Guide · Updated 4 October 2026
How much does appointment setting cost in 2026?
Short answer: from about $99 per meeting to about $12,000 a month, depending on the model. Pay-per-meeting vendors publish $99 to $499 per attended meeting, full-service programs start around $3,000 a month, and a dedicated outsourced SDR runs $11,950 per 4 weeks. Every price below is from the vendor's own page, seen 4 October 2026.
Published prices, by model
| Model | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pay per attended meeting | $99 to $499 per meeting | ScaliQ |
| Full-service monthly program | from about $3,000 a month | Leads at Scale |
| Managed outbound | $5,000 setup, $2,000/mo team, $499/mo platform, SDRs extra | CIENCE |
| Dedicated outsourced SDR | $11,950 per 4 weeks (1 SDR) | SalesRoads |
“Most full-service B2B appointment setting programs start around $3,000 a month”
Doing it in-house
| Cost | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| SDR average base salary (US) | $51,677 | Payscale, 840 salary profiles |
| SDR average salary (US) | $57,921 | Built In |
| Telemarketer median wage (US, 2025) | $17.04 an hour, $35,450 a year | O*NET, US Department of Labor |
| Cold email tool: Smartlead Base | $39 a month | Smartlead |
| Cold email tool: Salesforge Pro | $40 a month | Salesforge |
| Cold email tool: Instantly Growth | $47 a month | Instantly |
The tools are the cheap part. Salary, benefits, the months it takes a new SDR to ramp, and the owner's time managing them are the expensive part. See hiring an SDR vs done-for-you for ramp, tenure and quota data.
How to compare quotes
- What counts as a meeting? Attended, or just booked? With the decision maker, or anyone? Matching your ideal client, or any company?
- Who owns the inboxes and domains? Sending from your main domain puts your everyday email at risk.
- What happens if they miss? A retainer pays for effort. A guarantee pays for results.
- Setup fees and minimum terms. Some programs charge setup up front or sell in 4-week blocks.
Where NULLTOUCH fits
NULLTOUCH books sales calls for marketing agencies in the US and Canada, done for you, from inboxes set up in the agency's name. The guarantee is 15 booked calls in 60 days, or a full refund. The 60 days start at your first send, and it holds when you approve your targeting and emails within 48h and take the booked calls. Pricing is on the intro call.
Book an intro callQuestions
How much does appointment setting cost?
It depends on the model. Published prices seen in October 2026: pay-per-meeting from $99 to $499 per attended meeting (ScaliQ), full-service programs starting around $3,000 a month (Leads at Scale), and a dedicated SDR program at $11,950 per 4 weeks for one SDR (SalesRoads).
Is pay-per-meeting appointment setting worth it?
It shifts the risk to the vendor, so check what counts as a meeting. ScaliQ, for example, prices per attended meeting, with most campaigns between $99 and $499 per meeting.
What does it cost to do cold email appointment setting yourself?
The sending tools are cheap: Smartlead's Base plan is $39 a month, Salesforge Pro is $40 a month and Instantly's Growth plan is $47 a month. The real cost is the time to build lists, write, follow up and answer replies, or a salary: Payscale puts the average US SDR base salary at $51,677.