AI SDR for small business: what it does, what it costs and how to start
An AI SDR (AI sales development rep) is software that researches prospects, writes personalised first lines and follow-up sequences, scores fit and triages replies. For a small business the safe setup is draft mode: the AI prepares everything, a person reviews and sends. Prices in 2026 range from about $19/month for a workflow you run in your own n8n or ChatGPT (PlugStaff) to $250–$3,750+/month for hosted platforms that also send for you.
What an AI SDR actually does
Break the SDR job into steps and the AI's role becomes obvious:
| Step | Good fit for AI? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Building the lead list | Partly | AI can enrich and filter; the targeting decision (your ICP) is yours. |
| Researching each prospect | Yes | Reading a company site and pulling 2–3 relevant facts is slow for people and fast for models. |
| Writing first line + 3-step sequence | Yes: email 1 as a Gmail draft, follow-ups in a sheet | Grounded in the research. A person checks tone and accuracy. |
| Fit scoring | Yes | A 1–10 score with a reason lets you skip poor fits before writing. |
| Sending | Keep human (at first) | Deliverability and reputation are yours. Send manually or with your own tool. |
| Reply triage | Yes | Classify interested / question / not now / opt-out, draft answers in-thread. |
| Live conversations and calls | No | Judgement, objection handling and trust stay with people. |
What it costs in 2026
Prices below are the vendors' published entry prices, checked 21 October 2026. Check the vendor's page before buying; they change.
| Option | Entry price | Who sends | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlugStaff AI SDR (runs in your n8n / ChatGPT / Claude) | $19/month + your AI usage (cents per prospect) | You (drafts in Gmail) | Founders and small teams who want control and a low fixed cost |
| AiSDR | $1.50 per person contacted (pay as you go) | The platform | Teams that want sending handled |
| Artisan (Ava) | about $250/month billed annually, per third-party comparison | The platform | Startups that want a hosted AI BDR |
| 11x (Alice) | from $3,750/month billed annually, per third-party comparison | The platform | Mid-market sales teams |
| Hiring a US SDR | median $60,000 base, ~$88,000 OTE (RepVue) | A person | Companies ready for a full sales motion |
The honest trade-off: hosted AI SDRs do more for you (data, mailboxes, sending), and cost more. A workflow in your own accounts costs less and keeps you in control, but you bring the leads and you press send.
How to start in about 15 minutes (n8n Cloud, draft mode)
- Write your ICP in two sentences: who you sell to and the problem you solve.
- Put 10 real prospects in a Google Sheet (company, website, name, role, email).
- Import the workflow into n8n (cloud or self-hosted; see which n8n plan you need) or paste the instructions into a Custom GPT. See the AI SDR setup checklist.
- Run it on 3 rows, read the drafts, tune your value proposition and proof point, then run the rest.
- Send by hand for two weeks. Only then decide whether to automate more.
How much time it saves (estimate)
With the assumptions on the AI SDR page (50 prospects a week, 15 minutes each by hand vs 3 minutes to review a draft) that is roughly 10.0 hours a week, about 43 hours a month. That is an estimate from stated inputs, not a measured result. Put in your own numbers in the ROI calculator.
Rules that keep you out of trouble
- Contact businesses with a legitimate interest, include an opt-out, honour it immediately. Some EU countries require prior consent for B2B email too. Not legal advice.
- Never let the model invent facts. Ground it in the prospect's own site.
- Warm up a separate sending domain and keep volumes low (tens per day, not hundreds).
FAQ
What is an AI SDR?
Software that does the research and writing parts of a sales development rep's job: prospect research, personalised first lines, follow-up sequences, fit scoring and reply triage. Most small businesses run it in draft mode, with a person sending.
How much does an AI SDR cost?
From $19/month for PlugStaff's AI SDR running in your own n8n, ChatGPT or Claude (plus a few cents of AI usage per prospect), to about $250/month for Artisan's entry plan and $3,750+/month for 11x, based on published or reported prices checked in October 2026.
Can an AI SDR replace a human SDR?
It can take over most research and first-draft writing, which is a large share of an SDR's week. It does not replace judgement, calls, or relationship building, so for most small businesses it delays a hire rather than replacing one.
Is AI cold email legal?
Rules depend on the recipient's country. In the US, CAN-SPAM allows B2B cold email with an opt-out and accurate sender details. In the EU, GDPR and national ePrivacy rules apply and some countries require prior consent. Not legal advice.
The AI SDR is this workflow, tested and ready to import, with a setup guide (about 15 minutes on n8n Cloud). $19/month on Starter, 7-day free trial.