Overview — What Each Tool Does
Handshake
Handshake is a cloud-based LinkedIn automation platform designed from the ground up for multi-sender rotation. It lets teams manage unlimited LinkedIn sender accounts from a single dashboard with built-in warmup scheduling, a unified inbox, and premium residential proxies included on every plan. Pricing is based on sender accounts — not per-seat — so your entire team collaborates without multiplying costs. Plans start at $69/month for 1 sender and scale to enterprise volumes.
Demand
Demand (formerly known as SalesHub) is a multichannel outreach platform that combines LinkedIn automation with email campaigns and other sales engagement channels. After rebranding from SalesHub, Demand positioned itself as a comprehensive sales acceleration platform targeting B2B sales teams. The platform offers automated LinkedIn connection requests, messaging sequences, and profile visits alongside email drip campaigns, all managed through unified multichannel sequences. Key features include a unified inbox for managing conversations across channels, smart sequences with conditional logic based on prospect behavior, CRM integrations for syncing outreach data, website visitor tracking to identify anonymous traffic, and Slack integration for real-time notifications. Demand offers a Sales Acceleration plan at approximately $59 per user per month, which includes LinkedIn automation, email outreach, and the core feature set. The per-user pricing model means costs scale linearly with team size — each additional team member who needs access adds to the monthly bill. Demand targets mid-market sales teams that want multichannel outreach capabilities without enterprise-level complexity or pricing.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Handshake | Demand |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Sender Rotation | Built-in core feature — automatically rotate outreach across multiple LinkedIn accounts to distribute volume | Not available — each LinkedIn account runs campaigns independently without rotation between senders |
| Warmup Automation | Automated warmup scheduling with gradual activity ramp-up for new LinkedIn accounts | Basic activity ramping available but not as purpose-built as dedicated warmup tools |
| Unified Inbox | Single inbox aggregating LinkedIn conversations from all connected sender accounts in one view | Unified inbox covering LinkedIn and email conversations, but not consolidated across multiple LinkedIn senders |
| Email Integration | LinkedIn-focused — email outreach not included natively | Built-in email drip campaigns with multichannel sequences combining LinkedIn steps and email follow-ups |
| Smart Sequences | LinkedIn-specific sequences with A/B testing, conditional logic, and multi-step follow-ups | Multichannel sequences with conditional branching based on prospect actions across LinkedIn and email |
| Team Collaboration | Unlimited team seats on every plan — no additional cost per team member | Per-user pricing at ~$59/user/mo — each team member adds to the monthly cost |
| CRM Integration | API access for custom integrations with any CRM | Native CRM integrations with popular platforms for syncing contacts and activities |
| Website Visitor Tracking | Not offered — focused on outreach execution | Built-in visitor tracking to identify companies visiting your website and trigger outreach sequences |
| Slack Integration | Not offered natively | Real-time Slack notifications for prospect engagement, replies, and campaign events |
| Safety & Proxies | Premium residential proxies included on every plan with human-like sending patterns and smart rate limiting | Cloud-based execution with activity limits, but residential proxy infrastructure is not a highlighted feature |
| A/B Testing | Built-in A/B testing for outreach messages on all plans | A/B testing available for sequences |
| Pricing (5 users/senders) | $199/mo for 5 senders + unlimited team seats | ~$295/mo ($59/user × 5) with each user managing their own LinkedIn account |
| Pricing (10 users/senders) | $299/mo for 10 senders + unlimited team seats | ~$590/mo ($59/user × 10) with per-seat pricing |
Where Handshake Wins
Handshake's primary advantages over Demand center on multi-sender rotation, team pricing, and LinkedIn-specific depth. The multi-sender rotation engine automatically distributes outreach volume across multiple LinkedIn profiles, which is critical for teams that need to send more connection requests and messages than any single LinkedIn account can safely handle. Demand treats each user's LinkedIn account independently — there's no mechanism to coordinate outreach across senders or balance volume.
