Use this calculator to estimate the ROI of deploying AI sales agents versus hiring human SDRs. Input your specific numbers and see projected cost per meeting, cost per SQL, cost per closed deal, and 12-month ROI across three scenarios.

Step 1: Input Your Numbers

Input	Your Number	Notes
Monthly inbound leads	_______	Website forms, phone calls, chat
Monthly outbound prospects	_______	Cold lists, partner referrals
Average deal size (annual)	$_______	Revenue per closed customer
Current human SDR monthly cost	$_______	Salary + benefits + tools + management
AI agent monthly cost	$_______	Platform subscription + setup (amortized)

Step 2: Apply Conversion Benchmarks

Scenario	AI Response Rate	AI Contact Rate	AI Booking Rate	Human Booking Rate
Conservative	60%	40%	15%	12%
Base case	75%	50%	25%	18%
Strong case	85%	60%	35%	25%

Step3: Calculate Projected Returns

For Each Scenario:

AI meetings booked = (Inbound + Outbound) × AI response rate × AI contact rate × AI booking rate
Human meetings booked = (Inbound + Outbound) × Human response rate × Human contact rate × Human booking rate
AI cost per meeting = AI monthly cost / AI meetings booked
Human cost per meeting = Human monthly cost / Human meetings booked

12-Month ROI:

AI 12-month ROI = (AI meetings × close rate × deal size - AI 12-month cost) / AI 12-month cost
Human 12-month ROI = (Human meetings × close rate × deal size - Human 12-month cost) / Human 12-month cost

Worked Example: 500 Leads/Month

Input	Value
Monthly inbound leads	300
Monthly outbound prospects	200
Average deal size	$5,000/year
Human SDR monthly cost	$6,500
AI agent monthly cost	$1,000

Scenario	AI Meetings/Mo	Human Meetings/Mo	AI Cost/Meeting	Human Cost/Meeting	AI 12-Mo ROI	Human 12-Mo ROI
Conservative	36	18	$28	$361	22x	1.8x
Base case	63	32	$16	$203	38x	3.2x
Strong case	90	45	$11	$144	53x	4.5x

Cost Per SQL Comparison

Cost per SQL = Cost per meeting × (1 - disqualification rate)

Scenario	AI Cost/SQL	Human Cost/SQL	AI Advantage
Conservative	$35	$450	13x cheaper
Base case	$20	$250	13x cheaper
Strong case	$14	$180	13x cheaper

Cost Per Closed Deal Comparison

Cost per closed deal = Cost per SQL × (1 / close rate)

Scenario	AI Cost/Deal	Human Cost/Deal	AI Advantage
Conservative	$175	$2,250	13x cheaper
Base case	$100	$1,250	13x cheaper
Strong case	$70	$900	13x cheaper

Adjusting for Your Specific Factors

Higher AI ROI If:

High inbound lead volume (200+ leads/month)
Short sales cycle (close within 30 days)
Multiple products/services to cross-sell
After-hours lead capture is critical

Lower AI ROI If:

Very low lead volume (under 50/month)
Complex enterprise sales (6+ month cycle)
High-ACV deals ($100K+) requiring human relationship building
Regulated industry requiring human oversight on all communications

FAQ

Q: How accurate is this calculator? A: The calculator provides benchmarks based on data from thousands of AI sales agent deployments. Your actual results will depend on lead quality, sales cycle, and offer. Most companies see results within 20–30% of the base case.

Q: What's the minimum lead volume for AI to make sense? A: Any company processing 50+ leads/month can benefit from AI. The ROI increases significantly at 200+ leads/month where human SDRs can't keep up.

Q: How long until I see results? A: Most companies see initial results within 2–4 weeks of deployment. Full ROI typically takes 60–90 days to materialize.

Q: Should I replace human SDRs entirely with AI? A: For most companies, the best model is hybrid: AI for speed, volume, and qualification; humans for complex discovery, relationship building, and high-value deals.

AI Sales Agents vs Human SDR Conversion Rates — conversion benchmarks
AI Sales Automation vs Hiring SDRs ROI — full ROI framework
AI Sales Agents vs Human SDRs by Company Size — company size breakdown
AI Sales Agents — platform overview

Want a custom ROI calculation for your specific situation? Book a demo and we'll run the numbers with your actual lead data.