DEFROSTDefrost or a lead generation agency?
Facts checked
A lead generation agency sells you a team’s time for a monthly fee. Defrost does the same kind of work, finding companies and writing to them for you, and charges $300 only when a new company replies wanting to talk. The main differences are what you pay for, and that with Defrost every email waits for your approval.
| A lead generation agency | Defrost | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay for | The team’s time: a monthly retainer, sometimes with a bonus per meeting | A new company that wants to talk: $300, once per company |
| Published prices | SalesRoads: $11,950 per four weeks for one caller. CIENCE: from $2,000 a month plus $1,750 to $3,500 per rep. Callbox: about $6,667 a month. Belkins: from $5,000. | No retainer, setup fee or minimum. A monthly limit you set, starting at $3,000. |
| If nobody replies | The retainer is still due | You pay nothing |
| How they reach people | Usually phone, email and LinkedIn together | Email, a few at a time, with follow-ups |
| Who sees an email first | Varies by agency; many send on a schedule once a campaign is agreed | You. Every email waits for your approval. |
| Commitment | From month to month (SalesRoads, CIENCE) to a three or four month pilot (Martal) | None. Stop at any time. |
Agency details are from each agency’s own pricing page, read on November 9, 2026, and are linked under Sources. Agencies differ, so check the one you’re considering.
When is an agency the better choice?
- You want people on the phone. Agencies like SalesRoads build their service around callers, and Defrost doesn’t make calls.
- You sell to large companies with many people involved in a decision, and want a team working those accounts every day.
- You want meetings put in your calendar for you. Defrost brings you the reply; arranging the conversation is yours.
When is Defrost the better choice?
- You’d rather not pay before anything has happened. There is no retainer to carry through a slow month.
- Your name matters to you. You approve every email, so nothing goes out that you wouldn’t send yourself.
- You’re a founder-led firm where a new client is worth thousands, and a few good conversations a month would change your year.
What should you ask an agency before signing?
- What is the monthly fee, the setup fee, and the shortest term?
- Will I see the emails and call scripts before they’re used?
- If there is a bonus per meeting, is it for a meeting scheduled, or one that happened?
- Who are the people being contacted, and how were they chosen?
Questions people ask
Is Defrost an agency?
It does the work an agency does: we find the companies, write the emails, send them and follow up. It is paid differently. There is no fee for our time, only $300 when a new company wants to talk.
How much does a lead generation agency cost?
The agencies that publish prices charge from about $2,000 a month to about $12,000 for four weeks. There is a fuller list in What a lead generation agency costs in 2026.
Can I use both?
Yes. Tell us who your agency is already contacting, and who you already know, so nobody hears from you twice.
Sources
- SalesRoads pricing, read November 9, 2026.
- CIENCE pricing, read November 9, 2026.
- Callbox lead generation pricing, read November 9, 2026.
- Belkins appointment setting, read November 9, 2026.
- Martal Group pricing, read November 9, 2026.
- Defrost pricing.