Cold email tools
Ken is our productSmartlead vs Instantly: Which Is Better in 2026?
Both include unlimited inboxes and warmup. Pick Smartlead for agency work with white-label client workspaces and native CRM sync; pick Instantly for the lower price at 500,000 emails a month and lead data on a separate credits plan from $9 a month.
Ken is our product. Every fact about other tools comes from their public pages on the date shown.
The Verdict
Smartlead or Instantly?
Ken's view, from each vendor's public pages checked Oct 17, 2026.
Pick Smartlead if
- You run an agency and need white-label client workspaces, at $29 a month each from Pro.
- You want native Salesforce sync, where Instantly connects Salesforce through OutboundSync.
- You send to 50,000 or more verified prospects a month and want the lead finder included on Unlimited Smart.
- You want a lower entry price, with Base at $39 a month for 6,000 emails.
Pick Instantly if
- You want lead data from a $9 a month Data Credits plan with 150 credits, where Smartlead's lead finder is a $59 add-on on Base and Pro.
- You want a CRM add-on with calls and SMS next to email, from $47 a month.
At a Glance
In short Of the 10 features below, Smartlead has 5 and Instantly has 4 in full, from each vendor's public pages checked Oct 17, 2026.
| Feature | Smartlead | Instantly | Ken(ours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No - 14-day free trial, no card | No - 14-day free trial, no card | Yes - 1,000 credits once, no card |
| Paid plan under $50 a month | Yes - Base, $39 a month | Yes - Growth, $47 a month | No - Platform is $200 a month |
| Unlimited users without per-seat fees | Partial - unlimited team members need Pro or higher | Partial - no team members on Growth; Hypergrowth and Light Speed add team members with no per-user fee | Yes - unlimited seats and workspaces on Platform |
| Unlimited connected sending inboxes | Yes - unlimited email accounts on every plan | Yes - unlimited email accounts on every Outreach plan | Yes - your own domains and inboxes connect free |
| Email warmup included | Yes - included on every plan, bigger pools on higher plans | Yes - unlimited warmup on every Outreach plan | Yes - unlimited basic warmup |
| Built-in B2B contact database | Partial - SmartProspect, $59 a month add-on on Base and Pro, included on Unlimited Smart and Prime | Partial - paid add-on, Lead Database runs on Data Credits, from $9 a month | Yes - 250M people and 24M companies |
| Email verification | Partial - paid add-on, credit packs; verified prospect emails included on Unlimited Smart and Prime | Partial - paid add-on, 0.25 credits per lead, needs a Data Credits plan | Yes - unlimited for uploaded lists, fair-use rate limits apply |
| LinkedIn steps in the same sequence | Partial - through the HeyReach and Aimfox integrations, no native steps | Partial - through Aimfox, HeyReach and Expandi in Automations, no native steps | Yes - 1,500 credits ($30) per LinkedIn account a month |
| Unified inbox for replies | Yes - Master Inbox | Yes - Unibox for replies | Yes - email and LinkedIn replies in one inbox |
| Native CRM sync | Yes - native HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive | Partial - HubSpot two-way in Automations, Salesforce through OutboundSync | Partial - email events one way to HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Attio, Close and GoHighLevel through OutboundSync; native two-way sync coming |
Rows are the features buyers compare in cold email tools. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
How Much Do Smartlead and Instantly Cost?
In short Smartlead's lowest paid plan is Base, $39 a month ($32 billed yearly). Instantly's lowest paid plan is Growth, $47 a month ($37.60 billed yearly).
