> Enrich.chat gives AI agents verified work emails and mobiles. To use it from an agent, read https://enrich.chat/agents.md . This is the Markdown version of https://enrich.chat/alternatives/instantly/ # The best Instantly alternatives in 2026, sorted by what you use Instantly for Instantly sells sending and lead data as separate plans. We sorted seven alternatives by which half you want to replace, using each vendor's own pages. By Enrich.chat Editorial. Updated October 16, 2026. **Short answer:** The best Instantly alternative depends on which part you use: Smartlead, Saleshandy or Salesforge to send, lemlist or Woodpecker for sequences, Apollo or Snov.io for data plus sending, and Enrich.chat for contact data only. [Instantly's Outreach plans](https://instantly.ai/pricing) cost $47, $97 or $358 a month, with lead credits sold apart from $47. ## Key takeaways - Instantly sells sending (Outreach, $47, $97 or $358 a month) and lead data (credits from $47) as separate subscriptions, so you can replace one half or both. - Entry plans on monthly billing run from $35 on Woodpecker to $69 on lemlist: Smartlead and Snov.io $39, Saleshandy $41, Instantly $47, Salesforge $48, Apollo $65 a seat. - Instantly's own pages list the limits: 1,000 uploaded contacts and no team members on Growth, credits that expire after two months, and no refunds under its Terms. - Trustpilot shows 1,175 Instantly reviews, 67% five-star and 25% one-star. Billing and cancellation disputes were the most common theme in recent low-star reviews. - Enrich.chat covers only the data half: 1,500 work emails use 15,000 credits, which fits the Growth plan at $29 a month. It sends no email. ## The verdict If your complaint is the lead-data bill, add **Enrich.chat** for contacts and keep your sender. If it is the sending plan, move to a sender that fits your volume. If you want one login for everything, compare Saleshandy, Apollo and Snov.io. - Best for data in an agent: Enrich.chat (Credit plans from $29, sends nothing) - Best for unlimited mailboxes: Smartlead (Unlimited accounts from $39 a month) - Best for sending plus leads: Saleshandy (Lead Finder credits in every plan from $41) - Best for team-priced sequences: lemlist (Email plan $69 for the whole team) ## Instantly and seven alternatives at a glance | | Enrich.chat | Instantly | Smartlead | Saleshandy | Salesforge | lemlist | Woodpecker | Apollo | Snov.io | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Entry price, billed monthly | Free, then $29 | $47 for sending | $39 | $41 | $48 | $69 a team | $35 | $65 a seat | $39 | | Free option | Yes: 10 lookups a day, no signup | Partial: 14-day trial, no card | Partial: free trial, no card | Partial: 7-day trial, no card | Partial: 14-day trial | Partial: 14-day trial, no card | Partial: 14 days or 100 emails | Yes: Free plan, 75 credits a seat | Yes: renewable Trial plan | | Unlimited sending accounts | No: does not send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes: unlimited senders | Yes | No: 1 mailbox per user on Basic | Yes | | Email warm-up included | No | Yes: unlimited | Yes: warm-up pool | Yes | Yes: unlimited | Yes | Partial: 2 free at the entry tier | Yes: Basic and up | Partial: 3 slots on Starter | | Built-in lead database | Yes: search and lookup by API | Partial: credits plan from $47 | Partial: SmartProspect, $59 a month on Base | Yes: 1,500 credits a month on Starter | Partial: Leadsforge, sold apart | Partial: credits from $20 | Partial: 100 Lead Finder credits | Yes: credits per seat | Yes: credits on every plan | | Phone numbers | Yes: 250 credits when found | No: none in the credit list | Not listed | Yes: 6 credits | Not listed | Yes: 20 credits | Not listed | Yes: 8 credits | Partial: tokens, web app only | | MCP server for agents | Yes: no key | Yes: needs an API key | Yes: needs an API key | Yes: MCP and CLI listed | Partial: MCP on Growth only | Yes: MCP and CLI listed | Partial: add-on, $20 at entry | Yes: OAuth sign-in | Yes: listed on Starter | | No per-seat fee | Yes: unlimited seats | Partial: no team members on Growth | Not stated | Partial: 1, 10 or unlimited users | Partial: 1 user on Pro | Yes: unlimited users | Yes: unlimited team members | No: priced per seat | Yes: unlimited seats | | Month to month, no annual contract | Yes: billed monthly | Yes: monthly or yearly term | Yes: no lock-in | Yes: monthly price listed | Yes: no contract | Partial: Terms say 12 months | Yes: monthly billing | Partial: Organization is annual only | Yes: change plans any time | ## The 8 best Instantly alternatives, by job Enrich.chat is ours, so weigh our pick with that in mind. It covers only the data half. The other seven send email or do both. Prices are monthly list prices from each vendor's own page, checked