instantly.ai test: features, prices and alternatives

Are you looking for a way to prospect without spending all day on it, falling into spam and needing a 5-year degree in automation? Then you’ve come to the right place.

While exploring the various tools on the market, you may already have come across Instantly.ai.

But what is it worth in practice? 👀

We’ve tested Instantly to give you a clear, honest review.

And because no tool is perfect, we’ve got some alternative tools if Instantly.ai doesn’t tick all your boxes. ☑️

Ready to optimize your prospecting without wasting time? (Reading time: 4 minutes).

What is instantly ai?

Instantly ia is an email prospecting tool designed to help sales teams, agencies and freelancers send large-scale cold emailing campaigns. 🪜

Objective: to send thousands of emails a day, while intelligently distributing them among several addresses to avoid spam filters. 🛜

Whether you’re just launching your first campaign or already managing large volumes, Instantly ai promises to :

• Save time.
• Boost your responses.
• Secure your deliverability rates.

Main features

So, what does the tool offer? 🤔

1️⃣ Large-scale emailing.

Instantly lets you send thousands of emails a day by connecting multiple email addresses to a single campaign.

2️⃣ Automatic warm-up management.

The tool integrates an automatic warm-up system. Basically, your mailboxes are gradually warmed up to increase their reputation and avoid landing in spam. 🔥

3️⃣ Multi-inbox management.

Manage multiple email addresses on a single dashboard.

This can be useful if :

• You want to maximize your shipments.
• You want to work for several customers and projects at once.

4️⃣ Automated email sequences.

You can create automated email sequences, with follow-up management and personalization (name, company, location, etc.).

5️⃣ Real-time performance analysis.

Finally, you’ll have KPIs for your campaigns:

• Open rate.
• Response rate.
• Bounce rate.
• Clicks.

So you can adjust your campaigns according to the results. 😇

instant ai reviews

Overall, the tool received mixed reviews. Let me explain. ⬇️

Positive points ✅	Negative points ❌
Intuitive, easy-to-use interface.	Limited email personalization (no embedded images or videos).
Mass emailing with efficient multi-inbox management.	Lack of multi-channel sequences (no native integration with LinkedIn or other channels).
Integrated automatic warm-up to preserve deliverability.	Basic reporting features compared to some competitors.
Competitive pricing for small and medium-sized businesses.	Lack of native integrations with some popular CRMs.
Responsive and available customer support.	Advanced features sometimes limited for experienced teams.

How much does instantly ai cost?

Instantly ai offers 3 packages, divided into three categories: Sending & Warmup, Leads and CRM.

1️⃣ Sending & Warmup – to send mass emails.

These plans enable :

• Unlimited email accounts.
• Automatic warm-up.
• Bulk emailing.
• Automated sequences.
• Performance analysis.

Plan	Monthly rate	Imported contacts	Emails per month	Additional features
Growth.	37 $.	1 000.	5 000.	Chat support.
Hypergrowth.	97 $.	25 000.	100 000.	A/B testing, API, premium support.
Light Speed.	358 $.	100 000.	500 000.	Dedicated IP, advanced management, VIP support.

2️⃣ Leads – find and enrich your leads.

With, you have access to instantly.ai’s B2B database with the following features:

• Monthly credits for verified leads.
• Advanced filters.
• Search by keywords and similar domains.
• Data enrichment.

Plan	Monthly rate	Verified leads/month
Growth Leads.	47 $.	1 000.
Supersonic Leads.	97 $.	4 500.
Hyperleads.	197 $.	10 000.
Light Speed Leads.	492 $.	25 000.

3️⃣ CRM – manage your leads and pipeline.

Finally, this last plan allows you to manage your customer relations:

• Track emails, calls, SMS, tasks and LinkedIn connections.
• Lead status management.
• Automations based on specific conditions.
• Integration with tools (Zapier, Slack, etc).

Plan	Monthly rate	Imported contacts	Emails/month	Additional features
Growth.	37 $.	1 000.	5 000.	Chat support.
Hypergrowth.	97 $.	25 000.	100 000.	A/B testing, API, premium support.
Light Speed.	358 $.	100 000.	500 000.	Dedicated IP, advanced management, VIP support.

