Choosing between Smartlead and Instantly can be tough.
Smartlead comes packed with features that make your email game strong. Instantly, on the other hand, has been around for a longer time and also has some solid features.
So, which one should you go for?
You’ll know the answer by the end of this article.
What is Smartlead and who is it for?
Smartlead is a tool for businesses that want to excel in cold email outreach. It’s good for sales teams, lead generation agencies, and anyone looking to boost their campaigns.
With Smartlead, you can create unlimited email accounts. Thanks to that, it’s possible to run extensive cold email campaigns without hitting any limits.
What is Instantly and who is it for?
Instantly is a tool for anyone serious about cold email outreach efforts. It’s dedicated for businesses, sales teams, and lead generation agencies that want to improve outreach campaigns.
The platform lets you manage numerous email accounts and create personalized email campaigns. With advanced features like auto-rotating email accounts, Instantly keeps your emails out of spam filters and improves email deliverability.
Its dynamic content insertion and pre-written email templates help create cold emails quickly without hitting writer’s block.
Smartlead vs Instantly – lead database
When it comes to boosting your outreach campaigns, having a solid lead database is key.
Smartlead and Instantly offer lead database features, but they have unique strengths. Let’s see how they compare.
Smartlead
Smartlead gives you access to a vast pool of leads, so it’s more convenient to find the right prospects. The interface makes it possible to manage your entire lead generation process without a hitch.
Plus, Smartlead’s advanced features aid you in targeting and connecting with potential clients. As such, managing multiple email accounts is hassle-free.
Instantly
Instantly boasts a massive lead database with over 160 million contacts. Finding your ideal prospects is as easy as clicking a button. The platform’s advanced filters let you narrow down your search based on various criteria like industry, job title, and company size.
With Instantly’s AI-powered workflows, you can improve your campaigns and fill your inbox with potential leads quickly. Its interface is intuitive, so the entire lead generation process is simple, even for non-sales folk.
Compare both:
Sequences and follow ups
When it comes to keeping your outreach messages on track, the ability to create sequences and follow-ups is a game-changer.
Here’s how these two tools perform in this area:
Smartlead
Smartlead is all about helping you stay connected with your prospects. It offers tools to create sequences that keep your outreach efforts on point. You can set up automated follow-ups that kick in based on specific triggers, so you never miss a beat.
Instantly
Instantly shines with its follow-up features and easy-to-use sequence setup. It makes your outreach campaigns as top-notch as possible. With Instantly, you can create detailed sequences that guide your prospects through the entire lead generation process. What’s more, the platform’s advanced analytics help you tweak and perfect your follow-ups.
Here’s a comparison table:
Personalization features for email campaigns
Personalizing your emails completely changes how your prospects respond.
What can Smartlead and Instantly offer here?
Smartlead
Smartlead shines in creating personalized email campaigns. With its dynamic content insertion, you can tailor each message to resonate with your audience. It’s possible to customize information such as time of the day, day of the week, the exact date and first name – among other examples.
Example:
Instantly
Instantly also offers strong personalization features. Adding a personal touch to your outreach efforts is not a problem at all. Its advanced tools customize every aspect of your emails, including:
- subject lines,
- name,
- sending account,
- and others.
Instantly’s AI-powered insights are great for understanding what works best, so you can refine your approach and make your emails more compelling.
Example:
Compare:
Unified outreach inbox
Having a unified outreach inbox upgrades your workflow by consolidating all your communication in one place.
But which solution provides a better option?
Smartlead
Smartlead’s Unified Master Inbox keeps all your emails organized and in one place. This feature lets you manage multiple email accounts from a single dashboard.
With its user-friendly interface, you can quickly find and act on important messages.
Instantly
Instantly also offers a powerful unified inbox that brings all your email interactions together. Imagine being able to handle responses and follow-ups without switching between different platforms.
Example:
Comparison table:
Pricing and free trial
Check out the below breakdown of the pricing plans and free trial options for both platforms:
Smartlead pricing plans:
Free trial? Yes, 14 days.
Basic Plan: $39/month
Features:
- 2,000 active leads
- 6,000 emails per month
- unlimited email warm-up
- unlimited email accounts
- dynamic IP addresses
- centralized master inbox
- dynamic sequences
- detailed analytics
- general support within 24 hours
Pro Plan: $94/month
Features:
- 30,000 active leads
- 150,000 emails per month
- unlimited email warm-up
- unlimited email accounts
- dynamic IP addresses
- centralized master inbox
- dynamic sequences
- custom CRM
- email guide assistance
- detailed analytics
- active support
- global block list
- webhooks & integrations
- API access
- unlimited seats
Custom Plan: from $174/month
Features:
- up to 12M active lead credits
- up to 60M email credits (p/m)
- dynamic sequences
- custom CRM
- unlimited email warm up
- email guide assistance
- unlimited email accounts
- all other features
Instantly pricing plans
Free trial? A demo is available instead, and more information is available upon creating an account.
Growth Plan: $30/month
Features:
- unlimited email accounts
- unlimited email warmup
- 1,000 uploaded contacts
- 5,000 emails monthly
- chat support
Hyper Growth Plan: $77.6/month
Features:
- unlimited email accounts
- unlimited email warmup
- 25,000 uploaded contacts
- 125,000 emails monthly
- premium live support
Light Speed Plan: $286.3/month
Features:
- everything in Hyper Growth +
- 500,000 emails monthly
- 100,000 uploaded contacts
Enterprise Plan: custom pricing
Features:
- everything in Hyper Growth +
- 500,000+ emails monthly
- 100,000+ uploaded contacts
- a dedicated account manager
- a shared Slack channel
- private deliverability network
Customer support
Smartlead
Smartlead is committed to offering strong customer support across its plans. Depending on your subscription, you can access different levels of assistance:
- Basic Plan: general support with a response time within 24 hours.