October 16, 2026. ### Enrich.chat Contact data for AI agents and apps. Look up work emails and mobile numbers by API or MCP, each email with a status label. It does not send email. - Best for: Filling Instantly, Smartlead or any sender with contacts from an agent or your own app - Pricing: Plans from $29 a month with 100,000 monthly credits: 10 credits per work email and 250 per mobile - Strength: Unlimited seats, no annual contract, and a lookup that finds nothing uses 0 credits - Strength: Remote MCP server with no key, or one prompt in ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor - Strength: Each work email comes back as verified, catch_all or unknown, so you can sort rows before a sender sees them - Strength: Takes a LinkedIn URL, a work email, or a name and company website - Watch out for: Does not send email: no mailboxes, warm-up, sequences, inbox or CRM - Watch out for: No saved lists or bulk export on self-serve plans, and a search returns up to 25 people ### Smartlead Cold email sender with unlimited email accounts, a warm-up pool, a unified inbox, an MCP server and a lead finder called SmartProspect. - Best for: Agencies and high-volume senders who want unlimited mailboxes on every plan - Pricing: Base $39 a month, or $32 billed yearly, for 2,000 contacts and 6,000 sends ([Smartlead pricing](https://www.smartlead.ai/pricing), Oct 16, 2026) - Strength: All plans include unlimited email accounts, and there is no long-term contract - Strength: Pro is $94 for 30,000 contacts and 90,000 sends, and Unlimited Smart is $174 for 150,000 sends - Strength: White-labelling is $29 a month per client workspace - Watch out for: Verified prospect emails (2,000 on Base) list a $59 a month add-on, and email verification is a paid add-on - Watch out for: Trustpilot shows 2.9 from 141 reviews, 47% of them one-star ### Saleshandy Cold email sender with unlimited email accounts and warm-up, plus a Lead Finder with email and phone credits in every plan. - Best for: Teams that want sending and a lead database on one bill - Pricing: Starter $41 a month, or $34 billed yearly, for 6,000 emails, 2,000 active prospects and 1 user ([Saleshandy pricing](https://www.saleshandy.com/pricing), Oct 16, 2026) - Strength: Starter lists 1,500 Lead Finder credits a month: a verified email costs 1 credit, a phone number 6, and unverified emails cost nothing - Strength: Pro is $99 for 10 users and 100,000 emails, and Scale lists unlimited users - Strength: MCP and CLI access are listed on the pricing page - Watch out for: Starter has one user and a 7-day trial - Watch out for: The 852M+ contacts figure is Saleshandy's own claim ### Salesforge Cold email sender with unlimited mailboxes, workspaces and warm-up, and a unified inbox called Primebox. Lead search is a separate product, Leadsforge. - Best for: Agencies that want unlimited workspaces and mailboxes from the cheapest plan - Pricing: Pro $48 a month, or $40 billed yearly, for 5,000 emails, 1,000 active contacts and 1 user ([Salesforge pricing](https://www.salesforge.ai/pricing), Oct 16, 2026) - Strength: Unlimited mailboxes, workspaces and warm-up on Pro - Strength: Growth is $96 ($80 yearly) for 10,000 contacts, 50,000 emails and unlimited users - Strength: No contract: choose monthly or annual billing - Watch out for: Leads cost extra: its stack builder lists Leadsforge Essential at $49 a month - Watch out for: MCP, CLI and API come with Growth only, and Trustpilot shows 3.4 from 32 reviews ### lemlist Outreach platform with an Email plan priced per team, an email and phone finder, warm-up, and a Multichannel plan for LinkedIn, SMS and calls. - Best for: Teams that want unlimited users and senders for one price - Pricing: Email $69 a month for the whole team, or $55 billed yearly, with 50,000 emails; Multichannel $109 per user ([lemlist pricing](https://www.lemlist.com/pricing), Oct 16, 2026) - Strength: Unlimited users and senders on the Email plan - Strength: Warm-up, a deliverability hub, MCP and CLI are listed in the Email plan - Strength: Trustpilot shows 4.7 from 250 reviews - Watch out for: Lead credits are extra: 5 per email and 20 per phone, with add-ons from $20 for 2,000 credits - Watch out for: The Terms say paid plans have a fixed term, generally 12 months, while the pricing page shows monthly billing ### Woodpecker Cold email sender priced by contacted prospects, with unlimited email accounts, team members and email verification. - Best for: Small teams that want to pay for the people they contact, not for mailboxes or seats - Pricing: $35 a month for 500 contacted prospects and 8,000 emails, or $24 billed yearly ([Woodpecker pricing](https://woodpecker.co/pricing/), Oct 16, 2026) - Strength: Unlimited email accounts, team members and verification, catch-all