Thanks to the wonders of artificial intelligence, the barrier to entry in sales has never been lower. Tools such as Craftdraft allow anyone to get started with cold email campaigns that bring new revenue. But is Craft Draft any good for your specific business?
Today, we take a look at Craftdraft, its most valuable features and apps, pros and cons, and pricing, as well as discover some alternatives you can try instead.
What is Craftdraft?
Craftdraft is an automated cold email tool that lets sales teams and agencies close new business through AI-powered cold outreach. Grab their templates or create your own cold emails that turn prospects into customers.
Craftdraft: top features
Even though Craftdraft is fairly new in the market, it boasts a range of features that make it interesting for sales teams. Among others, you can find the following when you get started with this app:
- Lead list builder
- Multi-channel outreach with templates
- LinkedIn AI assistant with personalized outreach and connection requests
- Email AI personalization and writing
- AI content writer (for all types of written content)
Craftdraft pricing
There is only one pricing plan on the Craft Draft website, and it’s called Sales Pro.
When purchased on a monthly basis, it costs $59 per month. Annually, you can get it for $590.
This plan gives you the ability to create cold outreach campaigns, and 1,000 of each: emails and LinkedIn messages, LinkedIn connections, and AI-crafted messages, all for one user.
There is no free trial available.
The downsides of Craftdraft for cold email
Before you connect Craftdraft with the rest of the apps in your sales stack, there is one downside your organization should keep in mind.
Craft draft is very new in the cold email tool market and there are no available reviews of this tool online. Despite the company stating that they have more than 200 customers, we could not find any mention of their reviews in a social media post, on a review website, and other sources.
The best Craftdraft alternatives to try in 2024
Looking for a more established service with more variety in pricing plans? Here are some excellent alternatives you can try out.
Woodpecker
Woodpecker is an all-in-one tool designed to enhance your outreach efforts, whether you’re part of an agency or a business. It offers robust features to ensure your email campaigns are effective and efficient.
Top Features:
- Email Warmup: Uses a unique algorithm to simulate real human interactions, improving deliverability and avoiding spam folders.
- Email Verification: Checks email addresses for validity before outreach to ensure messages reach real recipients.
- Drip Campaign Builder: Create campaigns with a drag-and-drop builder and set up automation based on recipient actions.
- Comprehensive Dashboard: Monitor key metrics such as bounce rate and split test campaigns to optimize results.
- Integrations: Connect with CRMs (Pipedrive, HubSpot), communication tools (Slack), scheduling tools (Calendly), and create custom integrations via Zapier.
- AI Features: Access AI tools for easy email personalization and assistance.
- Deliverability Tools: Includes features like inbox rotation and bounce shield to ensure emails reach the primary inbox.
Pricing: Woodpecker’s pricing starts at:
- $29/month: Includes 500 contacted prospects, 2,000 stored contacts, free email warmup and verification, unlimited team members and accounts, inbox rotation, bounce shield, AI email writing assistant, and split testing.
Downsides:
- Limited Customization: While feature-rich, the tool may have limitations in terms of customization for specific needs.
User Reviews:
- Positive Feedback: Users appreciate the comprehensive feature set, including the email warmup and verification processes, as well as the integration options.
- Value for Money: The tool is noted for providing significant value at an affordable price, with a free trial available to test its capabilities.
Grab your free trial of Woodpecker and start sending cold emails today!
Reply.io
Reply is a multichannel sales engagement platform designed for both inbound and outbound sales. It offers a variety of features to streamline and optimize sales outreach across multiple channels.
Top Features:
- A/B Testing: Test different outreach strategies to find the most effective approach.
- If-Campaigns: Automate campaigns based on specific triggers and conditions.
- Follow-Ups in One Thread: Manage follow-ups within a single thread for better organization.
- Built-In Email Validation: Ensure email addresses are valid to improve deliverability.
- Timezone Detection: Schedule communications based on the recipient’s time zone.
- AI Support: Offers AI features with varying credits depending on the plan.
- Reply Data: Access a database of business contacts for outreach purposes.
Pricing: Reply offers several plans:
- Sales Engagement:
- Email Volume Plan: Starts at $59/month (billed monthly), includes email automation, unlimited mailboxes, email warmup, contact storage, and unlimited emails.
- Multichannel Plan: $89/user/month (billed annually), supports all-in-one prospecting, multichannel automation, and up to 10 mailboxes per user.
- Agency Plan: $166/month (billed annually), designed for client outreach with unlimited clients and users, email automation, and anti-spam features.
- AI SDR Plan: $259/month (billed annually), includes 1,000 active contacts per month.
- AI Chat:
- Free Plan: Basic features for AI chat.
- Pro Plan: $50/month with additional features.
Downsides:
- Limited AI Credits: AI features are restricted in lower-tier plans.
- Deliverability Monitor: Lacks comprehensive monitoring for email deliverability.
- Customization Options: Limited options for customizing emails, which may affect presentation.
- Overwhelming Interface: The platform can be complex to navigate initially.
User Reviews:
- Organization Issues: “Users complain that there are too many labels and tags in Reply, making it hard to organize emails.”
- Customization Limitations: “Reply needs more options for customizing emails, which may be a problem for users who want specific email designs.”
- Bundling Issues: “You can’t easily send one email to many people from the same company, and there’s no bundling option.”
- Deliverability Concerns: “You need another platform to ensure emails reach inboxes.”
PersistIQ
PersistIQ is a sales engagement platform designed for small teams looking to enhance their outreach efforts. It supports multi-channel engagement and integrates with popular CRM systems.
Top Features:
- Multi-Channel Sales Outreach: Engage prospects through various channels.
- Contact Prospecting: Find and manage potential leads.
