Comparison
Jan 31, 2026
CEO and co-founder
All Zapmail alternatives compared across pricing, setup time, and deliverability. We tested 7 options to find the best fit for your scale.
How we tested these Zapmail alternatives
I evaluated each platform across four criteria that matter most to agencies running cold email at scale:
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Platform fee + domain costs + warmup tools across 50, 100, and 150 inbox tiers
Setup time: How long to provision 10 domains with DNS records configured
Deliverability infrastructure: Dedicated vs. shared IPs, DNS automation capabilities
Support quality: Response time and technical expertise
The methodology matters because headline pricing lies. A platform charging $1.50 per inbox looks cheaper than flat-rate pricing until you calculate TCO at 150 inboxes. You need to calculate Total Cost of Ownership across four categories: platform fees, domain costs, warmup tools, and the labor hours lost to manual configuration.
For deliverability testing, we used Mail-Tester scores (targeting 9+/10) and inbox placement rates measured via seed testing tools. We achieve 9.5/10 on Mail-Tester and 88% inbox rate via GMass testing across our infrastructure.
1. Inframail: Best for agencies scaling past 50 inboxes
Our flat-rate model flips the economics of cold email infrastructure. Instead of paying per inbox, you pay $129/month for unlimited inboxes on dedicated US-based IPs.
The math at scale:
Inbox Count | Inframail (flat) | Google Workspace ($7/user/month annual) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
50 inboxes | $129/mo | $350/mo | $221/mo savings |
100 inboxes | $129/mo | $700/mo | $571/mo savings |
150 inboxes | $129/mo | $1,050/mo | $921/mo savings |
Add domain costs (~$16.44/year each through our platform) and the total still beats per-inbox alternatives at any scale above 30 inboxes. Our Unlimited plan includes 1 dedicated US-based IP ($129/month), while the Agency Pack ($327/month) includes 3 dedicated IPs.
Setup automation: Our platform auto-configures SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records without manual DNS panel work. For a detailed walkthrough, watch our SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup tutorial showing how to configure unlimited inboxes in seconds. Users report instant provisioning for bulk inbox creation.
"I can set-up inboxes in 5mins while saving money on Google Workspace subscriptions and benefit from great deliverability. All of my campaigns on Inframail are on a >10% reply rate, which is really good." - Verified user review of Inframail
Dedicated IP advantage: Dedicated IPs vs shared IP pools determine whether your sending reputation stays isolated. With dedicated IPs, your behavior alone determines ESP trust. With shared pools, one bad actor spamming gets the whole range flagged. Our dedicated IP vs shared IP video explains this distinction in detail.
Pros:
Flat-rate unlimited inboxes ($129/mo)
Dedicated US-based IPs (1-3 depending on plan)
Automated DNS configuration
Microsoft cloud infrastructure
Cons:
No built-in warmup tool (requires external services like Warmbox at $15-50/month per inbox)
Microsoft-only platform (no Google Workspace option)
US-based infrastructure only
For agencies managing 50+ domains, our comprehensive cold email infrastructure guide walks through the full setup workflow from domain purchase to campaign launch.
2. Maildoso: Good for small teams needing Google/Outlook mix
Maildoso positions itself as a budget-friendly option with per-mailbox pricing starting at $1.40-$1.80 per inbox depending on commitment length. The platform supports both Google and Outlook infrastructure, which matters if your prospects respond better to Gmail addresses.
Pricing structure:
Annual plan: $1.40/mailbox/month
Quarterly plan: $1.80/mailbox/month
DNS automation included: According to industry analysis, Maildoso handles technical setup including DNS configurations automatically. The platform configures SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX records for your domains.
The shared IP trade-off: Maildoso uses shared IP pools and heavy IP rotation rather than dedicated IPs per account. This approach keeps costs low but exposes you to reputation contamination from other users on the same IP range.
At 50 inboxes, Maildoso costs approximately $70-90/month depending on your plan. That looks cheaper than our $129 flat rate. At 200 inboxes, Maildoso costs approximately $280-360/month while our platform stays at $129/month. The crossover point sits around 70-90 inboxes.
