Lemlist vs Instantly.ai: Which One Is Better for Cold Email Outreach?

“The tool you pick for your outreach can make a big difference — it can either help you grow faster or hold you back.”

Lemlist and Instantly are two well-known names in the cold email space.

Lemlist is known for its AI-powered, personalized multichannel sequences.  Instantly, on the other hand, is built for sending high-volume email campaigns and includes unlimited email warm-up.

(Yes! Both tools offer AMAZING features.)

But which one is best for your cold emailing needs? 

After using both platforms extensively, I’ve found some key differences that could impact your results, especially if you’re scaling outreach.

In this Lemlist vs Instantly comparison, you’ll find:

• A side-by-side feature teardown
• Pricing plans breakdown that is easy to compare
• What real users are saying

P.S.: I’ll also introduce another tool, Saleshandy (worth considering), which is a great alternative to both.

It not only matches what Lemlist and Instantly offer, but often beats them on features, ease of use, and cost.

Let’s get into it.

Lemlist Vs Instantly? A Quick 30-Second Rundown

Don’t have time to read the full comparison?

No worries – here’s a quick overview of Lemlist vs Instantly breakdown.
And just to make decision-making easier, I’ve also included Saleshandy in the comparison. 

Lemlist Vs Instantly Feature Comparison

Let’s take a closer look at how the individual features of these two cold emailing tools compare. 

Each tool has its own strengths and weaknesses, and understanding these can help you determine which one best fits your specific use case.

To make the comparison easier, I’ve broken down Lemlist vs Instantly based on the following:

• Sequence Automation and Campaign Builder
• Personalization
• Email Warm-up & Deliverability 
• Prospecting
• Agency Management 
• Reply Management
• Integrations
• Customer Support

Let’s take a deeper look.

Who Offers the Best Sequence Automation & Campaign Management Features?

Both Lemlist and Instantly offer solid sequence automation and campaign-building functionality.

So first, I decided to check which tool is better for creating and managing sequences.

(I mean, without great sequence automation, a cold email software is basically useless.)

Let’s see who came out on top.

Lemlist

With Lemlist, you can create multichannel sequences using cold emails, cold calls, and LinkedIn outreach. You can build sequences in a few different ways:

• Start from scratch
• Use their AI Sequence Generator 
• Pick a template from their library
• Duplicate an existing campaign

Once you pick your channel and how you want to build the sequence, Lemlist guides you step-by-step.

I tried creating a cold email sequence using Lemlist, and honestly, the process was smooth.

The flowchart-style campaign builder makes everything feel organized and easy to follow.

Inside the email editor, I wrote my message (you can also use one of their templates), added personalization, and previewed it before sending.

When adding follow-ups, you can either switch the outreach channel or use AI variables to create different versions of your email for A/B testing.

Instantly.ai

Now, compared to Lemlist, Instantly is purely focused on cold email — no LinkedIn or call steps here. But it does a great job at what it promises.

Its sequence builder is simple and easy to use. You can add prospects, manage campaigns, and track performance without getting confused.

I used its email editor to write and personalize emails, again, pretty easy.

Like Lemlist, Instantly also offers AI-generated variants, an AI sequence generator, and A-Z testing — but there’s a catch.

Most of these features are only available in its higher pricing plans.

Who’s the Winner: Lemlist or Instantly?

Honestly, there’s no single winner here — both tools are unique in different ways.

• Go for Lemlist if you need multichannel outreach, love visuals, and have a big budget.
• Go for Instantly if your focus is cold emails, you want to connect unlimited inboxes without paying extra, and are okay with using advanced features at a higher price.

But here’s the problem:

• Lemlist might seem like a scalable solution, but adding extra email accounts costs €9 per inbox per month.
  Even on its highest plan ($79/user/month), you’re limited to just 5 sending emails — and that’s for only one user.
• Instantly allows unlimited accounts, but you’ll need to subscribe to the highest paying plan to access AI tools and other advanced features.