- CRM Integrations: Works with HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zapier to streamline operations.
- Sales Email AI: Utilizes AI to create and manage email sequences and follow-ups.
Pricing: PersistIQ offers three plans:
- Essentials Plan: $59/user/month, includes 500 AI email replies per month and 300 daily emails.
- Premium Plan: $99/user/month, provides 1,000 AI email replies and 600 daily emails.
- Teams Plan: $59/user/month with a minimum of three user seats required.
Downsides:
- Customer Support: Reports suggest that support could be improved.
- Lead Data Accuracy: Lead information may not always be precise.
- Performance Issues: Some users experience lower-than-expected results and a buggy interface.
User Reviews:
- Poor Performance: “They indicated we should expect around 10 appointments per month. So far, we haven’t received a single positive reply from the thousands of emails sent on our behalf. Despite promises of revisiting the agreement, they have been unwilling to adjust or terminate the contract.”
- Initial Challenges: “We noticed a lower number of meetings in the first month. However, after discussing the results, the team adjusted the campaign strategy and lead list, which improved performance in subsequent tests.”
Mails.ai
Mails.ai is an AI-powered tool designed for automating cold email campaigns. It provides a comprehensive set of features to help users create, deliver, and optimize their email outreach sequences.
Top Features:
- Easy Sequence Builder: Simplifies the creation of email sequences.
- Email Verification: Ensures that email addresses are valid and deliverable.
- Email Warmup: Prepares your email inbox to improve deliverability.
- Unlimited Accounts: Allows for managing multiple accounts without restrictions.
- AI Email Writer: Generates and personalizes email content using AI.
- Inbox Rotation: Enhances deliverability by rotating inboxes.
Pricing: Mails.ai offers four pricing plans:
- Free Plan: Provides unlimited accounts and email warmup but no contact credits.
- Startup Plan: $24/month for 1,000 contacts per month with unlimited emails and warmups.
- Growth Plan: $59/month for 5,000 contacts and unlimited features.
- Pro Plan: $99/month with unlimited contacts, emails, features, and warmups.
Downsides:
- User Interface: The interface and overall user experience could be more streamlined and visually appealing.
User Reviews:
- Interface Concerns: “User interface & UX could have been more pleasing to the eyes and simpler.”
- Comprehensive Tool: “Mails.ai is an all-in-one platform offering a seamless experience, from email verification to warmup and cold email outreach. I find the deliverability with Mails.ai higher and it is budget-friendly, providing great value for money.”
Clay
Clay is designed to scale personalized outreach efforts through enriched contact data and advanced AI features. It aims to enhance lead generation and email campaigns with its comprehensive toolset.
Top Features:
- Extensive Integrations: Connects with over 75 data sources to gather lead information.
- Waterfall Enrichment: Collects data from multiple providers simultaneously for more comprehensive lead profiles.
- AI Research Agent: Uses AI to conduct in-depth research on leads.
- AI Email Builder: Personalizes outreach based on enriched data for targeted communication.
Pricing: Clay offers five plans:
- Free Plan: 100 monthly credits for initial testing.
- Starter Plan: $149/month for 2,000 credits.
- Explorer Plan: $349/month for 10,000 credits.
- Pro Plan: $800/month for 50,000 credits.
- Enterprise Plan: Pricing is available upon request.
Downsides:
- Limited Templates: Fewer outreach templates are available compared to some competitors.
- Confusing Credits System: The credit-based model can be unclear and potentially costly.
- Learning Curve: The feature-rich nature of the tool may require time to be fully mastered.
- Buggy HubSpot Integration: Integration with HubSpot can experience occasional issues.
User Reviews:
- Credit Value Concerns: “The Clay credits are overpriced. They’re not valuable over using the API key directly. I don’t use Clay for the credits, I use it for the features and the amazing company and people search. Sometimes a Clay credit is 10x more expensive than its API counterpart. And this is ridiculous. Despite all of this, Clay is a game changer and will disrupt the world of no-code outbound sales.”
- Template and Integration Issues: “It’s an early product with some nooks and crannies that could always be improved – more templates would go a long way. HubSpot integration has a few bugs but they’re working with me on it.”
Conclusion
Craftdraft is a fairly new app on the market. While it has a good feature set, you might get scared off by the fact it has no reviews from existing users. And if this is too much of a gamble for your business, why not get a reputable cold email tool that delivers real results?
With Woodpecker, you can create, automate, and send out cold email campaigns that drive real business results.
Don’t take our word for it. Get started today and grab a free trial of Woodpecker!
FAQ on Craftdraft
What is Craft Draft used for?
Craft Draft is an AI-powered cold email tool that allows sales teams to create campaigns, build lists, and send personalized outreach emails. It supports LinkedIn and email automation to turn leads into customers effectively.
How does Craft Draft compare to other tools?
While Craft Draft offers useful features for cold email campaigns, it lacks reviews and some advanced functionalities. For a more established option with proven results, consider Woodpecker, a robust tool for sales and lead-gen agencies.
Are there alternatives to Craft Draft for lead generation?
Yes, tools like Woodpecker provide comprehensive lead generation features, including email warmup and deliverability monitoring. Unlike Craft Draft, it integrates seamlessly with CRMs and provides detailed analytics.
How does Craft Draft help with LinkedIn outreach?
Craft Draft’s LinkedIn assistant sends personalized connection requests and messages to engage leads. However, for advanced multi-channel outreach, check out the best tools for sales agencies.
Is Craft Draft the best option for beginners?
Craft Draft lacks reviews and guidance for beginners. If you’re new to sales automation, explore beginner-friendly tools like Systeme.io, Gocustomer, or Woodpecker, which simplifies email campaigns and lead nurturing for small teams.