We Tried 7 Instantly Alternatives for Cold Emailing

Cold email tools lie.

They say “unlimited sending.”

They promise “inbox placement.”

They give you a nice-looking UI.

But here’s what they don’t give you: replies.

That’s the problem with tools like Instantly.

It works—until it doesn’t.

• Emails start going to spam.
  
  
• Sending accounts disconnect.
  
  
• Deliverability tanks post-warmup.
  
  
• You end up paying $1,000/month for features that were supposed to be included.
  
  

So I picked the 7 most talked-about Instantly alternatives—tools like Smartlead, Lemlist, Mailshake, Apollo, Quickmail, and others.

This article breaks it all down:

• Why so many teams are ditching Instantly
  
  
• What each Instantly alternative gets right (and wrong)
  
  
• Which tool is best for solo founders, agencies, and high-volume teams
  
  
• And the one platform we’d trust to scale cold email without falling apart
  
  

If you care about cold emails that land, get opened, and get replies, read this before switching tools.

TL;DR (Too Long, Don’t Waste $1K+ on the Wrong Cold Email Tool)

Instantly works... until you actually try to scale.

Then the bugs show up. Emails hit spam. 

And you’re stuck paying $1,000/month for features that used to be free.

So here are 7 Instantly alternatives to see which ones actually work for cold outreach at scale.

Here’s the honest take:

Smartlead – Sends volume. Handles 100k+ emails. But buggy UI and weak support slow things down.

Lemlist – Pretty campaigns. Good multichannel flows. But costs stack fast and deliverability dips.

Mailshake – Simple, reliable, solid follow-ups. But Gmail-only and not built for real scale.

Saleshandy – Cheap, does the basics well. But glitchy UI and limited support if things break.

Quickmail – Deliverability nerds love it. But it’s clunky and not beginner-friendly.

Apollo.io – Great for contact data + prospecting. Outreach tool? Just okay.

And then there’s Salesforge — yeah, I built it.

Not just because I wanted another sending tool. 

But because I was tired of stitching together 6 platforms just to send one campaign right.

Salesforge gives you:

• Your own infra (pre-warmed, multi-IP setup)
  
  
• Built-in warm-up and deliverability control
  
  
• Lead sourcing, sequencing, reply management — all in one place
  ‍
• And if you’re tired of doing it yourself? Let Agent Frank (our AI SDR) take over
  
  
• One login. One system. Full control.
  
  

If you’re doing cold email for real — not as a side hustle — Salesforge will save you time, deliver better, and scale clean.

Let’s break it all down 👇

Why People Look for Instantly Alternatives?

Instantly looks good on the surface.

Easy setup. Simple UI. Cheap to start.

But here’s what nobody tells you until it’s too late:

❌ You don’t control your infrastructure

You’re on shared IPs with strangers.

If one of them spams… your emails die too.

❌ Warm-up is weak

You’ll see decent delivery at first.

Then you wake up one day and your emails hit spam.

Why? The system can’t scale cleanly.

❌ You can’t fix what breaks

No IP rotation. No inbox-level control.

No insight into why deliverability dropped.

❌ Support slows down when you need it most

Canned replies. No urgency.

While you bleed leads.

❌ Everything becomes a paid add-on

CRM? Extra.

Reply tracking? Extra.

Basic features get locked behind higher tiers.

Instantly is fine if you're sending 20 emails a day.

But if you're sending hundreds or thousands — it breaks fast.

That’s why people start looking for better options.

More control. More reliability. More results.

The next 7 tools in the list?

They do what Instantly can’t — and I’ll show you exactly how. But before that let’s check out the pricing of Instantly first. 

💸 Instantly Pricing — Why Users Start Complaining After Month 1

At first glance, Instantly looks affordable.

• Starts at $37/month
  
  
• Unlimited accounts
  
  
• Unlimited warm-up
  
  
• 5,000 emails/month
  
  

Pretty solid, right?

But here’s the catch:

Once you grow, your costs explode.

And most users don’t realize it until they’ve already committed.

Here’s Where the Frustration Kicks In

• Uploaded Contacts Cap
  ‍
  $37 plan = 1,000 contacts. That’s nothing if you’re running active campaigns.
  
  
• Send Limits
  ‍
  Even the $97/mo plan caps you at 100,000 emails/month. For agencies or teams doing daily outreach, you hit this fast.
  
  
• CRM & API Access?
  ‍
  Not in the base plans. You’ll need to upgrade or integrate manually.
  
  
• No All-in-One Workflow
  ‍
  You still need to bolt on other tools (for leads, sequencing, AI writing, etc.).
  