Who this works for:
Small teams testing cold email with 20-50 inboxes
Agencies requiring Google Workspace addresses specifically
Budget-conscious operators willing to trade IP control for lower per-inbox costs
Who should look elsewhere:
Agencies scaling past 90 inboxes
Teams prioritizing deliverability consistency over cost
Operations needing dedicated IP reputation isolation
3. Mailforge: Solid choice for shared IP infrastructure
Mailforge focuses on speed and automation for high-volume domain setup. The platform handles DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) automatically, which eliminates the manual configuration bottleneck that can consume significant hours when setting up 50 domains traditionally.
According to Mailforge's documentation, procedures that usually took hours for multiple domains now take a few minutes. The platform automates all critical technical requirements including DNS record setup.
Key capabilities:
Automated SPF/DKIM/DMARC configuration
Bulk DNS management across multiple domains
Setup speeds measured in minutes rather than hours
The platform uses shared and rotating IPs rather than dedicated infrastructure. This approach works for high-volume senders who rotate domains frequently anyway. Mailforge has 74 G2 reviews with a 4.7/5 rating, indicating solid user satisfaction for the use case it targets.
Pricing: Variable based on volume. Verify exact current pricing directly with the vendor.
Best for: Sales and marketing teams needing fast bulk domain provisioning who plan to rotate infrastructure regularly regardless of IP type.
4. Google Workspace: The gold standard for primary domains
Google Workspace delivers unmatched deliverability for primary business email. Gmail addresses carry inherent trust with recipients and ESPs alike. The January 2026 pricing increases pushed costs 17-22% higher, making the per-seat model even more margin-unfriendly for cold email infrastructure.
Current pricing (as of January 2026):
Business Starter: $8.40/user/month (flexible) or $7/user/month (annual commitment)
Business Standard: $16.80/user/month (flexible) or $14/user/month (annual commitment)
Business Plus: $26.40/user/month (flexible) or $22/user/month (annual commitment)
The economics problem:
50 inboxes at $7/user/month (annual): $350/month, $8,400 over 24 months
100 inboxes at $7/user/month (annual): $700/month, $16,800 over 24 months
150 inboxes at $7/user/month (annual): $1,050/month, $25,200 over 24 months
For perspective, that 24-month cost at 150 inboxes ($25,200) represents roughly half of a typical junior account manager's annual salary of approximately $49,000.
When Google Workspace makes sense:
Primary domain email (your actual company address)
Prospects in industries where Gmail addresses carry trust signals
Low-volume outreach (under 20 inboxes)
When to move infrastructure elsewhere:
Cold email burner domains that rotate every 90-120 days
High-volume campaigns across 50+ inboxes
Any scenario where infrastructure costs exceed 15% of client billings
"Love the fact that I don't have to deal with DNS stuff. Their support is always available, and ready to help." - Verified user review of Inframail
The cold email insiders perspective on Google Mailboxes explains why many agencies keep primary domains on Google while moving burner infrastructure to flat-rate alternatives.
5. Microsoft 365: Enterprise-grade security at a premium
Microsoft 365 offers enterprise productivity tools bundled with email infrastructure. Current Business Basic pricing sits at $6/user/month, increasing to $7/user/month in July 2026. Business Standard runs $12.50/user/month, jumping to $14.50 after the increase.
Pricing comparison at scale:
Plan | Current Price | July 2026 Price | 100 Inboxes (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Basic | $6/user | $7/user | $600-700 |
Business Standard | $12.50/user | $14.50/user | $1,250-1,450 |
Microsoft 365 integrates natively with Outlook-heavy corporate environments and includes enterprise security features like Advanced Threat Protection. However, bulk inbox provisioning requires more steps than Google Workspace without specialized automation tools.
