The same test, run the same way, for every tool.
Every SDR Score comes from one place: the four things buyers actually compare, scored the same way for each tool from public, verifiable sources, then re-checked monthly. Here's exactly how — including where paid placement stops.
I'll state my position first, because it's the whole point of a page like this. I research and score every tool in the Index myself, and no commercial relationship decides the order. Some vendors pay for featured placement — I'll come to that — but it doesn't move their number. If it did, this would be an ad, not an index.
The SDR Score, in one line
Each tool gets a single number from 0 to 100: the SDR Score. It's the equal-weighted mean of four factors, each scored 0–100. No secret weighting, no thumb on the scale — add the four, divide by four. That's deliberate: the headline number and the factor bars on a comparison page can never disagree, because the headline is the average of the bars.
The four factors we score
Strip away each vendor's invented vocabulary and they're all doing the same handful of jobs. We score that across four factors, weighted equally.
Each factor is scored on a 0–100 scale anchored to what the factor measures, not graded on a curve against the field:
- Channel coverage starts from how many of the four outbound channels the tool genuinely runs as a first-class motion, then is adjusted up or down for how well it runs them — a tool that technically “does” LinkedIn through a flaky integration doesn't score the same as one built around it.
- Autonomy & control is rubric-based against the source → research → write → send → book loop: a tool earns more the more of that loop it owns without a human in it, with a self-serve sequencer near the bottom and a hands-off agent near the top.
- Personalization & data rates the research behind each message — the depth and freshness of built-in contact data and enrichment, and whether a sample message reads like a human wrote it or a mail-merge filled it in.
- Value for money is capability per dollar at a realistic working configuration — not the sticker price, but what you actually pay once seats, message volume and add-ons are in, set against everything the tool delivers.
The scores are judgement calls, made the same way for every tool and against public, verifiable inputs — pricing pages, channel documentation, hands-on use — so they're consistent and contestable rather than a black box. If you think one is wrong, the numbers are challengeable.
The three categories
“AI sales tool” covers three genuinely different jobs. Every tool in the Index belongs to exactly one, and we never pretend a cold-email engine is competing with an autonomous rep. The category sets your expectations; the SDR Score tells you how well the tool does its job.
- AI sales rep. A hands-off agent that sources, researches, writes and sends for you.
- Cold email. High-volume sending with warmup and deliverability you can trust.
- Leads & data. A contact database and enrichment to build targeted lists fast.
The four channels
The channel-coverage factor and the matrix on the home page both run off the same four outbound channels. A tick means the tool genuinely runs that channel as a first-class motion — not that it can fire a webhook into something that does.
- Phone / Voice
- SMS
What the bands mean
The score badge on a card translates the number into plain language. The thresholds are tuned to this dataset's spread, which sits lower than the inflated headline numbers vendors quote about themselves — an 88 here is earned.
Who does the testing
One person, on purpose. I'm Marcus Taylor — founder and lead reviewer at SDR Lab, part of Venture Harbour. I set the methodology and score every tool myself, so there's one consistent hand on every score and a single name to hold accountable when one looks wrong. There is no anonymous panel and no ghost-written verdicts. More about why the Index exists is on the about page.
Re-checked monthly
Pricing, channel coverage and feature sets in this market move fast. We re-check every tool on a monthly cadence and re-score where something material has changed. The current numbers were last refreshed on 12 June 2026; the date sits on every page so you always know how fresh the data is.
How we make money — and how we don't
SDR Lab is reader-supported, in two honest ways. Some links are affiliate links, and select vendors pay for featured placement. Anything paid is labelled PARTNER and carries rel="sponsored", every time.
Neither one buys a better number. A vendor can pay to be visible; they cannot pay to rank higher or nudge a factor up — those come from the test and nothing else. The day that line blurs, the Index is worthless, so I keep it bright.
Found something wrong?
Numbers drift, and I won't always catch a change on day one. If a price or a channel claim looks off, tell meand I'll re-check it against the vendor's live site. The Index is only useful if it's current.