  
• Enterprise Plan?
  ‍
  That’s $358/month, and still doesn’t give full infra control or warm-up analytics like real deliverability platforms do.
  
  

📉 Instantly Pricing Breakdown (2025)

It starts cheap.

But once you need to scale?

You’re paying over $1,000/year — and you still don’t get:

• Your own IPs
  
  
• Real infrastructure
  
  
• Built-in lead sourcing
  
  
• AI-driven replies
  
  
• Deep warm-up metrics
  
  
• Unified inbox across accounts
  
  

That’s why users complain.

You hit a wall, and the only answer is: “Upgrade again.”

‍

The 7 Instantly Alternatives I Actually Used

• Salesforge
  ‍
• Smartlead
  ‍
• Lemlist
  ‍
• Woodpecker
  ‍
• Apollo.io 
  ‍
• Reply.io
  ‍
• Snov.io

 Instantly Alternatives Comparison Table

Let me know if you'd like a simplified 3-column version or one optimized for Google Docs/WordPress tables.

‍

1. Salesforge — The Best All-in-One Cold Email Ecosystem

If you’ve ever duct-taped 5 tools just to send cold emails, this is your fix.

Salesforge isn’t just a sender.

It’s a full ecosystem built to run cold email at scale, without burning your time or reputation.

Here’s what you get:

• Infrastructure (via Mailforge + Infraforge) — private or shared, pre-warmed, multi-IP

• Deliverability (via Warmforge) — inbox rotation, smart warm-up, blacklist protection

• Leads (via Leadsforge) — clean, verified, targeted

• Sequencing + Replies (via Salesforge) — run everything from one dashboard (Primebox™)
  
  
• AI SDR (Agent Frank) — prospecting, email writing, follow-ups, booking meetings

Everything just connects and works.

Also, check out the Top 10 AI SDRs Comparison

Why It’s a Better Alternative to Instantly?

Let’s talk about what breaks with Instantly:

• Shared IPs (no control = spam risk)
  
  
• Weak warm-up that stops scaling after 10k sends
  
  
• No inbox-level control
  
  
• API and CRM are locked behind upgrades
  
  
• Lead sourcing? Doesn’t exist. AI SDR? Nope.
  
  

And the kicker? You’re paying more for less.

Real Pricing Comparison

Here’s what Instantly charges in 2025:

Now compare that to Salesforge:

Key Difference?
‍
Salesforge includes infrastructure, lead sourcing, warm-up, and reply handling — not just sending.

No hidden costs. No “upgrade to unlock CRM.”
‍
You get the system, not just the surface.

Pros of using Salesforge

• Built for serious cold email teams
  
  
• Pre-warmed domains, smart routing, Primebox™ inbox
  
  
• Lead gen, sequencing, replies — all in one
  
  
• Optional AI SDR (Agent Frank) for full automation
  
  

Cons of using Salesforge 

• Too advanced if you’re just testing the waters
  
  
• More powerful than needed for basic outreach
  
  

Salesforge vs Instantly at a Glance

If you’re just dipping your toe in cold outreach, Instantly works — until it doesn’t.

But if you’re a founder, agency, or growth team trying to send 10k+ emails/month without getting flagged, Salesforge is the system that won’t collapse.

• Real infra
  
  
• Built-in warm-up
  
  
• Integrated lead sourcing
  
  
• Reply management + optional AI
  
  
• Clean scale with no surprises
  
  

You don’t need another tool. You need a machine that actually delivers.

2. Smartlead.ai — Best for High-Volume Sending (If You Can Handle the Bugs)

If your cold email strategy is: “Send more. Send faster.”

Then Smartlead might be your weapon.

Smartlead.ai is built for senders who care about output above everything else.

You can spin up unlimited inboxes, send 150,000+ emails/month, and manage everything through one central inbox.

Add ChatGPT-4 personalization, API access, and some clever warm-up tech — and you’ve got a scale machine.

But here’s the tradeoff:

It’s not the smoothest ride.

Why It’s on This List?

A lot of users leave Instantly when they hit send limits or deliverability drops.

Smartlead gives you:

• Bigger limits right out of the gate
  
  
• Unlimited warm-up & inboxes (even on the $39 plan)
  
  
• Real-time analytics + reply handling
  
  
• Custom plans for agencies sending millions of emails
  
  

It’s the closest thing to “cold email brute force” on this list.

Smartlead Pricing Breakdown

⚠️ Agency model? You’ll pay $29/month per client on top. 10 clients = $290 extra.