- Pro Plan: active support, ensuring quicker response times and more dedicated assistance.
- Custom Plan: priority support, often including direct assistance from account managers for a more personalized experience.
Instantly
Instantly has varying levels of customer support based on the plan you choose:
- Growth Plan: chat support for general inquiries and basic troubleshooting.
- Hypergrowth Plan: premium live support, giving you access to more immediate and comprehensive assistance.
- Light Speed Plan: also includes premium live support, with additional priority handling.
- Enterprise Plan: comes with a dedicated account manager and a shared Slack channel for continuous, direct support.
Better cold email campaigns
If you’re unsure which solution would be better for your needs, let us stop you right there for a moment.
When it comes to cold email outreach, Woodpecker stands out as the better choice over Smartlead and Instantly. It’s not just about sending emails – it’s about starting real conversations with your prospects.
Here’s why:
Features that make a difference
From onboarding to creating your first campaign, Woodpecker makes the process straightforward with its features. Email warm up, white-label reporting functions, Deliverability Monitor, Inbox Rotation and spam check are just some of them. The whole list looks even more impressive.
Personalization and automation
Woodpecker’s personalization and automation features work together so your emails land in inboxes, not spam folders. You can tailor each message to resonate with your audience while automating follow-ups to keep your outreach on track.
Deliverability monitor
The Deliverability Monitor predicts and prevents sending issues. As such, you can have a strong sender reputation. The result? More of your emails reach your target audience.
Sending volume monitor
This feature protects you from exceeding your sending limits, all for a steady and reliable outreach process.
Seamless integrations
Woodpecker integrates smoothly into your existing tool stack. It’s the glue that holds your outbound sales process together.
Try it for free
We have a no-strings-attached 7-day free trial with full access to all features. You don’t even need to provide a credit card. Our trial period is perfect for testing out the platform and seeing firsthand how it can transform your email outreach campaigns.
Trusted by professionals
- Patrick Campbell, Founder & CEO of Price Intelligently
“No other product on the market allows you to scale one-to-one conversations with prospects and customers in such a personalized way.”
- Patrick Baynes, CEO & Founder
“Woodpecker is the glue allowing our outbound sales process to scale up. I would guess 90% of the leads we get are enabled by Woodpecker at some level.”
- Aaron Sexton, Consultant at Recruitometry
“The product has given me a great success rate in deliverability and taught me how I can reach more clients.”
- Ty Leisher & Eric Brodeur, Owners
“Woodpecker has been a game changer for us in our business development, and we don’t see us using any other service.”
Why Woodpecker is better
Compared to Smartlead and Instantly, Woodpecker excels in ease of use, deliverability, and customer support.
Our intuitive design and comprehensive features are the reason why it’s the best tool for anyone serious about cold email outreach.
Whether you’re running campaigns for yourself or managing multiple clients, Woodpecker’s platform is designed to make you succeed.
Join over 13,000 professionals who trust Woodpecker to get their emails noticed and start meaningful conversations. Try it for free today and experience the Woodpecker difference.
Conclusion
Both Smartlead and Instantly are solid choices for cold email outreach campaigns. They offer features that can connect businesses with their prospects.
However, while they are good, there are even better solutions available that can elevate your outreach efforts.
If you’re looking for a tool that combines ease of use, powerful personalization, and top-notch deliverability, consider giving Woodpecker a try.
Its intuitive design and comprehensive features make it a standout choice for anyone serious about cold email outreach.
FAQ on Smartlead vs Instantly
See the answers.
What is Smartlead?
Smartlead is a robust lead generation tool designed to enhance direct outreach campaigns. It supports numerous email accounts and offers features like a user-friendly interface, auto-rotating email accounts, and advanced personalization to improve sender reputation and keep emails out of spam folders.
What is the difference between Smartlead and Instantly?
Smartlead and Instantly both excel in outreach capabilities, but Smartlead offers more advanced features for managing multiple campaigns and auto-rotating email accounts. Instantly is known for its broader lead database and user-friendly interface, making it easier for sales and marketing teams to start direct outreach campaigns.
Is Smartlead AI good?
Yes, Smartlead’s AI is effective for lead generation efforts. It automates follow-ups, customizes email sequences, and helps ensure that your emails reach their intended recipients, improving the overall success of your outreach campaigns.
Are Instantly leads any good?
Instantly provides access to a vast database of leads, with over 160 million contacts. The platform’s advanced filters and AI-driven insights make it easier to target and connect with high-quality leads, boosting the effectiveness of your lead generation efforts.
Is Apollo better than Instantly?
Apollo and Instantly both offer strong lead generation tools, but Apollo is more comprehensive, providing broader data enrichment and CRM integration capabilities. However, Instantly excels in cold email outreach with features like auto-rotating email accounts and detailed analytics for direct outreach campaigns.
Which is better, Instantly or Lemlist?
Instantly is better for users seeking a more automated and scalable solution with its auto-rotating email accounts and extensive lead database. Lemlist, on the other hand, focuses on personalization and engagement, making it ideal for teams prioritizing highly customized outreach efforts.