Cold email & GTM · By Moonlaunch Studio · Updated October 2026
Instantly vs lemlist vs Apollo
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These three tools overlap, but each starts from a different place. Instantly is built around email outreach and prices its Outreach plans by monthly emails and uploaded contacts. lemlist is built around multichannel sequences (email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS). Apollo is built around a prospecting database and charges per seat, with sequencing included. All three now sell lead data, which they meter with credits.
Pricing checked October 2026 from the vendor's site; confirm current pricing on their site.
Quick summary
- Instantly may suit teams that want email-only outreach priced by monthly emails and uploaded contacts rather than by seat.
- lemlist may suit teams whose outreach mixes email with LinkedIn, calls, SMS, or WhatsApp, and who want unlimited users on the email plan.
- Apollo may suit sales teams who want prospect data, sequencing, and pipeline tools in one per-seat platform, and who'd like to start on a free plan.
Pricing compared
| Aspect | Instantly (Outreach plans) | lemlist | Apollo |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it's priced | By monthly emails and uploaded contacts; lead-data credits sold separately or in bundles | Email plan by sending volume; Multichannel by number of users | Per seat; all seats on an account must be on the same plan |
| Free option | "Get started" with no credit card required, per Instantly | 14-day free trial with Multichannel features and 200 credits | Free plan: $0, 900 credits per seat per year (granted monthly) |
| Entry plan | Growth: $47/month, or $37.60/month billed yearly (5,000 emails/month, 1,000 uploaded contacts) | Email: $69/month billed monthly, $62/month billed quarterly, or $55/month billed yearly (50,000 emails/month, unlimited users) | Basic: $49 per seat/month billed annually (30,000 credits per seat per year) |
| Mid plan | Hypergrowth: $97/month, or $77.60/month billed yearly (25,000 uploaded contacts) | Multichannel: $109/month billed monthly, $99/month billed quarterly, or $87/month billed yearly | Professional: $79 per seat/month billed annually (48,000 credits per seat per year) |
| Upper plan | Light Speed: $358/month, or $286.30/month billed yearly (500,000 emails/month, 100,000 uploaded contacts) | Enterprise: custom pricing | Organization: $119 per seat/month billed annually, minimum 3 seats |
| Lead data | Separate credit plans from $47/month (1,500 to 2,000 credits); bundles combining outreach and credits from $94/month | Data add-on shown at $16 to $20/month for 2,000 credits | Credits included per seat; extra credits can be added |
| Unused credits | Not addressed on the pricing page | Roll over while your subscription is active | Expire at the end of each billing cycle |
Instantly's Hypergrowth email allowance appears as 125,000 emails per month on the plan card and 100,000 in the comparison table, so check the current figure on Instantly's site. lemlist's billing toggle labels quarterly billing “Save 10%” and yearly billing “Save 20%.” Apollo's toggle labels annual billing “Save 24%” (Basic; Professional and Organization work out to about 20%: $79 vs $99 and $119 vs $149 per seat per month).
Feature comparison
| Feature | Instantly | lemlist | Apollo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email accounts / senders | Instantly lists unlimited email accounts on Outreach plans | Email plan: unlimited users and email senders; Multichannel: 5 senders per user | Free plans can connect Gmail only; paid plans can connect Microsoft and other providers |
| Email warmup | Instantly lists warmup on Outreach plans | lemwarm and deliverability protections included on all plans | Warmup listed among credit-based features |
| Channels beyond email | Email-focused | LinkedIn and SMS automation, WhatsApp add-on, built-in dialer (Multichannel) | US dialer on paid plans (credits apply); advanced dialer add-on |
| Sequences | Advanced sequences, scheduling, A/Z testing | Campaign scheduling, auto-launch, auto-stop | Free: 2 sequences; Basic and up: unlimited |
| Lead database | Instantly cites 450M+ B2B leads (credit plans) | lemlist cites a 650M+ lead database | Contact and account data on all plans |
| Unified inbox | Unibox | Use lemlist from Gmail and LinkedIn (Multichannel) | Not listed on pricing page |
| CRM integrations | API, webhooks, and integrations listed | HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive; Make, n8n, Clay; API | Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft, and others; API access on Custom plans |
Instantly
Instantly's Outreach plans price on sending volume and uploaded contacts rather than seats, and Instantly lists email accounts and warmup as included without a per-account limit. The top Outreach tier adds what Instantly calls its SISR system, which assigns dedicated server and IP blocks. Lead data, AI agents, and enrichment are sold as separate credit plans or as bundles.
