10 Best LinkedIn Prospecting Tools in 2026 (Compared)

Last updated: October 2026

The short answer

The best LinkedIn prospecting tool in 2026 for people who prospect from their own account is Makelead. It caps invitations at 200 a week and 40 a day, and no setting can raise that cap; its AI setter replies to the prospects who answer; it covers LinkedIn and X in one tool; it writes your LinkedIn and X posts in your own voice; and it starts at €29.99 a month. Waalaxy has the lowest entry price, La Growth Machine is stronger for team sequences mixing email and phone, and Apollo is the pick if what you need is a contact database for cold email.

Why Makelead ranks first

Makelead is our product; here is why it ranks first, point by point. Every claim below can be checked on our pricing page and in the product. The other tools are described with their real strengths, because a ranking that hides them is useless to you.

  • Account safety: 200 invitations a week and 40 a day at most, fixed for every account. Most tools in this ranking let you set your own daily volume; Makelead does not, so the safe pace is not something you have to remember.
  • Replies are handled: on Growth and Business, the AI setter answers prospects who reply, qualifies them and proposes your booking link.
  • Two networks: prospecting on LinkedIn and on X in the same tool, with sequences that branch on the prospect's profile and stop at the first reply.
  • Content: LinkedIn and X posts written in your voice, so the people you contact have seen your work before your message.
  • Price: from €29.99 a month for one user, 30% off on annual billing. AI messages and the AI setter start at €59.99.
  • Integrations: an MCP server for ChatGPT and Claude, native HubSpot, webhooks for n8n, Zapier and Make, and data hosted in the EU.

How we evaluated

  • Account safety

    Are the daily and weekly invitation limits fixed or adjustable? Does a newly connected account ramp up gradually? Does the sequence stop when the prospect replies?

  • Personalisation quality

    Does the tool write each message from the prospect's profile, and in whose voice: yours or a generic template?

  • Channels

    LinkedIn only, LinkedIn plus email, or LinkedIn plus X. More channels only help if each one is done properly.

  • Real price

    What one user actually pays per month: per seat or per LinkedIn account, in which currency, and which credits are billed on top.

  • Support and data

    Language of the interface and support, billing currency, and where the data is hosted.

We built this ranking from each vendor's public pricing page and product documentation. The date of each price check is listed under every tool. We did not run controlled tests with live accounts on each tool, so the ranking reflects documented limits, features and prices, not measured acceptance or reply rates. Prices change often: check the vendor's page before you buy.

Comparison table

ToolBest forStarting priceChannelsAIAccount safety
1. MakeleadProspecting from your own LinkedIn account without putting it at risk, with X and content in the same toolFrom €29.99/monthLinkedIn, XAI messages in your voice (Growth), AI setter (Growth), LinkedIn and X postsFixed cap: 200 invites a week, 40 a day, not adjustable; gradual ramp-up
2. WaalaxyBeginners who want simple LinkedIn prospecting at a low entry priceFree plan (80 invites/month), then €19/user/monthLinkedIn; email on BusinessMessage writing assistantVolume adjustable up to 800 invites a month, via a browser extension
3. La Growth MachineEuropean sales teams running LinkedIn, email and phone sequences€60 per identity/monthLinkedIn, email, phone; X on UltimateMessage writing assistantCautious approach; volume set per identity by you
4. lemlistTeams whose main channel is cold email, with LinkedIn steps alongsideAbout $69/month (Email plan)Email, LinkedInStrong AI writing for cold emailLinkedIn steps under the usual platform limits; email domain reputation to manage
5. HeyReachAgencies running many LinkedIn accounts from one place$79 per LinkedIn account/monthLinkedIn; email through Smartlead or InstantlyThrough external AI agents (MCP); no built-in writingLimits set account by account by you
6. ApolloTeams that need a large B2B contact database for email and phone outreachFree plan, then about $49 to $119/seat/month (annual)Email, phone; LinkedIn through an extensionAI-assisted email writingLinkedIn is a secondary module, run through a Chrome extension
7. ExpandiFull-time prospectors and agencies who want cloud LinkedIn sequences with branching$99 per account/monthLinkedIn, emailBasicCloud with a dedicated IP per account; limits are adjustable
8. DripifyBeginners who want simple visual LinkedIn sequences in the cloud$59/month ($39 on annual billing)LinkedInNoneCloud with a dedicated IP; the Pro plan advertises 75 connection requests a day
9. ClayRevenue teams that want to enrich and research accounts before outreachCredit-based plans (see clay.com)Data and enrichment; feeds outreach toolsAI research agent and AI-written personalisationDoes not send LinkedIn invitations itself
10. PhantomBusterGrowth teams who want to extract LinkedIn data and build custom automationsAbout $69/monthLinkedIn and many other web sources (data extraction)No AI writingNothing stops you from exceeding the volumes LinkedIn tolerates

