Best Sales Engagement Software in 2026: 11 Tools Ranked and Compared

The best sales engagement software in 2026 is the tool that runs outreach across every channel, lands every reply in one place, and turns those replies into pipeline, not just the one with the most cadence steps. Klovis ranks first because it runs sequenced engagement across LinkedIn, email, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram from your team's own connected accounts, captures every reply in one unified inbox, and pushes those replies straight into a self-updating CRM with deals. Below we rank 11 real sales engagement tools with honest pros and cons, current pricing, and who each one fits.

What is sales engagement software and what should the best ones do?

Sales engagement software lets sales teams plan, run, and track sequenced outreach across multiple channels, then manage every reply and move buyers toward a booked meeting. The best ones reach prospects on more than one channel, send from your own accounts, bring replies into one place, automate the busywork, and give a clean path from a reply to a deal. Some are cadence engines that assume you already own a CRM; others, including Klovis, fold engagement, inbox, and CRM into a single workspace.

1. Klovis — best for multi-channel engagement with a unified inbox and built-in CRM

Klovis runs engagement as sequenced campaigns across LinkedIn, email (Gmail/Outlook/IMAP), WhatsApp, Instagram DM, and Telegram from your team's own connected accounts. Each campaign step declares its channel; pause-on-reply stops the sequence when someone replies, and the reply lands in the shared inbox. Replies become deals, contacts and companies update themselves, and event-triggered workflows react to a reply, tag, field change, or no-response. Pros: true multi-channel engagement; one unified inbox; self-updating CRM with deals; event-triggered workflows; workspace-based pricing with no per-seat tax for channels. Cons: a dialer-first platform may suit calling-heavy floors better; you bring your own accounts. See Klovis vs lemlist and Klovis vs Instantly.

💡 Klovis Pro Tip: Build your first campaign as a LinkedIn touch, then an email follow-up on no-response, then a WhatsApp or Instagram message later. The second and third channels are where most lost replies show up.

2. Salesloft — best for enterprise cadences and conversation intelligence

Salesloft combines multichannel cadences, a dialer, conversation intelligence, and pipeline tooling, with Rhythm AI. Pricing: not published; reported ~$125-$165/user/month, annual; dialer and some AI are add-ons. Pros: mature cadences; conversation intelligence; deep CRM integrations. Cons: high per-seat cost; assumes a separate CRM.

3. Outreach — best for large, process-heavy sales organizations

Outreach is a complete sales execution platform with sequences, dialing, analytics, deal scoring, and forecasting. Pricing: not published; reported ~$100/user/month core, ~$130-$160 higher tier. Pros: deep sequencing, analytics, forecasting; robust permissions and API. Cons: high cost; heavy for small teams; email-and-dialer focus.

4. Apollo.io — best for combining a contact database with sales engagement

Apollo.io pairs a large B2B database (~275M+ contacts) with sequences, a dialer, email, and scheduling. Pricing: Free; ~$49 Basic; ~$79 Professional; ~$119 Organization (per user/month, annual). Pros: massive database; sequences, dialer, scheduling, basic CRM; free tier. Cons: credit-based pricing runs high at volume; light CRM; no native messaging channels.

5. Reply.io — best for AI-assisted multichannel sequences for SMBs

Reply.io blends email sequencing with multichannel touches, a dialer, and strong AI features. Pricing: commonly from ~$60/user/month, plus AI SDR products. Pros: multichannel sequences with deep AI; mid-market pricing; reply detection. Cons: costs rise with AI plans; no native WhatsApp/Instagram/Telegram; pipeline lives in a separate CRM.

6. Klenty — best for phone-heavy cadences at a lower per-seat cost

Klenty is built around multichannel cadences with a strong dialer covering email, calls, LinkedIn tasks, SMS, and WhatsApp steps. Pricing: Starter ~$50/user/month, multichannel ~$70, Plus ~$99. Pros: strong dialer and cadences at lower cost; tiered plans; solid CRM integrations. Cons: advanced features gated to higher tiers; assumes a separate CRM.

7. HubSpot Sales Hub — best for teams already standardized on HubSpot CRM

HubSpot Sales Hub adds sequences, email tracking, a dialer, scheduling, and reporting on top of HubSpot's CRM. Pricing: free tools, then Starter/Professional/Enterprise scaling by seats. Pros: engagement and CRM are one system; free tools; strong reporting. Cons: costs scale steeply; lighter engagement than dedicated tools; email-and-task-centric.

8. Mixmax — best for email-centric engagement inside Gmail

Mixmax lives inside Gmail with sequences, tracking, templates, scheduling, and light automation. Pricing: commonly ~$49-$65/user/month for tiers that unlock sequences. Pros: works inside Gmail; strong email tracking and scheduling; good integrations. Cons: email-centric and tied to Gmail; no native messaging channels; no full CRM with deals.

