Vatsal Shah Instantly.ai is well-known for cold emailing, and I absolutely loved using it.
That said, IT IS EXPENSIVE!
- For $30 per month (annual) and you can only send 5k emails a month.
- If you’re managing multiple clients, you’ll have to set up a separate workspace with its own subscription for each one.
- On top of that, many users on Reddit have shared that Instantly’s pre-warmed email accounts often have deliverability issues.
Having worked on cold email deliverability, I know firsthand how high costs and poor inbox placement can ruin your campaigns completely.
That’s why I explored other alternatives to Instantly.ai.
In this blog, I’ll share 5 Instantly.ai alternatives that are better at deliverability, easier to scale, and more cost-efficient for both teams and agencies.
Keep reading to find the one that suits your needs more.
Instantly.ai Alternatives – TOC
5 Tools That Are Better Than Instantly.ai for Cold Emailing
I’ve tried and tested multiple cold email tools, and these five stand out as the best alternatives to Instantly.ai.
1. Saleshandy
The first tool on my list is Saleshandy.
It is an AI-powered cold email software that you can use for all things related to cold emailing, like:
- Setting up your infrastructure
- Warming up your accounts
- Finding relevant leads for your outreach
- Creating highly personalized sequences and sub-sequences that automatically trigger based on how your prospects engage.
- Tracking and analyzing performance in a clear visual dashboard
If you want to know more, you should check out my detailed review of Saleshandy.
In the next section, I’ll show you where Saleshandy outperforms Instantly.ai.
Why Saleshandy is The Best Instantly.ai Alternative
Both tools are highly scalable — you can connect unlimited email accounts at no extra charge.
They also have similar features: Lead Database, AI Sequence Copilot, AI Bounce Guard, Inbox Placement, Email Warm-Up, etc.
But where Saleshandy truly stands out is in four key areas:
- Pricing
- Deliverability
- Customer Support
- Cost for Agencies
Saleshandy starts at $25/month (annual), and you can send 6k emails a month. Moreover, I found Saleshandy’s pricing plans much more scalable than Instantly.ai’s.
The best part is for agencies handling multiple clients: You can add and manage unlimited clients at no additional cost.
You don’t have to create a workspace and get a separate subscription for each client.
Coming to the deliverability part, you can also set up cold email infrastructure with Saleshandy.
The difference is that you get infrastructure support from reputed providers like Maildoso and Inframail.
You also get a complete deliverability stack with multiple features that make it easier to protect your domain health and maximize inbox placement.
On top of that, Saleshandy’s customer support is faster and more responsive compared to Instantly.ai.
Whenever you run into issues, you can expect timely help rather than waiting around for answers.
Saleshandy Pricing (Billed Annually)
Saleshandy’s pricing plans are structured to accommodate businesses of all sizes, from individual founders to large agencies.
There are 3 standard plans:
- Outreach Starter – $25/month
- Outreach Pro – $69/month
- Outreach Scale – $139/month
In addition to these, you get a customizable plan where pricing depends on the number of emails you want to send each month and the number of active prospects you need to manage.
You can also add extras like Lead Database, Cold Email Infrastructure, and Inbox Placement Testing if you need them.
You can check out the Pricing Page to know more.
2. Smartlead
Next on my list is Smartlead.
It is a cold email software that is built for scalability and deliverability.
What I liked about Smartlead is that it can handle very high sending volumes without compromising on inbox placement.
Let me show you why Smartlead is a better Instantly.ai alternative.
Why Smartlead is Better Than Instantly.ai Alternative
I found Smartlead to be very similar to Instantly.ai.
You can connect unlimited email accounts at no extra cost, and you get solid deliverability features to keep your campaigns safe.
The key difference is that Smartlead gives you more flexibility with pricing and can handle higher sending volumes without extra restrictions.
This makes it a better choice if you want to scale cold email outreach without worrying about costs adding up too quickly.
When it comes to handling clients, Smartlead charges a flat fee of $27/month per active client on top of your plan.
For agencies, this pricing structure makes a more practical option since you can manage multiple clients under one account without the hassle of juggling different workspaces.
Smartlead Pricing
Smartlead has 2 paid plans:
- Basic Plan – 32.5/month
- Pro Plan – $78.3/month
The drawback with Smartlead is that its pricing is on the expensive side. If you’re looking for more cost-effective alternatives, I have 5 Smartlead alternatives you should take a look at.
