Instantly.aiNo commission
Cheapest plan: Hypergrowth (25k contacts, 125k emails/mo)
$97/mo
$1,164/yr · $9.70 per 1k uploaded contacts
- Plan price
- $97 (100.0%)
- Usage above plan
- $0 (0.0%)
Instantly.ai vs Smartlead.ai: real cost at your volume
- Instantly.ai prices checked against Instantly.ai's official pricing page.
- Smartlead.ai prices checked against Smartlead.ai's official pricing page.
Verdict at 10,000 uploaded contacts/mo · 1 seat · monthly billing
Smartlead.ai saves you $36/year vs Instantly.ai
Smartlead.ai: $94/mo on Pro (30k contacts, 90k sends/mo) · Instantly.ai: $97/mo on Hypergrowth (25k contacts, 125k emails/mo) · 3.1% cheaper
Start with Smartlead.ai
Same winner at every volume in range
We always recommend the cheaper tool, whether or not it pays us. We're an independent affiliate of some tools here and may earn a commission when you sign up; it never changes the math. How we make money
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10,000 uploaded contacts
1,000150,000
1
Smartlead.aiAffiliate: we may earn a commission
Cheapest plan: Pro (30k contacts, 90k sends/mo)
$94/mo
$1,128/yr · $9.40 per 1k uploaded contacts
- Plan price
- $94 (100.0%)
- Usage above plan
- $0 (0.0%)
Tier jump ahead: at 31,000 uploaded contacts/mo the cheapest plan becomes Unlimited Smart (150k sends/mo) at $174/mo (+$80/mo vs. today).
- Instantly.ai
- Smartlead.ai
$94
$174
$174
$174
$174
15,00010%
37,50025%
75,00050%
112,50075%
150,000100%
Volume in uploaded contacts/mo. Labels mark the cheaper tool at each point; hover a bar for its exact cost. The same tool wins at every volume step.
| Volume | Instantly.ai | Smartlead.ai |
|---|---|---|
| 15,000 | $97 | $94 |
| 37,500 | $184 | $174 |
| 75,000 | $271 | $174 |
| 112,500 | $445 | $174 |
| 150,000 | $532 | $174 |
Hidden billing gotchas
Instantly.ai
- Uploaded contacts are a running total, not a monthly allowance: every contact in any campaign counts until you delete it, whatever the campaign's status.
- Extra capacity is an $87/mo add-on (+25k contacts and +125k emails) on Hypergrowth and Light Speed only. Growth must upgrade, can't invite team members, and add-ons can only be removed through support.
- Lead data (Data Credits, from $9/mo) and the CRM ($47 or $97/mo) are separate subscriptions on top of the outreach plan.
Smartlead.ai
- Contact storage is fixed by plan and doesn't reset monthly; it frees up only when you delete leads. Email sends reset monthly and stop at the plan's cap.
- There are no lead packs or overage: more contacts means upgrading. The Unlimited plans store unlimited contacts but still cap monthly sends.
- White-label client workspaces cost $29/mo each (Pro and up), and lead finding on Base and Pro is a $59/mo add-on.
5-tier volume comparison
Cheapest plan for each tool at 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the range — 1 seat, monthly billing.
| Monthly volume | Instantly.ai | Smartlead.ai | Cheapest & savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15,00010% of range · uploaded contacts | $97/moHypergrowth (25k contacts, 125k emails/mo) | $94/moPro (30k contacts, 90k sends/mo) | Smartlead.aisaves $36/yr (3.1%) |
| 37,50025% of range · uploaded contacts | $184/moHypergrowth (25k contacts, 125k emails/mo)incl. $87 overage | $174/moUnlimited Smart (150k sends/mo) | Smartlead.aisaves $120/yr (5.4%) |
| 75,00050% of range · uploaded contacts | $271/moHypergrowth (25k contacts, 125k emails/mo)incl. $174 overage | $174/moUnlimited Smart (150k sends/mo) | Smartlead.aisaves $1,164/yr (35.8%) |
| 112,50075% of range · uploaded contacts | $445/moHypergrowth (25k contacts, 125k emails/mo)incl. $348 overage | $174/moUnlimited Smart (150k sends/mo) | Smartlead.aisaves $3,252/yr (60.9%) |
| 150,000100% of range · uploaded contacts | $532/moHypergrowth (25k contacts, 125k emails/mo)incl. $435 overage | $174/moUnlimited Smart (150k sends/mo) | Smartlead.aisaves $4,296/yr (67.3%) |
Instantly.ai vs Smartlead.ai pricing FAQ
- Is Instantly.ai or Smartlead.ai cheaper at 10,000 uploaded contacts per month?
- Smartlead.ai is cheaper. On monthly billing it costs $94/mo (Pro (30k contacts, 90k sends/mo)) versus $97/mo for Instantly.ai (Hypergrowth (25k contacts, 125k emails/mo)) — $3/mo or $36/yr saved (3.1%).
- At what usage volume does the cheaper option between Instantly.ai and Smartlead.ai flip?
- It doesn't. Across 0–150,000 uploaded contacts/mo the same tool stays cheaper at every volume step for a single seat on monthly billing.
- What hidden overage fees does Instantly.ai charge?
- At 10,000 uploaded contacts/mo the cheapest Instantly.ai plan is Hypergrowth (25k contacts, 125k emails/mo) at $97/mo, of which $0 (0.0%) is overage. Watch out: Uploaded contacts are a running total, not a monthly allowance: every contact in any campaign counts until you delete it, whatever the campaign's status.
- What hidden overage fees does Smartlead.ai charge?
- At 10,000 uploaded contacts/mo the cheapest Smartlead.ai plan is Pro (30k contacts, 90k sends/mo) at $94/mo, of which $0 (0.0%) is overage. Watch out: Contact storage is fixed by plan and doesn't reset monthly; it frees up only when you delete leads. Email sends reset monthly and stop at the plan's cap.
- How much does annual billing save on Instantly.ai and Smartlead.ai?
- At 10,000 uploaded contacts/mo, annual billing drops Instantly.ai from $1,164 to $931.20 per year — $232.80 saved (20.0%). At 10,000 uploaded contacts/mo, annual billing drops Smartlead.ai from $1,128 to $936 per year — $192 saved (17.0%).