The 10 tools, one by one

#1Makelead

Best for: Prospecting from your own LinkedIn account without putting it at risk, with X and content in the same tool

Makelead is a LinkedIn and X prospecting tool built around one constraint: a cap of 200 invitations a week per account that you cannot raise. It runs sequences that stop at the first reply, writes messages and posts in your voice, and its AI setter answers the prospects who reply.

Strengths

  • A hard cap of 200 invitations per rolling week and 40 per day that no setting can raise. A newly connected account starts at 10 a day and ramps up gradually.
  • Sequences with yes/no branches (the prospect has an email, is a 1st-degree connection, liked your posts) that stop automatically at the first reply.
  • An AI setter on Growth and Business that replies to prospects who answer, in their language, qualifies the need and proposes your booking link.
  • LinkedIn and X posts written in your own voice, so prospects have seen your work before your message arrives.
  • Prospecting on X (follows and direct messages) in the same tool as LinkedIn.
  • An MCP server to drive it from ChatGPT and Claude, a native HubSpot integration and signed webhooks for n8n, Zapier and Make. Data hosted in the EU.

Limitations

  • Volume is capped by design: 200 invitations a week per account is too low for anyone who wants to send thousands of invitations from one profile.
  • AI-written messages and the AI setter require the Growth plan (€59.99 a month) or above.
  • Professional email finding is only on the Business plan, limited to 500 emails a month.

Price: Starter €29.99, Growth €59.99 and Business €99.99 per month, with 30% off on annual billing. AI-written messages and the AI setter start on Growth. The professional email finder (500 emails a month) is on Business.Checked on the vendor's public pricing page, October 2026.

#2Waalaxy

Best for: Beginners who want simple LinkedIn prospecting at a low entry price

Waalaxy made LinkedIn prospecting accessible to people who are not specialists. The interface is clear, the entry plan is one of the cheapest on the market, and the French company behind it has a large user community.

Strengths

  • Very easy to start with, with a clear interface
  • An entry plan at €19 a month, among the lowest on the market
  • LinkedIn and email in the same campaign on the Business plan
  • A large community and plenty of tutorials

Limitations

  • Real multichannel requires the Business plan at €69 per user per month
  • Per-seat pricing adds up quickly for a team
  • Runs through a browser extension and volume can be raised high, so restraint is up to you
  • No content generation for your own posts
  • Support described as slow by part of its users

Price: Free plan with 80 invitations a month. Pro €19, Advanced €49 and Business €69 per user per month, with roughly 50% off on annual billing.Checked on the vendor's public pricing page, March 2026.

#3La Growth Machine

Best for: European sales teams running LinkedIn, email and phone sequences

La Growth Machine is a French multichannel prospecting tool. One sequence chains LinkedIn, email and calls, and stops as soon as the person replies. It is well built and aimed at sales teams.

Strengths

  • Truly multichannel: LinkedIn, email, calls, and X on the top plan
  • Conditional sequences that stop at the first reply
  • Contact enrichment included in every plan
  • French company, euro billing, native CRM integrations on the top plan

Limitations

  • Billed per identity: three reps on Pro pay €360 a month, not €120
  • The €60 entry plan costs about twice the entry price of LinkedIn-only tools
  • Enrichment quotas are low for the price, 250 leads a month on Basic
  • No content generation for your own profile

Price: Basic €60 per identity per month (250 enriched leads, three identities at most). Pro €120 per identity (400 enriched leads, unlimited identities, calls included). Ultimate €120 per identity (1,000 enriched leads, unlimited campaigns, X channel). Two months free on annual plans.Checked on the vendor's public pricing page, September 2026.

#4lemlist

Best for: Teams whose main channel is cold email, with LinkedIn steps alongside

lemlist is one of the reference tools for cold email, with strong AI writing, deep personalisation and multichannel sequences that add LinkedIn steps. If email is truly your main channel, it is a solid choice.

