Best tools
Ken is our productBest Cold Email Software in 2026
Ken is our top pick for teams that want sending, a B2B database and verification on one plan. Next: Instantly, best for unlimited inboxes and warmup on a flat plan, and Smartlead, best for agencies that need client workspaces.
Ken is our product. We list it first, and every fact about other tools comes from their public pages on the date shown.
Our Picks at a Glance
In short Ken is first because it is ours. The other 10 follow in order of how well they meet our criteria.
| Rank | Tool | Best for | Starting price (date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(ours) | Ken | sending, data and verification on one plan | Platform: $200 a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planYes - 1,000 credits once, no card | |||
| 2 | Instantly | unlimited inboxes and warmup on a flat plan | $47 a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planNo - 14-day free trial, no card | |||
| 3 | Smartlead | agencies that need client workspaces | $39 a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planNo - 14-day free trial, no card | |||
| 4 | lemlist | a lead database with unlimited users | $69 a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planNo - 14-day trial with 200 free credits | |||
| 5 | Saleshandy | lead credits included at a low price | $41 a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planNo - 7-day trial, capped at 100 emails | |||
| 6 | Woodpecker | pricing by contacted prospects | $35 a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planNo - 14-day or 100-email trial | |||
| 7 | Snov.io | data, verification and sending in one plan | $39 a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planYes - Trial plan renews monthly, 50 credits and 100 recipients | |||
| 8 | Salesforge | LinkedIn steps with premium warmup | $48 a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planNo - 14-day trial, 50 contacts and 100 emails | |||
| 9 | Reply.io | calls and SMS in the same sequence | $59 per seat a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planNo - 14-day free trial | |||
| 10 | EmailBison | high-volume senders on dedicated IPs | $599 a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planNo - no free plan or trial listed, demo only | |||
| 11 | GMass | mail merge inside Gmail | $29.95 a month (Oct 17, 2026) |
| Free planNo - no free plan, install and try without a card | |||
Ken is first because it is our product. The rest are ordered by how well each meets our ranking criteria. Starting price is the lowest entry price on the vendor's pricing page on the date shown: monthly billing where offered, otherwise annual or one-time.
How We Ranked These Tools
In short We judged each tool on 6 criteria, using only facts from its own public pages.
- Total cost: The monthly bill at your sending volume once data, verification and inboxes are added in.
- Seats and inboxes: How many users and sending inboxes a plan allows before the price goes up.
- Deliverability: Warmup, inbox rotation and placement tests, included or sold on top.
- Lead source: A built-in database, data credits or your own lists.
- LinkedIn steps: LinkedIn in the same sequence, natively or through another tool.
- Replies and CRM: One inbox for replies and native sync with your CRM.
Ken is first because it is our product. The rest are ordered by how well each meets our ranking criteria. We do not use ratings from review sites, and we have not tested these tools hands-on.
1. Ken
In short Best for sending, data and verification on one plan.
Ken is our top pick for teams that want sending, a B2B database and verification on one plan. Platform ($200 a month, or $160 billed annually) includes 200,000 sends a month with unlimited seats, your own inboxes and domains connect free with unlimited basic warmup, search covers 250M people and 24M companies, and uploaded lists are verified free. A solo sender with their own list who needs no data pays less with Instantly or Smartlead.
Price: the Free plan starts with 1,000 credits once and no card. Platform is $200 a month, or $160 a month billed annually. Campaigns: Included on every plan; about 1.45 credits ($0.03) per finished lead.
Strengths
One campaign can mix email and LinkedIn steps. AI qualification costs 50 credits ($1) per 1,000 rows. AI personalization costs 300 credits ($6) per 1,000 rows. Platform includes 200,000 sends a month. Every email gets a spam and quality check before it sends.
Limits
On Free, every send costs credits: 25 credits per 1,000. LinkedIn steps need a connected LinkedIn account at 1,500 credits ($30) a month. Paid plan under $50 a month: no (Platform is $200 a month).
2. Instantly
In short Best for unlimited inboxes and warmup on a flat plan.
Instantly gives every plan unlimited email accounts and warmup and one inbox for replies, with a lead database and placement tests in the same account. The lead database and placement tests are separate subscriptions, so the full bill grows fast, and LinkedIn runs only through partner tools.
Starting price: $47 a month, checked Oct 17, 2026. 14-day free trial, no card.