Here’s a smarter option →

If you’re looking for a tool that lets you scale without these limits, you might want to check out Saleshandy.

• You can connect unlimited email accounts right from the start — no hidden costs.
• You get AI sequence generation, AI custom variant, and triggered follow-ups — all included in the base plan at just $25/month.

No surprise upgrades! Just all the features you actually need to run cold email campaigns that scale.

Who Offers the Best Personalization?

Next, I wanted to see which tool offered the best personalization features. 

Let’s see who outperforms the other!

Lemlist

Lemlist has super solid personalization features!

Here’s what you get:

• Text personalization using merge and custom variables like #{{firstName}}, #{{companyName}}, #{{email}}, and even sender-side variables like #{{sender.name}}
• Built-in video and image personalization
• Personalized landing pages where you can customize the text, logos, background color, and even add videos

While writing my test email, I clicked on the Ask AI feature, which popped up a window where I could instantly tweak my email — fix grammar, shorten content, or switch the tone to friendly, casual, or professional.

But the feature that really impressed me? The Icebreaker Generator.

All I had to do was enter a prompt like:
“Create a one-sentence compliment based on LinkedIn profile details.”
And boom — it generated smart, tailored lines based on the lead’s LinkedIn profile.

This kind of personal touch will make your emails feel way more relevant and actually lead to better reply rates.

Instantly.ai

Compared to Lemlist, Instantly offers decent personalization features.

Like Lemlist, it comes with AI-powered personalization that supports multiple models like OpenAI, DeepSeek, Anthropic, and more.

You can give prompts, and it generates personalized lines directly inside your campaigns.

If you’re using Instantly’s built-in CRM, you can also personalize messages using company insights, competitors, and pain points, which is pretty handy for targeted outreach.

But here’s the catch — all these AI features are locked behind the Hyper Growth or Light Speed plans.

If you’re on the base plan, you only get custom variables — and honestly, that was a letdown for me.

When I tested it, I realized there’s no pre-set list of merge tags like {{FirstName}} or {{SenderName}}.

Source: Instantly’s Help Doc

You have to add custom fields while creating your email list manually, and only then will the system auto-detect and assign them later in the sequence.

It felt way too confusing and laborious. 

Who’s the Winner: Lemlist or Instantly?

When it comes to email personalization, Lemlist takes the trophy.

While Instantly does offer AI-based personalization, those features are hidden behind higher-tier plans.

Lemlist, on the other hand, gives you advanced AI features plus built-in image, video, merge tags, liquid syntax, and landing page personalization — making it a much more well-rounded tool for personalized cold outreach.

Who Offers the Best Email Warm-up & Deliverability?

The next set of capabilities I wanted to test were email warm-up and deliverability tools.

Because honestly, you can have the best email copy and the most targeted sequence,
But if your emails don’t land in the inbox, all that effort goes to waste.

So, let’s find out which tool came out on top.

Lemlist

Lemlist offers solid email warm-up support through its built-in tool, Lemwarm.

It mimics human-like conversations with 10,000+ real users to warm up your email accounts and improve sender reputation automatically.

To help maintain optimal deliverability, Lemlist offers:

• Inbox rotation
• Technical authentication support (SPF, DKIM, DMARC checks)

But that’s about it.

To be honest, when compared to other cold email tools in the market, Lemlist’s deliverability features are quite basic.

Other platforms offer much more advanced controls, which is especially important considering how tough it has become to land in the inbox consistently.

Instantly.ai

Instantly, on the other hand, not only provides built-in email warm-up but also comes packed with advanced deliverability features like:

• Rotating IP infrastructure
• High-bounce auto-pause
• “Done-for-you” setup with pre-warmed email accounts

That said, the feature that caught my attention was Inbox Placement Testing.

This feature monitors deliverability across providers, checks your domain against 94 blacklists, and automatically pauses campaigns when performance drops.

The downside? You have to pay extra to access it.