Smartlead Pros

• Handles 100k+ emails/month with ease
  
  
• Unlimited inboxes + warm-up (no per-account pricing)
  
  
• Built-in ChatGPT-4 support on Pro+
  
  
• Centralized reply management
  
  
• Advanced API access
  
  
• Affordable entry plan for volume

SmartLead Cons

• UI is clunky and often buggy
  
  
• Manual inbox refreshes
  
  
• Inbox disconnections still happen
  
  
• Support is slow unless you’re on a higher tier
  
  
• Pricing stacks quickly for agencies
  
  
• No built-in lead sourcing or AI SDR
  
  

Instantly vs Smartlead.ai

Smartlead is what you use when you need volume fast.

It’ll let you send big. No caps. No stress about inbox limits.

But that power comes with pain:

• Bugs
  
  
• Disconnections
  
  
• Manual work
  
  
• Hidden costs (especially for agencies)
  
  

If you’re technical and know how to manage deliverability and infra, it’s a beast.

But if you want less maintenance, less guessing, and more reliability…

There are better-balanced tools ahead.

Final call? Use Smartlead if you care more about quantity than control.

‍

3. Lemlist — Best for Creative, Multichannel Cold Outreach

If your cold emails feel boring, Lemlist lets you dress them up and send them everywhere.

Lemlist is a multichannel outreach platform that helps you send cold emails that don’t feel like cold emails.

Instead of plain text, you can add:

• Personalized images and GIFs
  
  
• Custom videos
  
  
• LinkedIn steps and call steps
  
  
• Templates that look human, not robotic

It’s more than a cold email sender.

It’s an attention engine — built for teams that want to get creative and boost replies.

Why It’s on This List?

A lot of Instantly users feel stuck sending generic campaigns.

Lemlist gives you personalization, LinkedIn automation, and visual content built right in.

You also get:

• A built-in lead database
  
  
• Deliverability warm-up
  
  
• A/B testing
  
  
• Email tracking (though not always perfect)
  
  

If you want your outreach to stand out in noisy inboxes, Lemlist makes that easy.

Lemlist Pricing Breakdown

Lemlist Pros

• Makes emails look human with custom images, videos, and GIFs
  
  
• Multichannel automation — combine emails, LinkedIn steps, and even cold calls
  
  
• Great starter templates to help you move fast
  
  
• Built-in warm-up and lead verification
  
  
• Clean UI and helpful onboarding for creative teams
  

Lemlist Cons

• No AI email writer or SDR agent
  
  
• Some users report false opens and tracking bugs
  
  
• Learning curve if you’ve never built multistep campaigns
  
  
• Strict refund and cancellation policies
  
  
• It can get expensive for larger teams or higher volumes
  
  

Instantly vs Lemlist

Lemlist is for people who want their outreach to feel more like a conversation than a cold pitch.

It helps you look personal, show effort, and stand out in cluttered inboxes.

But it’s not for everyone:

• No AI assistant
  
  
• Limited if you're just sending basic text emails
  
  
• And costs can stack as you scale
  
  

Final call? Use Lemlist if you want your outreach to look and feel more human — across email, LinkedIn, and beyond.

‍

4. Mailshake — Best for Simple, Reliable Cold Outreach (No Extra Headaches)

Not every sales team needs a multichannel monster or 100k sending power.

Sometimes you just need a tool that works. That’s where Mailshake shines.

Mailshake is a lightweight, easy-to-use cold email tool designed for solo SDRs and lean teams.

You won’t find AI agents or visual campaign builders here.

But you will find:

• Fast setup
  
  
• Clean interface
  
  
• Multi-channel support
  
  
• Warm-up included
  
  
• Solid integrations (CRM, phone dialers, LinkedIn Chrome plugin)
  
  

It's the tool for teams who just want to send, follow up, and get replies.

Why It’s on This List

A lot of ex-Instantly users get tired of bugs, feature upsells, or overly complex dashboards.

Mailshake keeps it simple.

• Cold email automation with follow-ups
  
  
• Built-in warm-up
  
  
• Chrome extension for LinkedIn
  
  
• Basic CRM integrations
  
  
• A dialer for phone outreach if you need it
  
  

If your workflow isn’t complicated, Mailshake won’t get in your way.

Mailshake Pricing Breakdown

👍 Pricing is predictable. No hidden charges or “pay-per-feature” surprises.

