There are four common ways to run outbound. Each is right for someone. Here is where LiveGrad fits, in plain words, without made-up numbers.
| LiveGrad | Generic sequencers | Enterprise AI SDRs | Hiring a human SDR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $2,000, $3,500, or $6,000 a month, by number of agents | Usually the cheapest per email; you supply the copy, lists, and time | Usually quote-based, often sold on annual terms | Salary, benefits, tools, and a manager's time |
| Time to first send | After ICP intake, graduation, and a human review; kickoff starts right after card payment | As soon as you upload a list; nothing stops you | Depends on a sales process, procurement, and onboarding | Recruiting, then ramp-up before they are productive |
| Quality gate | Five-check graduation exam; four must pass or the draft does not send | None built in; quality is up to whoever writes the copy | Varies by vendor; often tuned for volume and coverage | Your judgment, coaching, and call reviews |
| Control | You set the ICP and exclusions, review before the first send, and adjust weekly | Full control, and full responsibility | Often more automated, with less line-by-line say | High, if you have time to manage them |
| Contract | Monthly via Stripe, cancel anytime | Usually monthly or annual self-serve plans | Often annual commitments | Employment, with notice and severance norms |
Only LiveGrad's own prices are shown. Other columns describe typical patterns, not any specific vendor. Check each vendor's current terms yourself.
Sequencers are good tools. They send exactly what you load, as fast as you let them. That is the problem when the copy is weak: nothing stops a draft that could go to anyone, and every bad send teaches inboxes that your domain is a blast.
LiveGrad adds the step a sequencer skips: a seat has to pass an exam before it is allowed to send. If you already write great copy and manage deliverability yourself, a sequencer may be all you need.
Enterprise AI SDR platforms aim to replace a sales development team at scale. They tend to come with a sales cycle, onboarding, broader feature sets, and longer commitments. That suits larger companies with procurement and a RevOps team.
LiveGrad is deliberately smaller: one agent role per seat, card checkout, monthly, and a visible graduation ritual you can run yourself on the exam page. We compete on speed to a first good send, not on feature count.
A good SDR does things a seat cannot: live calls, judgment in a messy thread, relationships. If you need that and can recruit and manage well, hire.
If you need graduated, specific outbound email while you figure that out, or you are a founder or fractional CRO who cannot wait through a hiring cycle, a seat is a lighter first step. Some teams will use both.
More: how a seat works · pricing · deliverability
Pick a seat, pay by card, and kickoff starts right after checkout. Questions go to tom@fxginteractive.com.