checks included - Strength: $67 for 2,000 prospects and 32,000 emails, and $99 for 4,000 and 64,000 - Strength: 2 warm-ups included at the entry tier and 6 at 2,000 prospects - Watch out for: A person in two campaigns counts twice, and API, webhooks and MCP are an add-on, $20 a month at the entry tier - Watch out for: Trustpilot shows 2.5 from 35 reviews, a small sample ### Apollo Sales platform with a contact database, sequences, warm-up, a dialer and an MCP connector, priced per seat. - Best for: Sales teams that want data and outreach in one seat - Pricing: Basic $65 a seat a month, or $49 billed yearly; Professional $99, or $79 yearly ([Apollo pricing](https://www.apollo.io/pricing), Oct 16, 2026) - Strength: An email costs 1 credit and a phone number 8, and Basic grants 2,500 credits per seat a month - Strength: Sequences, warm-up and a dialer in one app - Strength: MCP connector with OAuth sign-in - Watch out for: Priced per seat, and Basic allows 1 mailbox per user and 250 emails a day - Watch out for: Credits reset each billing cycle and do not roll over, and Trustpilot shows 3.1 from 1,370 reviews ### Snov.io Sales suite with an email finder and verifier, drip campaigns, warm-up and a CRM, with unlimited seats and four separate meters. - Best for: Small teams that want finding, verifying and sending from one login - Pricing: Starter $39 a month, or $29.25 billed yearly, for 1,000 credits and 5,000 recipients ([Snov.io pricing](https://snov.io/pricing), Oct 16, 2026) - Strength: Unlimited senders, campaigns and team seats, with 3 warm-up slots on Starter - Strength: MCP access is listed on Starter - Strength: Trustpilot shows 4.6 from 1,595 reviews - Watch out for: Credits, recipients, tokens and LinkedIn slots are separate meters, and phone numbers use tokens in the web app only - Watch out for: A Starter credit costs 3.9 cents against about 0.9 cents on Pro M, per Snov.io's FAQ ## Who is Instantly for, and what does it cost in 2026? Instantly is a cold email sender with a lead database sold as a separate plan. On October 16, 2026, [Instantly's pricing page](https://instantly.ai/pricing) listed Outreach plans at $47, $97 and $358 a month on monthly billing, and lead credits from $47 a month for 1,500 credits. Every Outreach plan connects unlimited email accounts and unlimited warm-up. The credits plan pays for SuperSearch, Instantly's lead database. Because sending and lead data are sold apart, an "Instantly alternative" can mean three things: a new sender, a new source of leads, or one tool that does both. Our [Instantly pricing guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/instantly-pricing/) lists every plan and credit tier, so this page does not repeat them. ## Why do people look for an Instantly alternative? Instantly's own pages support five reasons: plan limits, split subscriptions, credit rules, refund terms and cancellation steps. Reviewers add support and billing complaints. We did not test Instantly's sending, so none of this measures deliverability. - **Growth has hard limits.** [Instantly's plan comparison](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/7920548-outbound-plans-comparison) shows the $47 Growth plan with 1,000 uploaded contacts, no team members, no Slack or webhooks and no replying from the Unibox inbox. [Its uploaded contacts article](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/7918680-uploaded-contacts-limits) says that limit is a fixed total, not a monthly allowance, and that paused and draft campaigns count. - **The bill is several subscriptions.** [Instantly's billing guide](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/13559163-understanding-your-billing-charges) says Outbound, Data Credits, CRM and Inbox Placement bill apart, and each workspace needs its own subscription. Per its [plans overview](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/10273259-instantly-plans-overview), an account with credits and no Outbound plan can upload only 250 leads to campaigns. - **Credits expire and carry no phone numbers.** Per the [Data Credit System article](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/11381241-data-credit-system), credits on monthly plans expire two months after purchase, and the list of credit actions has no phone-number lookup. - **Fees are non-refundable.** Section 5.3 of Instantly's [Terms of Service](https://instantly.ai/terms), last updated September 22, 2026, says all fees are non-refundable and names credits and add-ons. - **Cancelling takes several steps.** [Instantly's cancel guide](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/7918806-how-to-cancel-your-subscription) says each subscription type is cancelled on its own, and the add-ons go through chat support. - **Deliverability worries come second hand.