Cold email outreach isn’t just surviving in 2025-it’s thriving. But here’s the catch: you need the right tool to stand out in crowded inboxes and actually get responses.
I’ve spent countless hours testing cold email platforms, and two names keep dominating the conversation: Lemlist vs Instantly. Both promise to transform your outreach, but they take completely different approaches. Lemlist focuses on hyper-personalization and multichannel sequences, while Instantly prioritizes unlimited sending capacity and deliverability at scale.
Choosing between them isn’t straightforward. One might save you money, but limit your creativity. The other could boost your personalization but stretch your budget.
In this detailed comparison, I’ll break down everything you need to know- pricing, features, deliverability, ease of use, and real-world performance. By the end, you’ll know exactly which platform fits your outreach strategy and budget.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Lemlist | Instantly |
| Starting Price | $55/user/month (yearly) | $30/month (yearly) |
| Email Accounts | 3-5 sending emails per user | Unlimited |
| Personalization | Advanced (images, videos, dynamic content) | Basic to moderate |
| Multichannel Outreach | Email, LinkedIn, calls, WhatsApp | Email-focused |
| Deliverability Tools | Lemwarm included | Built-in warmup & SISR system |
| Lead Database | 450M+ leads, enrichment credits included | Unlimited contacts by plan |
| Best For | Agencies, personalization-focused teams | Startups, B2B sales, scale-focused teams |
| Free Trial | 14 days | 14 days |
Ready to test them out? Both platforms offer 14-day free trials with no credit card required. Start your Lemlist trial here or Instantly trial here.
What is Lemlist?
Lemlist is a sales engagement platform built for teams who believe personalization wins deals. It’s not just another cold email tool-it’s a complete prospecting workspace that handles everything from finding leads to closing them.
I love how Lemlist goes beyond basic email automation. You can create personalized images with prospect names, add custom videos, and build multichannel sequences that combine email, LinkedIn messages, calls, and even WhatsApp. This level of personalization makes your outreach feel genuinely human, not robotic.
The platform targets sales teams, agencies, and marketers who want to stand out in crowded inboxes. Every seat includes free access to Lemwarm, their built-in email warmup tool that protects your sender reputation and keeps you out of spam folders.
What makes Lemlist unique is its all-in-one approach. You can find leads, enrich their contact data, launch campaigns, and track results without switching between five different tools. It integrates natively with HubSpot and Salesforce, so you can manage everything directly from your CRM.
The learning curve is steeper than simpler tools, but the payoff is worth it. If you’re serious about personalization and willing to invest time in crafting thoughtful campaigns, Lemlist gives you the creative freedom to make every message count. I’ve also covered Lemlist separately in my Lemlist Review where I break down its pros, cons, and real campaign results.
What is Instantly?
Instantly is an AI-driven cold email platform designed for one thing: sending massive volumes of emails that actually land in inboxes. If Lemlist is the artist’s tool, Instantly is the heavy machinery for scaling outreach.
What caught my attention immediately is the unlimited email accounts feature. Most platforms charge per account, but Instantly lets you connect as many as you need. This is huge for agencies managing multiple clients or businesses running high-volume campaigns.
The platform focuses obsessively on deliverability. Their proprietary SISR system (Server & IP Sharding and Rotation) automatically assigns dedicated IP pools and swaps out flagged IPs to maintain high inbox placement rates. You don’t need to buy proxies or worry about technical infrastructure—Instantly handles it all.
Instantly also includes a massive B2B lead database. You can upload 1,000 contacts on the Growth plan, 25,000 on Hypergrowth, and up to 100,000+ on higher tiers. You can search, filter, and manage all your leads directly within the platform.
The interface is clean and straightforward, which makes it perfect for startups, solopreneurs, and B2B sales teams who need results fast without a steep learning curve. You’re not getting fancy personalization features, but you are getting reliable, scalable cold email infrastructure at an affordable price.
For a full hands-on experience, you can read my Instantly ai review where I share campaign data, deliverability performance, and how it compares to other tools in real-world use.
Lemlist vs Instantly: Key Features Breakdown
| Feature Category | Lemlist | Instantly |
| Email Personalization | Advanced (custom images, videos, liquid syntax, dynamic landing pages) | Basic (merge tags, simple variables) |
| Deliverability & Sending | Lemwarm included, limited accounts per plan | Unlimited accounts, SISR system, built-in warmup |
| Automation & Sequences | Multichannel sequences (email, LinkedIn, calls, WhatsApp) | Email-only sequences with A/B testing |
| Lead Database | 450M+ leads with enrichment credits (1,000-2,500/month) | Unlimited contacts by plan (1K-100K+ uploaded) |
| Integrations & API | HubSpot, Salesforce native + API access | Zapier, API, webhooks |
| User Interface | Feature-rich dashboard with a learning curve | Clean, intuitive, beginner-friendly |
| Reporting & Analytics | Detailed campaign analytics across all channels | Email-focused analytics with deliverability metrics |
Email Personalization
Lemlist dominates here. You can create personalized images that include prospect names, company logos, or custom screenshots. The video personalization feature lets you record yourself and dynamically insert prospect information.