| Tool | Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartlead | Base | $39 | $32 | Flat |
| Includes6,000 emails a month; 2,000 contacts stored; Unlimited email accounts; Foundation warmup pool | ||||
| Smartlead | Pro | $94 | $78 | Flat |
| Includes90,000 emails a month; 30,000 contacts stored; Unlimited email accounts; CRM access; Growth warmup pool | ||||
| Smartlead | Unlimited Smart | $174 | $144 | Flat |
| Includes150,000 emails a month; Unlimited contacts stored; 50,000 verified prospect emails a month included; Premium warmup pool | ||||
| Smartlead | Unlimited Prime | $379 | $315 | Flat |
| Includes500,000 emails a month; Unlimited contacts stored; 170,000 verified prospect emails a month included; 3 client workspaces and 3 SmartServers included; Dedicated account manager | ||||
| Instantly | Growth | $47 | $37.60 | Flat |
| Includes1,000 uploaded contacts; 5,000 emails a month; Unlimited email accounts and warmup; Chat support | ||||
| Instantly | Hypergrowth | $97 | $77.60 | Flat |
| Includes25,000 uploaded contacts; 125,000 emails a month; Unlimited email accounts and warmup; Premium live support | ||||
| Instantly | Light Speed | $358 | $286.30 | Flat |
| Includes100,000 uploaded contacts; 500,000 emails a month; SISR server and IP rotation system; Everything in Hypergrowth | ||||
| Instantly | Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales | Custom |
| Includes500,000+ emails a month; 100,000+ uploaded contacts; Private Deliverability Network | ||||
Prices in USD from each vendor's pricing page: Smartlead checked Oct 17, 2026, Instantly checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Smartlead: Prices above are the entry volume of each plan. Smartlead's pricing page and app use a slider for higher send volumes, which the page does not list.
- Smartlead: SmartProspect (the lead finder) is a $59 a month add-on on Base and Pro, and included on Unlimited Smart and Prime. Verified prospect emails per month are capped by plan.
- Smartlead: Email Verification is a separate add-on sold in credit packs, one-time or monthly (monthly saves 17%).
- Instantly: Prices above are Email Outreach only. Enterprise is Contact sales. Annual prices are as printed on the pricing page.
- Instantly: The uploaded contact limit is fixed across all campaigns, not per month. Each Outbound add-on is $87 a month for 25,000 more contacts and 125,000 more emails, on Hypergrowth or Light Speed.
- Instantly: Lead Database, verification and AI agents run on Data Credits, a separate subscription: Nano $9 a month for 150 credits, Growth $47 for 1,500, Supersonic from $97 for 5,000, Hyper from $197 for 10,000, up to $1,700 for 200,000. Monthly credits expire 2 months after purchase.
What Are the Key Differences Between Smartlead and Instantly?
In short 6 differences that change which tool fits, each from the vendors' own pages.
| Topic | Smartlead | Instantly |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Base, $39 a month or $32 billed yearly, for 6,000 emails and 2,000 contacts | Growth, $47 a month or $37.60 billed yearly, for 5,000 emails and 1,000 contacts |
| Lead data | SmartProspect, a $59 a month add-on on Base and Pro, included on Unlimited Smart and Prime | 450M+ contact database on a separate Data Credits subscription, from $9 a month |
| Email verification | Add-on credit packs; verified prospect emails included on Unlimited Smart and Prime | 0.25 credits per lead with a Data Credits plan |
| CRM sync | Native HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive | HubSpot two-way through Automations, Salesforce through OutboundSync |
| Agency setup | White-label client workspaces at $29 a month each from Pro, 3 included on Unlimited Prime | Agency bundle of outreach plus credits at $555 a month |
| 500,000 emails a month | Unlimited Prime, $379 a month | Light Speed, $358 a month |
Or Skip Both: Ken
In short Campaigns finds and qualifies leads, writes personalized email and LinkedIn sequences, and sends them from your outbound inboxes.
Ken's Free plan gives 1,000 credits once, with no card. Platform is $200 a month, or $160 a month billed yearly, with 200,000 sends and 5,000 credits a month and unlimited seats and workspaces.
- 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.
Smartlead vs Instantly FAQ
Is Smartlead cheaper than Instantly?
At the entry level, yes. Smartlead Base is $39 a month for 6,000 emails, and Instantly Growth is $47 for 5,000. At 500,000 emails a month, Instantly Light Speed at $358 costs less than Smartlead Unlimited Prime at $379. Lead data costs extra on Instantly and on Smartlead Base and Pro, and verifying your own lists is a paid add-on on both.
Do Smartlead and Instantly include warmup?
Yes. Both include unlimited email accounts and warmup on every plan. Smartlead's higher plans use bigger warmup pools.
Can Smartlead or Instantly send LinkedIn messages?
Neither runs LinkedIn steps natively. Smartlead connects through HeyReach and Aimfox, and Instantly through Aimfox, HeyReach and Expandi in Automations.
Which is better for agencies?
Smartlead sells white-label client workspaces at $29 a month each from Pro, and includes 3 on Unlimited Prime. Instantly prices Outreach per workspace rather than per user, and sells an Agency bundle of outreach plus credits at $555 a month.
The new Ken opens to the waiting list in batches.
Related
Sources
Changelog
- Page published.