Best LinkedIn Automation Tools: Honest Comparison for B2B Outreach
LinkedIn automation tools can save you hours of manual prospecting work. But pick the wrong one and you'll burn money on features you don't need—or worse, get your LinkedIn account restricted.
I've tested the major players in this space. Here's my breakdown of what actually works, what doesn't, and which tool makes sense for your situation.
Quick Comparison: Top LinkedIn Automation Tools
| Tool | Starting Price | Best For | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expandi | $99/month | Sales teams, agencies | Cloud-based |
| Dux-Soup | $14.99/month | Budget-conscious users | Chrome extension + Cloud |
| Waalaxy | $44/month | Beginners, multi-channel | Chrome extension |
| Linked Helper | $15/month | Power users on a budget | Desktop app |
| HeyReach | $79/month | Agencies managing multiple accounts | Cloud-based |
1. Expandi – Best Overall for Serious Outreach
Expandi is the tool I recommend most often for sales teams and agencies who need reliable LinkedIn automation at scale.
Pricing
- Business Plan: $99/month per LinkedIn account
- Annual Plan: $79/month ($950/year) – saves you two months
- Agency Plan: Custom pricing for 10+ accounts with volume discounts
- Free Trial: 7 days with full feature access
What's Good
Expandi runs entirely in the cloud, meaning your campaigns continue even when your computer is off. The platform includes smart sequences with if/then logic, so you can build workflows like "If connected → Send message → If no reply in 3 days → Send follow-up."
The safety features are solid. You get a dedicated IP address per country, randomized delays between actions, and automatic warm-up for new accounts. These aren't just marketing claims—Expandi has built its reputation on keeping accounts safe during high-volume outreach.
Other features worth noting:
- Built-in A/B testing for message optimization
- Multichannel outreach (LinkedIn + email)
- 11+ campaign types including event invitations
- CRM integrations via Zapier, Pipedrive, and Salesforce
- Personalized images and GIFs through Hyperise integration
What's Not Great
The $99/month per account adds up fast if you're managing multiple LinkedIn profiles. The interface can feel overwhelming for beginners—there's a learning curve before you're comfortable with all the settings. Some users also report the dashboard can be slow at times.
No direct HubSpot integration, which is annoying if that's your CRM.
Who Should Use Expandi
Sales teams and agencies running serious outbound campaigns. If you need cloud-based automation that runs 24/7 with strong safety features, Expandi delivers. Not ideal for solo entrepreneurs or tight budgets.
2. Dux-Soup – Best Budget Option
Dux-Soup has been around since 2015, making it one of the oldest LinkedIn automation tools. It's a solid choice if you want reliable automation without breaking the bank.
Pricing
- Free Plan: Basic profile visiting and prospect finding
- Pro Dux: $14.99/month ($11.25/month annually) – connection requests and messages
- Turbo Dux: $55/month ($41.25/month annually) – drip campaigns, CRM integration
- Cloud Dux: $99/month ($74.17/month annually) – 24/7 cloud automation
- Free Trial: 14 days on Turbo plan, no credit card required
What's Good
The Pro plan at $14.99/month gives you the essentials: automated connection requests, personalized messages, and list management. That's roughly six times cheaper than Expandi for basic LinkedIn automation.
The Turbo plan adds multi-touch drip campaigns with up to 12 actions per campaign, plus integrations with HubSpot, Pipedrive, and SharpSpring. If you need to run more sophisticated sequences but don't want to pay $99/month, this is your sweet spot.
Dux-Soup also offers flexible deployment. You can run it as a Chrome extension for lighter use or upgrade to Cloud for always-on campaigns.
What's Not Great
The Pro and Turbo plans run as a Chrome extension, which means your computer needs to stay on for campaigns to run. Some users report the extension can interfere with regular LinkedIn browsing—it occasionally refreshes pages unexpectedly.
The interface feels dated compared to newer tools. And while Dux-Soup is generally safe, Chrome extensions carry more detection risk than cloud-based tools.