Strengths
Unlimited email accounts and unlimited warmup on every Email Outreach plan, starting at $47 a month. A 450M+ contact database with 13 filters and waterfall email enrichment sits in the same account, billed in Data Credits. Inbox Placement tests and done-for-you inboxes (AirMail accounts at $4 a month) are sold inside the same account. The CRM add-on puts email, calls and SMS in one inbox with unlimited seats. Automations connect Instantly to HubSpot, Attio, Clay, Calendly, Aircall and the LinkedIn tools Aimfox, HeyReach and Expandi.
Limits
Sending, lead data, CRM and Inbox Placement are separate subscriptions: Growth outreach plus Growth credits is $94 a month before any CRM or placement add-on. Growth allows 1,000 uploaded contacts in total and 5,000 emails a month. Monthly Data Credits expire 2 months after purchase if unused. LinkedIn runs through partner tools in Automations, not as steps inside an Instantly sequence.
3. Smartlead
In short Best for agencies that need client workspaces.
Smartlead includes unlimited inboxes and warmup on every plan, a master inbox and native HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive sync, and sells whitelabel client workspaces. Verification, placement tests and the lead finder on lower plans cost extra.
Starting price: $39 a month, checked Oct 17, 2026. 14-day free trial, no card.
Strengths
Unlimited email accounts on all four plans, with warmup included and no per-mailbox fee. Entry plan costs $39 a month ($32 on annual billing) for 6,000 emails a month. Unlimited Smart and Unlimited Prime include 50,000 and 170,000 verified prospect emails a month through SmartProspect. Client workspaces with whitelabel at $29 a month each, and 3 workspaces included on Unlimited Prime. Add-ons for placement testing (SmartDelivery), dedicated servers (SmartServers) and calling (SmartDialer) in the same account.
Limits
SmartProspect is a $59 a month add-on on Base and Pro, and CRM access starts at Pro. Unlimited team members need the Pro plan, per Smartlead's help center. LinkedIn steps come only through the HeyReach and Aimfox integrations. Email Verification, SmartDelivery, SmartServers and client workspaces are all billed on top of the plan.
4. lemlist
In short Best for a lead database with unlimited users.
lemlist's Email plan covers unlimited users, senders and contacts at one price, with a lead database, warmup and a deliverability hub. LinkedIn, SMS and the unified inbox need the per-user Multichannel plan, and contact reveals need a credit add-on.
Starting price: $69 a month, checked Oct 17, 2026. 14-day free trial of Multichannel features, 200 free credits.
Strengths
The Email plan has unlimited users, email senders and contacts for one volume-based price, starting at $69 a month. A lead database, an email and phone finder, warmup and a Deliverability Hub are listed on every plan. The Multichannel plan adds LinkedIn automation, SMS steps and a built-in call dialer to the same campaigns. HubSpot and Salesforce are listed as 2-way syncs, with Pipedrive, Attio and Close also on the integrations page.
Limits
LinkedIn steps, SMS and the unified inbox are on the Multichannel plan only, at $109 a user a month on monthly billing, and each SMS also costs 6 credits plus a $15-a-month phone number. The pricing page lists no included credits on Email or Multichannel. The lead data add-on is $20 a month for 2,000 credits. The Email plan caps sending at 50,000 emails a month at the entry tier. 1,000,000 emails a month is $659. Multichannel allows 5 senders per user, so inbox count grows with seats.
5. Saleshandy
In short Best for lead credits included at a low price.
Saleshandy pairs unlimited inboxes and warmup with monthly Lead Finder credits in every plan and a built-in CRM. The entry plan has 1 user, and LinkedIn steps are manual tasks or a hand-off to other tools.
Starting price: $41 a month, checked Oct 17, 2026. 7-day free trial, no card, capped at 100 emails.
Strengths
Unlimited email accounts and unlimited warmup on every plan, with no per-inbox fees. Starter is $41 a month, or $34 billed yearly, for 6,000 emails a month. Lead Finder database of 852M+ contacts and 42M+ companies, with 1,500 credits a month included on Starter. Seats come with the plan instead of per-user pricing: 1 on Starter, 10 on Pro, unlimited on Scale. Built-in CRM with unlimited prospects, plus a unified inbox for replies from every mailbox.
Limits
Only one user on Starter, and unlimited users only on Scale at $189 a month. Starter allows 2,000 active prospects and 6,000 emails a month. LinkedIn steps are manual tasks, or a hand-off to Aimfox or HeyReach: Saleshandy does not send LinkedIn messages itself. CRM integrations and webhooks start on the Pro plan.
