Istos, 11x and Artisan: an AI SDR, or an agent that asks first
A fair, dated look at two AI sales development reps, 11x's Alice and Artisan's Ava, next to Istos. What each one does on its own, how you find out the price, and when an autonomous SDR is the better pick.
I build Istos, so read this knowing that. Everything I say about 11x (opens in a new tab) and Artisan (opens in a new tab) comes from their own websites, linked in the sources at the end and read on 8 October 2026. Where a page didn't say something, I say so instead of guessing.
"AI SDR" has become its own category. The idea is simple: instead of hiring a sales development rep to find prospects, write to them, chase replies and book meetings, you hire software that does all of it, around the clock. 11x calls its outbound worker Alice. Artisan calls its AI BDR Ava. Both are built to run on their own once they're set up.
Istos sits at the other end of that dial. Its agents find and draft, and then every message waits for you to approve it. In Istos, approval isn't a setting you can turn off. It's the whole product. So this is less "which is better" and more "which way of working fits you".
At a glance
Istos, 11x and Artisan compared for outbound sales. Checked against each company's own website on 8 Oct 2026. Prices are in US dollars as their pages showed them; they change, so check the sources below before you decide.
What each one is for
11x sells "digital workers". Alice is its outbound worker. Its page describes her finding buyers, researching them, writing personalised messages, running multi-touch campaigns, handling replies and booking meetings, "24/7", and improving with every interaction. It says she can reach new markets in over 105 languages, sync with your CRM, and work through 11x's own deliverability engine. Julian is its inbound worker, which qualifies leads and answers by phone. The site lists SOC 2 compliance and end-to-end encryption of customer data. It doesn't publish prices: every route leads to a live demo.
Artisan sells Ava, "the AI BDR". Its pricing page lays out three plans by volume: Team, for "teams running their first serious outbound motion", at about 2,500 leads contacted a month; Scale at about 6,000; and Enterprise, custom. Prices are scoped with its sales team. Every plan includes every campaign type, autonomous replies and meeting booking, 250M+ verified B2B contacts, Salesforce and HubSpot sync, and onboarding with a customer success manager. Its FAQ is direct about control: you can approve before sending, lock tone and calls to action, set banned phrases and coach Ava's writing, and it describes Ava as "autonomous by default, adjustable by design". Ava sends in your reps' names, from your own sending domains. Artisan lists SOC 2 Type II, SSO and audit logs.
Istos starts from leads you already have or can name: people you add by hand or paste in from a spreadsheet, your LinkedIn connections on Pro, and companies you pick from the news. It checks addresses with your own email finder accounts, drafts one short first email per person, and puts it in your queue with the reason it was written. Nothing goes out until you approve it, and then it goes from your own Gmail or your own mailbox. It never sends a follow-up on its own. The same account also runs a job search and an investor pipeline.
The real difference: who presses send
Both AI SDRs are built so that work happens while you sleep. That's their promise, and for a sales team measured on meetings booked, it's a real one.
Istos is built on the opposite rule. Every email waits for you. I wrote about why in why nothing sends without your approval, but the short version is that your name is on every message, and a person who reads a draft for ten seconds catches things software won't: a company that just changed direction, a founder who left, a line that sounds wrong.
Artisan lets you turn approval on, which is worth knowing. The difference is the default. In an AI SDR, approval is a setting on an autonomous worker. In Istos, approval is the only way anything leaves.
Where Istos fits
- You're writing to dozens of people, not thousands. A founder looking for the first customers, a freelancer pitching projects, a small studio. A good first email matters more than another channel.
- You want it to sound like you. Drafts come from your own documents and voice rules, short and about one thing. How to write a first email a founder will answer shows the shape.
- You want to see everything before it goes. One queue, every draft with its reason, nothing sent until you approve.
- You send from your own address. Replies come back to you, and Istos never sends one account's email with another account's mailbox.
- You're also hiring, job hunting or raising. One account covers jobs, leads and investors.
Where they're stronger
- Volume while you're away. Both run outbound around the clock without waiting for anyone. Istos waits for you, every time.
- Contact data. Artisan includes a database of 250M+ verified contacts and 11x a real-time lead database. Istos has no database. It works from your list, your network and the news, and finds addresses through finder accounts you connect yourself.
- Channels and follow-ups. Multi-channel sequences, automated follow-ups and reply handling are built in to both. Istos sends one approved email at a time and only reminds you about follow-ups.
- Inbound and calls. 11x's Julian handles inbound leads and phone calls. Artisan pairs Ava with a dialer for your reps.
- CRM sync. Both sync with a CRM. Istos has its own simple pipeline.
- Support and security paperwork. Both offer onboarding with real people, and both list SOC 2. Istos is new, in private beta, and claims no certification.
When to choose them instead
- Choose 11x (opens in a new tab) if you want outbound and inbound handled by AI workers across channels and languages, and you're ready for a sales conversation to scope it.
- Choose Artisan (opens in a new tab) if you want an AI BDR with its own contact data and sending set up for you, sized by lead volume, with the option to approve sends while you build trust.
- Choose Istos if every email has your name on it, the list is short, and you'd rather spend ten minutes a day reading drafts than find out later what was sent.
How we checked
On 8 October 2026 we read each company's own pages, linked below: 11x's home page and its page for Alice, and Artisan's pricing page with its FAQ. We didn't use review sites or third-party lists. Neither company publishes a price, so we haven't guessed one. Results and customer quotes on their sites are theirs, and we haven't repeated them here. If you work at either company and something here is wrong or out of date, email info@istosagent.com and we'll fix it.
Sources
- Istos Agent, Pricing. Checked 8 Oct 2026.
- 11x, 11x home page and Alice, the outbound digital worker (opens in a new tab). Checked 8 Oct 2026.
- Artisan, Artisan plans and pricing, with FAQ (opens in a new tab). Checked 8 Oct 2026.
Let the agents do the searching
Istos is in private beta. Join early access, or try the free preview on your resume, your website or your raise first. Nothing sends until you approve it.