** Rival guides, such as [Salesforge's](https://www.salesforge.ai/blog/instantly-alternatives), say Reddit users report suspended mailboxes and weak placement on pre-warmed accounts. We could not open Reddit, and that guide's author sells a competing sender, so test it on your own trial. ## What do reviewers say about Instantly and the alternatives? Trustpilot is the one review site we could open. It shows 1,175 reviews for Instantly, 67% five-star and 25% one-star. The table gives the star split for every tool on October 16, 2026. | Tool | Trustpilot score | Reviews | Five-star | One-star | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Instantly](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/instantly.ai) | No score shown | 1,175 | 67% | 25% | | [lemlist](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/lemlist.com) | 4.7 | 250 | 81% | 12% | | [Snov.io](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/snov.io) | 4.6 | 1,595 | 89% | 5% | | [Apollo](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/apollo.io) | 3.1 | 1,370 | 46% | 36% | | [Salesforge](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.salesforge.ai) | 3.4 | 32 | 53% | 28% | | [Smartlead](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/smartlead.ai) | 2.9 | 141 | 45% | 47% | | [Saleshandy](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/saleshandy.com) | No score shown | 773 | 81% | 4% | | [Woodpecker](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/woodpecker.co) | 2.5 | 35 | 26% | 60% | We read the one-star and two-star Instantly reviews on the first three pages of Trustpilot's newest-first list: 54 reviews dated June 26 to October 16, 2026. Five came from people who were not customers, mostly recipients of cold email. Of the other 49, by our reading, about 30 were billing, cancellation or refund disputes and about 20 named support. About 10 involved mailboxes or domains bought through Instantly, 6 described warm-up or deliverability trouble, 4 disliked the October interface change and 4 said replying from Unibox needs a higher plan. Some fit more than one group. Instantly replied to many of them. In one reply it says Growth previews replies in Unibox and that replying from Unibox comes with Hypergrowth and Light Speed, which matches its plan comparison. These are individual opinions that Trustpilot does not fact-check. Salesforge and Woodpecker have only 32 and 35 reviews, so their scores say little. G2, Capterra, Software Advice and Reddit did not load for automated access, so we used none of them. ## Which Instantly alternative fits which job? Pick by the part of Instantly you want to replace. Figure 1 sorts four needs, and the groups below give the numbers. Every price is a monthly list price from the vendor's own page, checked October 16, 2026. **Figure 1: Which Instantly alternative fits which need.** Four needs and the alternatives that fit them: sending and warm-up at volume points to Smartlead or Salesforge, sequences with more steps than plain email points to lemlist or Woodpecker, contact data from an agent or your own app points to Enrich.chat, and finding, sending and warm-up in one login points to Saleshandy, Apollo or Snov.io. *Which alternative fits which need, drawn from the vendors' own pages, checked October 16, 2026: [Smartlead](https://www.smartlead.ai/pricing), [Salesforge](https://www.salesforge.ai/pricing), [lemlist](https://www.lemlist.com/pricing), [Woodpecker](https://woodpecker.co/pricing/), [Saleshandy](https://www.saleshandy.com/pricing), [Apollo](https://www.apollo.io/pricing), [Snov.io](https://snov.io/pricing). Prices are monthly billing, per seat or per team where the vendor charges that way.* ### If you use Instantly to send and warm up Smartlead, Saleshandy and Salesforge each connect unlimited email accounts and list warm-up. [Smartlead's Base plan](https://www.smartlead.ai/pricing) costs $39 a month for 2,000 contacts and 6,000 sends, has no long-term contract, and charges $29 a month per client workspace for white-labelling. [Saleshandy's Starter plan](https://www.saleshandy.com/pricing) costs $41 for 6,000 emails and 2,000 active prospects. [Salesforge's Pro plan](https://www.salesforge.ai/pricing) costs $48 for 5,000 emails and 1,000 active contacts, with unlimited workspaces. Instantly's Growth plan is $47 for 5,000 emails and 1,000 uploaded contacts, so the entry plans are close. The gaps are in users, bundled data and what each vendor counts as a contact. ### If you use Instantly for sequences lemlist and Woodpecker price by different units. [lemlist's Email plan](https://www.lemlist.com/pricing) costs $69 a month for a whole team, with unlimited users and senders and 50,000 emails. Its Multichannel plan adds LinkedIn, SMS and