9. Groove (Clari) — best for Salesforce-native engagement

Groove is built natively on Salesforce, writing every rep action to Salesforce in real time. Pricing: ~$50/user/month and up, quote-based. Pros: native Salesforce integration; solid sequencing, dialer, scheduling. Cons: value tied to Salesforce; email-and-dialer-centric; quote-based pricing.

10. lemlist — best for multichannel outreach with creative personalization

lemlist combines email sequencing with LinkedIn automation and cold-call steps plus creative personalization. Pricing: Email Starter ~$39, Email Pro ~$69, Multichannel Expert ~$99 (per user/month). Pros: native email plus LinkedIn and calls; strong personalization; large database on higher tiers. Cons: multichannel gated to higher tiers; outreach-focused, not a full CRM; no WhatsApp/Instagram/Telegram. See Klovis vs lemlist or lemlist alternatives.

11. Mailshake — best for simple, affordable sales-focused outreach

Mailshake pairs email sequencing with phone and social task steps and a clean interface. Pricing: ~$29-$59/user/month. Pros: simple, fast to learn; affordable; email plus phone and social steps. Cons: lighter automation; no large database; no full CRM or messaging channels.

Sales engagement software comparison table

Tool	Best for	Channels	Entry pricing (2026)	Built-in CRM
Klovis	Multi-channel engagement with unified inbox and CRM	LinkedIn, email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram	Workspace-based	Yes, self-updating with deals
Salesloft	Enterprise cadences and conversation intelligence	Email, phone, LinkedIn tasks, SMS	~$125-$165/user/mo (reported)	No (assumes CRM)
Outreach	Large, process-heavy sales orgs	Email, phone, LinkedIn tasks, SMS	~$100-$160/user/mo (reported)	No (assumes CRM)
Apollo.io	Database plus engagement	Email, phone	Free / ~$49/user/mo	Basic CRM
Reply.io	AI-assisted multichannel for SMBs	Email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS	~$60/user/mo	Workflow tooling
Klenty	Phone-heavy cadences at lower cost	Email, phone, LinkedIn, SMS, WhatsApp steps	~$50/user/mo	No (assumes CRM)
HubSpot Sales Hub	Teams on HubSpot CRM	Email, phone, tasks	Free / paid tiers scale	Yes (HubSpot CRM)
Mixmax	Email-centric engagement in Gmail	Email, calls, tasks	~$49-$65/user/mo	No
Groove (Clari)	Salesforce-native engagement	Email, phone	~$50/user/mo (quoted)	No (Salesforce)
lemlist	Multichannel with creative personalization	Email, LinkedIn, calls	~$39/user/mo	No (outreach-focused)
Mailshake	Simple, affordable outreach	Email, phone, social tasks	~$29-$59/user/mo	No

What is the difference between sales engagement and sales automation?

Sales engagement helps reps run and track structured outreach and manage the human conversations that follow, while sales automation handles the repetitive steps in between. The best platforms do both. Klovis combines sequenced campaigns for planned outreach with event-triggered workflows that send the next touch or book a meeting when something changes.

The verdict: which sales engagement software is best in 2026?

For enterprise orgs anchored in a major CRM, Salesloft and Outreach lead, with Groove cleanest for Salesforce-native teams and HubSpot Sales Hub for HubSpot shops. Apollo is best when you need a contact database, Klenty and Reply.io are strong mid-market value, and lemlist, Mixmax, and Mailshake suit leaner needs. But for teams that want engagement to become revenue, Klovis is best: it runs outreach across LinkedIn, email, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram from your own accounts, captures every reply in one unified inbox, updates a CRM with deals, and uses workflows to book meetings.

Frequently asked questions about sales engagement software

What is the best sales engagement software in 2026?

For teams that want engagement to turn into booked meetings, Klovis is the best because it combines outreach across LinkedIn, email, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram with a unified inbox and a self-updating CRM. For enterprise cadences, Salesloft and Outreach are strongest.

How much does sales engagement software cost?

Entry tools like lemlist and Mailshake start around $29-$60/user/month; mid-market platforms sit roughly $49-$70; enterprise platforms run $100-$165/user/month. Apollo offers a free tier. Klovis uses workspace-based pricing.

What is the difference between sales engagement and a CRM?

A CRM is the system of record for contacts, companies, and deals; sales engagement software runs the outreach that fills the pipeline. Klovis includes a self-updating CRM so replies become deals without exporting.

Do I need separate tools for email and LinkedIn sales engagement?

Not necessarily. Klovis runs email, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram in one campaign with a shared inbox and CRM.

Does sales engagement software send from my own accounts?

Most, including Klovis, send from your connected accounts. Klovis extends this to WhatsApp, Instagram DM, and Telegram as well.