The best appointment setting companies for marketing agencies in 2026
By Anemesh Sharma, founder of ProPlus Agency · Updated The best appointment setting company for a marketing agency depends on who you sell to and how you want to pay. For agencies selling to contractors and local businesses that want to pay only for shows, ProPlus (our company) is built for exactly that. For B2B companies selling to larger buyers, retainer and SDR firms such as Belkins, SalesRoads, CIENCE and Callbox are the established options.
Disclosure: ProPlus Agency wrote this list and ProPlus is one of the entries. We have tried to describe every company fairly, using each company's own website where it states its pricing or terms, and third-party reviews only where it does not. There are no ratings or rankings by score here because we have not been a client of the others. Check details with each vendor before you buy; this page was last checked October 2026.
How we compared them
- Pricing model: do you pay for time (retainer, SDR fee), activity, booked meetings, or shows?
- Commitment: month to month, or a minimum term?
- Who makes contact: in-house SDRs, a setter, phone, email, text?
- Built for: enterprise B2B or owner-run local businesses? This matters most for agencies.
Comparison table
| Company | Pricing model | Commitment | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProPlus Agency (ours) | Pay per qualified show, plus $1,200 setup and $10/day while outreach runs | None. Month to month | Marketing agencies selling to contractors and local businesses |
| Belkins | Monthly retainer (Belkins says it uses a retainer model) | Quoted per engagement; third-party reviews report multi-month minimums | B2B companies, mid-market and enterprise |
| SalesRoads | Fixed fee per dedicated SDR team (published) | No long-term commitment, cancel any time (per its pricing page) | B2B companies selling mid-market and enterprise deals |
| CIENCE | Fixed monthly fee plus a commission per held meeting (per its website) | Month to month, per its website | B2B companies from startups to enterprise |
| Martal Group | Custom-quoted monthly engagement (third-party reviews) | Third-party reviews report an initial pilot of a few months | B2B technology and software companies |
| Callbox | Custom pricing by campaign scope (per its website) | Not stated publicly | Mid-market and enterprise B2B: software, SaaS, healthcare and 50+ industries |
| SalesHive | One flat monthly fee (per its website) | No setup fee or long-term contract, per its website | US B2B businesses |
| Hiring your own setter | Hourly or salary plus commission per booked or held appointment | Employment or contractor terms you set | Whatever you sell |
The companies
1. ProPlus Agency (our company)
- Pricing model
- Pay per qualified show, plus $1,200 setup and $10/day while outreach runs
- Commitment
- None. Month to month
- Who makes contact
- A ProPlus human setter calls people who reply to SMS outreach
- Built for
- Marketing agencies selling to contractors and local businesses
- Best for
- Agencies that sell monthly services to owner-run local businesses and want to pay only for shows
This is us, so weigh this entry accordingly. We text business owners for your agency, a human setter calls the people who reply, qualifies them and books them on your calendar. You pay per qualified show; no-shows are never billed and there is no retainer.
Limits: SMS-first outreach built for owner-run local businesses, not enterprise account-based selling. A smaller team than the large firms below. The per-show rate is agreed on the discovery call rather than published.
2. Belkins
- Pricing model
- Monthly retainer (Belkins says it uses a retainer model)
- Commitment
- Quoted per engagement; third-party reviews report multi-month minimums
- Who makes contact
- Belkins SDR and account teams
- Built for
- B2B companies, mid-market and enterprise
- Best for
- B2B companies with a sizeable budget that want a process-heavy, email-led outbound program
Belkins is one of the best-known B2B appointment setting firms. On its own blog it describes retainers starting around $2,000 a month and comprehensive programs from $5,000 to $10,000 a month, and explains why it prefers retainers to pay-per-appointment. belkins.io
Limits: You pay the retainer whether or not meetings happen. Built for B2B sales teams more than for small agencies selling to local businesses.
3. SalesRoads
- Pricing model
- Fixed fee per dedicated SDR team (published)
- Commitment
- No long-term commitment, cancel any time (per its pricing page)
- Who makes contact
- US-based SDRs, phone-led with email
- Built for
- B2B companies selling mid-market and enterprise deals
- Best for
- B2B companies whose buyers answer the phone and whose deal sizes justify a dedicated SDR
SalesRoads is unusual in publishing its prices: one dedicated SDR is listed at $11,950 per 4 weeks, with lower per-SDR prices for bigger teams. It says a team launches within 15 business days of kickoff. www.salesroads.com
Limits: A fixed monthly cost that most small agencies cannot justify. You pay for the SDR's time, not for shows.