Instantly keeps it simple with merge tags and basic variables. It works fine for straightforward campaigns, but you won’t impress anyone with creative personalization.
Deliverability & Sending Limits
Instantly wins on pure volume. Unlimited email accounts mean you can scale without worrying about hitting limits. Their SISR system actively protects your deliverability by rotating IPs and managing server infrastructure.
Lemlist includes Lemwarm for free, which is excellent for warming up accounts and maintaining sender reputation. However, you’re limited by your plan’s email account capacity. Deliverability is one of the biggest factors in outreach success. If you want to go deeper, check out my list of the best email verification tools — these can help you clean your contact list, reduce bounce rates, and improve inbox placement before launching campaigns.
Automation & Sequences
Lemlist offers true multichannel automation. I can build sequences that send an email, wait two days, then send a LinkedIn connection request, followed by a call reminder. This coordinated approach increases response rates significantly.
Instantly focuses solely on email sequences but includes solid A/B testing features. You can test subject lines, email copy, and sending times to optimize performance.
Integrations & API
Both platforms offer API access. Lemlist has native integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce, making it seamless for teams already using these CRMs. Instantly relies more on Zapier and webhooks but gets the job done.
User Experience & Dashboard
Instantly’s dashboard is cleaner and more intuitive. I can set up a campaign in minutes without watching tutorials.
Lemlist packs more features into its interface, which means more clicking around. The onboarding is helpful, but expect to invest time learning where everything lives.
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Lemlist | Instantly |
| Entry Level | Email Pro: $55/user/month (yearly) | Growth: $30/month (5,000 emails monthly) |
| Mid Tier | Multichannel Expert: $79/user/month (yearly) | Hypergrowth: $77.6/month (100,000 emails monthly) |
| Advanced | Enterprise: Custom pricing | Light Speed: $286.3/month (500,000 emails monthly) |
| Email Accounts | 3-5 sending emails per user | Unlimited on all plans |
| Monthly Contacts | Based on enrichment credits | 1,000 to 100,000+ uploaded contacts |
| Annual Discount | 20% off | 20% off |
| Free Trial | 14 days | 14 days |
Instantly price
Lemlist price
Cost-Effectiveness Breakdown
For Solopreneurs & Startups: Instantly wins on affordability. At $30/month (yearly) with unlimited email accounts and 5,000 monthly emails, it’s perfect for bootstrapped teams. Lemlist starts at $55 per user with only 3 sending email accounts included.
For Small Teams (2-5 users): Lemlist’s per-user pricing adds up fast. A three-person team pays $165/month minimum on the yearly plan. Instantly’s flat-rate pricing at $30/month or $77.6/month for higher volume makes more financial sense unless multichannel features are non-negotiable.
For Medium Volume Senders (50,000-100,000 emails/month): Instantly’s Hypergrowth plan at $77.6/month is incredibly competitive. You get unlimited accounts and 100,000 monthly emails. With Lemlist, you’d need multiple users at $79 each to match that sending capacity.
For High-Volume Campaigns (500,000+ emails/month): Instantly’s Light Speed plan at $286.3/month includes the SISR system for maximum deliverability. Lemlist would require 6+ users at their top tier, costing over $470/month, making Instantly the clear winner for volume.
For Agencies & Large Teams: Instantly remains more cost-effective for scaling multiple client campaigns. One subscription handles unlimited accounts across all clients. Lemlist’s per-user model gets expensive, though the 450M+ lead database and multichannel capabilities might justify costs if your agency sells premium personalized outreach.
For Personalization-Focused Campaigns: If your conversion strategy depends on advanced image personalization, video messages, and multichannel sequences across email, LinkedIn, calls, and WhatsApp, Lemlist’s higher price delivers measurable ROI. The 1,000-2,500 free enrichment credits monthly add value too.
Ready to try them? Start your 14-day Lemlist free trial or 14-day Instantly free trial to see which fits your workflow better.
Deliverability: Lemlist vs Instantly
Deliverability makes or breaks cold email campaigns. You can craft perfect messages, but they’re worthless if they land in spam folders.
How Lemlist Handles Deliverability
Lemlist includes Lemwarm with every seat. This built-in tool automatically sends warm-up emails between accounts using smart sending logic. It gradually increases your sending volume to build a sender reputation naturally.
The platform also provides deliverability tips and monitors your domain health. I appreciate how Lemwarm gives specific recommendations based on your email performance. It tells you exactly what to fix rather than making you guess.