Strengths

  • Excellent assisted writing and deep email personalisation
  • Email and LinkedIn steps in the same sequence
  • An active community and a large library of cold email resources
  • French company, which simplifies data processing questions for European buyers

Limitations

  • Long setup before the first email: separate sending domain, SPF, DKIM, DMARC and several weeks of warm-up
  • Per-user pricing, with enrichment credits on top
  • Oversized if your real channel is LinkedIn rather than email
  • No content generation for your own profile

Price: Email plan around $69 a month (about $55 billed annually). Multichannel plan around $109 per user per month (about $87 annually). Enterprise on quote. Enrichment credits are billed on top.Checked on the vendor's public pricing page, July 2026.

#5HeyReach

Best for: Agencies running many LinkedIn accounts from one place

HeyReach is built for agencies. You pay per connected LinkedIn account, connect as many as you need, and handle every conversation from one unified inbox. For an agency managing ten client accounts, it is a very good product.

Strengths

  • Designed from day one to run many LinkedIn accounts from one login
  • A unified inbox across all accounts
  • Separate client workspaces, and white label on the Agency plan
  • Many integrations: Clay, Smartlead, Instantly, HubSpot, Zapier, Make, API and webhooks
  • Unlimited users: only connected LinkedIn accounts are billed

Limitations

  • For a solo user, you pay for an agency tool at the price of a seat
  • English interface and support, billed in dollars
  • No built-in message or post writing
  • Daily volume is set per account, so discipline depends on you
  • No prospecting on X

Price: Growth: $79 per LinkedIn account per month ($63 billed annually), with 100 enrichment credits per account. Agency: $999 a month for 25 accounts. Unlimited: $2,999 a month, capped at 300 accounts. 14-day trial with three accounts.Checked on the vendor's public pricing page, October 2026.

#6Apollo

Best for: Teams that need a large B2B contact database for email and phone outreach

Apollo is the most widely used B2B contact database among English-speaking sales teams: hundreds of millions of profiles, verified emails and phone numbers, filters by technology and intent signals, and built-in email sequences.

Strengths

  • One of the largest B2B contact databases, with verified emails and phone numbers
  • Filters by technology used and by intent signals
  • Email sequences, calls and tasks in one place
  • A free plan to test the product

Limitations

  • LinkedIn automation is a secondary module that runs through an extension
  • Built for high-volume cold email, which requires deliverability work
  • The price multiplies with the number of seats
  • Coverage of small European companies is thinner than LinkedIn itself
  • No content generation

Price: Free plan with limited credits, then roughly $49 to $119 per seat per month on annual billing, in dollars.Checked on the vendor's public pricing page, September 2026.

#7Expandi

Best for: Full-time prospectors and agencies who want cloud LinkedIn sequences with branching

Expandi is one of the most complete LinkedIn prospecting tools. It runs in the cloud with a dedicated IP per account, offers conditional sequences that branch on what the prospect does, and personalises images and GIFs inside messages.

Strengths

  • Conditional sequences that adapt to what the prospect does
  • Personalised images and GIFs in messages
  • Cloud with a dedicated IP per account, unlimited campaigns
  • LinkedIn and email, webhooks and an agency dashboard

Limitations

  • $99 a month per account, with no entry plan
  • English interface and support, billed in dollars
  • Limits are adjustable, so they are defaults rather than protections
  • No content generation

Price: Business $99 per account per month (shown at $79 on promotion), with two months free on annual billing. Agency on quote from 10 accounts. 7-day trial. Billed in dollars.Checked on the vendor's public pricing page, September 2026.

#8Dripify

Best for: Beginners who want simple visual LinkedIn sequences in the cloud

Dripify is a cloud LinkedIn prospecting tool that is quick to learn, with visual drag-and-drop sequences and a dedicated IP.

Strengths

  • Visual sequences that are quick to build
  • Cloud with a dedicated IP, and a dedicated inbox on Pro
  • CSV export, webhooks and HubSpot on Pro, A/B tests on Advanced
  • 7-day trial with Advanced features

Limitations

  • The Pro plan advertises 75 connection requests a day, a pace that uses up a 200-a-week budget in under three days
  • Basic at $59 unlocks only one campaign and reduced quotas
  • English interface and support, billed in dollars
  • No AI writing and no content generation; LinkedIn only

Price: Basic $59, Pro $79 and Advanced $99 per month; $39, $59 and $79 on annual billing. Enterprise on quote. Basic is limited to one campaign and reduced quotas. 7-day trial.Checked on the vendor's public pricing page, September 2026.

