[Compare](https://defrostmail.com/compare) # Defrost or a lead generation agency? Facts checked November 9, 2026 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](https://defrostmail.com/blog/what-a-lead-generation-agency-costs). ### 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](https://salesroads.com/pricing/), read November 9, 2026. - [CIENCE pricing](https://www.cience.com/pricing), read November 9, 2026. - [Callbox lead generation pricing](https://www.callboxinc.com/lead-generation-pricing/), read November 9, 2026. - [Belkins appointment setting](https://belkins.io/appointment-setting), read November 9, 2026. - [Martal Group pricing](https://martal.ca/pricing/), read November 9, 2026. - [Defrost pricing](https://defrostmail.com/pricing). ## Not sure which fits? Tell us what you do. It takes about three minutes and no card. If you’re a fit, we’ll tell you where we’d start. [Apply to Defrost](https://defrostmail.com/apply)