Comparison
Cloud vs browser LinkedIn automation: how each tool connects and what that changes
Cloud tools send from the vendor's servers. Browser or desktop tools send from your own computer and session. Neither is allowed by LinkedIn, and neither can promise an account will not be restricted. The connection model changes where activity comes from, who manages limits and whether you must keep a device on.
Published by Sellinger AI. Numbers and settings checked on 19 October 2026 against the fact register. Report an error.
What LinkedIn says
LinkedIn's own help page on prohibited software, read 19 October 2026, says LinkedIn does not permit third party software that automates activity, and that using it can lead to restricted accounts. So the question is not which model is allowed, but which model you are willing to carry the risk for, and how well it paces activity.
How nine tools connect, as they describe it
| Tool | Model as listed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dripify | Cloud sending with a dedicated IP in your location and randomised timing inside working hours | dripify.com, read 19 October 2026 |
| Expandi | Cloud, a dedicated country matched IP per account, automatic warm up and daily limit ranges | expandi.io, read 19 October 2026 |
| La Growth Machine | Cloud, no browser extension, a dedicated mobile proxy per identity and adjustable caps | lagrowthmachine.com, read 19 October 2026 |
| Waalaxy | Cloud since July 2026, with quotas set by Waalaxy | intercom.help, read 19 October 2026 |
| HeyReach | Vendor runs the sending, with a dedicated static proxy per sender on one plan and your own proxies on others | help.heyreach.io, read 19 October 2026 |
| lemlist | Your browser session, with reconnects through a Chrome extension | lemlist.com, read 19 October 2026 |
| Reply.io | Session cookie through a Chrome extension, by credentials or by invite link. Cloud use not stated | how.reply.io, read 19 October 2026 |
| Valley | A desktop app that keeps the LinkedIn session on your computer, not proxies or data center IPs | joinvalley.hc.ferndesk.com, read 19 October 2026 |
| Sellinger | You connect your own LinkedIn account through a hosted login and Sellinger does not store your LinkedIn password. Each account has a daily invitation limit (default 20, varied by a few each day), a weekly invitation cap (default 150) and a quiet window with no sending (default 01:00 to 08:00 account time). No tool can guarantee that LinkedIn will never restrict an account. You can also connect your LinkedIn account through your own proxy. | Fact register, checked 19 October 2026 |
Competitor rows are the vendors' statements, not our tests. A model being listed is not a safety rating.
Trade offs
A browser or desktop model suits you if
- you want activity to come from your own computer and location,
- you accept keeping the app or browser running,
- you prefer the vendor never holds a session on its servers,
- your volume is low enough for one device.
A cloud model such as Sellinger's suits you if
- you want sending to run when your laptop is closed,
- you manage several accounts and want limits enforced centrally,
- you want an option to bring your own proxy,
- you accept that the vendor holds a hosted session and that no tool can guarantee against restrictions.
Common questions
Is cloud LinkedIn automation safer?
Does Sellinger store my LinkedIn password?
What are Sellinger's default limits?
Can I use my own proxy?
Sources and method
Competitor rows link to the vendor page and its read date. LinkedIn's statement is from its help page read on 19 October 2026. Sellinger rows from the fact register.
Related: LinkedIn automation vs AI SDR agent, LinkedIn agent, security, Compare hub.
