Best AI Sales Coaching Tools in 2026: A Practical Buyer's Guide

AI sales coaching has become a crowded category. Every revenue platform now claims some form of AI coaching capability, making it harder to know what actually helps and what's just marketing.

This guide cuts through the noise. We'll cover what each major platform actually does, where it fits, and what it costs. No ranking from best to worst, because the right tool depends entirely on your situation.

What AI Sales Coaching Actually Means

The term covers several distinct capabilities that often get lumped together.

Conversation intelligence records and analyses real sales calls. These tools transcribe conversations, identify patterns, flag coaching moments, and track metrics like talk ratio and question frequency. Gong, Chorus, and Clari Copilot fall into this category.

Practice and simulation lets reps rehearse before live calls. AI plays the role of a prospect, responds to what reps say, and provides feedback. This is where tools like Second Nature and Cold Call Coach operate.

Real-time coaching gives prompts during live calls. An AI listens to the conversation, suggests responses, shows relevant information, or flags potential issues. Outreach Kaia and some features within larger platforms offer this.

Performance analytics pulls together data across calls to spot trends, compare reps, and show where coaching is needed. Most conversation intelligence platforms include this.

Many platforms combine several of these. The question is which capability you actually need most.

Quick Comparison

The Tools Worth Considering

Gong

Gong pioneered the conversation intelligence category and remains the dominant player in enterprise sales organisations.

What it does well: The platform captures calls across phone, video, and email, then uses AI to analyse conversations at scale. Deal intelligence features help forecast which opportunities are at risk. The coaching tools highlight specific moments where reps need work.

Best for: Enterprise sales teams with complex deals and long sales cycles. Organisations that want deep visibility into what's happening across hundreds or thousands of calls.

Limitations: Gong analyses what happened. It doesn't help reps practice before calls or build skills in a safe environment. The platform is also expensive and complex to implement.

Pricing: Typically £1,200-1,600 per user per year, plus platform fees that can run £40,000+ annually. Enterprise pricing is custom.

Chorus (ZoomInfo)

Chorus offers similar conversation intelligence capabilities to Gong, now integrated into ZoomInfo's broader data platform.

What it does well: Strong transcription and analysis. Good integration with ZoomInfo's contact and company data. The platform identifies winning behaviours and helps replicate them across the team.

Best for: Teams already using ZoomInfo who want conversation intelligence integrated with their prospecting data.

Limitations: Like Gong, this looks backwards at what happened rather than helping reps build skills for future calls. The ZoomInfo integration helps if you already use ZoomInfo, but adds complexity if you don't.

Pricing: Custom pricing, typically comparable to Gong for similar team sizes.

Clari Copilot (formerly Wingman)

Clari acquired Wingman and integrated it into their revenue platform as Clari Copilot.

What it does well: Real-time coaching during calls. The AI shows battle cards, suggests responses to objections, and gives live guidance. Good at deal tracking and pipeline forecasting.

Best for: Teams that want coaching help during live conversations, not just after. Organisations already using Clari for revenue operations.

Limitations: Real-time prompts can be distracting. Some reps find them helpful, others feel they interrupt their natural flow. Less focused on skill development than call assistance.

Pricing: Part of Clari's broader platform pricing. Expect enterprise-level costs.

Outreach Kaia

Outreach's AI assistant provides real-time transcription, content recommendations, and post-call summaries within their sales engagement platform.

What it does well: Works closely with Outreach sequences and workflows. Real-time transcription and action item capture. Shows relevant content during calls.

Best for: Teams heavily invested in Outreach for sales engagement who want AI capabilities without adding another vendor.

Limitations: Shallower conversation analysis than dedicated platforms like Gong. Mostly useful if you're already an Outreach customer.

Pricing: Included in higher Outreach tiers or as an add-on. Contact for pricing.

Salesloft Rhythm

Salesloft's AI engine prioritises actions and provides coaching signals across their platform.

What it does well: AI-driven prioritisation helps reps focus on the right activities. Coaching signals highlight where reps can improve. Works well within the Salesloft workflow.

Best for: Teams using Salesloft who want AI coaching built into their existing workflow rather than a separate tool.

Limitations: Conversation analysis is less deep than dedicated conversation intelligence platforms. Better at workflow optimisation than skill development.

Pricing: Part of Salesloft platform pricing. Enterprise-focused.

Second Nature

Second Nature focuses specifically on practice and simulation. The platform creates AI role-play scenarios where reps can rehearse conversations before live calls.

What it does well: Realistic practice conversations with AI prospects. Structured skill development programmes. Good for onboarding new reps and preparing for specific scenarios.

Best for: Organisations focused on new hire ramp and ongoing skill development. Teams that want to reduce the gap between training and real-world application.

Limitations: Practice-only. Doesn't analyse real calls or provide live coaching. You'll need a separate tool for conversation intelligence.

Pricing: Custom pricing based on team size and usage.

Cold Call Coach

Cold Call Coach is the only platform that combines AI practice with real call grading. Reps practise against AI prospects, get scored, then the same scoring applies to their actual calls. This closes the loop between training and performance.

What it does well: Browser-based practice with AI prospects that push back and raise objections. Customisable scorecards that grade both practice and real calls consistently. API access lets you grade thousands of calls automatically. The pay-per-minute model means teams actually use it rather than paying for unused seats.

Best for: SDR teams and sales organisations that want reps practising before live calls. Managers who need to grade real calls without listening to each one. Teams that want practice and call grading in one tool instead of buying two separate platforms.

