CRM systems, including HubSpot Sales Hub, and other essential sales tools in your tech stack.

Engagement Tools: We looked at the breadth and depth of engagement tools, including email tracking, local presence calling, and pre-recorded messages.

Analytics & Reporting: We evaluated the quality of performance data and team reports each platform provides.

User Experience: We looked at the learning curve and daily usability for sales reps and sales managers.

Scalability: We assessed how well each platform scales with your organization, from early-stage startups to enterprise companies.

Top 14 Sales Engagement Platforms Reviewed

1. Outreach

Outreach has established itself as one of the top sales engagement platforms, consistently delivering innovative features that help sales teams close more deals. The platform’s strength lies in its ability to automate complex sales sequences while maintaining a personal touch through AI-powered engagement insights.

Sales reps particularly appreciate its ability to analyze past customer interactions and provide real-time recommendations for optimal engagement timing and messaging. Its AI-powered sales execution capabilities make it particularly valuable for enterprise-level organizations.

Pros:

• AI-guided engagement sequences

• Robust analytics & engagement metrics

• Native integration with major CRM systems

• Real-time buyer sentiment analysis

• Comprehensive sales intelligence

Best For:

Enterprise sales teams with complex, multi-touch sales cycles. The platform excels when paired with advanced forecasting software like Forecastio for holistic pipeline management.

How much does Outreach cost?

Enterprise pricing, contact for a custom quote

Outreach G2 Review:

With 3,488 G2 reviews and a 4.3/5 rating, Outreach has a strong market presence. Recent user reviews praise the platform's powerful integrations, automation features, and user-friendly interface.

Some users mention concerns over pricing, occasional tech issues, and the steep learning curve.

2. SalesLoft

SalesLoft provides a robust sales engagement platform that shines in personalized outreach campaigns while maintaining momentum at scale. SalesLoft's cadence management is particularly sophisticated, allowing sales teams to craft highly targeted, multi-channel engagement strategies.

What SalesLoft does exceptionally well is capturing and tracking customer engagement data across all touchpoints, giving sales leaders valuable insights to improve team performance. Recent additions in conversation intelligence have made SalesLoft an even more powerful tool for sales coaching and development.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface

• Advanced cadence building

• Robust analytics & reporting

• Native conversation intelligence

• Solid mobile app for reps

Best For:

Mid-market to enterprise companies looking for a balance of power and usability.

How much does SalesLoft cost?

Enterprise pricing, contact for a custom quote.

SalesLoft G2 Review:

SalesLoft has a 4.5/5 rating on G2 with over 4,104 reviews. Users rave about the user-friendly interface, customizable cadences, and seamless Salesforce integration, which boosts outreach efficiency and team collaboration.

Some users mention room for improvement, including limited email template customization and issues with certain call features.

3. Apollo.io

Apollo.io is a unique sales engagement platform that combines engagement features with a massive B2B database, making it an excellent fit for outbound-focused sales teams. What sets Apollo apart is its robust data enrichment capabilities, which automatically update and append contact information as you engage with prospects. Sales teams love Apollo's real-time buyer intent signals and company intelligence, which help them prioritize accounts and personalize outreach. The platform's integrations with various sales tools and CRMs make it a great choice for growing organizations.

Pros:

• Massive B2B contact database

• Affordable pricing

• User-friendly interface

• Automated email sequences

• Native sales intelligence

Best For:

Growing sales teams with a heavy focus on outbound prospecting and account management.

How much does Apollo.io cost?

Starting at $59/user/month.

Apollo.io G2 Review:

With an outstanding 4.7/5 rating from over 7,874 G2 reviews, Apollo.io has established itself as a leader in the space. Users particularly value its extensive contact database, intuitive interface, and effective sales engagement tools, reporting substantial improvements in their prospecting and outreach efficiency.

While the platform excels in many areas, some users note occasional challenges with data accuracy, outdated contact information, and the time required to master all features.

