Pipeline planPlanConversion vs Refine Labs: an honest comparison
By Hojabr Sattari. Updated .
Refine Labs and PlanConversion both help B2B companies grow pipeline, but they are built for different situations. PlanConversion is a revenue generation agency: a senior-level team that has worked with fast-growing enterprise companies and takes on a selective number of clients. We know enterprise environments, speak their language, and provide data-driven advisory with design, execution, reporting and optimization in one team. Our weekly and monthly reporting is built for CMOs who must show results and progress to management. Below is a side-by-side view based on Refine Labs’s own website, and when each is the better choice.
At a glance
| Criterion | PlanConversion | Refine Labs |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Founder-led enterprise B2B demand and revenue generation, measured in pipeline and ARR | Growth partner combining brand, demand and expansion marketing: "Build a growth engine you can stand behind." |
| Base | Montreal, serving Canada, the US and Europe | Not stated on its public site |
| Languages | English, Quebec French and Italian programs | Not stated on its public site |
| ABM platforms | Demandbase partner; 6sense implemented for 5+ large enterprises | Not named; paid media across LinkedIn, Google, YouTube, Meta, CTV and out-of-home |
| Pricing | Paid media management from 10% to 15% of ad spend, no media markup; programs scoped to your accounts, goals and budget after a free 30-minute pipeline plan | Published: Paid Media Management from $14,000/month, Full Demand & Media Service from $26,000/month, Creative Only from $5,000/month; 6-week assessment from $35,000 |
| Terms | 6-month initial term for focused programs; 12-month statement of work for integrated programs, with a 90-day exit after month 6 | Six-month minimum on paid media and full service, three months on creative only; the assessment needs no long-term commitment |
| Typical client | Enterprise B2B companies, public and private, with long cycles and large buying committees | B2B SaaS and tech at Series B and beyond; it describes clients as mid-market and enterprise with $50MM+ ARR |
| Core services | Paid media, SEO/GEO/AEO, ABM, Demandbase, marketing operations, analytics and CRO | Brand, demand and expansion programs, paid media, in-house creative and a 6-week Revenue Performance Assessment |
| Team model | Senior team that works alongside yours as in-house resources, under one senior owner | Dedicated Demand Generation Manager, or a Director of Demand Generation plus a Performance Marketing Manager on the full service, with a creative team |
| Reporting | Weekly working session and monthly executive readout, on pipeline, revenue and ARR from your CRM | Performance reporting tied to your goals and a monthly review; pipeline measurement and board-ready reporting on the full service |
What Refine Labs says it does
Refine Labs describes itself as a growth partner that brings brand, demand and expansion marketing together. It says it has worked with 300+ B2B SaaS companies since 2019 and serves B2B SaaS companies at Series B and beyond.
Its approach runs Brand, then Demand, then Expand. Engagements begin with a six-week foundation sprint to audit the current setup and find the biggest point of leverage, and it says strategy and execution are led by the same people.
Its Revenue Performance Assessment is a six-week diagnostic covering funnel analysis, paid media and creative audits, inbound experience review, recommendations and a 12-month demand plan.
Refine Labs publishes portfolio averages on its own site, including a 41% increase in high-intent demo requests and 33% pipeline value growth. These are its own figures and are not independently verified, so we do not treat them as a measure of what any single company should expect.
What Refine Labs publishes on pricing
- Paid Media Management: from $14,000 per month, six-month minimum, with a dedicated Demand Generation Manager. Pricing is scoped to budget size.
- Full Demand & Media Service: from $26,000 per month, six-month minimum, with a Director of Demand Generation and a Performance Marketing Manager.
- Creative Only: from $5,000 per month, three-month minimum.
- Revenue Performance Assessment: from $35,000 one time, six weeks, no long-term commitment required.
- Six months at the lowest monthly price is $84,000 in fees, and six months of the full service is $156,000. Confirm whether ad spend sits on top; its pricing page marks the monthly prices with an asterisk it does not explain.
- For comparison, PlanConversion prices paid media at 15% of ad spend (down to 10% at higher spend), with a monthly minimum. At $50,000 of monthly ad spend the 15% rate is $7,500 a month, or the minimum if that is higher. The two models are not like for like, because one is a flat fee scoped to budget and the other is a share of spend.
Where PlanConversion is different
- A senior-level team with experience at fast-growing enterprise companies, and a selective number of clients so every program gets senior attention
- Fluent in enterprise environments and their challenges: buying committees, long cycles, governance and ambitious targets, for public and private companies
- Data-driven advisory plus design, execution, reporting and optimization in one team that works alongside yours like in-house resources, with every expertise needed
- Weekly and monthly reporting built for CMOs to show results and progress to management, on the metrics investors and executive teams care about
- Hands-on ABM platform operation: Demandbase partner and 6sense rollouts
- Programs in English and Quebec French (and Italian), written natively
- Transparent paid media fees and a 90-day exit after month 6
How we work with your marketing team
- We join your team as in-house resources: strategy, design, execution, reporting and optimization under one senior owner
- Data-driven advisory first: we recommend where budget and effort should go and show the numbers behind it
- A weekly working session and a monthly executive readout designed for the CMO to take to management
- Every program reported on pipeline, revenue and ARR from your CRM, not on clicks and impressions
Eight questions to ask both agencies
- Who will run my account day to day, and how senior are they?
- Which numbers will you report every week, and can I see a real sample?
- Is reporting tied to pipeline and revenue in my CRM, or to clicks and leads?
- What is the minimum term, and how much notice do I give to stop?
- Is ad spend inside your fee or on top of it, and who owns the ad accounts?
- Which platforms (CRM, ABM, analytics) do you operate hands-on today?
- Which languages and markets can you write for natively?
- What happens in the first 30, 60 and 90 days?
How we checked
Information about Refine Labs comes from its public website (refinelabs.com), checked in October 2026. Services and prices change, so confirm details with Refine Labs directly. We do not comment on the quality of other agencies’ work.
Which one fits your team
Choose PlanConversion when
- You sell enterprise B2B with long cycles and large buying groups
- You want a senior team that works as an extension of your marketing team
- Your CMO needs reporting that management and investors can act on
- You run or plan to run Demandbase or 6sense
- You need French and English programs for Canada
- You want transparent fees and a clear exit after month 6
Choose Refine Labs when
- You are a B2B SaaS company at Series B or beyond with a marketing budget already in motion
- You want brand, demand and expansion handled together, with in-house creative production
- You want a fixed-scope six-week diagnostic before committing to a retainer
- You advertise on channels such as YouTube, connected TV or out-of-home as well as LinkedIn and Google
Frequently asked questions
Is PlanConversion an alternative to Refine Labs?
For enterprise B2B demand generation, ABM and paid media measured on pipeline, yes. For the situations listed under "Choose Refine Labs when", Refine Labs may be the better fit.
How can we compare agencies fairly?
Give each the same brief and data access, ask for a real weekly report, meet the people who will run your account and compare commercial terms. Our agency selection guide has a scorecard.
How does PlanConversion pricing work?
Paid media is priced at 15% of ad spend, down to 10% at higher spend, with a monthly minimum. Other programs are scoped around your budget. Prices are published on our pricing page.
What is the contract term with PlanConversion?
Month to month, except the Demandbase pilot, which has a three-month minimum.
Does PlanConversion work in French and Italian?
Yes. Programs are written natively in English, Quebec French and Italian.
