Is Instantly the Best Cold Email Automation Tool for Agencies and Marketers in 2025?
Hey there — Eli Mercer here. If you’re anything like me, you hate wasting time (and money) testing overhyped SaaS tools that promise results but fizzle out fast.
As a solopreneur and AI strategist, I’ve tested just about every cold email tool out there. Lemlist, Mailshake, SmartReach…you name it.
But today, I want to answer the question so many digital marketers, creative agencies, and growth teams have been Googling heading into 2025:
Is Instantly really the best cold email automation tool for agencies and marketers this year?
Let’s dive into a no-BS, field-tested review of Instantly, how it stacks up in real-world use, and whether it’s the right choice to supercharge your cold outreach.
What Exactly Is Instantly?
In plain English: Instantly is an AI-powered cold email outreach tool that helps you scale outbound campaigns for leads, sales, or partnerships — without getting stuck in spam folders.
Whether you’re managing clients for a marketing agency or building outbound funnels for a SaaS startup, Instantly gives you everything you need under one hood:
- Send from unlimited email accounts
- Manage all replies in a unified inbox
- Automate follow-ups with smart scheduling
- See performance with real-time analytics
- Improve email delivery with automated warmup
It takes the grunt work out of cold outreach so you can focus on conversions — not configurations.
Why Agencies and Marketers Love Instantly (And Why I Do Too)
I’ve been running my own brand and consulting for creators since 2018. Here’s the thing — traditional cold email tools can get expensive fast, especially if you’re managing campaigns across multiple clients.
That’s where Instantly shines.
💥 Unlimited Email Accounts Included
This is a massive differentiator. Most tools charge extra per inbox. Instantly lets you scale up as much as you want — perfect for agencies juggling multiple domains or brands.
📥 Unified Inbox = Less Chaos
One login. One dashboard. All your campaigns and replies in one place. You don’t have to check five inboxes three times a day to manage leads. It’s all centralized.
🔥 Automated Email Warmup
Let’s be honest — cold email is useless if your messages hit spam. Instantly warms up your email accounts automatically, boosting deliverability and protecting your sender rep.
📊 Clean, Actionable Analytics
It’s easy to track open rates, CTRs, bounces, and replies — which helps you iterate messaging that actually converts. No clunky dashboards or exports necessary.
🔁 AI-Driven Send Sequencing
Want to avoid looking like a spam bot? Instantly uses smart scheduling to stagger your messages and time follow-ups for peak performance.
Real-World Use: How Instantly Helped Me Scale a Product Launch
Here’s a quick story: I recently helped a client launch a Notion-based productivity tool. We needed to reach about 2,000 newsletter publishers to land promo partnerships.
Using Instantly:
- We added 8 warmed domains via Google Workspace
- Built targeted campaigns with personalized first lines
- Scheduled 30–50 emails per inbox per day
- Managed every reply easily from the unified inbox
End result? Over a 35% open rate, 8 partnerships secured, and 150+ warm leads — all without shelling out extra cash for extra accounts.
Most importantly, not a single reply said, “Your email landed in my spam.”
That’s deliverability gold. 🙌
Instantly vs Other Cold Email Tools in 2025
Let’s do a quick rundown of how Instantly measures up against the usual suspects.
Instantly vs Lemlist
- Lemlist focuses more on personalization and multichannel outreach (email + LinkedIn)
- But pricing starts around $59/month and limits email accounts
- Great if your focus is omnichannel, but less ideal for raw volume scaling
Instantly vs Mailshake
- Mailshake starts at $58/month for basic email
- You pay more per user and per sending account
- Better reporting, but costs stack up fast with multiple clients or senders
Instantly’s Edge
- Unlimited accounts
- One flat price (starts ~$37/month)
- Email warmups and campaign management built in
If scaling cold outreach is your goal, Instantly gives more firepower per dollar spent.
Honest Pros and Cons (No Tool Is Perfect)
✅ Pros
- Supports unlimited email accounts at no extra cost
- Unified inbox saves hours of manual work
- High deliverability with automated warmup
- Clear campaign performance metrics
- Great fit for agencies managing multiple clients
❌ Cons
- Not as smooth for CRM integration compared to tools like HubSpot or Close
- Small learning curve if you’re brand-new to cold email
- Pricing might be high for solopreneurs with very low volume needs
Who Should Use Instantly?
- Digital marketing agencies handling outbound for clients
- Independent consultants scaling partnership outreach
- SaaS & ecommerce founders doing lead gen on a budget
- Sales teams tired of fragmented cold email tools
If any of that sounds like you, you’ll love this platform.
Frequently Asked Questions About Instantly
Is Instantly safe to use for cold email?
Yep. Instantly includes built-in warmup features and natural-sounding sending patterns to keep your domains safe and avoid spam traps.
How many emails can I send per day?
It depends on your domain age and warmup status. Instantly helps you ramp up safely but users often send hundreds per day across multiple accounts.
Does Instantly integrate with my CRM?
Basic CRM sync features exist via Zapier. If you need deep 2-way sync with HubSpot or Salesforce, it’s worth testing before committing long-term.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. You can test Instantly without entering your credit card. Perfect for doing a pilot run before rolling it out across your team.
Does it work internationally?
Absolutely. Instantly works with GSuite, Outlook, and custom SMTP within most regions. It’s used by teams worldwide.
Final Verdict: Is Instantly Worth It in 2025?
In short? Yes — especially if you run or work with multiple brands and want scalable, high-performing outreach from one place.
I’ve tested a LOT of cold email tools (ask my Evernote folder 😅). Instantly nails the sweet spot for agencies and growth marketers who need power, flexibility, and deliverability without paying five figures a year.
If you want a single tool that:
- Sends from unlimited email accounts
- Gives you a single inbox for replies
- Optimizes your sending for better performance
- Helps you not get flagged as spam
- Doesn’t charge you extra for scaling
👉 Instantly is the tool to beat in 2025.
Thanks for reading — and here’s to your inbox actually getting seen 🥂
— Eli Mercer
Founder, NextGenAIFinder
Helping creators and marketers cut through the noise