calls at $109 a user. [Woodpecker](https://woodpecker.co/pricing/) charges for contacted prospects: $35 a month for 500 prospects and 8,000 emails, $67 for 2,000 and $99 for 4,000, with unlimited email accounts and team members. A person contacted from two campaigns counts twice. [LinkedIn's help page](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1341387) says it does not permit third-party software that automates activity on its site, so check that before you turn on any LinkedIn step. See our [lemlist pricing guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/lemlist-pricing/) for lemlist's data credits. ### If you use Instantly for leads Apollo, Saleshandy, Snov.io and Smartlead sell a lead database beside sending. Enrich.chat sells data only. [Apollo's Basic plan](https://www.apollo.io/pricing) costs $65 a seat a month on monthly billing, with 2,500 credits per seat, 1 credit per email and 8 per phone number, and its Free plan gives 75 credits a seat a month. Saleshandy's Starter plan lists 1,500 Lead Finder credits a month, at 1 credit per verified email and 6 per phone number. Snov.io's Starter costs $39 for 1,000 credits. Smartlead lists 2,000 verified prospect emails on Base beside a $59 a month add-on price. Our [Apollo alternatives](https://enrich.chat/alternatives/apollo/), [best lead generation tools](https://enrich.chat/blog/best-lead-generation-tools/) and [lead finder guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/lead-finder/) compare the field. ### If you use Instantly for all of it Saleshandy, Apollo, Snov.io and lemlist cover finding, sending and warm-up in one login, and the trade-offs are the unit and the seat. Apollo's Basic plan allows one mailbox per user and 250 emails a day, and its Professional plan lifts both limits. Snov.io meters credits, recipients, tokens and LinkedIn slots apart, which our [Snov.io alternatives guide](https://enrich.chat/alternatives/snov-io/) explains. lemlist's Email plan includes no credits, so data costs extra from the first lookup. ## How much do the Instantly alternatives cost per month? On monthly billing, entry plans run from $35 on Woodpecker to $69 on lemlist, and Instantly's Growth plan sits at $47. Figure 2 shows each plan with the monthly volume it lists, and the table adds yearly prices. **Figure 2: Entry plan price per month for Instantly and seven alternatives.** Monthly list price of the entry sending plan on monthly billing: Woodpecker $35, Smartlead $39, Snov.io $39, Saleshandy $41, Instantly $47, Salesforge $48, Apollo $65 per seat and lemlist $69 for a whole team. Each row also shows the monthly volume the plan lists. *Entry plan price on monthly billing, in US dollars, with the volume each plan lists. Woodpecker is for 500 contacted prospects, Apollo is one Basic seat and lemlist is one price for a whole team. Enrich.chat sends nothing, so it has no bar. Sources: [Instantly](https://instantly.ai/pricing), [Smartlead](https://www.smartlead.ai/pricing), [Saleshandy](https://www.saleshandy.com/pricing), [Salesforge](https://www.salesforge.ai/pricing), [lemlist](https://www.lemlist.com/pricing), [Woodpecker](https://woodpecker.co/pricing/), [Apollo](https://www.apollo.io/pricing), [Snov.io](https://snov.io/pricing), checked October 16, 2026.* | Tool | Monthly billing | Billed yearly, per month | What the entry plan lists | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Instantly Growth | $47 | $37.60 | 5,000 emails, 1,000 uploaded contacts, unlimited accounts and warm-up. Lead credits are a separate plan from $47. | | Smartlead Base | $39 | $32 | 6,000 sends, 2,000 contacts, unlimited email accounts. | | Saleshandy Starter | $41 | $34 | 6,000 emails, 2,000 active prospects, 1 user, 1,500 Lead Finder credits. | | Salesforge Pro | $48 | $40 | 5,000 emails, 1,000 active contacts, unlimited mailboxes, 1 user. | | lemlist Email | $69 a team | $55 | 50,000 emails, unlimited users and senders. Lead credits from $20 extra. | | Woodpecker, 500 prospects | $35 | $24 | 8,000 emails, unlimited accounts and team members. | | Apollo Basic | $65 a seat | $49 a seat | 2,500 credits per seat, sequences, 1 mailbox per user. | | Snov.io Starter | $39 | $29.25 | 1,000 credits, 5,000 recipients, 3 warm-ups, unlimited seats. | Mailboxes cost extra on every sender. Instantly sells AirMail accounts at $4 a month and domains at $15 a year, per its [plans overview](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/10273259-instantly-plans-overview). Smartlead's pricing page lists Google mailboxes at $4.50 a month and domains at $13 a year, and Saleshandy lists mailboxes from $2.99 a month and domains at $14 a year. Count mailboxes before you compare totals. ## How does Enrich.chat cover the data side of an Instantly stack? Enrich.chat