#9Clay

Best for: Revenue teams that want to enrich and research accounts before outreach

Clay is a data enrichment workspace. It combines many data providers in one table, runs waterfall enrichment to find emails and company data, and uses an AI agent to research accounts and write personalised lines that you then send through an outreach tool.

Strengths

  • Many data providers in one place, with waterfall enrichment
  • An AI research agent that reads websites and profiles to fill custom fields
  • Very flexible tables for building and scoring lists
  • Connects to outreach tools, including HeyReach for LinkedIn

Limitations

  • Not a sending tool: you still need a LinkedIn or email tool to reach prospects
  • A steep learning curve for non-technical users
  • Credit consumption makes the monthly cost harder to predict
  • No content generation for your own profile

Price: Credit-based plans published on Clay's website. We did not record the amounts in our October 2026 check, so check clay.com/pricing before deciding.Not recorded in our check: see the vendor's pricing page.

#10PhantomBuster

Best for: Growth teams who want to extract LinkedIn data and build custom automations

PhantomBuster can extract almost any data from LinkedIn and send it wherever you want. Its library of Phantoms has no real equivalent, and it is excellent for building a custom data flow when you know what you are doing.

Strengths

  • A library of Phantoms that covers most data sources
  • Chainable automations that connect to almost any external tool
  • Excellent for custom data pipelines
  • A large community and many tutorials

Limitations

  • A toolbox to assemble rather than a ready-to-use prospecting tool
  • Execution time is billed, so the real cost depends on what you run
  • Acts from its own servers with your session cookie, and nothing caps your volume
  • No content generation

Price: Limited trial, then about $69 a month for the entry tier and $159 above, with tiers based on execution hours and the number of Phantoms running in parallel. Billed in dollars.Checked on the vendor's public pricing page, August 2026.

Which tool should you choose?

  • You prospect from your own LinkedIn account and want to keep it safeMakelead
  • You want the cheapest entry plan and a very simple interfaceWaalaxy
  • You run LinkedIn, email and phone sequences as a teamLa Growth Machine
  • Cold email is your main channellemlist
  • You are an agency running many LinkedIn accountsHeyReach
  • You need a contact database for email and phoneApollo
  • You need to enrich and research lists before outreachClay

Frequently asked questions

What is the best LinkedIn prospecting tool in 2026?

For people who prospect from their own account, Makelead: a fixed cap of 200 invitations a week and 40 a day, an AI setter that replies to prospects on Growth and Business, LinkedIn and X in one tool, posts written in your voice, from €29.99 a month. For agencies running many accounts, HeyReach is built for that use. For a contact database aimed at cold email, Apollo.

How many LinkedIn invitations can I send per week without risking my account?

LinkedIn does not publish an official number. Makelead applies 200 invitations per rolling week and 40 per day at most, for every account, and a newly connected account starts at 10 a day before ramping up. Tools that let you raise these limits leave the risk with you.

What is the difference between Makelead and Waalaxy?

Waalaxy covers LinkedIn and, on its Business plan, email, from €19 a month per user, with volume you can raise up to 800 invitations a month. Makelead covers LinkedIn and X, writes your messages and posts in your voice, has an AI setter on Growth and Business, and enforces a cap of 200 invitations a week that cannot be raised. Plans start at €29.99 a month.

What is the best Apollo alternative for LinkedIn?

Makelead. Apollo is a contact database built for cold email, and its LinkedIn automation is a secondary module run through an extension. Makelead is built for LinkedIn and X: sequences with branches that stop at the first reply, an AI setter, posts in your voice, and a cap of 200 invitations a week that protects the account. Its Business plan also finds 500 professional emails a month.

How long can a LinkedIn invitation note be?

200 characters, according to LinkedIn's help pages. Makelead's invitation note generator (no signup) counts characters, including variables such as the first name, so the note is never cut.

How much does Makelead cost?

Starter €29.99, Growth €59.99 and Business €99.99 per month, with 30% off on annual billing. AI messages and the AI setter start on Growth; the email finder (500 emails a month) is on Business.

Prospect on LinkedIn and X without risking your account.

200 invitations a week at most, an AI setter that answers your prospects, posts in your voice. From €29.99 a month.