6. Woodpecker
In short Best for pricing by contacted prospects.
Woodpecker includes unlimited users, unlimited inboxes and unlimited verification with catch-all checks, priced by how many prospects you contact. LinkedIn and CRM sync are add-ons, and a prospect in 5 campaigns counts 5 times.
Starting price: $35 a month, checked Oct 17, 2026. 14-day free trial or 100 cold emails, whichever comes first, no card.
Strengths
Unlimited team members and unlimited email accounts on every plan, with no per-seat or per-inbox fees. Entry tier is $35 a month for 500 contacted prospects, or $280 a year. Unlimited email verification, catch-all included, at no charge. LinkedIn steps run in the same sequence as email, cloud-based, as a $29 a month add-on per account. Agency panel add-on gives a separate sub-account for each client at $27 a month per active client.
Limits
Priced by contacted prospects, and a prospect added to 5 campaigns counts as 5. Sending to new prospects stops at the limit until you upgrade or the plan renews. CRM sync, API and webhooks sit in a $20 a month Integrations add-on. Warmups are capped per tier, 2 on the 500 prospects tier, and extra warmups cost $5 a month each.
7. Snov.io
In short Best for data, verification and sending in one plan.
Snov.io bundles a lead finder, 7-tier verification, warmup and campaigns with unlimited seats and senders, and its trial plan renews monthly. LinkedIn automation is a separate subscription, and credits on the entry plan cost the most per credit.
Starting price: $39 a month, checked Oct 17, 2026. Free Trial plan that renews monthly: 50 credits, 100 recipients.
Strengths
Unlimited team seats, senders, campaigns and follow-ups on every plan. Lead finder, 7-tier email verification, warmup and campaigns are in one subscription. Entry paid plan is Starter at $39 a month, or $29.25 a month billed yearly. Recipients are charged once per lead per billing period, and follow-ups are free. Built-in CRM with 20 pipelines and 10,000 active deals, plus two-way HubSpot and Pipedrive sync.
Limits
LinkedIn Automation is billed separately at $69 a month per account slot. Starter has 1,000 credits and 3 warm-up slots; the page prices a credit at 3.9 cents on Starter against about 0.9 cents on Pro M. Unused recipients expire after 30 days, and unused credits roll over only on annual plans. Phone numbers and data enrichment are a separate subscription at $0.02 per token.
8. Salesforge
In short Best for LinkedIn steps with premium warmup.
Salesforge runs LinkedIn steps in the same sequences as email, with unlimited mailboxes and Warmforge warmup on both plans. The entry plan has 1 user and no API or integrations, and lead data and mailboxes are separate products.
Starting price: $48 a month, checked Oct 17, 2026. 14-day free trial, 50 contacts and 100 emails.
Strengths
Both plans include unlimited mailboxes, unlimited workspaces and Warmforge warmup, starting at $48 a month. LinkedIn steps run in the same sequences, with 1 LinkedIn sender on Pro and unlimited on Growth. Primebox gives one inbox for replies, with sentiment analysis, smart mailbox rotation and dynamic IPs on both plans. Growth has unlimited users, A/B testing, an API, MCP and CLI, and CRM integrations.
Limits
Pro is capped at 1 user, 1,000 active contacts and 5,000 emails a month, and has no A/B testing, API or integrations. Validation, personalization and social actions each draw on a monthly credit allowance, 300 each on Pro, and only Growth can buy more in the app. Lead data is a separate product: Leadsforge starts at $49 a month for 2,000 credits. Mailboxes and domains are separate products: Mailforge starts at $3 a mailbox a month with a 10-slot minimum.
9. Reply.io
In short Best for calls and SMS in the same sequence.
Reply.io's Email Volume plan allows unlimited mailboxes with warmup, and Multichannel adds LinkedIn, calls and SMS to one sequence. It is priced per user below 10,000 active contacts, and email validation is a paid add-on.
Starting price: $59 per seat a month, checked Oct 17, 2026. 14-day free trial.
Strengths
Multichannel puts email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS and semi-automated WhatsApp steps in one sequence for $99 per user a month ($89 on annual billing). Email Volume allows unlimited mailboxes, with warmup on each, and unlimited emails to active contacts. From 10,000 active contacts a month, Email Volume covers unlimited users at one price, $179 a month ($159 on annual billing). Native CRM sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Copper and Close covers contacts, accounts, calls, tasks and activities. Jason AI SDR finds prospects, writes messages and handles replies, from $500 a month on annual billing.
