AI Tools 
Instantly review
Cold email platform with unlimited sending accounts and warmup, a 450M+ B2B lead database and AI sales agents.
⚡ Quick verdict
Instantly is one of the most popular cold email platforms because it removes per-inbox fees: unlimited email accounts and warmup come with every outreach plan. The Growth plan at $47 a month is an affordable start, and bundles add credits for its 450M+ lead database and AI agents. Pricing has many moving parts, so map your sending volume and data needs before choosing.
Key takeaways
- Outreach plans: Growth $47/mo (5,000 emails, 1,000 contacts), Hypergrowth $97/mo, Light Speed $358/mo.
- Bundles (outreach + credits): Starter $94/mo, Scale $194/mo, Agency $555/mo; about 10% less billed yearly.
- Every outreach plan includes unlimited email accounts and unlimited warmup.
- Credits power the 450M+ B2B lead database, enrichment and AI agents.
- Scale bundle adds the AI Reply Agent and advanced deliverability features.
At a glance
| Best for | Founders, agencies and sales teams running cold email outreach at scale |
|---|---|
| Pricing from (USD) | $47/mo (Growth outreach plan) |
| Free plan | No permanent free plan listed |
| Platforms | Web; API |
| Company | Instantly |
| Category | Sales |
| Last checked | October 16, 2026 |
On this page
What Instantly is
Instantly is a sales engagement platform focused on cold email. Its core idea is scale without per-seat or per-inbox fees: you connect as many sending accounts as you need, warm them up automatically, and run campaigns with rotation and deliverability tools.
Around that core, Instantly has added a lead database of more than 450 million B2B contacts with enrichment, a CRM and Unibox for replies, website visitor identification and a set of AI agents—an AI Email Writer, AI Reply Agent, Lead Finder and AI SDR—to automate more of the outbound process.
Key features
Outreach
Unlimited email accounts, unlimited warmup, campaign sequences and inbox rotation.
Lead database and enrichment
Search 450M+ B2B leads with 13 filters, waterfall work-email enrichment across 5+ providers, and company, job, news, technology and funding data.
AI agents
Web Researcher, AI Email Writer, AI Reply Agent and more, with access to major LLMs or your own API key.
Deliverability
Advanced deliverability features and SISR private server and IP rotation at higher tiers.
CRM and exports
Manage replies in Unibox and export leads to major CRMs and outreach tools.
Pricing breakdown
From instantly.ai/pricing, checked October 16, 2026.
| Bundle | Monthly | Yearly (per mo) | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $94 | $85 | 5,000 emails, 1,000 contacts, 1,500 credits |
| Scale | $194 | $175 | 100,000 emails, 25,000 contacts, 5,000 credits, AI Reply Agent |
| Agency | $555 | $500 | 500,000 emails, 100,000 contacts, 10,000 credits, SISR |
| Outreach-only plan | Monthly | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | $47 | 5,000 emails, 1,000 contacts |
| Hypergrowth | $97 | 125,000 emails, 25,000 contacts |
| Light Speed | $358 | 500,000 emails, 100,000 contacts |
Credit plans can also be bought separately; VIP managed services are custom.
Best use cases
- Founders: book discovery calls with targeted cold email.
- Agencies: run outbound for multiple clients with private infrastructure.
- SDR teams: let the AI Reply Agent triage responses.
- Recruiters: reach candidates at scale with personalized sequences.
How to get started
- Sign up at instantly.ai and choose a plan.
- Connect sending accounts on secondary domains and enable warmup.
- Build a lead list from the database or upload your own.
- Write a short sequence with the AI Email Writer and personalize it.
- Start with low daily volume and monitor deliverability.
Tips and tricks
- Use separate domains for cold email to protect your main domain.
- Warm up for a couple of weeks before sending at volume.
- Keep emails short with one clear ask.
- Follow anti-spam laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR and honor opt-outs.
Example AI writer prompt:
Write a 3-email cold sequence for HR directors at 200-1,000 person companies offering an onboarding automation tool. Under 90 words each, one question as the call to action, no buzzwords.
Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Unlimited sending accounts and warmup
- Large built-in B2B lead database
- AI agents for writing and replying
- Choose outreach only, credits only, or bundles
- Bring your own LLM API key
👎 Cons
- Pricing structure is complex
- Higher volumes get expensive
- Cold email requires careful compliance and deliverability work
- No permanent free plan
Who should (and shouldn't) use Instantly
✅ A good fit if you…
- Run cold outbound campaigns
- Manage outreach for multiple clients
- Need leads and sending in one tool
⛔ Look elsewhere if you…
- Mainly need a full CRM (consider HubSpot)
- Need deep data enrichment workflows (consider Clay)
- Send only occasional emails
Instantly alternatives
- Apollo.io — B2B contact database, outreach sequences and AI sales agents in one go-to-market platform. (from $49 per seat/mo (Basic, billed annually))
- Clay — Go-to-market data platform that combines many data providers, AI research agents and workflows to build and enrich lead lists. (from $167/mo (Launch, billed annually))
- HubSpot (Breeze AI) — Agentic customer platform with a free CRM, Breeze AI agents for marketing, sales and service, and usage-based HubSpot Credits. (from Free; Starter currently from $7/seat/mo (limited-time offer))
- Lindy — AI teammate that plugs into your tools, learns how you work and handles real tasks across inbox, sales, marketing and ops. (from $49.99/mo for 5,000 credits (Team))
FAQ
How much does Instantly cost?
Outreach plans start with Growth at $47 per month. Bundles that include credits start with Starter at $94 per month ($85 billed yearly), then Scale at $194 ($175 yearly) and Agency at $555 ($500 yearly).
Does Instantly charge per email account?
No. Outreach plans include unlimited email accounts and unlimited email warmup.
What are Instantly credits?
Credits are used for the lead database, enrichment and AI features. The Starter bundle includes 1,500 credits monthly, Scale 5,000 and Agency 10,000.
How many emails can I send?
Growth includes 5,000 emails and 1,000 uploaded contacts per month; Hypergrowth 125,000 emails and 25,000 contacts; Light Speed 500,000 emails and 100,000 contacts.
What is SISR?
SISR (Server and IP Sharding and Rotation) automatically assigns dedicated server and IP blocks to protect deliverability, included at the Agency and Light Speed level.
Sources
This is an editorial review based on research of official Instantly pages and documentation, not hands-on benchmark testing. Prices are in USD and were checked on October 16, 2026; vendors change plans often, so confirm on the official pricing page before buying.