Here’s the pricing:

• Growth Inbox Placement: $47/month or $451/year (unlimited one-time tests)
• Hyper Inbox Placement: $97/month or $931/year (unlimited tests + automated monitoring)

Who’s the Winner: Lemlist or Instantly?

When it comes to email warm-up, both Lemlist and Instantly offer strong options, so we’ll call that a tie.

But for deliverability features, Instantly clearly wins.

It offers more advanced tools to help protect your sender reputation and increase inbox placement.

That said, even with all the advanced features, user reviews are mixed. And on top of that, many of the important tools like inbox monitoring and blacklist checks are either locked behind higher-tier plans or require separate subscriptions.

Want a Better Alternative? Try Saleshandy

Instead of upgrading to expensive plans or juggling add-ons, you could simply go with Saleshandy, which gives you all the core deliverability tools, right from the base plan at $25/month.

Features like:

• Unlimited warm-up
• ESP matching
• Auto-pause on hard bounces
• AI bounce detection
• Blacklist monitoring
• Spam word detector
• Sequence score ( for Inbox placement preview )
• And much more

 All are included with no additional cost.

Who Has the Better Prospecting Features?

Prospecting tools in cold email software help eliminate the hassle of juggling separate lead tools and manually exporting lists.

Both Lemlist and Instantly promise robust prospecting capabilities.

 Let’s see who really stands out.

Lemlist

With Lemlist, you get access to several prospecting features, including:

• An AI-powered B2B database with over 450 million verified contacts
• Advanced filtering options and intent signals
• LinkedIn Chrome extension
• Phone number finder
• Website visitor identification
  

What really stood out to me is Lemlist’s Waterfall Enrichment feature. It pulls data from multiple sources (including LinkedIn) to verify and fill in missing or inaccurate contact details.

Instantly.ai

Just like Lemlist, Instantly also offers a B2B database with 450M+ contacts, accessible through filters like name, company, hiring intent, technographics, and even AI-based search.

It also includes website visitor tracking and supports waterfall enrichment.
However, when I tried using its enrichment tool, I was somewhat disappointed — out of 5 leads, I only received complete data for 2. Not a great hit rate.

Another issue was the credit system, which I found unnecessarily complex:

• 1 credit for emails found via Instantly
• 2 credits for emails enriched from third-party data
• Extra credit if third-party tools fetch phone numbers (Instantly doesn’t find phone numbers on its own)

The lack of clarity can easily burn through your credits if you’re not careful.

Who’s the Winner: Lemlist or Instantly?

It’s a tie — both Lemlist and Instantly offer similar prospecting features, except that Lemlist supports phone number finding and Instantly doesn’t.

But to be honest, both tools feel limited when it comes to serious prospecting. The databases are generally okay, but the depth and accuracy aren’t always reliable, especially when targeting niche industries.

Why Not Try Saleshandy Instead?

If prospecting is a big part of your workflow, you might want to give Saleshandy a shot.

• It offers a massive B2B database of 700M+ contacts, which is bigger than both Lemlist and Instantly.
• You also get real-time email verification, so you’re only shown A-grade, bounce-free emails.
• And unlike other data tools, Saleshandy only charges for successful searches — if no data is found, your credits are automatically refunded.

Who Has Better Features for Agencies?

Both tools offer features that support the agency’s workflow.

Let’s see which one is the best.

Lemlist

With Lemlist, you can manage your clients and team using its Cockpit feature. It allows you to assign flexible user roles:

• Admin: Full access to all features, including the Cockpit menu
• Member: Access to all features except Billing and Cockpit
• Extern: Limited access (can only view team account reports with password-less login)

You can also ensure client privacy by giving each client access only to their relevant campaigns while you maintain full oversight across all campaigns.

Now, here’s where things get a bit tricky — Lemlist’s pricing model.

You can stay on your current plan, but if you want to invite team members or clients, you’ll need to use guest seats. Here’s the breakdown:

• Email Pro plan: 5 guest seats
• Multichannel Expert plan: 5 guest seats
• Enterprise plan: Unlimited guest seats

Additionally, if you wish to add more email accounts, you’ll be charged an extra €9 per month per inbox. That cost can pile up quickly if you’re running outreach at scale.

