Best Cold Email Software: 6 Tools That Actually Work

Cold email is still one of the most effective ways to generate B2B leads—if you have the right tools. The problem? There are dozens of options, and they all claim to be the best. Some are overpriced. Some have terrible deliverability. Some lock essential features behind expensive tiers.

I've tested the major players in this space. Here's my breakdown of the best cold email software based on actual usage, not marketing fluff.

Quick Comparison: Best Cold Email Tools

1. Instantly – Best for Scaling Cold Email Volume

Instantly has become the go-to choice for cold emailers who need to send at scale. The main selling point? Unlimited email accounts on all plans.

Pricing

• Growth Plan: $37/month (billed annually at $30/month) – 1,000 uploaded contacts, 5,000 emails/month
• Hypergrowth Plan: $97/month – More contacts, A/B testing, advanced analytics
• Light Speed: $358/month – Dedicated IP pools, SISR (Server & IP Sharding and Rotation)

What's Good

• Unlimited email accounts and warmup included on all plans
• Clean, user-friendly interface—campaigns take minutes to set up
• Solid deliverability features with inbox rotation
• 14-day free trial available

What's Not

• A/B testing and CRM integrations locked behind higher tiers
• The "unlimited email accounts" claim is a bit misleading—you're still limited by contacts and send volume
• Building a full outreach stack (leads + CRM + outreach) can push costs to $130+/month
• Email-only platform—no LinkedIn or phone automation

Bottom Line: Instantly is excellent for email-focused outreach when you need to scale across multiple sending accounts. Just know that advanced features require upgrading.

Try Instantly Free →

2. Smartlead – Best for Agencies

Smartlead is built specifically for lead generation agencies and teams running campaigns for multiple clients. The white-label features and sub-account management make it stand out.

Pricing

• Basic Plan: $39/month – 2,000 active leads, 6,000 emails/month
• Pro Plan: $94/month – 30,000 active leads, 150,000 emails/month, custom CRM
• Custom Plan: $174/month – Up to 12 million leads, 60 million emails

What's Good

• Unlimited email accounts and warmup from the basic plan
• Strong deliverability with dynamic IP rotation
• White-label client portal ($29/client)
• Unified inbox manages all responses in one place
• Spintax, AI categorization, and subsequences included

What's Not

• No built-in lead database—you need to source contacts elsewhere
• Add-ons can get expensive (domains, verification, dedicated servers)
• Some users report occasional email disconnection issues
• No integrations in the basic plan

Bottom Line: If you're an agency managing cold email for multiple clients, Smartlead's white-label features and pricing structure make sense. Solo users might find better value elsewhere.

Try Smartlead →

3. Lemlist – Best for Multichannel Sequences

Lemlist isn't just cold email—it's a full multichannel outreach platform that combines email, LinkedIn, calls, and even WhatsApp automation.

Pricing

• Email Pro: $69/month per user – Cold email campaigns, 3 sending addresses, 1,000 credits/month
• Multichannel Expert: $99/month per user – LinkedIn automation, cold calling, 5 sending addresses
• Enterprise: Custom pricing – 5+ seats minimum, dedicated support

Quarterly billing gets you 10% off, annual billing 20% off.

What's Good

• True multichannel—email, LinkedIn, calls, WhatsApp in one sequence
• Advanced personalization with custom images and landing pages
• 450M+ lead database included
• Lemwarm email warmup included free
• Native integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce

What's Not

• Per-seat pricing gets expensive with larger teams
• Only 3 sending addresses on the base plan (extra addresses are $9/month each)
• Add-on costs for extra credits can stack up fast
• A/B testing requires the higher-tier plan

Bottom Line: Lemlist is the strongest option if you want LinkedIn + email outreach combined. The per-user pricing hurts for larger teams, but for smaller sales teams doing multichannel prospecting, it delivers.

Try Lemlist →

4. Reply.io – Best AI-Powered Sales Engagement

Reply.io positions itself as an AI-first sales engagement platform with their "Jason AI" SDR agent that can handle outreach from prospecting to booking meetings.