Best for:
Enterprise sales teams targeting Microsoft-heavy organizations
Companies requiring Office 365 integration for other business functions
Teams with IT resources to manage DNS configuration manually
Trade-offs:
Higher complexity for bulk provisioning
No automated DNS configuration without third-party tools
Per-seat pricing creates same margin squeeze as Google Workspace
6. Instantly Native Domains: Convenient for existing Instantly users
Instantly's native domain and inbox provisioning creates convenience for teams already using the platform for sending. Rather than managing separate infrastructure vendors, you purchase domains and inboxes directly inside your sending tool.
Instantly plan pricing:
Growth: $37/month
Hypergrowth: $97/month
Light Speed: $358/month
The Light Speed plan includes SISR (Smart Inbox Sender Rotation) with private servers and dedicated IP blocks. Lower plans use shared infrastructure.
The convenience trade-off: Check portability terms before committing significant infrastructure volume to any platform's native domain service, as vendor lock-in can limit flexibility. If Instantly changes pricing, removes features, or experiences deliverability issues, migrating your infrastructure becomes complicated.
For users exploring alternatives to Instantly itself, the Plusvibe tutorial shows another approach to the cold email sending stack.
Best for: Teams fully committed to Instantly who value single-vendor simplicity over flexibility.
Risk: All eggs in one basket. Infrastructure portability matters when vendors change terms.
7. Hypertide: Emerging option with dedicated Microsoft infrastructure
Hypertide offers cold email infrastructure at $50/month for sending up to 5,000 emails/month from a single order. According to Woodpecker's analysis, each order includes dedicated IPs running on Microsoft's rotating IP infrastructure.
Key features:
$50/month per order (up to 5,000 emails/month)
Dedicated IPs per order
Rotating Microsoft IP infrastructure
Automated DNS configuration (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) without manual intervention
Who this works for:
Teams with moderate sending volumes (under 5,000 emails/month per domain set)
Operators wanting dedicated IP benefits at lower volume tiers
Microsoft infrastructure preference
Considerations:
Newer platform with less established track record than alternatives
Volume-based pricing model differs from flat-rate unlimited approaches
Request a pilot before committing significant infrastructure
For comparison of dedicated server approaches, the dedicated servers vs shared pools breakdown covers the decision framework.
Comparison matrix: Feature and cost breakdown
Platform | Monthly Cost (100 inboxes) | IP Type | DNS Automation | Warmup Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Inframail | $129 (flat) | Dedicated (1-3) | Yes | No |
Maildoso | $140-180 | Shared | Yes | No |
Mailforge | Variable | Shared/Rotating | Yes | Partial |
Google Workspace | $700-840 | Shared (Google-managed) | No | N/A |
Microsoft 365 | $600-1,250 | Shared (Microsoft-managed) | No | N/A |
Instantly Native | Variable + plan fee | Both (plan-dependent) | Yes (DFY) | Yes |
Hypertide | Volume-based (~$50/order) | Dedicated | Yes | No |
24-Month TCO at 100 Inboxes:
Platform | 24-Month Total |
|---|---|
Inframail | $3,096-$3,432 |
Maildoso | $3,360-$4,320 |
Google Workspace | $16,800-$20,160 |
Microsoft 365 | $14,400-$30,000 |
"Inframail has been absolute gold in terms of delivering a great customer experience, and allowing me to spin up cold email infrastructure at scale for my clients as easily and fast as possible" - Verified user review of Inframail
Our unlimited cold email inbox tutorial demonstrates the actual workflow for bulk provisioning and CSV export to sending platforms.
Deep dive: Is Zapmail still worth it in 2026?
Zapmail offers automation-focused cold email infrastructure with US-based IP addresses. The platform simplifies mailbox setup for outbound campaigns with a user-friendly interface that gets senders started in approximately ten minutes.
Zapmail strengths:
US-based IP addresses for deliverability
Automated technical setup
Quick onboarding experience
Organized domain management
The scaling challenge: Like most per-inbox alternatives, Zapmail's economics favor small teams. The per-mailbox pricing model creates predictable costs at low volume but compounds quickly as you scale client accounts.
