Tools and providers
Part of LinkedIn automation tools for UK social selling: a comparison
LinkedIn automation tools for UK social selling: a comparison
Compare Dux-Soup, Salesflow, Waalaxy, PhantomBuster and Expandi on data location, UK GDPR duties and GBP pricing. The table also covers Lemlist and Linked Helper.
What to take away
- The tools named below include Dux-Soup, Salesflow, Waalaxy and PhantomBuster. The table also covers Expandi, Lemlist and Linked Helper.
- Data location and UK GDPR duties differ: some are UK or EU companies, some offer local desktop storage, and all need a data processing agreement.
- GBP pricing is rarely the list price. Most vendors quote in USD or EUR, then add VAT and credits.
- No tool makes an unlawful contact lawfulthat judgement sits with the business that sends the message.
Start with the job, not the dashboard
Every LinkedIn automation tool does three things: it collects contact records, it queues an action, and it reports what happened. The variation sits in the middle step, where a vendor chooses between a cloud browser session, an API, or a person clicking.
Three steps every tool runs
- Collect contact records
- Queue an action
- Report what happened
That choice sets your exposure. Cloud sessions break more often and can resemble automated behaviour to LinkedIn. Before comparing tools, agree what the tool must prove. Our guide on writing a requirement that can be proved before buying B2B social selling software turns that into a testable form.
The tools UK teams actually compare
Four tools compared
Dux-Soup
- What it does
- Chrome extension outreach
- Data location
- UK-registered vendor
- GBP pricing to ask
- Pro $15, Turbo $55
Salesflow
- What it does
- Multichannel sequences
- Data location
- UK-focused vendor
- GBP pricing to ask
- From $99 per seat
Waalaxy
- What it does
- Prospecting with email
- Data location
- French, EU processing
- GBP pricing to ask
- Free, paid from €49
PhantomBuster
- What it does
- Cloud scraping and export
- Data location
- French, EU processing
- GBP pricing to ask
- From $56 with credits
What it does
- Dux-Soup
- Chrome extension and cloud option for LinkedIn outreach.
- Salesflow
- LinkedIn automation and multichannel sequences.
- Waalaxy
- LinkedIn prospecting with email steps.
- PhantomBuster
- Cloud automation for LinkedIn scraping and export.
- Expandi
- Cloud LinkedIn outreach with a dedicated IP.
- Lemlist
- Multichannel outreach with LinkedIn steps.
- Linked Helper
- Desktop and cloud LinkedIn automation.
Data location and UK GDPR point
- Dux-Soup
- Dux-Soup Ltd is UK-registered. Ask for UK or EU processing and a data processing agreement.
- Salesflow
- A UK-focused vendor. Confirm UK or EU hosting and the subprocessor list.
- Waalaxy
- French company, so EU processing is likely. Check the UK international transfer addendum.
- PhantomBuster
- French company with EU processing stated. Scraped exports can leave your control.
- Expandi
- Ask for EU or UK hosting and a record of processing activities.
- Lemlist
- French company with EU hosting and a data processing agreement.
- Linked Helper
- Desktop mode can keep contact data on your machine, which reduces transfer issues.
GBP pricing to ask for
- Dux-Soup
- Public prices are in USD, with Pro around $15 and Turbo around $55 per month. Request a GBP invoice and VAT.
- Salesflow
- Public plans start around $99 per seat per month. Ask for a GBP quote and credit limits.
- Waalaxy
- Free plan, paid plans from around €49 per month. Ask for GBP billing and VAT.
- PhantomBuster
- Plans from around $56 per month, with credits that cap runs. Ask for a GBP invoice and VAT.
- Expandi
- From around $99 per month per seat, with annual discounts. Request a GBP invoice.
- Lemlist
- Public plans start around $59 per user per month. Ask for a GBP invoice and VAT.
- Linked Helper
- From around $15 per month. Ask for a GBP invoice and the local data option.
The four questions that decide the shortlist
Four shortlist questions
- Where is personal data stored and processed?
- Which lawful basis covers each stored contact?
- What happens if LinkedIn restricts the seat?
- What is the GBP exit price?
Data location, lawful basis and the message rules
UK GDPR does not stop you holding business contact details. It requires a lawful basis, a retention rule and a route to answer a subject access request.
Is it electronic mail?
Does the tool send marketing by electronic mail?
Regulation 22 restricts individual subscribers
LinkedIn message rules apply instead
The ICO publishes a UK GDPR guidance and resources hub that most UK teams cite in a vendor questionnaire.
Ask separately whether the tool sends anything that counts as electronic mail. Regulation 22 of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 restricts marketing by electronic mail to individual subscribers, and corporate subscribers are treated differently.
The ICO guide to direct marketing and privacy and electronic communications sets out where that line falls. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships count as individual subscribers.
Pricing in pounds and the lines missing from the quote
Most tools quote a per-seat monthly fee in GBP only after you ask. Dux-Soup, Salesflow, Expandi and Linked Helper use per-seat plans. Waalaxy and Lemlist quote in euros. PhantomBuster uses credits.
Five lines are usually separate: message or credit allowances, enrichment records priced per contact, read-only seats for managers, onboarding or data migration, and the notice period.
Ask whether quotes exclude VAT, because the gross figure is what a finance team approves. For paid versus free seats, our comparison of Sales Navigator against free LinkedIn shows how to use LinkedIn for business social selling in the UK without paying for reach you cannot use.
A paid trial with written stop rules
A trial earns its place with an end date and a test. Write these steps before the first message goes out.
- Fix the account list at 200 named accounts and freeze it.
- Agree two measuresreply rate from a named human, and meetings accepted by the account owner.
- Log every message in the CRM when it is sent, not when it is answered.
- Review at day 30 and day 60 against the frozen list, then decide in writing.
- Delete the trial data at the end unless the contract says otherwise.
Common questions
Do UK teams need an automation tool at all?
No. A small team with a strong account list can work LinkedIn by hand and hold the data in the CRM. Automation pays when permitted, well-qualified contacts exceed what a person can process.
Which pricing model is cheapest in pounds?
None is cheapest in every case. Per-seat fees suit steady use, credit packs suit bursts, and supplier retainers suit work you cannot staff. Compare gross figures including VAT.
Does a compliant tool make outreach lawful?
No. Compliance is shared between the tool and you. You still need a lawful basis, a retention rule and a way to handle objections and access requests.
What should a trial measure?
Reply rate from a human and meetings accepted by the account owner. Both survive scrutiny better than connection requests sent or profile views.