Mailshake Pros

• Clean UI and quick onboarding
  
  
• Email + dialer + LinkedIn combo in one place
  
  
• All essential features included — no nickel-and-diming
  
  
• Unlimited warm-up + sending on higher plans
  
  
• Great for small teams that just want something that works
  
  

Mailshake Cons

• Reporting is basic, not great for data-heavy teams
  
  
• No deep personalization (no video/GIF/image inserts like Lemlist)
  
  
• Doesn’t scale well for complex or high-volume ops
  
  
• Lacks AI writing tools or automation beyond email
  
  

Instantly vs Mailshake

Mailshake is what you use when you don’t want to think about the tool.

It won’t blow your mind with features.

But it will send your emails, follow up, and help you stay on top of replies — without breaking, glitching, or upselling you every five minutes.

Perfect for solo SDRs, early-stage teams, or founders who just want a basic outbound setup that works.

Final call? Use Mailshake if you value simplicity, stability, and speed over fancy features.

‍

5. Apollo.io — Best for SDRs Who Want Leads + Outreach in One Place

Apollo.io is a lead database + outreach tool rolled into one.

You get access to 260 M+ contacts with verified emails and phone numbers, plus the ability to:

• Build lists
  
  
• Send cold emails
  
  
• Make calls
  
  
• Track sequences
  
  
• Enrich the lead data

It’s like if LinkedIn Sales Nav, Hunter, and Mailshake had a baby, with CRM integration baked in.

Why It’s on This List

Most people leave Instantly because it lacks lead sourcing, enrichment, and calling.
‍
Apollo fills all those gaps — and adds a massive contact database on top.

It’s ideal if you don’t want to stitch together a dozen tools just to run outbound.

Apollo.io Pricing Breakdown

⚠️ Want automation? You’ll need at least the Professional plan at $79/month.

Apollo.io Pros

• Massive 260M+ verified B2B database
  
  
• Combining prospecting + outreach in one platform
  
  
• Built-in dialer for cold calls
  
  
• Easy CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Gmail)
  
  
• Great starter experience (even on free plan)
  
  
• Cuts down manual prospecting time big time
  
  

Apollo.io Cons

• Data quality isn’t perfect — bounces still happen
  
  
• Outreach automation is basic compared to Salesforge or Smartlead
  
  
• Gets expensive fast for growing teams (Organization = $357/mo minimum)
  
  
• No advanced personalization or visual flows
  
  
• No built-in warm-up or inbox deliverability tools
  
  

Instantly vs Apollo.io

‍

Apollo is perfect for SDRs who need everything in one tool.
‍
Instead of juggling 4 tabs, you can just:

• Search
  
  
• Enrich
  
  
• Email
  
  
• Call
  
  
• Track
  
  

It’s not the best at deep deliverability or AI-based personalization.
‍
But for pipeline-building and speed to outreach, it’s a solid bet.

Final call? Use Apollo if you want fast access to leads + outreach in a single platform — without the integrations headache.

‍

6. Reply.io — Best for Teams Running Full-Funnel Outreach Across Channels

Reply.io is a multichannel outbound platform for SDRs and agencies who already have leads and want one tool to:

• Email
  
  
• Call
  
  
• Message on LinkedIn
  
  
• Send SMS
  
  
• And automate the whole sequence
  
  

It’s not here to help you find leads, but if you’ve got them, Reply lets you attack across all fronts.

Why It’s on This List

Most people outgrow Instantly when they realize email alone isn’t enough.

Reply.io brings email, SMS, LinkedIn, and calling under one roof — so you can stop switching tabs and start converting.

If your outreach process is multistep, multichannel, and built for serious follow-ups, this tool can do it.

Reply.io Pricing Breakdown

⚠️ LinkedIn, SMS, AI tools = paid add-ons. The $99 plan doesn’t include everything.

Reply.io Pros

• Run full campaigns across Email, LinkedIn, SMS, and Calls
  
  
• Sequences are clean and easy to build
  
  
• Strong CRM integrations (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce)
  
  
• A/B testing built-in
  
  
• Powerful reporting dashboard to track replies and drops
  
  

Reply.io Cons

• No lead sourcing or enrichment — bring your own data
  
  
• LinkedIn and other channels are paid add-ons
  
  
• The interface can feel clunky and overwhelming
  
  
• Users report occasional bugs + slow support responses
  
  
• Gets pricey as you add more features or seats
  
  

Instantly vs Reply.io

Reply.io is built for SDR teams who already have leads and need to hit them from every direction.

• Email? ✅
  
  
• LinkedIn? ✅
  
  
• SMS? ✅
  
  
• Calling? ✅
  
  
• CRM integration? ✅
  
  

But it’s not for beginners.

It’s for teams who already have a workflow and want to automate it across multiple channels without stitching tools together.