Who Should Use Dux-Soup
Individual salespeople, recruiters, and small businesses who want affordable LinkedIn automation. The Turbo plan offers excellent value for drip campaigns without the premium price tag.
3. Waalaxy – Best for Beginners
Waalaxy positions itself as the easiest LinkedIn automation tool to get started with. No technical skills required—you can launch your first campaign in minutes.
Pricing
- Free Plan: 80 LinkedIn invitations/month, 25 email finder credits
- Pro: ~$44/month – 300 invitations/month, CRM sync
- Advanced: ~$88/month – 800 invitations/month
- Business: ~$131/month – LinkedIn + email outreach, 500 email finder credits
- Annual billing: 50% discount on all plans
- Free Trial: 7 days on paid plans, no credit card required
What's Good
The free plan is legitimately useful for testing the waters. You get 80 invitations per month—enough to see if LinkedIn automation fits your workflow.
Waalaxy excels at importing leads. You can pull prospects from LinkedIn search, Sales Navigator, events, and groups. The sequence builder is intuitive with pre-built templates that work out of the box.
The Business plan adds email outreach through Dropcontact integration, turning it into a true multi-channel prospecting tool. If you're looking to combine LinkedIn and email in one platform, this is a clean solution.
What's Not Great
Waalaxy has increased prices significantly without adding equivalent features. Some users feel it's now overpriced for what you get. The inbox feature costs an extra $44/month on top of your plan, which feels nickel-and-dime.
It runs as a Chrome extension, which means the same safety concerns as Dux-Soup. Campaigns require your browser to be open unless you're on a paid cloud plan.
You're capped at 800 invitations per month even on the highest tier, and each campaign maxes out at 2,500 leads. Heavy prospectors will hit these limits fast.
Who Should Use Waalaxy
Beginners who want an easy entry point into LinkedIn automation. The free plan is genuinely useful, and the interface is approachable. But if you're scaling up, you'll likely outgrow it.
4. Linked Helper – Best for Power Users on a Budget
Linked Helper is a desktop application (not a Chrome extension or cloud tool) that offers one of the most feature-rich experiences at a low price point.
Pricing
- Standard: $15/month – basic automation, 610 email finder credits
- Pro: $45/month – advanced features, 3,200 email finder credits
- Free Trial: 14 days, no credit card required
What's Good
At $15-45/month, Linked Helper packs an absurd amount of features. You get auto connection requests, drip campaigns with reply detection, profile visiting, endorsements, and even a built-in CRM for managing leads.
It works with LinkedIn Premium, Sales Navigator, Recruiter Lite, and standard LinkedIn accounts. Direct integrations with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Close, Zoho CRM, Salesforce, and more.
The Boost Post feature is unique—it automatically tags contacts on posts to drive engagement and warm up prospects before outreach.
What's Not Great
Linked Helper is a desktop app, so your computer must stay on for campaigns to run. You can install it on a remote server to work around this, but that adds complexity.
The interface looks dated. It's functional but won't win any design awards. There's also a steeper learning curve compared to beginner-friendly tools like Waalaxy.
Because it's a downloadable app rather than a cloud tool, there's slightly higher detection risk from LinkedIn.
Who Should Use Linked Helper
Power users who want maximum features at minimum cost and don't mind a desktop-based workflow. If you're technical enough to manage the setup, the value is hard to beat.
5. HeyReach – Best for Agencies
HeyReach is built specifically for agencies and teams managing multiple LinkedIn accounts under one roof.
Pricing
- Starter: $79/month – for individual users or small teams
- Agency: $999/month – up to 50 LinkedIn senders
- Unlimited: $1,999/month – unlimited accounts, up to 10 workspaces
- Free Trial: 14 days with up to 3 seats, no credit card required
What's Good
HeyReach lets you connect unlimited LinkedIn accounts for one flat fee (on higher plans) and automatically rotates sending between them. This spreads activity across accounts to stay under LinkedIn's radar while maximizing reach.
