Instantly vs lemlist: which is better for a small sales team's cold outreach sequences?
Instantly suits a small team that wants the cheaper entry plan for cold email, at $47 a month for 5,000 emails. lemlist suits a team that wants email, LinkedIn and call steps in one sequence, or many users on one Email plan. lemlist leads on fit and integrations. The verdict uses published-evidence scores read in October 2026.
On this page
How do Instantly and lemlist differ on each criterion?
| Criterion | Instantly | lemlist | Wins | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core job | 3 | 3 | Tie | Both tools cover core cold email jobs, including sending, warmup, and sequences, with documented features. |
| Fit for the category's buyer | 4 | 5 | lemlist | lemlist's Email plan includes unlimited senders, warmup, and sequences, fitting the cold email buyer well. |
| Pricing transparency | 4 | 4 | Tie | Both tools show prices and limits for most tiers, with a 14-day trial; some add-ons and custom plans are unpriced. |
| Setup and time to first result | 3 | 3 | Tie | Neither was tested hands-on, so setup is capped at the same level for both. Both need SPF, DKIM and DMARC records added by hand for an existing domain; lemlist does this automatically only for domains bought through lemlist. |
| Integrations and data portability | 4 | 5 | lemlist | lemlist offers more integrations and data export options, meeting the category's needs more broadly. |
| Trust, security and support | 4 | 4 | Tie | Both score 4: lemlist lists a SOC 2 Type 2 report and a status page; Instantly names SOC 2 Type I and Type II. |
What would each cost for a team sending up to 5,000 cold emails a month on monthly billing?
| Product | Plan | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Instantly | Outreach Growth (billed monthly) | $47 a month |
| lemlist | Email (billed monthly) | $69 a month |
Pick Instantly if...
Pick lemlist if...
What else separates them?
Instantly bills per subscription for its Outreach plans. Limits apply to emails and contacts. Add-ons for lead data and AI agents are separate costs. lemlist’s Email plan is per account. Its Multichannel plan is per user. Extra costs apply for features like WhatsApp and lead data.
For teams sending up to 5,000 cold emails monthly, Instantly’s Outreach Growth costs $47 a month. lemlist’s Email plan is $69 a month. It includes unlimited users and senders. lemlist’s Multichannel plan adds LinkedIn and calls. It costs $109 per user a month billed monthly, or $87 billed yearly.
What does Reddit say about each?
Full reviews
Frequently asked questions
Which costs less for a team sending up to 5,000 cold emails a month?
Instantly costs less: Outreach Growth is $47 a month, billed monthly, for 5,000 emails a month. The lemlist Email plan is $69 a month, billed monthly.
Which one includes more users on the entry plan?
The lemlist Email plan lists unlimited users and email senders for one account price.
Do Instantly and lemlist both include email warm-up?
Yes, Instantly includes unlimited email accounts and warmup on every Outreach plan. lemlist includes its lemwarm warm-up and deliverability protection in all plans.
Sources
- Instantly pricing (read )
- Instantly pricing (plain-text version) (read )
- Instantly email warmup (read )
- Instantly Outreach (read )
- Instantly help center: DNS and Forwarding Setup (read )
- Instantly help center: Account Connection (read )
- Instantly integrations (read )
- Instantly API v2 developer docs (read )
- Instantly help center: Integrations (read )
- Instantly Trust Center (read )
- Instantly terms of service (read )
- lemlist pricing (read )
- lemlist deliverability setup (read )
- lemlist multichannel prospecting (read )
- lemlist Help Center (read )
- lemlist home page (read )
- lemlist Help Center: How to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC (read )
- lemlist integrations (read )
- lemlist API reference (read )
- lemlist API documentation index (read )
- lemlist Trust Center (read )
- lempire status page (read )
- lemlist terms of service (read )
Changelog
- : Drafted with AI assistance and checked against the cited sources. Peter Chen, CEO of Midwest AI Solution Inc., is the editor responsible for this site and its corrections.
- : Setup is now a tie: neither tool was tested hands-on, so both setup scores are capped at 3.
- : The setup row now says both tools need DNS records for an existing domain.