replaces only the lead-data half of an Instantly stack. It returns work emails, mobile numbers, people searches and company profiles over a plain HTTPS API and an MCP server, and it sends no email. Keep Instantly, or any sender on this page, for the sending half. The plans are Growth $29 for 100,000 credits, Scale $90 for 500,000 credits, Pro $299 for 2,500,000 credits, billed monthly with unlimited seats and no annual contract, and each IP address gets 10 free lookups a day with no signup. The cleanest handoff is a name and a company website in, and a work email with a status out. The [email finder API](https://enrich.chat/api/email-finder/) takes both on `GET /v1/email`. Figure 3 shows how an agent sorts three rows before anything reaches your sender. **Figure 3: From a list of names to rows a sender can use.** Three fictional rows, each a name and a company website, go into one Enrich.chat email lookup each. Each comes back with a label: a verified email is loaded into the sender, a catch_all email is held back or tested first, and a row that is not found uses 0 credits and is skipped. *One email lookup per row, then a sort by status. The people are fictional and the labels are the three Enrich.chat uses for a work email. The status is a label, not a delivery guarantee. Credits per find come from [Enrich.chat pricing](https://enrich.chat/pricing/).* Here is one call. Maya Okafor and example.com are fictional, and the response is illustrative. ``` GET /v1/email?name=Maya%20Okafor&domain=example.com { "found": true, "work_email": {"value": "maya.okafor@example.com", "status": "verified"}, "pattern": "first.last@example.com", "name": "Maya Okafor", "title": "Head of Partnerships", "credits_used": 10, "free_lookups_remaining": 9 } ``` Load `verified` rows first, and treat `catch_all` rows as risky, because the domain accepts every address. The status is a label, not a delivery guarantee. A row that finds nothing returns `found: false` and uses 0 credits. The response may then carry a guess built from the company's address format, which is not data. Our free [email finder](https://enrich.chat/tools/email-finder/) runs the same lookup in a browser, and the [catch-all checker](https://enrich.chat/tools/catch-all-checker/) shows whether a domain accepts every address. Agents keep to about one request a second. ### What does it cost next to Instantly's credits? Take 1,500 work emails a month. Instantly's $47 Growth credits plan holds 1,500 credits, which buys 1,500 emails if Instantly finds each one at 1 credit, or 750 if every one comes from data partners at 2 credits, per its [credit article](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/11381241-data-credit-system). On Enrich.chat, 1,500 work emails use 15,000 credits. That fits the Growth plan at $29 a month, and pro-rated at that plan's rate the credits cost $4.35. Phone numbers are the other gap: Instantly's credit list has none, and 100 Enrich.chat mobiles use 25,000 credits. These are list prices, not a ranking. Instantly's credits also pay for AI work and company data, and the two databases return different people. Instantly credits expire two months after purchase. Enrich.chat credits renew with each monthly payment and do not roll over. Test both on 50 of your own targets before you move any budget. ### How do you load the rows into Instantly? Save the rows as a CSV with an Email column. Per [Instantly's CSV guide](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/6254215-how-to-import-leads-via-csv), Email is required, other columns map to variables, and the Verify Leads box costs 0.25 credits a lead and can be left unchecked. Growth includes Instantly's API and Zapier. Its [MCP server](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/12980002-instantly-mcp-model-context-protocol) takes an API key and lists tools for adding and moving leads, so one agent can look up rows with Enrich.chat and add them to a campaign. Enrich.chat's own server is at `enrich.chat/mcp`, and the [install page](https://enrich.chat/install/) has one-click setup. Paste this prompt into any agent: ```text Use www.enrich.chat to find the work email for each person in this list using their name and company website. Show the status of each email, hold back rows marked catch_all or unknown, and give me a CSV with Email, First Name, Last Name and Company Name columns for my sender's upload, plus the total credits_used: [paste names and company websites] ``` ### Where does Enrich.chat fall short? - **No sending side.** It has no mailboxes, warm-up, sequences, inbox or CRM. You still need Instantly, Smartlead, lemlist or another sender. - **No list workspace.** On self-serve plans there are no saved lists and no bulk export, and one search returns up to 25 people. Enterprise is a custom plan that includes bulk files. - **Narrow inputs.