Short answer: Most B2B companies pay a cold email agency $3,000 to $7,000 a month, and many agencies add a setup fee of $1,500 to $5,000. Pay per meeting agencies usually charge $500 to $1,000 for each booked meeting. Smaller agencies start lower. Next Reply starts at $1,500 a month.
- Most common model: a monthly retainer.
- What drives the price: how many prospects, how many campaigns, and who handles the replies.
- Watch for: setup fees, long contracts, and auto renewals.
The ranges in this guide come from Prospeo’s 2026 review of cold email agency pricing. Prices vary a lot, so use them as a starting point, not a quote.
What are the main cold email agency pricing models?
Cold email agencies charge in four main ways. A monthly retainer is the most common.
| Model | Typical price | How it works | Good fit if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | $3,000 to $12,000 a month | A flat fee for list building, copy, sending, and reporting | You want a steady, ongoing channel |
| Pay per meeting | $500 to $1,000 per booked meeting | You pay for each meeting the agency books | You want to pay only for results |
| Hybrid | $3,000 to $5,000 base plus bonuses | A lower retainer plus a fee per meeting or deal | You want shared risk |
| Pay per lead | $200 to $500 per lead | You pay for each interested reply or contact | You have your own sales team to follow up |
Pay per meeting can cost more than it looks. If only 60% of booked meetings actually happen, a $500 meeting really costs about $833 for each one that shows up.
How much do different kinds of agencies charge?
Price tracks agency size. Larger agencies bring bigger teams and more process, and charge for it.
| Agency type | Typical monthly retainer |
|---|---|
| Boutique | $2,500 to $5,000 |
| Mid-market | $4,000 to $10,000 |
| Enterprise | $8,000 to $25,000 or more |
What drives the price of a cold email agency?
- Prospects per month. More people reached means more data, more inboxes, and more sending.
- Number of campaigns. Each new industry or offer needs its own list and copy.
- Sending setup. Domains and inboxes cost money, and someone has to set up and warm them.
- Data. Contact data and email verification are real costs, even when they are bundled in.
- Reply handling. Some agencies only send. Others qualify replies and book meetings for you.
- Testing and strategy. Ongoing A/B tests and strategy calls take senior time.
What hidden costs should you watch for?
- Setup fees. Often $1,500 to $5,000 on top of the first month.
- Long contracts. Some agencies require several months before you can leave. Ask how long the initial term is and what happens when it ends.
- Auto renewals. Read the cancellation terms before you sign.
- Who owns the domains. Ask what happens to your sending domains and data if you leave.
- No-show meetings. On pay per meeting deals, ask whether you pay for meetings that never happen.
Is a cold email agency cheaper than hiring an SDR?
For most small and mid-size companies, yes. An in-house SDR comes with salary, benefits, tools, data, management time, and months of ramp up before they produce. An agency brings the tools and process on day one. Our SDR cost calculator compares the two with your own numbers, and the outbound ROI calculator shows what a campaign needs to deliver to pay for itself.
What does Next Reply cost?
Next Reply has three monthly plans:
| Plan | Price | Prospects per month | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup | $1,500 a month | Up to 1,000 | Testing one clear audience and offer |
| Growth | $3,000 a month | Up to 2,500 | Building a repeatable outbound channel |
| Scale | $6,500 a month | 5,000 or more | Larger lists, more segments, faster testing |
Every plan includes list building, sending infrastructure setup, copy, follow ups, and monthly reporting. Growth adds reply qualification, meeting booking and a monthly strategy call. You see the list, the copy, and the replies the whole way. Compare the plans.
Not sure which plan fits? Tell us who you sell to and how many meetings you want, and we will tell you honestly which plan makes sense, or if outbound isn’t a fit yet. Get a straight answer →
To see what each plan includes, read how Next Reply works as a cold email agency. To check whether a plan would pay for itself, start with what a new customer is worth in the sales revenue calculator, then run the outbound ROI calculator.
To compare providers, read what a cold email agency does and our list of cold email agencies to compare. New to the channel? Start with what cold email is.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cold email agency cost per month?
Most B2B companies pay $3,000 to $7,000 a month. Boutique agencies often charge $2,500 to $5,000, while enterprise agencies can charge $8,000 to $25,000 or more. Next Reply starts at $1,500 a month.
Is pay per meeting better than a retainer?
Not always. Pay per meeting usually costs $500 to $1,000 per booked meeting, and no-shows can raise the real cost. A retainer gives you a steady channel and more control over who gets contacted.
Do cold email agencies charge setup fees?
Many do. Setup fees often run $1,500 to $5,000 and cover domains, inboxes, warmup, and the first list. Ask what the fee includes and who owns the domains afterward.
How long should a cold email agency contract be?
A minimum of a few months is common, because a campaign takes a few weeks to launch and several more before the results mean anything. Next Reply works on 3-month and 6-month terms. Read the cancellation and renewal terms before you sign.
What should be included in the price?
At minimum: list building, email verification, sending setup, copy, follow ups, and reporting. Better agencies also qualify replies and test new angles every month.
Want outbound without the enterprise price?
Next Reply runs done-for-you cold email for B2B companies, starting at $1,500 a month. You approve every list before anything sends. Tell us who you want to reach.