When our team began exploring sales tools, we asked ourselves a question: Is it possible to replace the familiar LinkedIn Sales Navigator with something new, like Generect? Over the past few years, we’ve tested a bunch of platforms, and each one either simplified the task or added a new headache. Today, we want to share our experience and the facts we’ve gathered while studying how Generect can compete with the established leader. Let’s break it down and see whether switching to something new is worth it.
In This Article:
Starting Point: What We Knew About LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator was our go-to assistant for quite a while. We used it to find key decision-makers in companies, set filters, and send InMail messages. For example, when we needed to find mid-level managers in the IT sector in California, the platform handled it brilliantly thanks to its 30+ filters. We noticed that it allowed us not only to find people but also to track their activity – new job titles, posts, or mentions in the news. This gave us the perfect opportunity to reach out at the right moment, which often led to deals.
But there’s a downside. A subscription to Sales Navigator is not cheap, and the 50 InMail limit per month on the individual plan ran out quickly, especially when working with large accounts. Plus, sometimes the filters gave us not-so-relevant results, and we had to clean up the lists manually. That made us wonder: is there an alternative that could offer something similar, but with lower costs and better accuracy?
What Is Generect and What Does It Actually Do
Generect is a relatively new player in the market, and we decided to give it a try. It’s a tool focused on sales automation and lead generation. According to its description, it promises to simplify the process of finding contacts and integrating with CRM systems. We started testing it with a basic search in our target industries – finance and technology in the US.
The first thing that stood out was the intuitive interface. We didn’t have to spend hours studying the documentation like we did with some other platforms. Plus, the tool offers similar filters by job title, company, and location, but adds something of its own – like behavior analysis based on social media activity. This meant we could instantly see which potential leads had recently posted content or changed jobs – exactly the kind of signals that help with a warm outreach.
Functionality Comparison
Let’s compare these two tools based on specific criteria.
Lead Search and Filtering
We were used to the detailed settings in LinkedIn Sales Navigator: filtering by experience, seniority level, and even mutual connections via TeamLink. Generect also allows users to set parameters, but its standout feature is smart recommendations. The platform analyzes data and suggests leads similar to our existing clients. For instance, if we had success working with small IT companies in Texas, Generect would pull up similar profiles. This saved us time on manual setup.
However, Sales Navigator wins in terms of search depth. It offers more filters and integrates directly with LinkedIn, which has over a billion users. Generect can’t yet match that database size, though its algorithms clearly perform faster for narrower searches.
Communication Tools
LinkedIn provides 50 InMail messages per month, which is useful for direct outreach but requires a subscription. Generect focuses on integration with email systems and the automation of cold outreach campaigns. We tested it and found we could set up personalized email sequences directly in the platform. That was exactly what we needed to avoid being limited by InMail. That said, the quality of Generect’s email database still lags behind LinkedIn — we occasionally encountered outdated contacts.
Analytics and Integrations
Sales Navigator shines with CRM integrations like Salesforce and AI-powered features such as Account IQ, which offer brief summaries on accounts. Generect also promises syncing with popular CRMs, though this function isn’t as smooth yet. However, Generect’s analytics impressed us: we received reports on how leads responded to our campaigns, which helped us adjust our approach. It felt like having a colleague point out where we were wasting time.
Practical Application: Real-World Tests
We ran an experiment. For one campaign, we used Sales Navigator to find 100 leads in the New York fintech scene, and for the other, Generect to find similar profiles. With Sales Navigator, we spent around three hours setting filters and preparing the list, but 90% of the contacts were relevant. Generect completed the task in one hour, though relevancy was around 70%.
Next came outreach. With InMail through Sales Navigator, we received replies from 15% of contacts, while Generect’s email campaign generated a 12% response rate. The difference was minor, and Generect came out ahead in terms of setup speed and cost.
| Feature | LinkedIn Sales Navigator | Generect |
| User base | 1+ billion | Smaller, growing |
| Lead filters | 30+ | 15+ |
| InMail/email limit | 50 InMail/month | Unlimited emails |
| CRM integration | Yes (e.g., Salesforce) | Yes, but basic |
| Setup time | 2-3 hours | 1 hour |
| Cost | Higher | More affordable |
Final Verdict: When Can Generect Replace Sales Navigator?
Generect looks promising for small businesses or freelancers, where budget constraints exist and speed matters more than depth. If the goal is to quickly launch a campaign without worrying about InMail, it’s a solid choice. Our team came to the conclusion that Generect won’t fully replace LinkedIn Sales Navigator, but it can serve as an excellent complement. If you’re ready to invest time in cleaning up data and want to save money, Generect is worth a try. Test both tools on your own use cases and decide which one suits you best. As for us, we plan to use them together to get the best of both worlds.