** The email input takes work addresses only, and personal mailboxes such as Gmail are not looked up. A name needs a company website, not a company name. - **No standalone verifier or extension.** It does not check a list you already hold, and it has no Chrome extension. Instantly verifies a list at 0.25 credits a lead. Anyone can opt out at [enrich.chat/opt-out](https://enrich.chat/opt-out/), and you stay responsible for CAN-SPAM, GDPR and any other rules that cover your outreach. This is general information, not legal advice. See our [terms](https://enrich.chat/terms/). ## When is Instantly the better choice? Instantly is the better choice when you want to find, enrich and send cold email from one account. Enrich.chat returns contact data and nothing else. Pick Instantly when: - **You send at volume.** Per its [plans overview](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/10273259-instantly-plans-overview), Hypergrowth lists 125,000 emails a month and Light Speed 500,000, with unlimited accounts and warm-up on every Outreach plan. - **You want a browsable lead search.** The [SuperSearch guide](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/11364248-supersearch) lists filters for titles, location, industry, size, revenue, keywords and lookalike domains, plus a Lead Finder Agent that adds leads to a campaign each day. - **You want to try it first.** Its [free trial](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/13941298-instantly-free-trial) covers 14 days, 2 email accounts, 250 leads and 1,000 emails, and needs no card. - **You work through an agent.** Its MCP server lists 31 tools across campaigns, leads, email, analytics and accounts. - **You value what happy customers value.** Five-star reviewers on [Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/instantly.ai) praise how fast campaigns launch and the support team. Choose Enrich.chat when the contacts come from an agent or your own app and you send with a tool you already use. See the [Instantly pricing guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/instantly-pricing/) and the [Enrich.chat pricing](https://enrich.chat/pricing/) for the prices behind this page, and our [cold email data guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/cold-email/) and [email bounce rate guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/email-bounce-rate/) for the wider field. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best alternative to Instantly? It depends on which part of Instantly you use. For sending and warm-up, [Smartlead](https://www.smartlead.ai/pricing) ($39 a month) and [Saleshandy](https://www.saleshandy.com/pricing) ($41) list unlimited email accounts. For sequences, [lemlist](https://www.lemlist.com/pricing) costs $69 a month for a whole team. For contact data alone, Enrich.chat has 10 free lookups a day per IP address and credit plans from $29. Prices are monthly list prices, checked October 16, 2026. ### Why do people switch away from Instantly? Instantly's own pages show the main limits: the $47 Growth plan has 1,000 uploaded contacts and no team members, lead data is a separate subscription, credits on monthly plans expire after two months, and its [Terms](https://instantly.ai/terms) say fees are non-refundable. Recent Trustpilot reviews add billing, cancellation and support complaints. Instantly also has real strengths, which we list in the section on when it is the better choice. ### Is there a free alternative to Instantly? Instantly has a 14-day trial but no free plan. [Apollo](https://www.apollo.io/pricing) has a Free plan with 75 credits a seat a month, and [Snov.io](https://snov.io/pricing) has a renewable Trial with 50 credits. Woodpecker, lemlist, Saleshandy and Salesforge offer trials of 7 to 14 days. For contact data, Enrich.chat gives each IP address 10 lookups a day with no signup. We checked each on October 16, 2026. ### Do I need Instantly's lead credits as well as an Outreach plan? No. Outreach sends, and the credits plan pays for SuperSearch. You can upload your own list by CSV or API, so another source can fill a campaign. Per [Instantly's plans overview](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/10273259-instantly-plans-overview), an account with credits and no Outreach plan can upload only 250 leads to campaigns. See our [Instantly pricing guide](https://enrich.chat/blog/instantly-pricing/) for both plans. ### Which Instantly alternatives find leads and send in one tool? Saleshandy, Apollo, Snov.io and lemlist list a lead database and sending in one login. [Saleshandy's Starter plan](https://www.saleshandy.com/pricing) includes 1,500 Lead Finder credits a month from $41. [Apollo's Basic