Instantly vs Smartlead vs lemlist: which cold email tool?

Instantly, Smartlead and lemlist are the cold email tools most outbound teams shortlist. All three send sequences from many inboxes, warm those inboxes up, and track replies. The real differences are in what you pay as you scale, how they handle agencies with many clients, and whether you also want LinkedIn and calling in the same tool.

We run outbound for clients every week. Here is how we choose.

Which one should you pick?

How each one charges

• Instantly charges by emails sent and contacts uploaded, with unlimited email accounts and warmup on its outreach plans. Growth is about $47 a month (less on yearly billing) for 5,000 emails and 1,000 contacts. Hypergrowth is about $97 a month for up to 100,000 to 125,000 emails and 25,000 contacts. Lead database credits are a separate plan or part of a bundle.
• Smartlead charges by active leads and emails sent, with unlimited email accounts on every plan. Base is about $39 a month for 2,000 leads and 6,000 emails; Pro about $94 for 30,000 leads and 90,000 emails; the Unlimited plans start around $174.
• lemlist charges per plan with a per-user element on Multichannel. The Email plan is about $55 to $69 a month with up to 50,000 emails; Multichannel is about $87 to $109 per user a month and adds LinkedIn steps and calling.

Pricing side by side

Check the live pages before you buy: Instantly pricing, Smartlead pricing, lemlist pricing.

Instantly: the easiest place to start

Instantly made "unlimited inboxes" mainstream in cold email: you connect as many sending accounts as you like, warm them up, and spread your sending across them. The interface is simple, and its B2B lead database means you can find leads and email them in one place.

Where it shines

• Quick setup, with unlimited email accounts and warmup on outreach plans
• A large built-in lead database with email enrichment
• A clear unified inbox for replies

Where it hurts

• Lead credits and outreach are priced separately unless you buy a bundle
• Pricing on the page mixes several plan sets, so read carefully before you choose
• No LinkedIn or calling steps

Best for: founders and small sales teams starting outbound who want leads and sending in one place.

Smartlead: the most volume for the money

Smartlead is popular with agencies because it handles many inboxes and many clients well. It rotates sending across inboxes, offers client workspaces, and its higher plans include very high contact and email limits.

Where it shines

• Unlimited email accounts on every plan
• High limits for leads and emails per dollar on Pro and Unlimited
• Client workspaces and white-label options for agencies

Where it hurts

• No built-in lead database, so you source leads elsewhere
• The interface is more technical than Instantly's
• No native LinkedIn or calling steps

Best for: outbound agencies and teams sending at volume who already have a lead source.

lemlist: multichannel in one sequence

lemlist lets one sequence mix emails, LinkedIn visits, invites and messages, and calls. It is known for personalised images and landing pages, and it includes a large lead database.

Where it shines

• Email, LinkedIn and calls in a single sequence on Multichannel
• Personalisation features such as custom images
• A built-in lead database with enrichment and buying-intent add-ons

Where it hurts

• The most expensive of the three, especially per user on Multichannel
• Five senders per user on Multichannel, compared with unlimited on the others
• LinkedIn automation must respect LinkedIn's own limits and rules

Best for: sales teams selling higher-value deals, where a few personal touches across channels beat raw volume.

A worked example: 3 clients, 20,000 emails a month

Say an agency sends about 20,000 cold emails a month across 3 clients, to about 7,000 new contacts.

These are estimates from list prices, not quotes. On top of any tool you pay for domains and inboxes, usually a few dollars per inbox per month.

What decides your results (whichever tool you use)

• Separate sending domains. Never send cold email from your main domain.
• Authentication. Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC on every sending domain. Google and Yahoo require it for bulk senders, plus a one-click unsubscribe and a low spam complaint rate.
• Low volume per inbox. Keep each inbox to a modest number of emails a day and warm new inboxes for a few weeks first.
• Clean, relevant lists. Verify emails before sending and only contact people your offer genuinely fits.
• Follow the law. In the US, CAN-SPAM requires an accurate sender, a real postal address and a working opt-out. Other countries have stricter rules.

Check a draft for spam triggers with our free spam score checker, and write a first draft with the cold email generator.

Common mistakes

• Buying the tool before fixing deliverability. Set up domains and authentication first.
• Sending too much too soon. New inboxes need warmup and a gradual ramp.
• Long, generic emails. Short, specific emails with one clear ask get more replies.
• No reply handling. Positive replies need an answer within minutes, not days.
• Ignoring unsubscribes. Honour them fast and keep a suppression list across tools.

FAQ

Which is best for beginners?

Instantly, for most people. Setup is simple and you can source leads in the same tool. Smartlead suits you better once you run several clients or high volumes.

Do these tools include warmup?

Yes. All three include inbox warmup, which builds a sending reputation for new inboxes before you start cold campaigns.

Can I use LinkedIn in the same sequence?

Only lemlist, of these three, has LinkedIn steps built in on its Multichannel plan. With Instantly or Smartlead you would use a separate LinkedIn tool.

Is cold email legal?

In the US, B2B cold email is legal under CAN-SPAM when you identify yourself honestly, include a postal address and offer a working opt-out. Rules are stricter in places like the EU and Canada, so check where your recipients are.

How many emails can I send per inbox?

Keep it modest and ramp up slowly after warmup. Spreading volume across many inboxes and domains is safer than pushing a few hard.

Final verdict

Start with Instantly if you are new to outbound and want leads and sending together. Choose Smartlead if you are an agency or send at volume and already have a lead source. Choose lemlist if your deals are worth more personal, multichannel touches and you are happy to pay for them.

Want outbound that books meetings?

We set up the domains, inboxes, lists and sequences, then plug replies into AI lead follow-up so every interested reply gets a fast answer. Book a free strategy call to see what an outbound system would look like for you.