May suit: teams focused on email outreach that prefer volume-based pricing to per-seat pricing.
Pros
- Email accounts and warmup aren't priced per account on Outreach plans, per Instantly
- Pricing doesn't scale per seat
- Yearly billing lowers the monthly price
Cons
- Lead data costs extra unless you buy a bundle
- Email-focused; no built-in LinkedIn or calling listed on Outreach plans
- Plan details differ across sections of the pricing page, so confirm limits
lemlist
lemlist's Email plan includes unlimited users and senders, an email and phone finder, warmup, and CRM integrations. The Multichannel plan adds LinkedIn, SMS, and calling, with WhatsApp as an add-on. Note that LinkedIn's User Agreement restricts automated activity on LinkedIn, and LinkedIn can restrict accounts that break it, so check LinkedIn's rules before automating LinkedIn steps with any tool. lemlist says data credits are charged only for successful results.
May suit: sales teams whose sequences combine email with LinkedIn touches and calls, and teams that want many users on the email plan without per-seat fees.
Pros
- Multichannel sequences in one tool
- Unlimited users and senders on the Email plan
- Credits roll over while subscribed
- 14-day trial includes 200 credits
Cons
- Multichannel pricing is per user
- Data credits are a separate add-on
- SSO/SAML and custom roles require Enterprise
Apollo
Apollo combines a contact and account database with sequencing, a dialer, and deal management, priced per seat. Credits are pooled across the team, granted at the start of each billing cycle, and used for emails, phone numbers, warmup, and AI-researched data. Apollo's plans are for internal business use only; reselling or sharing Apollo data requires a separate agreement, per its FAQ.
May suit: sales teams that need prospect data and outreach in one place, and early-stage founders who want to start free.
Pros
- Free plan with no time limit
- Data and sequencing in one platform
- Team-wide credit pool with per-user caps
Cons
- Published prices are for annual billing
- Unused credits don't roll over
- All seats must be on the same plan; Organization requires 3 seats minimum
How to choose
- Start with where your leads come from. If you already have lists, a sending-focused tool like Instantly or lemlist's Email plan may be enough. If you need to find prospects, compare Apollo's included credits with the data add-ons from Instantly and lemlist.
- Count seats vs volume. Apollo and lemlist Multichannel price per user. Instantly prices on emails and contacts. A two-person agency sending high volume and a 10-person sales team sending moderate volume will land on different answers.
- Decide on channels. If LinkedIn steps and calls are part of your process, lemlist's Multichannel plan lists them natively. LinkedIn's User Agreement restricts automation, so automated LinkedIn activity can lead to account restrictions.
- Check credit rules. lemlist credits roll over while you're subscribed; Apollo's expire each cycle. That matters if your prospecting is bursty.
- Trial with a small, compliant campaign before committing to annual billing.
A note on compliance. Cold email is regulated, and the sender, not the software vendor, is responsible for following the law. This isn't legal advice. In the US, the CAN-SPAM Act covers commercial email, including B2B email. It requires you to: use accurate From, Reply-To, and routing information and subject lines that aren't misleading; identify the message as an ad or solicitation where required; include a valid physical postal address; provide a working opt-out that keeps working for at least 30 days after sending; honor opt-outs within 10 business days, without charging a fee or asking for more than an email address; and never sell or transfer opted-out addresses. You're still responsible if an agency or contractor sends for you. Penalties can exceed $50,000 per violating email.
Other markets are stricter. Canada's CASL generally requires consent before commercial email, including B2B. In the UK and EU, PECR/ePrivacy rules and the GDPR may require prior consent or a documented legitimate interest, plus telling people where you got their data. These rules apply to data from prospecting databases too.
Mailbox providers have their own rules. Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to authenticate their domains, support one-click unsubscribe, and keep complaint rates low. Don't use extra inboxes, domains, or IP rotation to get around filters or opt-outs, and don't email scraped or harvested addresses.
Sources
Checked in October 2026. Confirm current details on the vendors' sites.
- Instantly pricing and plan comparison: https://instantly.ai/pricing
- lemlist pricing and FAQ: https://www.lemlist.com/pricing
- Apollo pricing and FAQ: https://www.apollo.io/pricing
- LinkedIn User Agreement (section 8.2, "Don'ts", and section 3.4, "Limits"): https://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement