--- title: "Instantly vs Smartlead: API, Pricing and Setup Compared" description: "Instantly vs Smartlead, tested in both apps on 25 Oct 2026: API from $47 vs $94, webhooks, MCP, trial limits, tracking defaults and setup steps." canonical: https://www.onegtmlab.dev/tool-directory/compare/instantly-vs-smartlead --- # Instantly vs Smartlead: API, Pricing and Setup Compared [](/) [ Book a call ](/book) Comparison # Instantly vs Smartlead Pick Instantly for the cheapest way into an API: its $47/mo Growth plan includes API v2 with scoped keys. Pick Smartlead if you send for clients: it has per-client API keys, client dashboards and $29 client workspaces from Pro ($94/mo), where its API and webhooks start. Both have official MCP servers, and the API worked on both 14-day trials we tested. Verified 25 Oct 2026 ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)Pick Instantly if - You want API access on the cheapest paid plan: Instantly Growth at $47/mo - You want least-privilege keys ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z12FKRg.webp)Pick Smartlead if - You send cold email for clients and want per-client API keys, view-only client dashboards and white-label - You want webhooks on the same plan as the API: Smartlead Pro at $94/mo [![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)](/tool-directory/sending/instantly-ai) Instantly Sending, Sourcing vs [![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_21DObs.webp)](/tool-directory/sending/smartlead) Smartlead Sending [Instantly review →](/tool-directory/sending/instantly-ai)[Smartlead review →](/tool-directory/sending/smartlead) 01 ## At a glance ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)Instantly From **$47/mo**Growth, monthly Free plan **Yes**14 days, no card, 1,250 emails/mo Cost per unit **$9/mo**SuperSearch 450M+, credits from MCP server **Official** ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_1Lqkiz.webp)Smartlead From **$94/mo**Pro, monthly Free plan **Yes**14 days, no card, 2,500 sends/mo Cost per unit **$59/mo**SmartProspect 270M+; emails add-on MCP server **Official** 02 ## Where they differ 19 points side by side. Open a value for the full detail. What ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)[Instantly](/tool-directory/sending/instantly-ai) ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1dzxml.webp)[Smartlead](/tool-directory/sending/smartlead) ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyGrowth, $47/mo monthlyGrowth, $47/mo (billed monthly). API v2 is on every paid Outreach plan. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadPro, $94/mo monthlyPro, $94/mo (billed monthly). The $39 Base plan has no API and no webhooks. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyHyper Growth ($97/mo) and up, 18 eventsHyper Growth ($97/mo) and up, per the plans comparison. 18 event types from the live event-types endpoint, including custom label events. A failing webhook is disabled; no retry schedule is published. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadPro ($94/mo) and up, 11 eventsPro ($94/mo) and up, the same plan as the API. 11 event types, set per user, client or campaign, plus 2 disconnect events (mailbox and LinkedIn) sent through a separate per-user webhook setting. A user-level webhook overrides the others. The docs give two different retry policies. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)Instantly14 days, no card, 1,250 emails/mo14 days, no card. 1,250 emails a month and 250 uploaded contacts. The help center says 1,000 emails and no API; in the app, keys and v2 calls worked. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)Smartlead14 days, no card, 2,500 sends/mo14 days, no card. 2,500 sends a month and 1,250 contacts. A Default admin API key is created for you and v1 calls worked. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyBearer key with fixed scopesAuthorization: Bearer header. You create each key and pick from 128 scopes, which cannot be changed later. The key is shown once. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadAPI key in the query stringKey in the query string (?api\_key=), so it is part of every request URL. Up to 25 admin keys sharing one rate-limit pool, plus separate client keys. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)Instantly100/sec and 6,000/min per workspaceDocumented: 100 requests a second and 6,000 a minute per workspace, shared by all keys and by v1 and v2. GET /api/v2/emails is capped at 20 a minute. Our calls returned no rate-limit headers. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)Smartlead60 or 120/min tiersDocumented tiers: 60 a minute (1,000 an hour) on Standard and 120 a minute (3,000 an hour) on Pro; the docs do not say which plans map to these tiers. Three heavy analytics endpoints allow 10 per 60 seconds. Our trial key returned an x-ratelimit-limit header of 200. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyYesOfficial, streamable HTTP at mcp.instantly.ai. 199 tools on 25 Oct 2026. The header-auth form returned HTTP 504 in our test; the key-in-path URL worked. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadYesOfficial, SSE at mcp.smartlead.ai with the key in the URL. 168 tools on 25 Oct 2026. Python's default User-Agent got HTTP 403; a curl or browser User-Agent worked. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyUp to 1,000 leads per callUp to 1,000 leads per POST /api/v2/leads/add call. Lead moves and warmup toggles run as background jobs. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadUp to 400 leads per request ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyOpen and click tracking disabledOpen and click tracking show as Disabled on a new campaign. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadOpen and click tracking onOpen and click tracking are on. The "Don't track" toggles start off, so switch them on if you want untracked sends. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)Instantly30 emails/day per campaign, Eastern timeA daily limit of 30 emails per campaign, sent in office hours, with the timezone set to Eastern. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)Smartlead27 sends/day per sender by defaultPaced per mailbox by a schedule window and an "Every N minutes" gap. The default window gave 27 sends a day per sender account. The timezone defaulted to our local timezone (Asia/Calcutta) in our test. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyPauses on high bounces; threshold hiddenA setting pauses campaigns with high bounce rates. The app does not show the threshold. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadPauses at a 5% bounce rateHigh Bounce Rate Auto-Protection pauses at a 5% bounce rate. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyAuto-tags lead status; reply agent 5 creditsAI auto-tags lead status at no extra cost. The AI Reply Agent costs 5 credits per reply. Not checked on live replies. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadTagged 51 of 214 replies in one runOptional AI categorisation per campaign. On one client's 214 replies, it tagged 51: all 11 positives, none of the 9 opt-outs and none of the 74 out-of-office replies. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyNot checkedNot checked for Instantly. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadChanges without step ids re-armed leadsPosting sequence changes to a running campaign without the existing step ids replaced the steps and re-armed contacted leads. In one client run, about 66 of 199 contacted leads got the first email more than once. Pause first, or update with the step ids. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlySuperSearch 450M+, credits from $9/moSuperSearch: 450M+ B2B leads and 16 filter groups in the app. It runs on a separate credits plan from $9/mo for 150 credits. A work email find costs about 1.5 credits per row. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadSmartProspect 270M+; emails $59/mo add-onSmartProspect: 270M+ profiles. Verified prospect emails cost a flat $59/mo on top of Base (2,000 a month) or Pro (30,000 a month), and Smart and Prime include them. The trial had 0 credits with 2,000 free credits to claim. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyCount and preview free; verification 0.25Lead count and preview calls were free. One email verification cost 0.25 credit, as documented. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadAll 12 trial calls freeAll 12 calls were free, including a SmartProspect contact search. Emails stay masked until you fetch them with credits. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyAgency white-label; workspaces from Hyper GrowthAn Agency page with a white-label domain and client accounts, plus sub-workspaces. Adding a workspace and inviting team members start on Hyper Growth. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadClient workspaces $29/mo eachView-only client dashboards, white-label logo and colour, and client API keys. Client workspaces cost $29/mo each on Pro and Smart; Prime includes 3 or more. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyGoogle accounts from $5/mo, domains $15/yrPre-warmed Google accounts ($10/mo), done-for-you Google accounts ($5/mo), AirMail accounts ($4/mo) and domains ($15/yr). Or connect Gmail, Office 365 or IMAP/SMTP. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadMailboxes from $4.50/mo plus domainFresh Google or Outlook mailboxes ($4.50/mo plus $13 a domain a year) or pre-warmed ones ($9/mo plus $18 a domain a year). Auto-Replace swaps burnt mailboxes. Or connect Google, Outlook, SMTP or a CSV. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)Instantly129 app tiles incl. Clay, HubSpot129 app tiles in the app, including Clay, HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Slack and HeyReach. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)Smartlead5 native tiles plus SmartAgent connections5 native tiles (HubSpot in beta, Clay, Listkit, LeadMagic, OutboundSync), plus 33 AI connection tiles inside SmartAgent, 11 of them marked Coming soon. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)InstantlyUnibox; replies need Hyper GrowthUnibox with status labels. Replying from Unibox needs Hyper Growth; Growth can only preview replies. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)SmartleadMaster Inbox with agent draftsMaster Inbox with unread replies, drafts written by its agent, snoozes, reminders and saved views. ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)Instantly20% on Outreach plans20% on Outreach plans, 10% on credits plans. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)Smartlead17% 03 ## Pricing, plan by plan US dollars as each vendor's page showed them on 25 Oct 2026. One panel per tool; switch each between monthly and annual billing (an annual price is the monthly rate when you pay for the year up front). ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg) ### Instantly 6 plans · [API review](/tool-directory/sending/instantly-ai) ### Growth $47/mo billed monthly $37.60/mo billed annually 5,000 emails a month, 1,000 uploaded contacts, unlimited mailboxes and warmup. API includedPlan details No webhooks; replies can only be previewed in Unibox. Billed monthly, or annually at $37.60 a month. ### Hyper Growth $97/mo billed monthly $77.60/mo billed annually 125,000 emails a month, 25,000 uploaded contacts, webhooks, reply from Unibox, subsequences, workspaces and team members. API includedPlan details Billed monthly, or annually at $77.60 a month. ### Light Speed $358/mo billed monthly $286.30/mo billed annually 500,000 emails a month, 100,000 uploaded contacts, private sending servers (SISR). API includedPlan details Billed monthly, or annually at $286.30 a month. ### Enterprise Custom quote 500,000+ emails and 100,000+ contacts. API includedPlan details Price on request. Show all 6 plansShow fewer plans ### Credits Nano (lead database and AI) $9/mo billed monthly $9/mo monthly billing only 150 credits a month, a separate subscription from Outreach. Plan details Annual billing saves 10% in the app. Unused credits expire after 2 months on monthly billing. ### Growth Credits (lead database and AI) $47/mo billed monthly $47/mo monthly billing only 1,500 credits a month in the app on 25 Oct 2026. Plan details Annual billing saves 10% in the app. ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_ZtDHkw.webp) ### Smartlead 5 plans · [API review](/tool-directory/sending/smartlead) ### Base $39/mo billed monthly $32/mo billed annually 6,000 sends a month, 2,000 stored contacts, Foundation warmup pool. No APIPlan details No API, no webhooks. Billed monthly, or annually at $388 a year. ### Pro $94/mo billed monthly $78/mo billed annually 90,000 sends a month, 30,000 stored contacts, API and webhooks, CRM, Growth warmup pool. API includedPlan details Client workspaces $29/mo each. Billed monthly, or annually at $936 a year in the app on 25 Oct 2026. ### Smart $174/mo billed monthly $144/mo billed annually 150,000+ sends a month, unlimited contacts, 50,000 verified prospect emails, CSM call access, Premium warmup pool. API includedPlan details Billed monthly, or annually at $1,733 a year in the app on 25 Oct 2026. ### Prime $379/mo billed monthly $315/mo billed annually 500,000+ sends a month, unlimited contacts, 170,000 verified prospect emails, 3 SmartServers, 3+ client workspaces, a dedicated manager. API includedPlan details Billed monthly, or annually at $3,775 a year in the app on 25 Oct 2026. Show all 5 plansShow fewer plans ### SmartProspect (lead database) $59/mo billed monthly $59/mo monthly billing only A flat $59/mo fee on top of the sending plan. Plan details It unlocks 2,000 verified prospect emails a month on Base and 30,000 on Pro; Smart and Prime include them with no fee. On our trial the SmartProspect tab showed 1,000 leads a month at $0.0472 a lead. Billed monthly. 