Instantly.ai

Instantly is built with agencies in mind.

Just like Lemlist, you can add clients, assign roles, and invite team members.
But what sets it apart is the advanced agency-focused setup.

Agency White Labeling

• Custom-branded login portal for your clients
• Share access to Dashboard, Unibox, Analytics, and Campaigns
• Clients see your branding, not Instantly’s

Multiple Workspace Management

• Create separate workspaces for each client
• Each workspace needs its own subscription, but you can switch between all of them from one login
• Control roles and permissions per workspace

Who’s the Winner: Lemlist or Instantly?

When it comes to agency-centric features, Instantly clearly wins.

You get white labeling, separate spaces for each client, and easier team and campaign management.

But here’s the catch — these features are only available on the HyperGrowth plan ($77.6/month) or the Light Speed plan ($286.3/month).

Now, imagine paying $77 per client every month.
That’s $77 × 10 clients = $770/month just to get full functionality. 

Not exactly agency-friendly pricing.

Use Saleshandy →

Saleshandy allows you to

• Add unlimited clients starting from the base plan at just $25/month
• No extra charges per workspace or inbox
• Get access to white labeling, team roles, and advanced permissions — just like Instantly, but without the higher pricing

If you’re an agency looking to scale without burning a hole in your wallet, Saleshandy makes a lot more sense.

Who Has Better Reply Management Features?

No cold email tool is complete without solid reply management features — they help you identify high-priority leads and respond to them at the right time.

Both Lemlist and Instantly offer reply management capabilities. 

Let’s take a look at what each tool offers and see who does it better.

Lemlist

With Lemlist, you can access and manage your multichannel conversations from a single unified view that even categorizes replies based on sentiment.

Its centralized inbox gives you the ability to reply directly to leads, but here’s the catch — this feature is not available in the base plan. You’ll need to be on the Multichannel ($79/mo) or Custom plan to use it.

Instantly.ai

Instantly also comes with a unified inbox (called Unibox) that helps you manage all your client conversations in one place.

It automatically categorizes replies into buckets like:

• Interested
• Meeting booked
• Closed
• Out of office
• Not interested
• Wrong person

You can reply or reply-all directly from Unibox, and what’s cool is — it even has a mobile app that sends push notifications for new replies so you can respond to leads on the go. Plus,.

Apart from the inbox, it also offers some smart AI features:

• AI Inbox Manager
• AI Reply Suggestions

Who’s the Winner: Lemlist or Instantly?

Honestly, both tools do a great job when it comes to reply management.

But Instantly gets the edge, mainly because of its mobile app, which makes it easier to manage replies on the move.

That said, there’s still a limit.

While all plans let you preview messages in Unibox, you can only reply within Unibox if you’re on the HyperGrowth or Light Speed plans. 

So, if you’re on a basic plan, that feature is off-limits.

Want Full Access Without the Price Tag?

With Saleshandy, you get full access to the unified inbox right from the base plan, which starts at just $25/month.

And yes, it comes with everything you’d expect:

• AI-powered reply categorization
• Reply and reply-all support
• Mobile app access

So you’re not just getting the same functionality — you’re getting it without the upgrade pressure.

Who Offers Better Integrations?

Cold email tools aren’t just about sending emails — they also need to fit smoothly into your existing workflow so that they can save you a lot of manual work.

Lemlist and Instantly offer a decent set of integrations. 

Let’s take a look at how they stack up.

Lemlist

Lemlist offers a solid set of integrations that help streamline your outreach and reduce manual work.

Here’s what you get:

• CRM Integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive)
• Cold Calling Tool ( Ringover and Aircall)
• WhatsApp (it’s in beta)
• Automation Platforms ( Make (Integromat), n8n, and Clay)

Instantly.ai

Instantly also supports a good mix of integrations, especially for CRM and automation workflows.