The shared team inbox is a standout feature. Multiple team members can manage responses across accounts from one dashboard—something most competitors charge extra for or don't offer at all.
It integrates particularly well with Clay for data enrichment, making it popular in the modern sales stack.
What's Not Great
The pricing jump between Starter ($79/month) and Agency ($999/month) is massive. If you need more than one account but fewer than 50, you're stuck paying for capacity you won't use.
It's a newer tool compared to veterans like Dux-Soup and Expandi, so the feature set is still maturing.
Who Should Use HeyReach
Agencies and sales teams managing 5+ LinkedIn accounts who need centralized campaign management and shared inboxes. The flat-fee model makes it cost-effective at scale.
Other Tools Worth Mentioning
Zopto
Enterprise-focused with live dashboards and ChatGPT AI integration. Pricing around $197/month. Good for large teams but expensive for the feature set. Requires Sales Navigator.
Phantombuster
More of a data extraction tool than outreach automation. Great for scraping LinkedIn profiles and building prospect lists, but you'll need another tool for the actual outreach. Starting around $69/month.
Meet Alfred
Multi-channel automation across LinkedIn, email, and Twitter. Good for teams wanting to consolidate their outreach tools. Pricing starts around $49/month.
Octopus CRM
Ultra-cheap option starting at $6.99/month. Very basic features—fine for simple connection automation but limited compared to alternatives. Chrome extension only.
How to Choose the Right LinkedIn Automation Tool
Consider Your Setup
Cloud-based tools (Expandi, HeyReach) run 24/7 without keeping your computer on. They're generally safer since they don't modify LinkedIn's code in your browser.
Chrome extensions (Waalaxy, Dux-Soup's lower tiers) require your browser to be open. More detection risk but often cheaper.
Desktop apps (Linked Helper) need your computer running but don't embed into LinkedIn's page, which some argue is safer than extensions.
Match Features to Your Needs
- Just starting out? Waalaxy's free plan or Dux-Soup Pro ($15/month)
- Need drip campaigns? Dux-Soup Turbo ($55/month) or Expandi ($99/month)
- Running an agency? HeyReach Agency ($999/month) or Expandi with multiple seats
- Multi-channel outreach? Waalaxy Business or Lemlist for email-heavy workflows
Safety Matters
LinkedIn actively detects and restricts automation. Key safety features to look for:
- Randomized delays between actions
- Human-like behavior simulation
- Dedicated IP addresses
- Account warm-up features
- Smart daily limits
Cloud-based tools generally have better safety records than browser extensions.
Building a Complete Outreach Stack
LinkedIn automation is just one piece of the puzzle. Here's how these tools fit into a broader B2B outreach workflow:
- Data enrichment: Clay or RocketReach for finding emails and building prospect lists
- LinkedIn automation: Expandi, Dux-Soup, or your tool of choice
- Email outreach: Smartlead or Instantly for cold email at scale
- CRM: Close CRM or HubSpot for managing leads and follow-ups
If you're looking for broader guidance on CRM options, check out our guide on CRM for small business or our best CRM software comparison.
Bottom Line
For most users: Expandi at $99/month delivers the best balance of features, safety, and reliability. Yes, it's more expensive than alternatives, but the cloud-based operation and robust automation justify the cost for serious prospectors.
On a budget: Dux-Soup Turbo ($55/month) gives you drip campaigns and CRM integration at nearly half the price of Expandi. Or start with their Pro plan at $15/month for the basics.
Just testing: Waalaxy's free plan lets you run 80 invitations per month with no commitment. It's enough to see if LinkedIn automation works for your sales process.
Running an agency: HeyReach's flat-fee model for unlimited accounts makes it the most cost-effective option when managing 10+ LinkedIn profiles.
Whatever you choose, start with their free trial before committing. LinkedIn automation can dramatically accelerate your outreach—but only if you pick a tool that matches your workflow and budget.