4. Instantly

Instantly is a relatively new player in the sales engagement market, but it's quickly made a name for itself with high-deliverability email campaigns and advanced automation features. What sets Instantly apart is its email warm-up process and scalable outreach campaigns. Sales teams love its ability to manage multiple email accounts while maintaining excellent deliverability rates with its intelligent warm-up system. Instantly's engagement timing and frequency algorithms are particularly powerful for large-scale outreach operations.

Pros:

• Intelligent email warm-up

• AI-powered send windows

• Automated email rotation

• Smart deliverability protection

• Robust analytics & tracking

Best For:

Companies focused on large-scale email outreach need reliable deliverability and advanced automation.

How much does Instantly cost?

Starting at $30/1000 contacts/month.

Instantly G2 Review:

Instantly has a 4.8/5 rating on G2 with over 3,468 reviews. Users rave about the user-friendly interface, seamless email automation, and effective cold outreach capabilities. The email warmup feature and improved deliverability rates are particular standouts.

Some reviewers mention room for improvement in deliverability accuracy tracking and campaign analytics.

5. HubSpot Sales Hub

HubSpot Sales Hub has evolved into a powerful sales engagement platform that goes far beyond basic CRM functionality. The platform's greatest strength is its seamless integration across the entire HubSpot ecosystem, providing a unified experience for sales and marketing alignment. What sets it apart is its ability to combine sophisticated engagement features with powerful automation and analytics capabilities, all while maintaining HubSpot's signature ease of use. Sales teams particularly value the platform's ability to provide detailed engagement insights and automate personalized follow-ups based on prospect behavior.

Pros:

• Robust email tracking & analytics

• Advanced meeting scheduling

• Powerful document tracking & management

• Native call recording & transcription

• Automated email sequences & follow-ups

• Comprehensive reporting & analytics

Pro Tip: HubSpot Sales Hub users can supercharge their sales operations by integrating with Forecastio's pipeline analytics and accurate forecasting software. This combination provides sales leaders with unparalleled visibility into how engagement activities impact pipeline health and forecast accuracy.

Best For:

Companies looking for a complete sales solution that scales from startup to enterprise. HubSpot Sales Hub is an excellent choice for organizations already using or planning to use HubSpot's ecosystem of tools.

How much does HubSpot Sales Hub cost?

• Professional: $100/user/month

• Enterprise: $150/user/month

HubSpot Sales Hub G2 Review:

HubSpot Sales Hub has over 12,046 G2 reviews and a 4.4/5 rating. Users praise its robust sales engagement features, particularly the email sequence tool's integration with email and calendar systems. Automated follow-ups and task reminders are also major standouts.

Some users mention room for improvement in email template flexibility within sequences and more streamlined options for sending sequences to specific contact lists.

6. Reply.io

Reply.io has differentiated itself in a crowded market by focusing on multichannel outreach automation with high deliverability rates. What sets Reply.io apart is its intelligent email verification and warmup processes, which are critical for maintaining a healthy sender reputation.

Sales teams love its ability to create complex, branching sequences that adjust based on prospect engagement. The AI-powered writing assistant helps sales reps craft more effective messages while preserving their voice.

Pros:

• Advanced deliverability features

• AI-powered message optimization

• Multichannel sequence automation

• A/B testing

• Robust engagement analytics

Best For:

Companies focused on large-scale outbound prospecting and email campaigns.

How much does Reply.io cost?

Starting at $53/1000 active contacts/month.

Reply.io G2 Review:

Reply.io's email sequence tool has a solid 4.6/5 rating on G2 with over 1,375 reviews. Users praise its easy setup, advanced multichannel automation, and AI-powered personalization features, which all contribute to streamlined outreach and higher engagement rates.

Some reviewers mention room for improvement in deliverability and express interest in more flexible campaign customization options for targeted audience segments.

7. VanillaSoft

VanillaSoft stands out from the competition with its queue-based lead routing system and robust sales engagement features. What it does best is helping inside sales teams manage high-velocity sales operations while ensuring no leads go unfollowed. Its unique approach to lead prioritization and distribution makes it an excellent choice for organizations with high-volume sales operations. Sales teams love its ability to maintain consistent engagement with large prospect databases.

Pros:

• Queue-based lead routing

• Auto-dialer

• Results-based lead prioritization

• Native email tracking

• Robust reporting

• Territory-based lead distribution

Best For:

Inside sales teams and companies with high-volume outreach needs that require structured lead management.

How much does VanillaSoft cost?

Contact sales for quotes.

VanillaSoft G2 Review:

VanillaSoft has a 4.6/5 rating on G2 with over 490 reviews. Users rave about its user-friendly interface, customizable workflows, and streamlined lead management features, which boost sales productivity and streamline outreach.

Some users mention room for improvement in reporting and system performance during high-traffic times.

8. Klenty

Klenty is a unique sales engagement platform that prioritizes deliverability and personalization. What it does best is help sales teams maintain excellent email deliverability while executing personalized campaigns at scale. Klenty's intelligent pause and resume feature is particularly powerful, automatically adjusting campaign velocity based on engagement metrics. Its native integrations with CRM systems make it an excellent choice for data-driven sales teams.

Pros:

• Intelligent sequence automation

• Advanced personalization

• Multi-channel engagement tracking

• Native CRM bi-directional sync

• Engagement analytics dashboard

Best For:

B2B sales teams that rely heavily on email-centric outreach strategies.

How much does Klenty cost?

Starting at $50/user/month.

Klenty G2 Review:

Klenty has a 4.6/5 rating on G2 with 379 reviews. Sales teams praise its straightforward usability, reliable CRM integrations, and powerful automation tools. Klenty has earned its reputation for boosting outreach efficiency and team productivity. However, power users mention two areas for improvement: reporting capabilities and email deliverability.

9. La Growth Machine

La Growth Machine is a relatively new sales engagement platform that's quickly made a name for itself with its focus on scalable personalization and intelligent automation. What sets La Growth Machine apart is its dedication to maintaining human-like interactions at scale. Its unique approach to personalization is particularly powerful when combined with its robust deliverability protection. What good is reaching the inbox if your message doesn't resonate with prospects?

Pros:

• Email warm-up technology

• Smart personalization engine

• Multi-account management

• Deliverability protection

• Campaign performance analytics

• Built-in compliance tools

Best For:

Growing teams that need to scale outreach while maintaining a personal touch.

How much does La Growth Machine cost?

Starting at $70/user/month.

La Growth Machine G2 Review:

La Growth Machine has a 4.6/5 rating on G2 with 51 reviews. Multi-channel prospecting is where it shines, particularly with LinkedIn, email, and Twitter campaigns. Data enrichment and smooth CRM connectivity are also major standouts. However, users mention two areas for improvement: the sequence builder can be overwhelming at first, and occasional platform glitches can hinder campaign momentum.

10. SmartReach.io

SmartReach.io is a unique sales engagement platform that prioritizes email deliverability and campaign optimization. What it does best is combining advanced warm-up protocols with robust engagement analytics. This helps teams maintain excellent sender reputations while scaling their outreach. SmartReach.io's ability to adjust sending patterns based on recipient engagement signals is particularly powerful, ensuring optimal delivery timing and higher response rates.

Pros:

• Advanced deliverability features

• Dynamic sending time optimization

• Multi-inbox management

• Detailed engagement analytics

• Custom tracking domains

• Team collaboration

Best For:

Sales teams that prioritize email deliverability and those that need to manage multiple email accounts.

How much does SmartReach.io cost?

Starting at $39/user/month.

SmartReach.io G2 Review:

SmartReach.io has 55 reviews on G2 and a 4.6/5 rating. It's a robust sales engagement platform that excels in three key areas: multi-channel outreach, seamless CRM connections, and complex sales sequence automation.

Users rave about the smart inbox rotation and email deliverability features, but mention two areas for improvement: limited analytics and platform instability.

11. Mailshake

Mailshake has matured into a robust sales engagement platform that's particularly well-suited for cold outreach automation. What it does best is helping teams execute effective cold email campaigns with its powerful personalization features. Sales teams love its straightforward campaign creation process and its ability to automatically pause campaigns based on engagement metrics to protect sender reputation.

Pros:

• Lead catcher technology

• Social media integration

• Phone dialer

• Campaign optimization

• Automated follow-up sequences

• Smart deliverability

Best For:

Teams focused on cold outreach and lead gen campaigns.

How much does Mailshake cost?

Starting at $49/2 emails/month

Mailshake G2 Review:

Mailshake has 274 reviews on G2 and a 4.7/5 rating. It's a great option for teams looking to streamline cold email campaigns. Users rave about three key aspects: its intuitive interface that requires little training, cold email outreach, and deliverability optimization.

While teams love the quick campaign setup, users managing larger campaigns mention two areas for improvement: limited reporting and analytics.

12. Mixmax

Mixmax takes a unique approach to sales engagement by focusing on Gmail integration and productivity. What it does best is making complex engagement sequences accessible while preserving the native Gmail experience. Mixmax's ability to provide enterprise-level features without disrupting the email environment is particularly powerful. The scheduling and tracking features are major standouts for sales professionals managing high-volume communications.

Pros:

• One-click meeting scheduling

• Live person tracking

• Email sequence automation

• Rich email composition

• Meeting automation

Note: Mixmax has been discontinued by Google and is no longer available for installation. We'll provide alternative options in its place.

Best For:

Organizations heavily invested in the Gmail ecosystem want powerful engagement features.

How much does Mixmax cost?

Starting at $29/user/month.

Mixmax G2 Review:

Mixmax has 1,397 reviews on G2 and a 4.6/5 rating. Its deep Gmail integration is a major differentiator in a crowded sales engagement market. Powerful email automation and intuitive scheduling tools have made it a hit among sales and customer success teams looking to streamline their workflows.

Users rave about its productivity-boosting features, but teams mention two areas for improvement: occasional tech issues and limited outreach analytics.

13. Overloop

Overloop (formerly Prospect.io) is a prospecting and engagement platform focused on sustainable outreach. What it does best is personalized automation at scale. Sales teams love its ability to balance high-volume outreach with personalized touches while maintaining a healthy sender reputation across multiple campaigns.

Pros:

• Advanced email validation

• Smart sequence automation

• Chrome extension for prospecting

• CRM sync

• Campaign A/B testing

• Email warm-up

Best For:

B2B sales teams that need to combine prospecting and engagement in a single platform.

How much does Overloop cost?

Contact sales for quotes.

Overloop G2 Review:

Overloop has a 4.4/5 rating on G2 with 130 reviews. Its AI-driven approach to sales engagement is a major standout. Sales teams love its automated lead sourcing and personalized multi-channel outreach capabilities.

The platform automates personalized campaigns well, but users mention two areas for improvement: limited reporting and occasional tech issues.

15. Lemlist

Lemlist is our final recommendation for its unique approach to personalized outreach and engagement automation. What it does best is advanced image and video personalization. Sales teams love its ability to create highly customized campaigns that grab attention. Lemlist's deliverability features are particularly robust, and its integration capabilities make it an excellent choice for teams using Forecastio for HubSpot.

Pros:

• Dynamic image personalization

• Video personalization features

• Advanced deliverability settings

• Team collaboration tools

• Custom tracking domains

• Multi-channel campaigns

Best For:

Companies that need highly personalized outreach campaigns to cut through the noise.

How much does Lemlist cost?

Starting at $39/user/month.