Yes, that’s a lot of subscriptions, but the tool works on a modular pricing system:

• 🔵 You can choose only what you need.
• 🔵 Each module is independent.
• 🔵 You only pay for what you use.

Just for your viewing pleasure, here’s a quick summary of what you can take depending on your need. 👇🏼

Your need	What you need
Send emails only.	Sending & Warmup.
Sending emails + finding leads.	Sending & Warmup + Leads.
Sending emails + managing a complete pipeline.	Sending & Warmup + CRM.
Do it all.	Sending & Warmup + Leads + CRM.

Top 5 alternatives to instant ai

Even though Instantly.ai is a good tool, some features are missing, notably multi-channel 👀.

That’s why here are 5 alternatives! 👇🏼

1) Waalaxy: prospecting and automation software

If you’re not already familiar with Waalaxy, it’s a tool that combines LinkedIn and email prospecting in the same interface. 🖥️

Unlike Instantly, it relies on an ultra-personalized multi-channel approach, ideal for reaching prospects where they’re most active. 👽

Here are just a few of the features:

• Multi-channel prospecting (email + LinkedIn).
• Ready-to-use templates and sequences.
• Simple, ergonomic interface.
• Inbox Waalaxy.
• Integrated CRM.

For all pricing information, please click here. ⤵

Monthly

Quarterly

-20%

Yearly

-50%

Without Inbox

With Inbox

Add-on

Elite

Our most complete plan with 1o1 coaching and Sales Navigator included

30 €/user/month

Start free trial

800 invitations per month

Business

Maximize replies by combining LinkedIn and email. No lead left behind.

30 €/user/month

Start free trial

800 invitations per month

Advanced

Perfect for scaling outreach and growing your network fast — at the best price.

30 €/user/month

Start free trial

800 invitations per month

Most popular!

Pro

Ideal if you have a strong LinkedIn network and want to turn connections into conversations.

30 €/user/month

Start free trial

300 invitations per month

Ok but, what do customers think? 🤔

The advantages ✅	Disadvantages ❌
Simple, intuitive and easy-to-use interface.	No mobile app, computer use only.
Fast results on LinkedIn thanks to well-thought-out campaigns.	Limitations with Gmail for certain email automations.
Perfect for freelancers and small teams (not a gas factory).
Easy-to-configure and efficient automation scenarios.

2) Saleshandy

This tool provides access to cold email campaign automation. 🥶

With it, you’ll be able to :

• Track email opens and clicks.
• Automated email sequences with personalized variables.
• Seamless integration with Outlook and Gmail.
• Analytical dashboards to measure campaign performance.

In terms of pricing, Saleshandy offers modular pricing based on two main uses: automated emailing and lead generation.

For outreach, prices start at $36/month.

On the lead generation side, packages start at $29/month for 1,000 verified contact credits.

So, what do customers think? 🤔

The advantages ✅	Disadvantages ❌
User-friendly, easy-to-use interface.	Some advanced features may be missing for large teams.
Accurate email tracking with real-time notifications.	Some occasional bugs reported when loading campaigns.
Smooth integration with Outlook and Gmail.	Lack of some lead management features.
Responsive customer support and clear documentation.	Pricing considered a little high by some users.

3) Instantly.ai vs Lemlist

Lemlist is a multi-channel prospecting platform that uses advanced personalization to maximize prospect engagement.

Here are some of the main features:

• Multi-channel sequences.
• Integrated warm-up tool.
• B2B databases.
• CRM integration.

Lemlist offers several price plans: ⤵

• Email Starter: $39/month, ideal for freelancers and small teams.
• Email Pro: $69/month, with advanced features like A/B testing and CRM integration.
• Multichannel Expert: $99/month, for complete multichannel campaigns.
• Outreach Scale: $159/month, with dedicated account manager and premium features.

So, what do customers think of all this? 🤔

The advantages ✅	Disadvantages ❌
Extensive email personalization with images and videos.	Learning curve to master all features.
Effective multi-channel sequences (email, LinkedIn, calls).	Pricing considered high for small structures.
Integrated warm-up tool to improve deliverability.	Some advanced features require higher plans.
Intuitive interface and smooth CRM integrations.	Customer support sometimes slow according to some users.