Limits
Below 10,000 active contacts a month, Email Volume is priced per user, from $59 a user a month. On Email Volume, LinkedIn costs $69 a month per account and calls and SMS cost $29 a month per user. Multichannel includes 5 mailboxes on monthly billing (10 on annual), and each extra mailbox is $29 a month. Live data is metered: plans include 50 credits a month, and more starts at $39 a month for 200 credits.
10. EmailBison
In short Best for high-volume senders on dedicated IPs.
EmailBison sells one flat plan for very high volume on an isolated network with dedicated IPs, with unlimited teammates and workspaces. It lists no lead database, verification or LinkedIn steps.
Starting price: $599 a month, checked Oct 17, 2026. No free plan or trial listed.
Strengths
One flat $599 a month plan covers 500,000 emails a month, with no per-seat fees. Unlimited leads, workspaces and teammates, with isolated data for each workspace. Isolated network with dedicated IP pools managed by the vendor. Native inbox placement tests through EmailGuard and a native Clay integration. Full API access to campaigns, sequences and the master inbox.
Limits
The only plan is $599 a month, and no annual price is published. Volume above 500,000 emails a month is sold in buckets with no published price. No lead database, email verification or LinkedIn steps are listed on its site.
11. GMass
In short Best for mail merge inside Gmail.
GMass runs inside Gmail with unlimited emails and free verification on every plan, and reads contacts from Google Sheets. It has no warmup and no lead finding, and inbox rotation needs its Professional or Team plan.
Starting price: $29.95 a month, checked Oct 17, 2026. Free to try, no credit card.
Strengths
Every plan has unlimited emails, contacts and campaigns, starting at $29.95 a month on monthly billing. It runs inside Gmail, and you can install it and try it with no credit card and no sign-up form. Email address verification is free and built into the GMass settings box. Campaigns can read contacts from Google Sheets and write opens, clicks and replies back to the sheet. MultiSend rotates one campaign across multiple sending mailboxes on the Professional plan and on team plans.
Limits
GMass does not offer email warmup. It stopped the feature after Google objected in late 2022. GMass does not offer a lead finding service, so you bring your own lists. Sends are subject to Google's daily sending limits unless you connect an SMTP service or use MultiSend. Sequences, A/B testing and the API start on Premium, and inbox rotation needs Professional ($59.95 a month).
How Do You Choose the Right Tool?
In short Ask each vendor on your shortlist these questions before you buy.
- What will the full monthly bill be at your sending volume once data, verification and extra inboxes are added?
- How many users and sending inboxes does the plan allow before the price goes up?
- Are warmup, inbox rotation and placement tests included, or sold on top?
- Where will your leads come from: a built-in database, data credits or your own lists?
- Can LinkedIn steps run in the same sequence as email?
- How do replies reach your CRM and your calendar?
FAQ
In short 5 questions buyers ask about cold email tools, answered from each vendor's public pages.
What is the cheapest way to send cold email?
If you already have a lead list, GMass, Woodpecker, Smartlead and Snov.io have the lowest entry prices on this list. Once you add a lead database, verification and placement tests, compare the full bill: several tools sell each one as a separate subscription.
Do cold email tools include warmup?
Instantly, Smartlead, lemlist, Saleshandy, Salesforge, Reply.io and EmailBison include warmup on every plan. Woodpecker includes 2 warmups on its entry tier, Snov.io warms 3 mailboxes on Starter, and GMass stopped offering warmup in 2022.
Can a cold email tool send LinkedIn messages too?
Salesforge runs LinkedIn steps in the same sequence, Reply.io and lemlist do on their Multichannel plans, and Woodpecker and Snov.io sell LinkedIn as an add-on. Instantly and Smartlead connect to LinkedIn tools such as HeyReach instead.
Which cold email tools have a free plan?
Ken and Snov.io have a free plan or free credits. The rest offer a trial or no free option. The table shows the limits of each one.
How did you rank these tools?
We judged each tool on the 6 criteria under How We Ranked These Tools, using only facts from its public pages on the date shown. Ken is first because it is our product. The rest are ordered by how well each meets our ranking criteria.
The new Ken opens to the waiting list in batches.
Related
Sources
Changelog
- Page published.