4. CIENCE
- Pricing model
- Fixed monthly fee plus a commission per held meeting (per its website)
- Commitment
- Month to month, per its website
- Who makes contact
- CIENCE SDR teams, with its own B2B data
- Built for
- B2B companies from startups to enterprise
- Best for
- B2B teams that want outsourced SDRs and contact data from one vendor
CIENCE sells outbound SDR teams, cold calling, cold email, inbound lead qualification and B2B contact data. Its site describes a hybrid model: a fixed monthly fee plus a commission for each meeting that actually happens. www.cience.com
Limits: The fixed fee is due whatever the results. Designed around B2B sales teams rather than agencies selling to local businesses.
5. Martal Group
- Pricing model
- Custom-quoted monthly engagement (third-party reviews)
- Commitment
- Third-party reviews report an initial pilot of a few months
- Who makes contact
- Outsourced, fractional SDR teams
- Built for
- B2B technology and software companies
- Best for
- B2B tech and SaaS companies that want an outsourced SDR team
Martal Group provides outsourced and fractional SDR teams for B2B companies, with a focus on technology. It does not publish prices; third-party reviews describe custom monthly pricing in the thousands of dollars and an initial pilot period. martal.ca
Limits: Monthly cost and pilot commitment. Built for B2B tech sales rather than local-business agencies.
6. Callbox
- Pricing model
- Custom pricing by campaign scope (per its website)
- Commitment
- Not stated publicly
- Who makes contact
- Callbox SDRs across phone, email, LinkedIn and digital channels
- Built for
- Mid-market and enterprise B2B: software, SaaS, healthcare and 50+ industries
- Best for
- Mid-market and enterprise B2B companies running multi-channel programs in several regions
Callbox has run B2B lead generation and appointment setting since 2004, with teams across North America, APAC, EMEA and Latin America. Campaigns combine phone, email, LinkedIn and digital outreach. www.callboxinc.com
Limits: Pricing is quoted per campaign; aimed at larger B2B programs.
7. SalesHive
- Pricing model
- One flat monthly fee (per its website)
- Commitment
- No setup fee or long-term contract, per its website
- Who makes contact
- SalesHive sales teams plus AI tools
- Built for
- US B2B businesses
- Best for
- US B2B companies that want cold calling, email and appointment setting for a flat monthly fee
SalesHive offers cold calling, email outreach, list building and appointment setting for US B2B companies, combining its sales teams with AI tools. Its site advertises one flat monthly fee with no setup fee or long-term contract. saleshive.com
Limits: A flat fee means you pay for activity, not shows.
Alternative Hiring your own setter
- Pricing model
- Hourly or salary plus commission per booked or held appointment
- Commitment
- Employment or contractor terms you set
- Who makes contact
- Your hire
- Built for
- Whatever you sell
- Best for
- Agencies with a proven script, a lead source and time to manage someone
Not a company, but the real alternative for many agencies. A good setter working your own leads can be cheaper per show than any outsourced option once it works.
Limits: You carry recruiting, training, tools, data, compliance and management, and you pay whether or not it works.
Which should you choose?
- You sell to contractors or other local businesses and want no retainer: a pay-per-show provider such as ProPlus.
- You sell to mid-market or enterprise B2B buyers and have budget for a team: SalesRoads, Belkins, CIENCE, Martal Group or Callbox, depending on channel and region.
- You want a predictable flat fee and US B2B focus: SalesHive.
- You already have leads, a proven script and time to manage: hire your own setter.
Whatever you pick, ask every provider three questions: what exactly triggers a charge (booked, held or qualified show), what happens to no-shows, and how long you are committed. Our answers are on pricing and in what is pay-per-appointment setting.
Sources for third-party figures: Belkins, B2B appointment setting costs and pricing models; SalesRoads pricing page; the CIENCE, Callbox and SalesHive home pages linked above (all checked October 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is the best pay-per-appointment company for marketing agencies?
For agencies that sell to contractors and local businesses, look for a provider that bills per qualified show, not per booking, and has no retainer. ProPlus works that way. Check any provider's definition of a qualified show before you sign.
How much do appointment setting companies charge?
Belkins reports retainers from about $2,000 a month up to $5,000 to $10,000 for comprehensive programs, and pay-per-appointment prices from $50 to $500. SalesRoads publishes $11,950 per 4 weeks for one dedicated SDR.
What are alternatives to Belkins or CIENCE for a small agency?
Small agencies selling to local businesses usually do better with a pay-per-show provider or their own setter than with an enterprise B2B retainer. The comparison table above shows the trade-offs.