Lemlist G2 Review:

Lemlist has 262 reviews on G2 and a 4.5/5 rating. It's a great option for teams that want to transform automated outreach into personalized conversations. What it does best is multi-channel outreach, intuitive campaign management, and powerful personalization features that increase response rates.

Making the Right Choice: What Really Matters

After reviewing the top 14 sales engagement platforms, you might be wondering which one is truly right for your organization. Let's break this down by common scenarios and needs rather than feature lists.

For enterprise sales teams

If you're responsible for a large sales organization with intricate processes, you'll want to focus on enterprise-grade platforms like Outreach and SalesLoft. These two platforms offer the necessary horsepower to handle multiple teams, territories, and complex sales cycles.

For growing mid-market companies

Mid-market companies often require a balance of functionality and scalability without the complexity of an enterprise-grade platform. In this case, platforms like Apollo.io and Reply.io offer a great compromise. They provide robust engagement features while being more affordable and easier to implement than many enterprise options. These platforms are ideal for fast-growing teams that don't require the full enterprise feature set just yet. They're particularly effective when paired with an advanced forecasting tool like Forecastio to maintain accuracy across growing pipelines.

For small teams with big ambitions

Small teams or startups should consider platforms like Mailshake or Lemlist that offer a lot of bang for their buck. These platforms are great options for teams focused on rapid growth and need to maintain high-quality engagement without breaking the bank or investing in complex infrastructure.

Real World Examples

Scenario 1: I have a lot of prospects

If your organization handles hundreds of prospects daily, you'll want to focus on platforms like VanillaSoft and Cognism that specialize in high-volume outreach while maintaining personalization. These platforms are ideal for teams with large prospect databases and need to maintain engagement across multiple channels. They're particularly well-suited for inside sales teams and those focused on lead gen campaigns.

Scenario 2: I sell to enterprises

If you're working with long sales cycles and multiple stakeholders, you'll want to focus on platforms like SalesLoft and Outreach that are designed for complex sales processes. They're ideal for teams selling enterprise software, complex B2B solutions, or have multiple sales roles (SDR, AE, AM).

Scenario 3: I'm already in HubSpot

If you're already invested in the HubSpot ecosystem, you're in luck. HubSpot Sales Hub paired with Forecastio provides a solid foundation for sales teams. This combination works well for teams that prioritize HubSpot's CRM and marketing automation tools.

Implementation Success: A Practical Guide

Rather than jumping straight into deployment, consider starting with a focus area where you need the most immediate impact. This might be:

Improving email engagement

If this is your priority, Mailshake and Lemlist offer superior personalization and deliverability features. Their focused approach to email engagement often leads to quicker adoption and faster results.

Streamlining multi-channel outreach

For organizations looking to coordinate across multiple channels, platforms like SalesLoft and Outreach provide comprehensive orchestration capabilities that help maintain consistent messaging across all touchpoints.

Enhancing sales intelligence

Teams needing better prospect insights should consider Apollo.io or Cognism, as they combine engagement features with robust data and intelligence capabilities.

Making Your Final Decision

Consider these key questions when making your final choice:

What's your primary sales motion? High-volume outbound teams have different needs than account-based selling organizations. Match your platform to your core sales strategy.

How sophisticated is your current tech stack? Some platforms work better with minimal integration needs, while others shine in complex environments. Your existing tools, especially your CRM should inform your choice.

What's your growth trajectory? Choose a platform that can grow with you but doesn't saddle you with unnecessary complexity now. Consider both your current needs and where you'll be in 18-24 months.

The Bottom Line

The best sales engagement platform for your team won't be the one with the most features or the highest price tag. It's the one that meets your sales team where they are, integrates with your essential tools, and helps you maintain meaningful customer interactions at scale.

If HubSpot is your CRM, we generally recommend starting with HubSpot Sales Hub and supplementing with specialized tools like Forecastio for forecasting and performance management. As your needs evolve, you can reassess and add additional platforms based on your unique requirements and growth trajectory.