Pricing

• Email Volume: $49-$159/month – Based on active contacts, unlimited mailboxes
• Starter: $49/month per user – 1 mailbox, basic email automation
• Professional: $89/month per user – 5 mailboxes, multichannel sequences, 10,000 data credits

What's Good

• Unlimited email warmup included with connected mailboxes
• Multichannel sequences (email, LinkedIn, SMS, calls)
• AI SDR can handle responses and book meetings automatically
• 1B+ contact database for lead finding
• Anti-spam and deliverability suite included

What's Not

• Advanced deliverability features only on expensive plans
• No built-in email verification—you'll need a third-party tool
• Learning curve is steep for beginners
• Some users report recent price increases that tripled their costs

Bottom Line: Reply.io is powerful but complex. Best for experienced sales teams who want AI automation across multiple channels. Not ideal for beginners or tight budgets.

Try Reply.io →

5. Apollo – Best All-in-One Prospecting Platform

Apollo combines a massive B2B contact database with email sequencing, making it a solid choice if you want lead finding and outreach in one tool.

Pricing

• Free: 100 credits/month, 250 emails/day, basic sequences
• Basic: $49/month per user (annual) – 900 credits/month, unlimited email sending
• Professional: $79/month per user (annual) – 4,000 credits/month, dialer, call recordings
• Organization: $119/month per user (3-user minimum) – 6,000 credits/month, international dialing

What's Good

• 275M+ contact database with 65+ advanced filters
• Free plan actually usable for testing (10,000 email credits/month with corporate domain)
• Integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and more
• A/B testing and sequence automation included
• Refund on bounced emails

What's Not

• Credit system gets confusing and expensive at scale
• Phone numbers cost 8 credits each—burns through credits fast
• Data accuracy varies, especially outside the US
• Platform has had data breaches in the past (2018 and 2021)
• Interface feels dated compared to newer tools

Bottom Line: Apollo is the strongest choice if you need prospecting data AND email outreach in one platform. The free plan is genuinely useful for small teams. Just watch your credit usage.

6. Close CRM – Best for Small Sales Teams

If you're looking for something simpler that combines CRM functionality with cold email and calling, Close is worth considering.

Close isn't a dedicated cold email tool—it's a sales CRM with built-in email sequences, calling, and SMS. For small teams who don't want to manage multiple tools, it streamlines the entire sales process.

Check out our detailed Close CRM review and Close CRM pricing breakdown for more details.

Try Close CRM →

How to Choose the Right Cold Email Tool

Pick Instantly If:

• You're focused purely on email (no LinkedIn or calls)
• You need to send high volumes across many email accounts
• You want simple setup without a steep learning curve

Pick Smartlead If:

• You're an agency managing multiple client campaigns
• White-label features matter for your business
• You need maximum flexibility with unlimited accounts

Pick Lemlist If:

• You want email AND LinkedIn outreach combined
• Personalization is important to your strategy
• You have a smaller team (per-seat pricing won't kill your budget)

Pick Reply.io If:

• You want AI to handle responses and booking
• Your team is experienced with sales tools
• You need true multichannel (email, LinkedIn, SMS, calls)

Pick Apollo If:

• You need lead data AND email outreach in one tool
• You're prospecting primarily in the US market
• You want to start with a usable free plan

Deliverability: The Hidden Factor

Your cold email software doesn't matter if emails land in spam. Here's what to look for:

• Email warmup: All tools above include this. Use it before any campaign.
• Inbox rotation: Spreading sends across multiple accounts protects your domain reputation.
• Send limits: Keep to 30-50 emails per inbox per day, even if tools allow more.
• Dedicated IPs: Higher-tier plans from Instantly and Smartlead offer this for maximum control.

No tool can fix bad email copy or poorly targeted lists. The best software just makes it easier to execute well.

Final Verdict

For most users getting started with cold email, Instantly offers the best balance of features, ease of use, and price. The unlimited email accounts and solid deliverability make scaling straightforward.

Agencies should look at Smartlead for client management. Teams wanting LinkedIn automation should consider Lemlist. And if you need prospecting data built-in, Apollo's free tier is hard to beat.

Whatever you choose, remember that software is just one piece. Your results come from good targeting, compelling copy, and consistent follow-up. The best cold email tool is the one you'll actually use consistently.