The pricing difference is substantial at scale. Handshake's 5-sender plan at $199/month includes unlimited team seats, so account managers, sales leaders, and support staff can access the dashboard without adding per-seat costs. Demand's per-user model at $59/user means 5 users cost $295/month — and that only covers the users themselves. If you need additional team members to view reports or manage campaigns, every person adds to the bill. At 10 senders, the gap widens: $299/month for Handshake versus $590/month for Demand.
Handshake's included premium residential proxies provide a meaningful safety advantage for LinkedIn automation. Each sender account operates through a dedicated residential IP, making automated activity indistinguishable from normal browsing. This infrastructure is included in every Handshake plan at no extra cost. Demand's proxy and IP management is less transparent, which can be a concern for teams running high-volume LinkedIn campaigns.
The unified inbox in Handshake consolidates replies from every connected LinkedIn sender into a single view — essential for teams where one or two people manage conversations across many sender profiles. Demand's unified inbox covers LinkedIn and email but doesn't aggregate across multiple LinkedIn senders in the same way.
Where Demand Wins
Demand wins on multichannel breadth. If your outreach strategy requires LinkedIn and email working together in coordinated sequences — for example, sending a LinkedIn connection request, following up via email if unaccepted, then retrying on LinkedIn — Demand handles this natively in a single platform. Handshake is LinkedIn-only, so multichannel sequences require pairing it with a separate email tool.
The website visitor tracking feature is genuinely valuable for intent-based outreach. When a prospect visits your website, Demand can identify their company and trigger automated outreach sequences — a capability that bridges inbound interest with outbound action. Handshake doesn't offer this.
Demand's native CRM integrations and Slack notifications reduce manual work for teams that live in these tools. Real-time Slack alerts when a prospect replies or engages keep your team responsive without constantly checking the outreach dashboard. The CRM sync ensures outreach data flows into your sales pipeline automatically rather than requiring manual exports or API work.
Choose Handshake If...
Choose Handshake if LinkedIn is your primary outreach channel and you're scaling across multiple sender accounts. It's ideal for sales teams and agencies that need multi-sender rotation, want unlimited team access without per-seat fees, and prioritize LinkedIn account safety with included residential proxies. If you're measuring success by LinkedIn acceptance rates, reply rates, and meetings booked from LinkedIn-first campaigns, Handshake delivers more value.
Choose Demand If...
Choose Demand if you need LinkedIn and email outreach in a single platform with multichannel sequences. It's a solid choice for mid-market sales teams that want website visitor tracking, native CRM integrations, and Slack notifications without managing multiple tools. Demand works well for teams where each SDR manages their own LinkedIn account and needs email follow-up capabilities built in.
The Verdict
Handshake is the stronger choice for teams scaling LinkedIn outreach across multiple sender accounts. The multi-sender rotation, unlimited team seats, and included residential proxies make it significantly more cost-effective and safer at scale. Demand offers a broader multichannel approach with email integration, visitor tracking, and CRM sync that appeals to teams wanting everything in one platform. If LinkedIn is your primary channel, Handshake wins. If you need multichannel outreach with LinkedIn as one component, Demand is worth considering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Demand the same as SalesHub?
Yes. SalesHub rebranded to Demand while maintaining its core multichannel outreach platform. The product features and pricing structure remained largely the same through the rebrand.
Is Handshake cheaper than Demand for teams?
Yes. Handshake's 5-sender plan at $199/mo with unlimited team seats is cheaper than Demand's 5-user cost of ~$295/mo ($59 × 5). The savings increase as you scale — 10 senders on Handshake costs $299/mo vs. ~$590/mo on Demand.
Does Demand support multi-sender rotation?
No. Demand treats each user's LinkedIn account independently. There's no built-in rotation logic to distribute outreach across multiple senders — each person runs their own campaigns separately.
Can I combine Handshake with an email tool to match Demand's multichannel features?
Yes. Many Handshake users pair it with a dedicated cold email tool to run coordinated LinkedIn and email campaigns. While this requires managing two platforms, it often results in better performance on each channel since both tools are specialized.
Does Demand include residential proxies like Handshake?
Demand doesn't prominently feature residential proxy infrastructure in its offering. Handshake includes premium residential proxies on every plan at no extra cost, which provides a clearer safety guarantee for LinkedIn accounts.