Comparison · 2026

lemlist vs Instantly (2026)

lemlist and Instantly cover the same core. Both run sequences, sell inboxes inside the tool and include ongoing warm-up in the price, plus a unified inbox, AI writing and a lead database. A lemlist vs Instantly decision turns on infrastructure and agency work. Instantly confirms pre-warmed inboxes, dedicated IPs, replacement of burned inboxes and agency features; lemlist doesn't state any of the four on its site. Instantly is also cheaper to start, at $47 a month against lemlist's $69.

Every fact is from the vendor's own site, same rules for everyone · Method · Disclosure

lemlisttied for 10th · from $69/mo

Instantly1st · from $47/mo

The verdict

Instantly scores 100 and ranks 1st of 35 cold email tools; lemlist scores 81 and is tied for 10th. Most of the difference is Deliverability, 40/40 against 28/40, where only Instantly confirms pre-warmed inboxes, dedicated IPs and replacement of burned inboxes. Workflow follows at 30/30 against 23/30, with agency features confirmed only by Instantly. Both get full marks for API and AI agents and for buying terms. Instantly lists inboxes at $4 each and starts at $47 a month, below lemlist's $69. A perfect score means every scored condition is confirmed on Instantly's site, not that inbox placement was measured, so test before you scale.

Choose lemlist if

you send for your own team and don't need client workspaces or white-label
you want warm-up, placement tests and AI writing in a sequencer with its own lead database
you'll warm new inboxes yourself rather than buy pre-warmed ones

Choose Instantly if

you run campaigns for several clients and need agency features
you want pre-warmed inboxes, dedicated IPs and burned-inbox replacement in one account
you want the lower entry price, $47 a month, with inboxes at $4 each

Score by group

	lemlist	Instantly
Deliverability	28/40	40/40
Workflow	23/30	30/30
API and AI agents	15/15	15/15
Buying terms	15/15	15/15
Total	81/100	100/100

Pricing

	lemlist	Instantly
Cheapest plan	$69/mo	$47/mo
Inbox, smallest package	—	$4
Inbox, at volume	—	no volume discount
Free plan, trial or refund	Yes ↗	Yes ↗
Monthly billing	Yes ↗	Yes ↗

Monthly billing, from each vendor's pricing page: lemlist pricing ↗ · Instantly pricing ↗

Feature by feature

Each condition as the vendor states it on its own site; ↗ opens the source.

	lemlist	Instantly
Ongoing warm-up included in the price	Yes ↗	Yes ↗
Pre-warmed inboxes	Not stated	Yes ↗
Automatic SPF, DKIM and DMARC setup	Yes ↗	Yes ↗
Inbox placement or spam tests	Yes ↗	Yes ↗
Replacement of burned inboxes or domains	Not stated	Yes ↗
Dedicated IP option	Not stated	Yes ↗
Unified inbox for replies	Yes ↗	Yes ↗
Multi-client workspaces or white-label	Not stated	Yes ↗
AI writing or AI reply handling	Yes ↗	Yes ↗
Built-in lead database	Yes ↗	Yes ↗
Public API	Yes ↗	Yes ↗
Official MCP server	Yes ↗	Yes ↗
Prices published on the site	Yes ↗	Yes ↗
Sells inboxes inside the product	Yes	Yes

Questions and answers

Is lemlist cheaper than Instantly?

Instantly is cheaper to start: $47 a month vs $69 for lemlist.

Which scores higher, lemlist or Instantly?

Instantly scores higher: 100/100 vs 81/100. The biggest gap is in deliverability: 28 vs 40 points.

Do lemlist and Instantly include warm-up?

lemlist includes ongoing warm-up; Instantly includes ongoing warm-up.

Do lemlist and Instantly both sell inboxes?

Yes. Both confirm inboxes for sale inside the tool, so you can buy senders and run campaigns in the same account. Instantly lists them at $4 each and also confirms pre-warmed inboxes and replacement of burned inboxes, which lemlist doesn't state on its site.

Reviews: lemlist · Instantly · lemlist alternatives · Instantly alternatives