Instantly vs Smartlead vs Acquirely
Three cold email platforms, three different ways of charging. Here's what you actually get for your money, and where each one falls short.
Disclosure: this site is owned by Acquirely, one of the three tools in this comparison. We've tried to be fair, every claim links to the vendor's own page, and Acquirely gets its weaknesses listed like everyone else.
The short version
- Instantly is the big, well-known option with a huge lead database and lots of AI agents. Sending and leads are priced as separate plans, so the full stack adds up.
- Smartlead gives a lot of sending volume per dollar and has deep add-ons for infrastructure and deliverability, each priced on top.
- Acquirely bundles sending, warm-up, AI copy, AI replies and placement tests into every plan and only charges credits for verified leads. It's newer and smaller than the other two.
Pricing at a glance
| Instantly | Smartlead | Acquirely | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest sending plan | $47/mo Outreach Growth: 5,000 emails a month, 1,000 uploaded contacts | $39/mo Base: 6,000 sends a month, 2,000 contacts | $29/mo Starter: 1,000 credits a month, sending included |
| Leads / verified emails | Separate credits plan, from $47/mo for 1,500 credits | $59/mo add-on on Base and Pro, included on Smart and Prime | 1 credit = 1 lead with a verified email, from 2.9¢ down to 1¢ |
| Bundle with leads | $94/mo Starter bundle: 5,000 emails, 1,500 credits | $174/mo Smart: 150,000 sends, 50,000 verified emails | $99/mo Pro: 5,000 credits, everything included |
| Bigger tiers | $194/mo Scale, $555/mo Agency bundles | $94/mo Pro, $379/mo Prime | $299/mo Growth, $999/mo Scale |
| Free start | See pricing page | Free trial | 100 free credits, no card |
Annual billing is cheaper on Instantly and Smartlead. Smartlead lists 17% off yearly on its pricing page.
Instantly
Instantly splits its product into Outreach (sending) and Credits (leads and enrichment), and sells bundles that combine the two.
Strengths
- Unlimited email accounts and unlimited warm-up, even on the $47 Outreach Growth plan (pricing).
- A database of 450M+ B2B leads, with waterfall work-email enrichment across 5+ providers (pricing).
- A wide set of AI agents, including an AI Reply Agent on the Scale bundle and up (pricing).
- A public API for developers (API docs) and a large help centre (help docs).
Weaknesses
- Sending and leads are separate plans, so sending plus leads starts at $94 a month on the Starter bundle (pricing).
- The entry Outreach plan caps you at 1,000 uploaded contacts and 5,000 emails a month (pricing).
- The AI Reply Agent and Premium Live Support start on the $194 Scale bundle, not the entry plans (pricing).
Smartlead
Smartlead prices mainly on sending volume and contacts, with a long list of add-ons for mailboxes, servers, placement testing and calling.
Strengths
- Lots of sending per dollar: 90,000 sends a month on the $94 Pro plan (pricing).
- Verified prospect emails included free on Smart and Prime: 50,000 and 170,000 a month (pricing).
- Deep infrastructure options: buy Google, Outlook or SMTP mailboxes from about $4.50 a mailbox a month, plus dedicated servers from $39 a server a month (pricing).
- A full API and webhooks (API docs).
Weaknesses
- Verified emails are a $59 a month add-on on Base and Pro (pricing).
- Placement testing (SmartDelivery) is a separate product from $49 a month (pricing).
- Base is limited to 2,000 contacts; unlimited contacts start on the $174 Smart plan (pricing).
Acquirely
Acquirely charges one thing, credits for verified leads, and includes everything else on every plan. It also runs a done-for-you agency on the same system.
Strengths
- Sending, warm-up, campaigns, AI copy, AI replies and placement tests are included on every plan, from $29 a month (pricing).
- An AI setter that answers replies in your voice and sends your booking link, on every plan (pricing).
- Every plan has every feature; plans only differ by credits, from 2.9¢ down to 1¢ a credit (pricing).
- 100 free credits on sign-up with no card, and a Mac app plus web app on one account (pricing).
Weaknesses
- Newer and smaller than Instantly and Smartlead, with a shorter track record and a smaller community.
- The iPhone app is listed as coming soon, not out yet (pricing).
- Fewer infrastructure add-ons than Smartlead: there's no listed option to buy dedicated servers (pricing).
- If you only need sending for leads you already have, the lowest plan still includes lead credits you may not use (pricing).
Which one should you pick?
- Pick Instantly if you want the biggest name, a huge lead database and many AI agents, and you're fine paying for sending and leads separately.
- Pick Smartlead if you send high volume, want to buy and manage your own infrastructure, and don't mind paying for add-ons.
- Pick Acquirely if you want one price that covers sending, warm-up, AI replies and placement tests, and you're comfortable with a newer tool.
Prices and features change often. Check each vendor's page before you buy: Instantly pricing, Smartlead pricing, Acquirely pricing.