TL;DR
Cleverly leans on AI-powered SDRs and automated dialing systems to drive volume at speed, while Level Up Leads focuses on a more manual, tailored approach built on human connection and industry expertise.
Both can deliver results, but their styles differ, Cleverly is tech-first, Level Up Leads is strategy-first. If what you want are callers who sound human, qualify deeply, and build trust instead of burning dials, RemoteAides offers a stronger balance of affordability, quality, and genuine buyer conversations.
Level Up Leads vs Cleverly: Which Cold Calling Company Actually Delivers?
If you’ve been researching cold calling companies, chances are you’ve seen Level Up Leads and Cleverly come up a few times. They both promise structured outreach, trained SDRs, and booked meetings basically everything a founder wants to hear.
But I’ve learned it’s one thing to sound good on paper and another to actually deliver consistent, qualified meetings. So in this comparison, I’ll break down what each company does well, where they fall short, and why RemoteAides might be the better fit if you care about quality conversations over just hitting call quotas.
If you’re not sure how strong your own cold calling setup is, we actually built a quick Cold Calling Checklist that scores your process in 2 minutes.
👉 Take the checklist here, you’ll get an instant score and see where your system stands.
Cleverly: What You Should Know
Cleverly has built its name around mixing AI tools with trained SDRs to help companies book more meetings. Their model looks sharp: they recruit, train, and manage cold callers who make over 300+ calls per day, supported by an AI-powered system that handles data enrichment, intent tracking, and CRM integration.
It’s a done-for-you setup that promises speed and structure. But, like most systems that lean heavily on automation, it has its strengths and limits.
Cleverly Cold Calling: The Positives
Verified review
- Rigorous hiring process: They claim to accept only 1% of SDR applicants, focusing on people with real sales experience and strong communication skills.
- AI-supported training: SDRs go through simulated AI role plays and objection handling before calling live prospects.
- Tech-driven campaigns: Cleverly builds segmented lists, enriches phone numbers, and connects everything to your CRM for smooth tracking.
- Fast onboarding: With their full system already set up, companies can start seeing calls within weeks.
- High activity levels: Their SDRs reportedly make over 300 calls daily and book meetings directly on your calendar.
Cleverly Cold Calling: The Drawbacks
Verified review
- Security concerns: Some clients have raised red flags about Cleverly’s data handling specifically, storing login credentials in plain text. That’s a big trust issue for companies that prioritize data security.
- Technical hiccups: There have been reports of altered contact lists, incorrect messaging, and slow rollout of promised features, which can disrupt campaigns and cost time.
- Inconsistent communication: A few users mention that support can feel defensive or unclear when issues come up, making troubleshooting harder than it should be.
- High pricing for small teams: At $3,500/month, Cleverly can feel steep for startups or smaller firms. While some clients see strong ROI, others find it hard to justify the cost without consistent results.
LevelUp Leads Cold Calling: What They Get Right
Verified review
LevelUp Leads takes a more traditional but hands-on approach to cold calling. Their focus is on building campaigns that feel human, not automated, and it shows in how they structure their service.
- Personalized campaigns: Before launching, they run discovery sessions to define your ICP, build a sample list, and design your outreach strategy together with you. Nothing goes live until you approve it.
- Experienced, global SDRs: Though based in California, their remote team spans multiple industries from finance to SaaS to logistics making it easier to match clients with reps who “get” their space.
- Structured process: Every campaign follows a clear step-by-step path discovery, testing, launch, and optimization so results are trackable and consistent.
- Strong list accuracy: Clients get to preview and approve lead lists before calling begins, which helps minimize wasted effort and irrelevant outreach.
- Full-service support: Beyond cold calling, they assist with strategy design, daily campaign management, and appointment setting, acting more like a long-term partner than a call center.
Level Up Leads Cold Calling: Where They Fall Short
Like most cold calling companies, Level Up Leads isn’t perfect. While their structure and personalization stand out, some client experiences show room for improvement.
- Inconsistent performance: A few clients mention being paired with inexperienced callers or project managers who didn’t fully grasp the campaign goals, leading to weak results and wasted spend.
- Higher starting costs: With packages starting at $5,000 per month, Level Up Leads sits firmly on the premium side of the market — not ideal for smaller startups or early-stage teams testing cold calling for the first time.
- Limited transparency after launch: Although they begin with detailed strategy sessions, feedback during campaigns can sometimes feel less proactive, especially for clients expecting daily insights or optimization updates.
- Not purely a cold calling agency: Their services blend broader lead generation and multi-channel outreach, which may dilute focus if you’re specifically looking for a call-first partner.
How Cleverly and Level Up Leads Compare
Both Cleverly and Level Up Leads pitch themselves as data-driven cold calling partners, but the way they operate and what kind of clients they fit best is quite different. Here’s a breakdown:
- Approach to Cold Calling
- Cleverly: Their system leans heavily on AI and automation. It’s efficient but can sometimes feel too machine-driven for brands that value natural, conversational outreach.
- Level Up Leads: They take a more human-led approach, focusing on intent-based targeting and strategy collaboration with clients. Each campaign is customized after a discovery process and sample list approval.
- Cleverly: Their system leans heavily on AI and automation. It’s efficient but can sometimes feel too machine-driven for brands that value natural, conversational outreach.
- Caller Quality
- Cleverly: They claim only 1% of SDR applicants make the cut, and each rep goes through AI role-play training. But some clients mention inconsistency from inexperienced callers to disconnected project managers.