Limitations: Less focus on complex multi-stakeholder enterprise deals with long sales cycles.

Pricing: Pay-per-minute model for practice, pay-per-call for grading. Free trial available. Significantly less expensive than enterprise conversation intelligence platforms.

Refract (Allego)

Refract, now part of Allego, provides conversation intelligence with a focus on coaching and enablement.

What it does well: Call analysis with strong coaching tools. Content management and learning features. Brings conversation intelligence and training together in one place.

Best for: Teams that want conversation intelligence combined with content management and learning in one platform.

Limitations: Less market presence than Gong or Chorus. The Allego acquisition means you're buying into a broader platform.

Pricing: Custom pricing through Allego.

Jiminny

Jiminny offers conversation intelligence with a focus on simplicity and faster implementation than enterprise platforms.

What it does well: Easier to implement than Gong or Chorus. Good core conversation intelligence features at a lower price point. Strong Salesforce and HubSpot integrations.

Best for: Mid-market teams that want conversation intelligence without enterprise complexity or pricing.

Limitations: Less detailed analysis than market leaders. Fewer advanced features.

Pricing: More accessible than enterprise platforms. Starts around £85/user/month.

Mindtickle

Mindtickle calls itself a revenue productivity platform. It combines training, coaching, and content management.

What it does well: Full sales readiness platform. Certification workflows make sure reps meet standards before going live. AI-powered role plays and coaching. Good content management for training materials.

Best for: Large organisations with dedicated enablement teams. Companies that want training, certification, and coaching in one platform.

Limitations: Takes time to set up. Needs real investment in setup and ongoing admin. Too much for smaller teams.

Pricing: Enterprise pricing, typically six figures annually for larger deployments.

Hyperbound

Hyperbound focuses on AI roleplay for outbound sales teams. The platform creates interactive practice scenarios with AI buyers.

What it does well: AI-powered roleplay with realistic buyer personas. Practice for cold calls, discovery, and demos. Good for SDR teams who need high-volume practice.

Best for: SDR teams and outbound-focused organisations. Companies that want reps to practise before hitting the phones.

Limitations: Focused on practice rather than analysing real calls. You'll need a separate tool for conversation intelligence.

Pricing: Custom pricing based on team size.

Rilla

Rilla targets field sales and outside sales teams with mobile-first conversation intelligence.

What it does well: Designed for in-person sales conversations, not just phone and video. Mobile app captures field sales interactions. AI analyses conversations and provides coaching insights.

Best for: Outside sales teams who sell in person. Industries like home services, solar, roofing, and other field sales.

Limitations: Very focused on field sales use case. Not the right fit for inside sales teams who are primarily on phone or video.

Pricing: Custom pricing.

How to Choose

The right tool depends on three factors: your primary problem, your team size, and your budget.

If reps struggle on live calls and you don't know why: You need conversation intelligence. Gong, Chorus, or Jiminny will show you what's actually happening on calls and where coaching is needed.

If reps need practice before they're ready for live calls: You need simulation and practice tools. Second Nature, Cold Call Coach, or Hyperbound let reps build confidence and skills without burning real prospects. This matters especially for new SDRs who need to ramp quickly.

If you want real-time help during calls: Clari Copilot or Outreach Kaia provide live prompts and suggestions. Whether this helps or distracts depends on your reps.

If your team sells in person: Most tools focus on phone and video. Rilla specifically targets field sales conversations.

If you're already committed to a platform: Check what AI capabilities exist within your current stack before adding another vendor. Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and Salesloft all have AI features that might cover your needs.

Budget Reality

Enterprise conversation intelligence platforms cost £1,000-2,000 per user per year, plus platform fees. For a 50-person sales team, expect £75,000-150,000 annually.

Practice-focused tools are significantly cheaper. Cold Call Coach's pay-per-minute model means you might spend £30-100 per rep per month depending on usage.

The question isn't just "what's the best tool?" but "what's the best tool we can actually afford to use properly?"

What the Research Says

Gartner reports that sales organisations using AI coaching tools see meaningful improvements in quota attainment, though results vary based on how well teams actually use the tools.

The key finding: tools matter less than how they're used. Teams that buy conversation intelligence but don't change how they coach see little improvement. Teams that actually use the data to coach differently see real gains. This fits with broader research on why sales training often fails to stick.

Practice tools show good results for new hire ramp time. Teams using AI practice during onboarding report faster time to first deal, though specific numbers vary.

The Honest Take

Every vendor in this space claims to be the complete solution. None of them are.

Conversation intelligence is valuable but retrospective. It tells you what happened, not how to get better. Without coaching and practice, insights become data nobody acts on.

Practice tools build skills but don't show you what's happening on real calls. You need visibility into actual performance, not just training simulations.

Real-time coaching helps some reps and distracts others. It's a feature, not a strategy.

The teams getting the most from AI coaching aren't using one tool. They combine visibility into real calls with regular practice and human coaching. The AI handles scale: grading hundreds of calls, allowing unlimited practice, giving consistent feedback. People handle judgement: deciding what to focus on, motivating change, adapting coaching to each rep.

Pick the tool that addresses your biggest gap. Use it consistently. Measure whether it's actually changing behaviour, not just whether people like it.

That matters more than which platform you choose.

Cold Call Coach provides AI practice calls and call grading for sales teams. Try a free demo or learn more about Call Insights for grading real calls at scale.