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For teams already running outbound

The affordable
Instantly & Smartlead
alternative.

The core cold email workflow — Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 inboxes, campaigns, inbox rotation, warmup, AI personalization, reply tracking, deliverability controls — without premium SaaS pricing.

Built for real business inboxes. No SMTP blasting. No free inbox promises.
app.mailsequence.com / campaigns / q2-founder-outreach
CAMPAIGNActive
Q2 Founder Outreach
Sending pool
12 inboxes
Daily / inbox
30
Reply rate
8.4%
Bounce
1.2%
InboxTodayHealth
pranab@outbound.co28/3096
sam@outbound.co30/3098
jo@outbound.co22/3087
ria@outbound.co30/3094
ari@outbound.co14/30100
Step 1 · Day 0
Step 2 · +3d
Step 3 · +5d
Step 4 · +7d
Replacing Instantly or Smartlead should not mean rebuilding your whole outbound motion from scratch. MailSequence focuses on the pieces most teams actually use every day.
Switch from Instantly →Switch from Smartlead →See comparison →
Built for

Serious outbound operators

  • Lead generation agencies managing multiple client campaigns.
  • Founder-led B2B teams that want outbound without a bloated sales stack.
  • Sales freelancers and appointment setters already paying for cold email tools.
  • Recruiting teams running personalized candidate outreach.
Not built for

Blast-and-burn sending

  • Free Gmail or consumer Outlook sending.
  • Disposable SMTP servers or blast-and-burn workflows.
  • Teams without domains or business inboxes.
  • Users who want to send huge volume on day one.
Core workflow

The core cold email workflow, kept practical.

6 steps · ~25 min to first send
01

Connect real inboxes

Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 OAuth. No SMTP setup pages, no purchased mailboxes.

02

Prepare domains & warmup

Validate SPF/DKIM/DMARC, ramp sending volume, monitor domain health.

03

Build or recreate campaigns

Step-based sequences with templates, A/B copy, and AI-assisted variants.

04

Rotate sending safely

Spread volume across a campaign sending pool with conservative per-inbox caps.

05

Manage replies centrally

Unified inbox, thread assignment, reply tags, auto-stop on response.

06

Watch performance

Sends, replies, bounces, unsubscribes, warmup, inbox & domain health in one view.

Deliverability

Google & Microsoft-first
by design.

MailSequence is built around real business inboxes, conservative limits, and explicit deliverability controls. That makes it a better fit for teams that care about reputation than for users looking for cheap SMTP volume.

  • Owned business domain required
  • OAuth-only mailbox connection
  • Per-inbox daily caps, enforced
  • Warmup ramp before serious volume
Read the Google/Microsoft cold email guide →
Provider matrix
ProviderConnectWarmupStatus
Google WorkspaceOAuthNative Supported
Microsoft 365OAuthNative Supported
Free Gmail / Outlook——Not supported
Disposable SMTP——Not supported
Purchased inbox bundles——Not supported
What you get

Every plan includes the full sequencing surface.

Campaign builder

Recreate the sequences your team already runs in Instantly or Smartlead.

Sending pool

Rotate connected inboxes across a campaign with controlled daily volume.

Warmup

Ramp inbox activity gradually before asking a mailbox to carry real volume.

Unified inbox

Review replies across connected inboxes without jumping between accounts.

AI campaign help

Use credits for generation, personalization, rewrites, and reply assistance.

Deliverability analytics

Track health signals across campaigns, inboxes, domains, warmup, and placement.

AI Credits

Finite credits for useful work — not "unlimited AI" claims.

Credits power sequence generation, first-line personalization, copy rewrites, follow-up variants, reply classification, and response drafts. Higher plans include larger monthly pools, and referrals reward real activated users.

Per-action cost (avg.)credits
Generate a 6-step sequence800
Personalize first line per lead12
Rewrite a step60
Classify a reply4
Draft a reply from inbox80
Suggest subject variants (×5)35
Pricing

Simple pricing for serious outbound teams.

Starter
$79/mo
Solo operators
Inboxes   5
AI credits   20k/mo
Workspaces   1
Most popular
Growth
$149/mo
Active outbound teams
Inboxes   20
AI credits   80k/mo
Workspaces   3
Agency
$299/mo
Lead-gen agencies
Inboxes   75
AI credits   300k/mo
Workspaces   Unlimited
Scale
$499/mo
Larger outbound teams
Inboxes   150+
AI credits   750k/mo
Workspaces   Unlimited
Included in every planGoogle & Microsoft inbox connection · Inbox rotation · Warmup · Unified inbox · Suppression handling · Workspace analytics
Migration

Switching from Instantly or Smartlead? Start with your first campaign.

Bring your inboxes, lead list, campaign copy, unsubscribe list, and sending limits. We'll guide you through recreating the first campaign, setting safe limits, enabling warmup, and launching without unnecessary downtime.

Migration checklist5 / 10
Active campaigns exported
Campaign copy saved
Lead lists exported
Suppression list exported
Sending limits documented
Domains reviewed
Google/Microsoft access confirmed
First campaign selected
Warmup plan created
Reply workflow owner assigned
Referrals

Invite real operators. Earn AI credits.

Rewards unlock as invited users verify a business email, connect a mailbox, start a paid subscription, and remain active. No free Gmail. No self-referrals.

See referrals →
Tier 1
1,000
AI credits
Verified business signup
Tier 2
+4,000
AI credits
Mailbox connected
Tier 3
+25,000
AI credits
First paid month
Tier 4
+50,000
AI credits
Paid for 2 months
FAQ

Common questions.

Is MailSequence a full replacement for Instantly or Smartlead?

For teams using the core cold email workflow, it is a lower-cost replacement. If you need a mature all-in-one outbound operating system with every advanced feature, Instantly or Smartlead may still be a better fit.

Do you provide inboxes or domains?

No. You bring domains and Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 inboxes. MailSequence helps you connect, warm up, rotate, and monitor them.

Can I use free Gmail accounts?

No. MailSequence is built for real business inboxes on owned domains.

Is there a free trial?

No traditional free trial. Cold email requires domains, inboxes, DNS, warmup, and list quality before the product is useful — we start with paid setup instead.

What happens when AI fails?

AI is best-effort and non-blocking. Core sending and workflow operations continue even if an AI provider is unavailable.

Stop paying for outbound features your team will never use.