Use Reply.io if your outbound needs more than email, and your team is ready to handle the full funnel.

‍

7. Snov.io — Best Budget-Friendly Tool for Finding + Emailing Leads in One Place

Snov.io is a lead finder, email verifier, outreach platform, and mini-CRM rolled into one.

You can:

• Find emails from LinkedIn or websites
  
  
• Verify contacts before sending
  
  
• Build drip campaigns with automatic follow-ups
  
  
• Warm up your inbox
  
  
• And track deals with a built-in pipeline
  
  

No fancy AI. No heavy automations. Just a solid starter tool that gets the job done.

Why It’s on This List

A lot of Instantly users are piecing together multiple tools just to get basic outbound running.

Snov.io simplifies it.

You don’t need:

• A separate email finder
  
  
• A separate warm-up tool
  
  
• A standalone CRM
  
  
• Or even a paid Sales Navigator seat
  
  

Everything’s built in — and it works well for teams that are still getting their outbound off the ground.

Snov.io Pricing Breakdown

💡 One credit = 1 lead search or 1 email send. So you’ll want to use credits wisely.

Snov.io Pros

• Find, verify, and email leads in one platform
  
  
• Inbox warm-up included on all plans
  
  
• LinkedIn email scraping via Chrome extension
  
  
• Drip campaign builder for simple sequences
  
  
• Built-in CRM to track leads and pipeline
  
  
• Super affordable starting point ($30/month)
  
  

Snov.io Cons

• Email data quality is hit or miss — some bounce risk
  
  
• UI can feel slow or glitchy on heavy use
  
  
• No advanced personalization (images, videos, etc.)
  
  
• Not ideal for big teams or high-volume sending
  
  
• Support quality depends on your plan
  
  

Instantly vs Snov.io

Snov.io is perfect if you’re starting outbound and want everything in one clean, affordable package.

It won’t give you hyper-targeted filters like Apollo.
‍
It won’t give you visual flows or advanced AI like Salesforge.
‍
But it will give you:

• Verified emails
  
  
• Simple sequences
  
  
• Inbox warm-up
  
  
• CRM tracking
  — all without needing 5 tools or a big budget.
  
  

Use Snov.io if you want to find, verify, and email leads fast, without overcomplicating your stack.

5 Best Snov.io Alternatives For Cold Email Outreach

‍

Which Instantly Alternative Is Actually Worth It? (What No One Tells You)

Let’s get honest.

You’ve seen the features. You’ve seen the pricing.

But the real problem?

Most of these “Instantly alternatives” are just Band-Aids.

They solve one part of the problem — and leave you to figure out the rest.

Here’s What Actually Happens (Once You Start Scaling Cold Outreach):

• Apollo gives you data... but leaves you scrambling for deliverability help
  
  
• Smartlead lets you blast volume... until bugs start killing reply rates
  
  
• Lemlist looks slick... until you need to send more than 3,000 emails without errors
  
  
• Reply.io gives you channels... but also gives you 10 tabs and 10 paid add-ons
  
  
• Mailshake is easy… until you hit limits and need something more
  
  
• Snov.io is cheap… and stays that way (limited, basic, and bouncy)
  
  

If you're running B2B outbound at volume, and need a cold email system that can:

• Control your sending infrastructure
  
  
• Keep your domain reputation clean
  
  
• Warm up inboxes automatically
  
  
• Pull in verified leads
  
  
• Handle AI-powered replies
  
  
• And do all of it without duct-taping 5 tools together
  
  

There’s only one platform we found that checks all those boxes, and that’s Salesforge. 

It Can:

• Replace 30+ tools with one platform
  
  
• Spin up domains + mailboxes with Infraforge and Mailforge
  
  
• Keep emails landing in the inbox with Warmforge
  
  
• Pull verified leads in minutes with Leadsforge
  
  
• Run sequences and reply from one clean dashboard (Primebox™)
  
  
• And if you’re ready for true hands-off? Hire Agent Frank — your AI SDR that prospects, writes, follows up, and books meetings
  
  

This isn’t just another alternative to Instantly.

This is what cold email software looks like when it’s built to scale.

Final Verdict: Stop Switching Tools. 

If you’re serious about cold email deliverability, reply rates, and revenue, you don’t need another point solution.

You need a system that does the job end-to-end.

And right now, that system is Salesforge.

✅ Built for scale
‍
✅ Built by sales pros
‍
✅ Built so you don’t have to worry about whether your next email will even land

Try it free now — before you duct-tape another tool that breaks the moment you grow.