4) Smartlead vs Instantly

Smartlead is a cold email automation platform specially designed for agencies and sales teams wishing to manage large-scale campaigns. 🪜

Let’s take a look at some of the features:

• Unlimited email accounts.
• Automatic warm-up.
• Dynamic sequences.
• Centralized Unibox.
• CRM integration.

Smartlead offers several price plans:

• Basic: $33/month for 2,000 leads and 6,000 emails/month.
• Popular: $65/month for 10,000 leads and 40,000 emails/month.
• Pro: $78/month for 30,000 leads and 150,000 emails/month.
• Custom: Customized pricing for specific needs.

What customers think 🤔

Advantages ✅	Disadvantages ❌
Management with unlimited number ofmailboxes and automatic warm-up.	Learning curve to master all features.
Adaptive email sequences based on prospect behavior.	Pricing considered high for small structures.
Centralized Unibox for simplified conversation management.	Some advanced features require higher plans.
CRM and API integrations for complete automation.	Customer support sometimes slow according to some users.

5) Instantly.ai vs Apollo.io

We finish with Apollo.io, and no, it’s not a space mission. 🚀

This is a B2B prospecting tool that combines a contact database, multi-channel engagement tools and advanced automation features.

Features: ⬇️

• B2B database.
• Multi-channel sequences.
• Purchase intent data.
• Data enrichment.
• CRM integration.

4 price plans are available:

• Free: $0/month, with limited functionality for small teams.
• Basic: $49/month, including extra credits and basic integrations.
• Professional: $79/month, offering advanced reporting and extensive automation features.
• Organization: $119/month, for large teams requiring full functionality and dedicated support.

Okay, but what do customers think? 🤔

The advantages ✅	Disadvantages ❌
Extensive, regularly updated contact database.	Initial learning curve to master all functionalities.
Seamless integration with leading CRMs on the market.	Some data may be obsolete or inaccurate.
Powerful automation tools for multi-channel sequences.	Pricing considered high for small organizations.
Advanced enrichment and purchase intent functionalities.	User interface could be improved based on feedback.

How about a recap?

You’ve scrolled this far, bravo. 🎖️

Well, you may still be wondering: what should I get? 😶

The truth is, there’s no best universal tool, just the best one for you. 🫵🏼

Let’s recap the different tools. ⤵

Tool	Multichannel	Customization	Scalability	Price 💰	Overall rating ⭐
Instantly.ai.	❌	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	from $37/month.	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Waalaxy.	✅ (Email + LinkedIn)	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	from €25/month.	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Saleshandy.	❌	⭐⭐	⭐⭐	from $36/month.	⭐⭐⭐
Lemlist.	✅	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	from $39/month.	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Smartlead.	❌	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	from $33/month.	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Apollo.io.	✅	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	from $49/month.	⭐⭐⭐⭐

Frequently asked questions

Thought the article was over? Well no, we still have a few answers to share with you.

Can I use instantly ai for free?

Instantly.ai does not offer unlimited free access, but it is possible to test it during a free trial period.

During this trial period, you have access to the main features:

• Campaign creation.
• Inbox management.
• Send automated emails.
• Performance tracking.

What’s the difference between Instantly ai and Lemlist?

Instantly.ai and Lemlist are both email prospecting tools, but their approach and functionalities differ in certain respects: ⬇️

• 1️⃣ Instantly.ai ‘s main focus is on sending mass emails, while ensuring good deliverability thanks to multi-inbox management and built-in warm-up. Ideal for those who want to reach large volumes quickly, without wasting time personalizing each message.

• 2️⃣ Lemlist specializes in advanced email personalization (personalized images, integrated videos, multi-channel sequences with LinkedIn). Its aim is to increase response rates through more “human” messages.

Is Instantly ai worth it?

That depends on your objectives and the way you prospect.

Instantly ai is suitable for users who want to send large-scale cold emailing campaigns, with :

• Efficient email address management.
• Good deliverability.
• An easy-to-use process.

However, it’s pretty limited, doesn’t have multi-channel (email + LinkedIn), nor advanced CRM functions. It’s up to you to decide what suits you best.

Now you know all about Instantly.ai alternatives! 👋🏽