When Zapmail works:
Small teams testing cold email with 10-30 inboxes
Quick setup requirement without flat-rate commitment
Organizations needing US-based infrastructure specifically
When to consider alternatives:
Agencies managing 50+ inboxes across multiple clients
Teams where infrastructure costs exceed 20% of client billings
Operations requiring dedicated IP reputation isolation
"We spent months hunting for a reliable cold-emailing stack. After repeated failures with another provider, we trialled two options—Inframail and a competitor. We chose the competitor. A month later, we switched back to Inframail. Zero issues since." - Verified user review of Inframail
For agencies booking significant call volume, the 200+ appointments per month case study breaks down infrastructure setup that supports high-volume campaigns.
The verdict: Which infrastructure protects your margins?
The right choice depends on your scale and growth trajectory:
Under 20 inboxes: Zapmail, Google Workspace, or Maildoso all work. Per-inbox costs stay manageable, and setup convenience matters more than TCO optimization.
50-100 inboxes: Flat-rate infrastructure delivers the best economics. At 50 inboxes, you save $221/month versus Google Workspace. At 100 inboxes, that gap widens to $571/month.
100+ inboxes: Flat-rate becomes essential for margin protection. The 24-month TCO difference between our platform ($3,096) and Google Workspace ($16,800) at 100 inboxes equals $13,704. That funds hiring, tools, or profit distribution.
Need Google addresses specifically: Maildoso supports both Google and Outlook infrastructure, though with shared IP trade-offs.
Decision framework:
Calculate your current inbox count and 12-month projection
Multiply by per-inbox cost ($7-8.40 for Google, $1.40-1.80 for Maildoso)
Compare to flat-rate ($129/month for our Unlimited plan)
Factor in dedicated vs. shared IP requirements
"The infrastructure I've purchased has been working great for our company for the past 6 months and has been a lot better value than setting up elsewhere." - Verified user review of Inframail
For agency founders prioritizing margin protection, our email sending capacity calculator helps determine the right plan based on client volume.
Sign up to our platform to start protecting your margins with flat-rate infrastructure.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main features of Zapmail?
Zapmail provides automated cold email infrastructure setup with US-based IP addresses. The platform offers a user-friendly interface for mailbox provisioning, organized domain management, and quick onboarding (approximately 10 minutes to get started).
How does Zapmail pricing compare to alternatives?
Zapmail uses per-mailbox pricing that works well under 30 inboxes. At 100 inboxes, flat-rate alternatives like our $129/month unlimited plan deliver significantly lower TCO than per-inbox models.
What do users say about cold email infrastructure in reviews?
Common themes include setup speed importance, support responsiveness, and deliverability consistency.
How does dedicated vs. shared IP affect deliverability?
Dedicated IPs isolate your sending reputation from other users. Shared IP pools expose you to contamination if other senders on the same range engage in poor practices. Dedicated infrastructure typically costs more but offers better reputation control for serious operators.
What platforms integrate with cold email infrastructure?
Most infrastructure providers export credentials via CSV to major sending platforms. Common integrations include Instantly, Smartlead, Lemlist, and Reply.io.
How long does DNS propagation take?
Automated platforms configure records instantly, completing all necessary setup within seconds.
Key terminology glossary
Cold email infrastructure: The technical foundation for sending cold emails at scale, including email servers, IP addresses, and domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
Deliverability: The percentage of emails reaching the primary inbox rather than spam or promotions tabs. Measured via seed testing tools and placement rate calculations.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework): A DNS record that validates which servers can send email on behalf of your domain, preventing spoofing.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Cryptographic signatures confirming emails haven't been tampered with during transit.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication): Builds on SPF and DKIM with policy enforcement and reporting for domain authentication.
TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): Complete cost calculation including platform fees, domain costs, warmup tools, and labor hours for manual configuration.
Warmup: The process of gradually building sender reputation for new email addresses by starting with low volume and increasing while maintaining positive engagement signals.
Dedicated IP: An IP address assigned exclusively to your sending, where your behavior alone determines reputation.
Shared IP pool: Multiple senders using the same IP range, where any sender's poor practices can affect everyone's reputation.
