Lemlist vs Smartlead
Lemlist and Smartlead are both popular choices in the cold email outreach tool space. Lemlist has been around since 2018, giving it a 4-year head start over Smartlead (founded 2022). Lemlist starts at $69/mo, while Smartlead starts at $39/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
Lemlist wins on integrations.
Smartlead wins on rating.
Best for most users: Smartlead (cold email agencies).
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.
Smartlead
Unlimited mailboxes and warmup for cold email at scale
Smartlead is a cold email infrastructure platform built for agencies and high-volume senders, offering unlimited email accounts and warmup on every plan starting at $39/month. White-label client workspaces and plans that scale to 500,000 emails a month make it popular with lead generation agencies managing multiple client campaigns.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Lemlist | Smartlead |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Starting Price | $69/mo | $39/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | No free plan |
| Founded | 2018 | 2022 |
| Email Templates | 100 | 20 |
| Integrations | 40 | 25 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | No |
| 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 |
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
Smartlead: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Unlimited email accounts and warmup on every plan eliminates per-mailbox costs that add up with competitors
- + Scales to 500,000 emails/month on Unlimited Prime, with unlimited contact storage from Unlimited Smart
- + White-label client workspaces ($29/month each from Pro) suit agencies running outbound for multiple clients
- + SmartProspect verified prospect emails are included on Unlimited Smart and Prime
- + Affordable entry at $39/month for unlimited mailboxes compared to per-seat pricing of competitors
Cons
- − Base has no API, webhooks or CRM access; those start on Pro at $94/month
- − Base plan limited to 2,000 contacts and 6,000 emails/month, restrictive for serious outbound
- − Relatively new platform (founded 2022) with smaller track record than established competitors
- − Agency client workspaces cost $29/month each on Pro and Unlimited Smart
- − Calling (SmartDialer), inbox placement tests and dedicated servers are paid add-ons
The Verdict
Lemlist and Smartlead are closely matched — both score within 0.1 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality.
| Criterion | Weight | Lemlist | Smartlead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $69/mo | $39/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 40 Winner | 25 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Lemlist if…
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a sales teams
- + You're a agencies
Choose Smartlead if…
- + You're a cold email agencies
- + You're a high volume senders
- + Unlimited email accounts and warmup on every plan eliminates per-mailbox costs that add up with competitors