plan](https://www.apollo.io/pricing) costs $65 a seat with 2,500 credits. [Snov.io's Starter](https://snov.io/pricing) costs $39 with 1,000 credits. lemlist's Email plan is $69 a team, with lead credits from $20 extra. Checked October 16, 2026. ### Does Enrich.chat send email? No. Enrich.chat returns contact data only: work emails with a status label, mobile numbers, people searches and company profiles. It has no sending, warm-up, sequences or inbox. Use it to fill a sender such as Instantly, Smartlead or lemlist through the sender's CSV import or API. See the [email finder API](https://enrich.chat/api/email-finder/) and the [install page](https://enrich.chat/install/). ## Sources 1. [Instantly pricing page (Outreach and Instantly Credits tabs)](https://instantly.ai/pricing) 2. [Instantly Plans Overview](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/10273259-instantly-plans-overview) 3. [Outbound Plans Comparison](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/7920548-outbound-plans-comparison) 4. [Uploaded Contacts Limits](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/7918680-uploaded-contacts-limits) 5. [Data Credit System](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/11381241-data-credit-system) 6. [Understanding Your Billing and Charges](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/13559163-understanding-your-billing-charges) 7. [How to Cancel Your Subscription](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/7918806-how-to-cancel-your-subscription) 8. [Instantly Terms of Service (last updated September 22, 2026)](https://instantly.ai/terms) 9. [Instantly Free Trial](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/13941298-instantly-free-trial) 10. [Instantly MCP](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/12980002-instantly-mcp-model-context-protocol) 11. [SuperSearch](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/11364248-supersearch) 12. [How to Import Leads via CSV](https://help.instantly.ai/en/articles/6254215-how-to-import-leads-via-csv) 13. [Instantly reviews on Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/instantly.ai) 14. [Smartlead pricing](https://www.smartlead.ai/pricing) 15. [SmartProspect (Smartlead lead finder)](https://www.smartlead.ai/b2b-lead-finder) 16. [Smartlead MCP Server](https://helpcenter.smartlead.ai/en/articles/300-smartlead-mcp-server) 17. [Saleshandy pricing](https://www.saleshandy.com/pricing) 18. [Salesforge pricing](https://www.salesforge.ai/pricing) 19. [lemlist pricing](https://www.lemlist.com/pricing) 20. [lemlist free trial: what is included](https://help.lemlist.com/en/articles/4941590-lemlist-free-trial-what-s-included-and-how-it-works) 21. [lemlist Terms of service](https://www.lemlist.com/legal/terms) 22. [Woodpecker pricing (USD, monthly and yearly, prospect selector)](https://woodpecker.co/pricing/) 23. [Apollo pricing](https://www.apollo.io/pricing) 24. [Apollo MCP](https://docs.apollo.io/docs/apollo-mcp) 25. [Snov.io pricing](https://snov.io/pricing) 26. [FAQs: Phone Number Enrichment](https://snov.io/knowledgebase/faqs-phone-number-enrichment/) 27. [Prohibited software and extensions](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1341387) 28. [7 Instantly Alternatives That Won't Break at Scale (competitor view)](https://www.salesforge.ai/blog/instantly-alternatives) 29. [Smartlead reviews on Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/smartlead.ai) 30. [Saleshandy reviews on Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/saleshandy.com) 31. [Salesforge reviews on Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.salesforge.ai) 32. [lemlist reviews on Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/lemlist.com) 33. [Woodpecker reviews on Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/woodpecker.co) 34. [Apollo reviews on Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/apollo.io) 35. [Snov.io reviews on Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/snov.io) ## Try this prompt Fill your sender with an agent ```text Use www.enrich.chat to find the work email for each person in this list using their name and company website. Show the status of each email, hold back rows marked catch_all or unknown, and give me a CSV with Email, First Name, Last Name and Company Name columns for my sender's upload, plus the total credits_used: [paste names and company websites] ``` ## Related - [Instantly pricing: outreach plans, lead credits and the real monthly bill](https://enrich.chat/blog/instantly-pricing/) - [Best lead generation tools (2026): 9 picks for finding, enriching and reaching leads](https://enrich.chat/blog/best-lead-generation-tools/) - [Apollo alternatives (2026): 8 tools priced on 1,000 contacts](https://enrich.chat/alternatives/apollo/)