However, Lemlist limits your email accounts based on your plan. The Email Pro plan includes 3 sending email accounts per user, while Multichannel Expert includes 5 per user. If you need more sending capacity, you’ll need additional team members or upgrade your plan.
How Instantly Handles Deliverability
Instantly’s SISR system is their secret weapon. It automatically assigns dedicated server and IP blocks to your campaigns, then rotates them to maintain optimal deliverability. If an IP gets flagged, the system swaps it out immediately.
The unlimited email accounts feature is crucial here. You can distribute sending across multiple accounts to keep daily volumes low per account, which improves inbox placement. This approach mimics natural sending patterns better than blasting from a single account.
Instantly also includes built-in warmup for all connected accounts. The warmup happens automatically in the background, so you don’t need to manage it manually.
The Verdict
For pure deliverability at scale, Instantly edges ahead. The combination of unlimited accounts, automatic IP rotation, and hands-off warmup makes it easier to maintain high inbox placement rates when sending thousands of emails daily.
Lemlist’s Lemwarm is excellent, but the account limitations can bottleneck your sending capacity. It works perfectly for teams sending moderate volumes with highly personalized messages.
Ease of Use & Setup
Instantly Set-Up Experience
I got my first campaign running in under 15 minutes. The onboarding walks you through connecting email accounts, importing leads, and creating sequences. Everything feels intuitive.
The interface doesn’t overwhelm you with options. You see exactly what you need: campaigns, leads, accounts, and analytics. If you’ve used any email tool before, you’ll feel at home immediately.
The learning curve is minimal. New team members can jump in and start sending without extensive training. This matters when you’re moving fast or working with contractors.
Lemlist Setup Experience
Lemlist takes longer to master. The platform offers so much functionality that finding specific features takes patience. I spent my first hour clicking through menus and watching tutorial videos.
The onboarding is comprehensive, walking you through lead generation, enrichment, personalization, and multichannel sequence building. But “comprehensive” means there’s a lot to absorb.
Once you understand the workflow, Lemlist becomes powerful. The trade-off is time investment upfront. If you’re technical or willing to learn, you’ll unlock capabilities that Instantly simply doesn’t offer.
Who Wins for Beginners?
Instantly is objectively easier for beginners. You can be productive on day one without feeling lost.
Lemlist rewards patience. If you’re willing to climb the learning curve, you gain access to sophisticated personalization and multichannel automation that creates genuinely impressive campaigns.
Pros & Cons
Lemlist Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Advanced personalization with custom images and videos creates standout campaigns
- Multichannel sequences (email, LinkedIn, calls, WhatsApp) increase touchpoints
- Built-in lead finder and enrichment saves money on separate tools
- Native CRM integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce streamline workflows
- Lemwarm includes free protects sender reputation effectively
Cons:
- Higher per-user pricing makes it expensive for growing teams (starts at $55/user/month)
- Limited sending email accounts per plan (3-5 accounts) restricts volume
- A steeper learning curve demands time investment
- Advanced features feel overwhelming for simple cold email needs
Instantly Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Unlimited email accounts at flat pricing enable massive scaling
- Significantly lower starting cost ($30/month) makes it accessible for startups
- SISR system handles the delivery infrastructure automatically
- Clean, intuitive interface gets you sending fast
- Flexible monthly email limits scale with your needs (5K to 500K+)
Cons:
- Basic personalization limits creative campaign possibilities
- Email-only sequences miss opportunities for multichannel engagement
- Fewer native integrations compared to Lemlist
- Less sophisticated reporting for multichannel attribution
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Lemlist If:
You prioritize personalization over volume. If your outreach strategy depends on making every prospect feel special with custom images, videos, and thoughtful multichannel sequences, Lemlist gives you the tools to execute.
You’re running an agency managing multiple clients. The native CRM integrations and all-in-one workspace make client campaign management cleaner, even if the per-user pricing adds up.
You have a budget for premium features. Starting at $55 per user per month (yearly) isn’t cheap, but you’re paying for sophisticated capabilities that genuinely improve response rates when used correctly. The 450M+ lead database and free enrichment credits add substantial value.
Your team values multichannel outreach. Combining email with LinkedIn, calls, and WhatsApp creates multiple touchpoints that increase the chances of getting through to busy prospects.
Choose Instantly If:
You need to send high volumes affordably. At $30/month (yearly) with unlimited email accounts and 5,000 monthly emails on Growth, or $77.6/month for 100,000 emails on Hypergrowth, Instantly lets you scale your outreach without worrying about hitting limits or paying per account.
You’re a startup or solopreneur watching your budget. The lower price point and flat-rate pricing make it accessible when every dollar counts.
You want fast results without complexity. The simple interface means you can launch campaigns immediately without spending hours learning the platform.