04 ## Which one to pick ### ![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)Choose Instantly if - You want API access on the cheapest paid plan: Instantly Growth at $47/mo. - You want least-privilege keys. Each Instantly key carries only the scopes you pick. - You want a large lead database in the same app, paid by credits, with free count and preview calls. - You want many native app connections: 129 tiles in the app. - You want open and click tracking off on every new campaign by default. - You plan heavy API use: the documented limit is 6,000 requests a minute per workspace. ### ![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z2nVbYs.webp)Choose Smartlead if - You send cold email for clients and want per-client API keys, view-only client dashboards and white-label. - You want webhooks on the same plan as the API: Smartlead Pro at $94/mo. - You want a visible bounce auto-pause, which Smartlead sets at 5%. - You want burnt mailboxes replaced automatically with Auto-Replace. - You need unlimited stored contacts at 150,000 sends a month: Smartlead Smart at $174/mo. - You want a larger trial allowance: 2,500 sends and 1,250 contacts. **If neither fits:** Pick neither if LinkedIn is your main channel. A LinkedIn tool such as HeyReach fits better, and it can push leads into either sender. Whichever sender you pick, clean the list before upload. Both pause campaigns when bounces climb, and Smartlead pauses at a 5% bounce rate. [How to verify email addresses before you send →](/tool-directory/how-to/verify-emails) ## Want us to build it for you? Choosing between Instantly and Smartlead, or moving from one to the other? Tell us your setup. We will show you how we would run it, and what we would check first. [ Book a call ](/book)[ See case studies ](/case-studies) 05 ## Questions people ask Is there a free platform for cold email outreach? Neither of these lists a free plan. Both give a 14-day trial with no card. In the apps on 25 Oct 2026, Smartlead's trial allowed 2,500 sends and 1,250 contacts a month, and Instantly's allowed 1,250 emails and 250 uploaded contacts. After the trial, paid plans start at $39/mo (Smartlead Base) and $47/mo (Instantly Growth). Should you pay for a warmup tool? If you send from Instantly or Smartlead, warmup is already in the plan. Instantly includes unlimited warmup from Growth ($47/mo) and has no warmup-only plan; its trial warms only 2 accounts. Smartlead includes a warmup pool on every plan, and the tier rises with the plan: Foundation on Base, Growth on Pro, Premium on Smart and Prime. How Many Cold Emails Should You Send per Inbox? Our launch checklist caps every mailbox at 15 sends a day. The app defaults are higher, so set them yourself. A new Instantly campaign starts with a daily limit of 30 emails. On Smartlead, the schedule window and the "Every N minutes" gap set the pace, and the default window gave 27 sends a day per sender account. ## Related [![](/_astro/instantly.w1WoNFJP.svg)Instantly API review](/tool-directory/sending/instantly-ai)[![](/_astro/smartlead.DCswj1gL_Z1Wvnoa.webp)Smartlead API review](/tool-directory/sending/smartlead)[![](/_astro/apollo.DNg6-7d3.svg)![](/_astro/attio.CoO4UDxn_ZRTvHO.webp)Apollo vs Attio](/tool-directory/compare/apollo-vs-attio)[![](/_astro/apollo.DNg6-7d3.svg)![](/_astro/people-data-labs.mXDEg2jz_Z86udK.webp)Apollo vs People Data Labs](/tool-directory/compare/apollo-vs-people-data-labs)[![](/_astro/exa.rOWjsHOa_Z14cerW.webp)![](/_astro/tavily.zLOQxnbo.svg)Exa vs Tavily](/tool-directory/compare/exa-vs-tavily)[![](/_astro/hubspot.ClO2484y_SluoY.webp)![](/_astro/pipedrive.DtFSS7Dm_ZtSGQm.webp)HubSpot vs Pipedrive](/tool-directory/compare/hubspot-vs-pipedrive) Read from [instantly.ai/pricing.md](https://instantly.ai/pricing.md), [smartlead.ai/pricing](https://www.smartlead.ai/pricing) and each tool's API docs. 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