3. Lemlist
Lemlist is a prospecting tool that helps you automate outreach.
This can be your ideal Instantly.ai alternative if you’re planning to eventually grow your cold email outreach into multichannel campaigns.
Why Lemlist is Better Than Instantly.ai Alternative
What I liked the most about Lemlist is its visual campaign builder and user-friendly UI.
It’s very easy to use, even if you’re new to cold outreach.
The main strength, though, lies in its personalization features. You can add custom images, GIFs, and even videos inside your emails.
This makes your outreach feel far more engaging compared to Instantly.ai, which sticks to basic text personalization.
Another big advantage is its Lead Database.
You get access to 450M+ contacts, and you can get accurate email addresses using its waterfall enrichment method, which cross-verifies data from multiple sources.
Lemlist Pricing
Lemlist has 3 paid plans:
- Email Pro – $55/month/user
- Multichannel Expert – $79/month/user
- Enterprise – Custom
Pricing is the only major drawback of Lemlist.
4. Woodpecker
If you’re a freelancer, solopreneur, or part of a small sales team, Woodpecker is a great Instantly.ai alternative.
It’s built to help you send cold emails safely, follow up automatically, and keep your deliverability strong without needing complicated setups.
Why Woodpecker is Better Than Instantly.ai Alternative
Woodpecker is better than Instantly.ai mainly because of its pricing.
It can accommodate freelancers, solopreneurs, and small teams who don’t need to send very high volumes of emails but still want reliable deliverability.
Moreover, Woodpecker doesn’t compromise on core features. You still get automated follow-ups, bounce protection, A/B testing, sender rotation, and more, all included in affordable plans.
That said, Woodpecker also charges a flat fee of $27/month for each active client. For agencies managing multiple clients, this can quickly add up, which makes it less cost-friendly compared to tools like Saleshandy.
Woodpecker Pricing
Woodpecker has 4 customizable plans:
- Starter – $20/month
- Growth – $126/month
- Scale – $903/month
- Max – $6,666/Month
All these plans can be customized based on the number of prospects you want to contact in a month.
5. SmartReach
The last Instantly.ai alternative on my list is SmartReach.
It is an all-in-one cold outreach tool for automating cold emails, LinkedIn, and calling.
This makes it a great choice if you want to build multichannel campaigns without having to switch tools.
Why SmartReach is Better Than Instantly.ai Alternative
I found SmartReach better than Instantly.ai because you can create condition-based drip campaigns. This means your outreach adapts automatically depending on how prospects engage.
The next big difference is its pricing.
SmartReach has separate plans for cold email outreach, multichannel campaigns, and dedicated agency use.
This makes it more flexible than Instantly.ai, which has a flat pricing structure that doesn’t really adapt to different business needs.
With SmartReach, you can choose a plan that matches your use case instead of paying for features you don’t need.
SmartReach Pricing
SmartReach has separate plans for different use cases, so you only pay for what you need.
You can check their pricing page to know more.
Send More Cold Emails With The Right Platform!
That brings my list to an end.
I have covered 5 alternatives to Instantly.ai, and each tool comes with its own strengths.
Some are better for pricing, others shine in deliverability, and a few stand out for multichannel outreach or agency-friendly features.
If you’re looking for the most well-rounded Instantly.ai alternative, I’d recommend starting with Saleshandy, as it balances cost, deliverability, and scalability better than the rest.
Lemlist is ideal if you’re eventually looking to shift into multichannel outreach.
And if you want the same multichannel offering but tailored for agencies, then SmartReach is the better choice.
Whichever tool suits your needs, take a free trial and test it out
Instantly.ai Alternatives – FAQs
1. Why should I look for an alternative to Instantly.ai?
Instantly.ai is a good tool, but its pricing, deliverability issues, and lack of agency flexibility make many teams look for other options.
2. What features should I look for in an Instantly.ai alternative?
Key features to consider are deliverability tools (warm-up, spam check), scalability (unlimited accounts, higher sending volume), ease of use, and pricing that grows with your needs.
3. Can switching tools improve my email deliverability?
Yes. Many alternatives give you better infrastructure support and built-in deliverability safeguards, which help you land more emails in the inbox.
4. How do I choose the right cold email tool for my business?
Start by assessing your needs: Are you an individual sender, a growing team, or an agency? If you need scalability and affordability, a tool like Saleshandy is a strong choice.