Here’s what it offers:

• CRM integrations with HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce for importing leads
• OutboundSync for two-way syncing with HubSpot and Salesforce
• One-way exports to tools like Apollo, Lemlist, and Smartlead from its SuperSearch database
• Automation tools like Zapier and Pabbly
• Other integrations include Google Calendar, Slack (via CRM), and Clay using Instantly’s API

Who’s the Winner: Lemlist or Instantly?

Both tools offer a strong set of integrations, especially when it comes to CRM, lead exports, and automation.

But Lemlist clearly wins this round.

Why? Because it goes beyond basic CRM and Zapier setups.

If integrations and workflow automation are a big part of your outreach stack, Lemlist gives you more out of the box.

Who Offers Better Customer Support?

Customer support plays a significant role in choosing the right cold email software.

So let’s take a look at what both Lemlist and Instantly bring to the table.

Lemlist

Lemlist offers live chat and email support. But if you’re looking for onboarding help, you’ll only get it in the higher-tier plans.

That said, their help docs are solid. You’ll find tutorials, guides, and walkthroughs that explain most features in plain English.

They also have their own Lemlist Community where users drop tips, ask questions, and share what’s working.

Instantly.ai

Instantly also offers live chat and email support. And here’s the best part — onboarding support is included across all plans.

They’ve got a help center that covers all the basics, from setting up your account to managing campaigns.

If you like learning from others, their Facebook group is pretty active and full of helpful threads from real users.

Here is what Instantly’s user wants to say:

Who’s the Winner? Lemlist or Instantly

We’ll call it a tie. Both provide the support you need, numerous tutorials, and an active user base. Instantly gives onboarding from day one. Lemlist requires effort, but their documentation and community make up for it.

Which Tool Gives Value for Money, Lemlist or Instantly?

Now it’s time to answer the question you’ve probably been waiting for: “Which platform actually gives you the best value for your money?”

Well, the truth is… it really depends on what matters most to you and how you plan to use the tool.

If we talk numbers, Lemlist starts at $55/month, while Instantly starts at $30/month (when billed annually).

Here’s what you get with Lemlist’s pricing plans: the breakdown of features is pretty straightforward.

Check our detailed lemlist pricing.

And here’s what Instantly offers: it’s clearly laid out and shows exactly what’s included in each plan.

So, Which One to Choose Between Lemlist & Instantly?

After breaking down all the features and pricing, the big question remains: which tool should you choose?

To be honest, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It really depends on what you value most.

Choose Lemlist if:
You want highly personalized emails, plan to run multichannel outreach (email, LinkedIn, and calls), and are willing to pay more for advanced features and integrations.

Choose Instantly if:
You need a high-volume, automated email outreach tool with strong deliverability and ease of use.

Choose Saleshandy if you want:

• Advanced cold email trigger-based sequences
• Hyper-personalization at scale
• Powerful deliverability features
• Unified inbox to manage replies in one place
• Agency-friendly tools (unlimited clients, white-labeling, team roles)
• Verified lead database with real-time enrichment

All starting at just $25/month

FAQs

1. Which Cold Email Tool Offers the Best Value for Money?

If you’re looking for a cost-effective cold email tool that offers advanced features, Instantly would be a better choice compared to Lemlist.

Another great choice is Saleshandy, which also allows you to scale your email outreach seamlessly.

2. Are There Any Trial Versions Available in Lemlist and Instantly, and What Do They Offer?

Both Lemlist and Instantly offer 14-day free trials.

These time durations are sufficient to evaluate the tools and their features, make an informed decision, and ensure they are the best solution for your needs.

You can also opt for a free Lemlist plan to see how it works for you.

3. Will These Tools Integrate With My Existing Marketing Tools?

Yes, these tools can be seamlessly integrated with your existing marketing tools.

They offer native integrations with popular CRMs, APIs, and Webhook capabilities, allowing you to integrate many tools with cold email software and boost your productivity.