- Level Up Leads: Their team draws from professionals with backgrounds in finance, tech, and education. While that range helps them adapt across industries, the quality of callers may depend on the package tier you choose.
- Cleverly: They claim only 1% of SDR applicants make the cut, and each rep goes through AI role-play training. But some clients mention inconsistency from inexperienced callers to disconnected project managers.
- Use of Technology
- Cleverly: Their tech stack is the centerpiece: AI scripts, dialer dashboards, CRM integration, and real-time analytics. The structure is impressive but may be too complex or impersonal for small teams.
- Level Up Leads: They rely more on research and personalization than automation. Campaigns are manually built, reviewed, and adjusted by humans, which can be slower but often feels more authentic.
- Cleverly: Their tech stack is the centerpiece: AI scripts, dialer dashboards, CRM integration, and real-time analytics. The structure is impressive but may be too complex or impersonal for small teams.
- Pricing
- Cleverly: Starts at $3,500 per month, positioning them as a mid-range option for teams that want automation without a full-blown enterprise setup.
- Level Up Leads: Begins at $5,000 per month, placing them closer to the premium end. The price comes with broader campaign support, but not every startup can justify that spend.
- Cleverly: Starts at $3,500 per month, positioning them as a mid-range option for teams that want automation without a full-blown enterprise setup.
- Best Fit
- Cleverly: Better suited for tech-savvy teams that care about scale and data automation.
- Level Up Leads: Ideal for founders who want a hands-on, collaborative partner that keeps cold calling human and strategic.
- Cleverly: Better suited for tech-savvy teams that care about scale and data automation.
Why I’d Choose RemoteAides Instead
If I’m being honest, both Level Up Leads and Cleverly have good systems. They’ve got structure, process, and teams that know their stuff. But for most founders, that’s not really the problem. The problem is getting calls that actually turn into qualified meetings, not a bunch of conversations that go nowhere.
That’s where RemoteAides just makes more sense:
Here’s why that matters:
- The focus stays on calls, not dashboards. A lot of agencies talk about “systems” and “AI tools,” but RemoteAides is built around humans who know how to sell. Their reps sound natural, not scripted, and that makes a big difference on the phone.
- The callers are properly trained. Every rep goes through structured outbound training before they ever get on your campaign. So you’re not rolling the dice on random SDRs.
- Pricing actually makes sense. At €800 per month, you get a fully trained cold caller not a bloated package that eats your budget before results even start showing.
- You see what’s working. Their reporting is simple and transparent, so you know exactly how many quality calls are turning into meetings.
- They blend in with your team. The callers follow your process and talk to prospects the way you would which is why the results feel consistent, not outsourced.
If you’re tired of agencies that treat cold calling like a side offering, I’d honestly give RemoteAides a try.
Book a quick call here and see what it feels like to have a team that actually knows how to pick up the phone.
| Cold Calling Company | Pricing | Caller Quality | Approach | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RemoteAides | €800/month per trained caller | Vetted African SDRs trained in cold calling best practices, focused on quality conversations | Human-first cold calling system built for discovery and real conversations, not automation | Founders who want affordable, transparent cold calling focused on results over volume |
| Cleverly | From $3,500/month | U.S.-based SDRs with structured onboarding and AI-assisted training | Tech-heavy system combining AI tools, intent data, and parallel dialing for speed and scale | Companies that want a fast, tech-driven outbound setup with limited oversight |
| Level Up Leads | From $5,000/month | Remote U.S.-based team with diverse industry experience; quality varies by campaign | Personalized outbound campaigns built around ICPs, list approval, and ongoing strategy design | Businesses looking for done-for-you outbound strategy with a premium budget |
Final Thoughts
Choosing between Level Up Leads and Cleverly really depends on what you’re looking for. Cleverly is heavy on tech and structure great if you want fast scaling and AI-assisted systems. Level Up Leads, on the other hand, feels more like a full-service agency that builds strategy with you from the ground up, but it comes at a higher price point.
If what you actually want is a cold calling partner that’s human-first, affordable, and laser-focused on booking meetings that convert, RemoteAides is worth looking at. The callers are trained to have real conversations not just read scripts, and that’s what moves the needle in outbound today.
FAQs
What’s the main difference between Cleverly and Level Up Leads?
Cleverly leans on AI and trained SDRs to power its cold calling and outreach, while Level Up Leads takes a more hands-on, collaborative approach that’s tailored to your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Both help with lead generation, but their methods — and pricing — differ significantly.
How much do Cleverly and Level Up Leads cost?
Cleverly’s plans start at around $3,500 per month, while Level Up Leads starts closer to $5,000 per month. Both are positioned as premium cold calling companies, which may be out of reach for smaller teams or early-stage startups.
Do both agencies only offer cold calling?
Not exactly. Cold calling is just one part of their broader outbound mix. Cleverly combines calls with automation and AI tools, while Level Up Leads offers full campaign management — including list building, scripts, and strategy.
Which is better for startups or small teams?
If you’re running a lean operation or testing outbound for the first time, both agencies might feel pricey. In that case, RemoteAides offers trained, affordable cold callers for €800/month — focused purely on quality conversations and measurable results.
How can I test if my current cold calling process works?
Use our Cold Calling Checklist — a free, 2-minute tool that gives you an instant score and insights into what’s working (and what’s breaking your results).
