Comparison · Updated
Instantly vs lemlist
Instantly is built for volume; lemlist for personalised multichannel sequences. Compare prices and which suits link outreach better.
The short answer
Choose Instantly
If you send high volumes across many mailboxes and want the lowest cost per email.
Choose lemlist
If you want deeper personalisation and multichannel steps for a smaller team.
Instantly vs lemlist at a glance
| Instantly | lemlist | |
|---|---|---|
| What you're buying | Cold email software (you run the campaigns) | Sales outreach software (you run the campaigns) |
| Entry price (checked October 16, 2026) | $47/mo | $69/mo, or $55/mo billed yearly |
| Who does the outreach | You, through Instantly campaigns | You, through lemlist sequences |
| Sending mailbox & domain | Your own domains and mailboxes; warm-up included | Your own connected mailboxes, with warm-up included |
| How targets are found | B2B leads database, not blog posts | B2B leads database (people at companies), not blog posts |
| Who writes each pitch | Your templates, AI writer available | Your sequences, with AI help |
| Control before anything is sent | You decide what goes out | You decide what goes out |
| Checks that links stay live | None for links | None for links |
| Best fit | Teams sending large volumes of sales email | Sales teams; link builders who already have a target list |
Price
Instantly Outreach Growth is $47/month (5,000 emails). lemlist Email is $69/month ($55 yearly) with 50,000 emails and unlimited users.
For link building
Neither finds blog posts or writes per-post pitches. lemlist's personalisation tools are a little closer to what link outreach needs; Instantly's volume is further from it.
Strengths and trade-offs
Instantly
High-volume cold email platform
Where it's strong
- Unlimited sending accounts and warm-up from the entry plan, so spreading volume across mailboxes is cheap.
- Low entry price for the outreach side.
- Unified inbox for replies across many mailboxes.
Where it falls short
- Volume is the point of the product, and volume is the opposite of what makes link outreach work.
- You still buy the domains, set up the mailboxes and keep them healthy.
- No help finding posts to pitch or judging whether your product fits them.
lemlist
Cold email and multichannel outreach
Where it's strong
- Warm-up and a deliverability hub are part of the plan, not an add-on.
- Unlimited users on the Email plan, which helps small teams share one account.
- Strong sequencing, so follow-ups go out on time without you tracking them.
Where it falls short
- Built for sales prospecting. Its database finds people at companies, not the blog posts where your product could be mentioned.
- Templates and sequences are generic by design; each pitch still needs research to reference the right post.
- You supply and look after the sending domains.
Pricing, checked October 16, 2026
Instantly pricing
Checked October 16, 2026- Outreach Growth $47/mo Unlimited email accounts and warm-up, 1,000 uploaded contacts, 5,000 emails a month.
- Outreach Light Speed $358/mo 500,000 emails a month, 100,000 uploaded contacts.
- Starter bundle $94/mo Outreach plus leads credits; Scale bundle $194/mo, Agency bundle $555/mo.
Leads credits and bundles are priced separately from the outreach plans. Yearly billing saves about 10% on bundles.
Source: Instantly pricing
lemlist pricing
Checked October 16, 2026- Email $69/mo ($55/mo billed yearly) Unlimited users and senders, 50,000 emails a month, warm-up and deliverability tools.
- Multichannel $109/mo ($87/mo billed yearly) Adds LinkedIn, calls and other channels.
Lead data and buying-signal add-ons are extra (from $16–$21/mo billed yearly). Free trial available.
Source: lemlist pricing
Before you decide
Read next: Instantly alternatives worth considering. Also weighing up BacklinkGenie vs BacklinkGPT or BacklinkGenie vs Linkee? For more options, browse alternatives to every outreach tool and link service we've reviewed.
Any outreach tool is only as good as two things it can't fix on its own: the list of posts you pitch and whether your email lands. Our best-of list guide covers the first; our notes on sending from Google Workspace covers the second. If you're new to the process, start with what AI agents can and can't do in link building.
BacklinkGenie is built for SaaS teams: see how the agent finds posts and sends pitches, or check plans and pricing.
Questions people ask
Which is better for link building?
lemlist, slightly, for personalisation. A link-specific tool is better than either.