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I asked 2,774 outbound pros about their favourites sales tools

Unsurprisingly, established solutions such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Salesloft & Outreach were top of the list. But I also discovered some hidden gems.

Michel Lieben
Michel Lieben
MAR 17 2026
I asked 2,774 outbound pros about their favourites sales tools

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‍

A few months ago, I started asking Outbound professionals about their favourite sales tools. They were usually SDR, Outbound & Sales profiles with over 2 years of experience. Many of these work for large established solutions while some are running their own agencies.

Out of 2774 people, ~1/3 replied with their toolstacks. Here is the complete ranking with every mentioned tool:

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  1. Sales Navigator (104)
  2. Salesloft (63)
  3. Outreach (61)
  4. Hubspot (60)
  5. Lusha (56)
  6. ZoomInfo (43)
  7. Salesforce (34)
  8. Apollo (31)
  9. Cognism (29)
  10. Lemlist (28)

‍

  1. Phantombuster (22)
  2. Lavender (20)
  3. LeadIQ (19)
  4. Orum (19)
  5. Seamless (17)
  6. Dropcontact (15)
  7. Gong (14)
  8. Pipedrive (13)
  9. Woodpecker (13)
  10. Amplemarket (11)

‍

  1. Kaspr (10)
  2. Aircall (10)
  3. EngageIQ (10)
  4. Hunter (10)
  5. LinkedIn (9)
  6. Nooks (9)
  7. Wingman (9)
  8. Evaboot (8)
  9. Wiza (7)
  10. Reply (7)

‍

If you like comparing tools, we curated 2 detailed lists:

  • One for Sales prospecting tools: https://www.coldiq.com/tools
  • One for AI Sales tools: https://www.coldiq.com/ai-sales-tools

‍

  1. SimilarWeb (6)
  2. Google Suite (6)
  3. Demandbase (6)
  4. Demodesk (6)
  5. 6Sense (6)
  6. Chili Peper (6)
  7. Vidyard (6)
  8. Regie (6)
  9. Instant Data Scraper (6)
  10. Dux-Soup (5)

‍

  1. GetProspect (5)
  2. Grammarly (5)
  3. Zoom (5)
  4. Loom (5)
  5. Slack (5)
  6. Owler (5)
  7. ActiveCampaign (5)
  8. Zapier (5)
  9. Atrium (5)
  10. Smartlead (5)

‍

  1. Instantly (5)
  2. Calixa (5)
  3. Datagma (4)
  4. Charm.io (4)
  5. Kennected (4)
  6. Chorus (4)
  7. Clari (3)
  8. Snov (3)
  9. Copy AI (3)
  10. Potion (3)

‍

  1. RocketReach (3)
  2. ContactOut (3)
  3. Crunchbase (3)
  4. Lead Forensics (2)
  5. Data Miner (2)
  6. Debounce (2)
  7. Doodly (2)
  8. Interseller (2)
  9. CloudCall (2)
  10. Leadfeeder (2)

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  1. Ocean (2)
  2. Sendoso (2)
  3. LeadJet (2)
  4. Texau (2)
  5. Close.io (2)
  6. Skrapp (2)
  7. Notion (2)
  8. CloudTalk (2)
  9. Allego (2)
  10. Apify (1)
  11. Bonjoro (1)
  12. Clearbit (1)
  13. Clay (1)
  14. DOMO (1)
  15. Dripify (1)
  16. Ecamm (1)
  17. Front (1)
  18. G2 (1)
  19. GetEmail (1)
  20. GiftoGram (1)
  21. GlockApps (1)
  22. Gmail (1)
  23. Concert (1)
  24. Google Meet (1)
  25. Google Calendar (1)
  26. Growbots (1)
  27. CaptivateIQ (1)
  28. Gmass (1)
  29. Klenty (1)
  30. Koncert (1)
  31. LaGrowthMachine (1)
  32. Leadberry (1)
  33. Mac Computer (1)
  34. Mailchimp (1)
  35. Mailreach (1)
  36. Mailshake (1)
  37. Marketo (1)
  38. Milion Verifier (1)
  39. MixMax (1)
  40. Monday (1)
  41. Odro (1)
  42. OneUp Sales (1)
  43. Overloop (1)
  44. Outplay (1)
  45. Phone Burner (1)
  46. RingOver (1)
  47. SalesQL (1)
  48. Sellsy (1)
  49. Sendspark (1)
  50. Signum
  51. SocieteInfo (1)
  52. Trello (1)
  53. Uplead (1)
  54. UserGems
  55. Waalaxy (1)
  56. Warm bots (1)
  57. Warmbox (1)
  58. WarmupInbox (1)
  59. Web Scraper (1)
  60. Zerobounce (1)
  61. Zimplify (1)

‍

Given the interesting insights I've gotten from this survey - I decided to continue to run it. This means that this list will be continually updated to accommodate new tool recommendations.

‍

Michel Lieben
Michel Lieben
Founder, CEO

Michel Lieben is the Founder & CEO of ColdIQ, a B2B sales prospecting agency trusted by 100+ organizations. He’s launched hundreds of outbound campaigns, mastered tools like Clay and Lemlist, and shares sharp, actionable insights on scaling sales with AI, automation, and strategy.

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FAQ

What is the best way to choose sales tools for my team?

Start by identifying your team's pain points and specific sales goals. Test a few tools on small projects first to see which integrate well with your workflow. Prioritize ease of use and measurable impact over popularity.

How can sales tools improve my outreach effectiveness?

Sales tools help automate repetitive tasks like follow-ups and data entry, saving time for personalized outreach. They also provide valuable insights to tailor your messaging. Combined, these factors boost response rates and lead quality.

Are there risks in using too many sales tools simultaneously?

Yes, managing multiple tools simultaneously can cause confusion and disrupt workflows. It’s better to streamline your tech stack to essential tools that work well together. Regularly audit your tools to avoid overlap and inefficiency.

How often should I reevaluate the sales tools my team uses?

Reevaluate tools at least twice a year or whenever your sales process changes significantly. Continuous review ensures your tools keep pace with evolving customer behaviors and internal needs. Don’t hesitate to replace underperforming tools promptly.

Can small sales teams benefit from the same tools as large teams?

Absolutely, many sales tools scale well and offer features suitable for small teams. Focus on tools that provide automation and data insights to maximize productivity, even with limited resources. Customizable solutions often fit diverse team sizes effectively.

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