Instantly.ai vs Lemlist
Instantly.ai and Lemlist are both popular choices in the cold email outreach tool space. Instantly.ai starts at $47/mo, while Lemlist starts at $69/mo. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. Lemlist has the edge with landing pages, a drag-and-drop editor. Both tools work well for sdrs and b2b outbound.
Quick Verdict
Instantly.ai wins on rating.
Lemlist wins on integrations.
Best for most users: Instantly.ai (cold email agencies).
Instantly.ai
Cold email at scale with unlimited accounts and AI-powered warmup
Instantly.ai is a cold email platform built for volume, offering unlimited email accounts, AI-powered warmup, and inbox rotation to maximize deliverability at scale. With a 4.8/5 G2 rating from 4,000+ reviews, it's become one of the most popular tools for agencies and SDRs running high-volume outbound campaigns. Separate products for Outreach, Leads, and CRM start at $47/month each.
Lemlist
Multichannel cold outreach with built-in email warmup and lead database
Lemlist is a multichannel cold outreach platform that combines email campaigns, LinkedIn automation, and cold calling with a built-in 450M+ lead database and email warmup tool (lemwarm). Its visual sequence builder and AI personalization make it a go-to choice for SDRs and sales teams running B2B outbound at scale, starting at $69/user/month.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Instantly.ai | Lemlist |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Starting Price | $47/mo | $69/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | No free plan |
| Founded | 2021 | 2018 |
| Email Templates | 30 | 100 |
| Integrations | 20 | 40 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | No | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | No | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | No |
| Ecommerce Features | No | No |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | No | No |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
Instantly.ai: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Unlimited email accounts with built-in inbox rotation maximizes deliverability across multiple sending addresses
- + AI-powered email warmup automatically builds sender reputation before campaigns launch
- + Extremely high user satisfaction with 91% 5-star ratings on G2 from 4,000+ reviews
- + Quick setup and intuitive interface gets campaigns running within minutes, not hours
- + Separate Outreach, Leads, and CRM products let users pay only for what they need
Cons
- − Separate pricing for Outreach, Leads, and CRM means total cost adds up quickly for full functionality
- − Credits system has been criticized for confusing changes and billing glitches with incorrect deductions
- − Domains purchased through Instantly's Done-For-You service are reportedly retained by Instantly, limiting portability
- − No multichannel sequences — email only, no LinkedIn or calling integration
- − Limited integrations ecosystem compared to more established platforms like Lemlist or Apollo
Lemlist: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Built-in email warmup (lemwarm) automatically improves deliverability before campaigns launch
- + Access to 450M+ contact database with enrichment credits eliminates need for separate lead sourcing tools
- + Multichannel sequences combining email, LinkedIn, and cold calling in one visual workflow builder
- + AI-powered personalization generates custom icebreakers and email copy at scale
- + 14-day free trial with no credit card required lets teams fully test before committing
Cons
- − Expensive at $69-99/user/month, making it prohibitive for large sales teams on a budget
- − Credit-based system for enrichment and verification adds hidden costs beyond the subscription
- − LinkedIn automation requires a LinkedIn account and can risk account restrictions if overused
- − Reporting and analytics are basic compared to enterprise sales engagement platforms
- − Learning curve for setting up multichannel sequences with proper timing and triggers
The Verdict
Instantly.ai edges ahead with a 4.8/5 rating compared to Lemlist's 4.5/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.9 vs 4.3) and deliverability (4.8 vs 4.4).
| Criterion | Weight | Instantly.ai | Lemlist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $47/mo | $69/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.8/5 Winner | 4.5/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 20 | 40 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Instantly.ai if…
- + You're a cold email agencies
- + You're a lead generation
- + Unlimited email accounts with built-in inbox rotation maximizes deliverability across multiple sending addresses
Choose Lemlist if…
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a sales teams
- + You're a agencies