Deliverability is your top concern. The SISR system and unlimited accounts strategy keeps your emails landing in primary inboxes even at high sending volumes.
My Recommendation:
If you want advanced personalization and multichannel capabilities, choose Lemlist. The investment pays off when your campaigns need to stand out, and your team can utilize the sophisticated features.
If you need unlimited sending capacity with better deliverability at scale, choose Instantly. The combination of unlimited accounts, powerful infrastructure, and affordable pricing makes it the practical choice for volume-focused outreach.
Start with the free trials. Test your actual workflows, not just features. The right choice becomes obvious when you see which platform matches how your team actually works.
Alternatives to Lemlist & Instantly
If neither platform feels like the perfect fit, consider Smartlead. It combines unlimited email accounts like Instantly with more advanced personalization than basic merge tags. Smartlead sits nicely in the middle ground between these two tools.
Smartlead offers competitive pricing around $39/month for unlimited accounts and includes features like custom tracking domains, unified inbox management, and solid deliverability infrastructure. The interface is more modern than both Lemlist and Instantly.
The platform works well for teams that want more personalization than Instantly offers but don’t need Lemlist’s full multichannel capabilities. It’s particularly popular with B2B sales teams and agencies looking for a balance between features and cost. I’ve also written a full Smartlead ai review where I test its deliverability, personalization features, and campaign results. It’s a great middle-ground tool between Instantly’s scalability and Lemlist’s personalization power.
Conclusion
The Lemlist vs Instantly decision comes down to your priorities: personalization versus scale.
Lemlist wins if you’re building carefully crafted campaigns with advanced personalization, multichannel sequences, and native CRM integration. You’ll pay more per user, but you gain creative tools that make your outreach stand out. It’s the right choice for agencies, sales teams focused on quality over quantity, and marketers who believe personalization drives results.
Instantly wins if you need to send thousands of emails affordably while maintaining strong deliverability. Unlimited email accounts, automatic infrastructure management, and straightforward pricing make it ideal for startups, solopreneurs, and B2B teams scaling outreach on tight budgets.
Both platforms offer solid deliverability tools, clean analytics, and proven results. Neither is objectively better—they solve different problems for different users.
My simple decision framework:
- Limited budget + high volume needs = Instantly
- Bigger budget + personalization focus = Lemlist
- Need both? Start with Instantly to build volume, then add Lemlist for VIP prospects
Take advantage of both 14-day free trials. Test your actual campaigns, not hypothetical scenarios. Import your real lead list, build your actual sequences, and see which platform fits your workflow naturally.
The right cold email tool is the one you’ll actually use consistently. Make your choice based on what works for your team today, not features you might use someday.
Ready to transform your cold email outreach? Start your Instantly free trial today and see the difference for yourself.
(FAQs)
1. Which is cheaper, Lemlist or Instantly?
Instantly is significantly cheaper, starting at $30/month (yearly) compared to Lemlist’s $55/user/month. For high-volume senders, Instantly’s Hypergrowth plan at $77.6/month offers 100,000 emails, while Lemlist would require multiple users at $79+ each to match that capacity.
2. Does Instantly have better deliverability than Lemlist?
Both platforms offer excellent deliverability tools. Instantly uses its proprietary SISR system with unlimited email accounts for better IP rotation. Lemlist includes Lemwarm for automatic email warmup. For pure volume at scale, Instantly has a slight edge due to unlimited accounts.
3. Can I use Lemlist for LinkedIn outreach?
Yes, Lemlist’s Multichannel Expert plan ($79/user/month) includes automated LinkedIn visits, connection invites, and direct messages. You can build sequences that combine email, LinkedIn, calls, and WhatsApp. Instantly focuses only on email outreach.
4. How many email accounts can I connect with Instantly?
Instantly offers unlimited email accounts on all plans, including the $30/month Growth plan. This lets you distribute sending volume across multiple accounts to maintain better deliverability and scale your outreach without restrictions.
5. Is Lemlist good for agencies?
Lemlist works well for agencies that focus on personalized, multichannel campaigns. However, the per-user pricing can get expensive when managing multiple clients. Instantly’s flat-rate pricing with unlimited accounts is often more cost-effective for agencies handling high-volume campaigns.
6. How many emails can I send per month with Instantly?
It depends on your plan: Growth allows 5,000 emails monthly, Hypergrowth offers 100,000 emails, Light Speed provides 500,000 emails, and Enterprise offers 500,000+ with custom limits. All plans include unlimited email accounts for distributing volume.
7. Which is better for beginners, Lemlist or Instantly?
Instantly is easier for beginners due to its clean, intuitive interface and straightforward setup process. You can launch campaigns within 15 minutes. Lemlist has a steeper learning curve because of its extensive features, but it offers more advanced capabilities once mastered.