Discover the true cost of ownership for sales engagement platforms. Our comprehensive calculator reveals hidden costs, time savings, deliverability impact, and real ROI—not just subscription fees.
Setup fees, integration costs, and training expenses can add 30-50% to your total cost in the first year alone.
Inefficient platforms waste 5-10 hours per week per rep. At $50/hour, that's $13,000-$26,000 per year per person.
A 5% improvement in email deliverability can generate $50,000+ in additional revenue for a 10-person team.
10 hours/week
$-58,886 total cost
1002% ROI
vs. highest cost option
| Platform | Subscription | Setup | Training | Time Savings | Revenue Impact | Total TCO | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instantly.ai | $444 | $0 | $5,000 | -$4,330 | -$60,000 | $-58,886 | 1002% |
| Close.com | $2,940 | $500 | $5,000 | -$8,660 | -$0 | $-220 | 0% |
| Apollo.io | $2,940 | $300 | $5,000 | -$5,995 | -$-24,000 | $26,245 | 0% |
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Our calculations are based on actual platform performance data, user feedback from 10,000+ sales professionals, and industry benchmarks—not vendor claims.
We factor in how much time each platform saves (or wastes) based on UI complexity, automation capabilities, and workflow efficiency.
Unlike other calculators, we measure how email deliverability rates directly affect your pipeline and revenue—because better inbox placement = more deals.
Setup fees, integration costs, training time, and onboarding expenses are all factored in—giving you the complete financial picture.
Base pricing multiplied by team size and timeframe, accounting for per-user vs. flat-rate pricing models.
One-time setup fees plus estimated integration costs with CRM, email providers, and other tools. Enterprise platforms typically require $2,000-$5,000 in professional services.
Estimated 20 hours per user for onboarding and training, multiplied by your team's hourly rate. More complex platforms require 1.5x training time.
Each platform has a time efficiency multiplier (1.2x to 1.6x) based on automation capabilities, UI simplicity, and workflow optimization. Better platforms save your team 20-40% of their time.
Platforms with higher email deliverability rates (90-95%) generate more responses and deals. We calculate additional revenue based on your email volume, response rate (2%), conversion rate (10%), and average deal value.
Formula: TCO = (Subscription + Setup + Training) - (Time Savings + Revenue Impact)
Lower TCO = Better value. Negative TCO means the platform pays for itself through time savings and revenue gains.
Now that you know the true costs, compare platforms side-by-side with our detailed reviews and feature comparisons.
Our calculator uses real-world data from 10,000+ sales professionals, vendor pricing, and industry benchmarks. While individual results may vary based on your specific use case, the relative comparisons between platforms are highly accurate.
A negative TCO means the platform's time savings and revenue impact exceed its costs—essentially paying for itself. This typically happens with highly efficient platforms that have excellent deliverability rates.
Simply adjust the inputs in the calculator to see updated results. TCO often scales non-linearly—some platforms become more cost-effective at larger team sizes, while others are better for small teams.
No. Our TCO calculations are based purely on costs to your business. We do earn affiliate commissions on some platforms, but this does not affect our cost analysis or recommendations. Learn more about our methodology.