Comparison
Jan 8, 2026
CEO and co-founder
Inframail vs Mailscale: Which Saves Agencies More in 2025?
Feature snapshot: Inframail vs Mailscale at a glance
The table below compares the infrastructure features that directly impact your margin and setup time when managing 50-200 domains.
Feature | Inframail | Mailscale | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
Pricing Model | Flat-rate unlimited ($129/mo) + domains | Tiered per-inbox caps ($79-249/mo) + domains | Inframail |
Inbox Limits | Unlimited | 15/50/200 by tier | Inframail |
IP Type | Dedicated (1-3 IPs) | Shared pool | Inframail |
DNS Automation | Full (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) | Full (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) | Tie |
Setup Speed | 2-10 minutes | 5-20 minutes | Inframail |
Warmup Included | Not usually. Yes for DFY cold email package. | No | Inframail |
Entry Price | $129/month (unlimited inboxes) | $79/month (max 15 inboxes) | Mailscale |
Note on Scalability: Inframail's $129/mo flat rate remains the same whether you have 50 or 400+ inboxes. You only pay for the additional domains. All other providers charge per inbox, meaning your costs explode as you scale.
Inframail's dedicated US-based IPs isolate your sending reputation from other users. Mailscale's shared IP system means, as GMass's cold email infrastructure review notes, "your reputation will hinge at least somewhat on what the other users on the platform are doing."
For a visual walkthrough of how Inframail's dashboard works, watch our Inframail Demo showing the new UI/UX and inbox provisioning flow.
Pricing models: Flat-rate unlimited vs tiered account caps
Inframail pricing structure
Inframail offers two main plans. The Unlimited Plan costs $129/month and includes:
1 dedicated US-based IP
Unlimited email inboxes
Unlimited domain setups per day
Priority support
Automated SPF/DKIM/DMARC configuration
The Agency Pack costs $249/month and includes 3 dedicated IPs with unlimited domain setups per day. Annual billing drops the Unlimited Plan to approximately $79/month (20% discount). There is also a done-for-you cold email package for those who want a hands-off plan.
Inframail 50-inbox total: $129 + ~$14 domains = ~$113/month
For an agency billing $2,000/month per client with 5 clients ($10,000 monthly revenue) running 50 inboxes, Inframail infrastructure represents approximately 1.4% of billings. That's before sender platform costs (Instantly $37-77/month). Compare this to the typical agency pain threshold: infrastructure consuming 25-30% of billings squeezes net margins below 15% and triggers cost intervention.
Mailscale pricing structure
Mailscale uses tiered pricing based on inbox count. According to Mailscale's help center, Affiliate Weapons' analysis, and Salesforge's review, the pricing breaks down as:
Solopreneur: $79/month (15 inboxes) or $63/month annual
Business: $119/month (50 inboxes) or $95/month annual
Enterprise: $249/month (200 inboxes) or $199/month annual
Domains cost $10-15/year within Mailscale. Woodpecker's Mailscale review notes that "their FAQ page says domains cost $9-13, but the .com domains were $15 when I logged in."
Extra inboxes beyond your plan cost $1 per inbox per month.
Mailscale 50-inbox total: $119 + ~$10 domains = ~$129/month
The tax on growth
Here's where the pricing models diverge at scale. Inframail's cost stays flat whether you run 50 or 200 inboxes. Mailscale's tiered caps force you into higher plans as you add clients.
Inbox Count | Inframail Monthly | Mailscale Monthly | Annual Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
15 inboxes | ~$133 | ~$82 | Mailscale saves ~$252/year |
50 inboxes | ~$143 | ~$129 | Mailscale saves ~$168/year |
100 inboxes | ~$156 | ~$189 | Inframail saves ~$396/year |
200 inboxes | ~$184 | ~$289 | Inframail saves ~$1,260/year |
For a deeper dive into how we calculate these costs, watch our Ultimate Cold Email Infrastructure Guide for 2025.
Setup speed: Automated DNS configuration vs manual friction
Both platforms eliminate the DNS configuration nightmare that manual domain setup creates when configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records through Namecheap or GoDaddy. The question is which one moves faster.
Inframail setup workflow
We position ourselves as "the world's 1st automated email setup platform" with 38 5-star reviews on Trustpilot with SPF, DKIM, DMARC, email forwarding, and domain redirects configured in seconds. Our How to send 1000+ Cold Emails Per Day video demonstrates buying 5 domains and setting up 10 inboxes in 4 minutes.
The process works like this:
Purchase or transfer domains: Buy through the platform or transfer existing domains
Automated DNS configuration: Platform handles SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records automatically
Inbox provisioning: Create inboxes with auto-generated IMAP/SMTP credentials
Export to sending platform: Download CSV file for bulk import to Instantly, Smartlead, or ReachInbox
As per our Help Center documentation, you can set up 10 inboxes in under 10 minutes.
Watch the InfraMail Setup Tutorial by Shivam Gupta for a third-party walkthrough of the complete process, or see our official Inframail Walkthrough showing the complete flow from sign up through Instantly bulk import.
Mailscale setup workflow
Mailscale also automates DNS configuration. Their process takes "5 minutes to fill out a form" according to their help documentation.
The workflow follows:
Pick your plan: Select Solopreneur, Business, or Enterprise
Get or add domains: Purchase within Mailscale or connect existing domains
Fill out inbox form: Enter desired email usernames
Receive CSV file: Import accounts to your email sending tool
Setup time comparison verdict
Both platforms deliver sub-10-minute setup times for domain and inbox creation. The practical difference is marginal. If you're onboarding 2 clients per month with 10 domains each, automated DNS saves approximately 10-12 hours monthly compared to manual Namecheap/GoDaddy configuration. That's 120-144 hours annually you can redirect to sales calls or client strategy sessions instead of DNS panels.
Deliverability infrastructure: Dedicated IPs vs shared pools
This is where the platforms diverge significantly. Infrastructure architecture directly impacts your inbox placement rates and client retention.
Inframail's dedicated IP model
We provide dedicated US-based IPs. The Unlimited Plan includes 1 dedicated IP. The Agency Pack includes 3 dedicated IPs per our pricing page.
Dedicated IPs function like a private driveway. Your sending reputation depends only on your behavior, not contaminated by other users' campaigns hitting spam traps or getting flagged.
Mailscale's shared IP model
Mailscale uses shared IP pools. GMass's infrastructure comparison explicitly states: "Mailscale uses a pool of shared IPs and does not offer dedicated IPs."
Shared pools work like public highways. One bad sender in the pool gets flagged and your reputation takes collateral damage. This is particularly risky for agencies managing client reputations where you can't control what other Mailscale users are doing.
Warmup considerations
This warmup difference affects your TCO calculation.Most sending platforms like Instantly and Smartlead include unlimited warmup in their subscriptions, so this may not be an additional cost if you're already using those tools.
For more on this topic, watch the interview with an agency owner who books 200+ Appointments Per Month using Inframail infrastructure, or see how Daphné Barret books 30+ calls monthly.
Total cost of ownership: The math for 50, 100, and 200 inboxes
Let me calculate the complete monthly cost including platform fees, domains, and warmup. I'm using 3-5 inboxes per domain as the industry best practice for optimal deliverability.
TCO formula
Monthly TCO = Platform Fee + Domain Costs (amortized monthly) + Warmup Costs
Scenario A: 50 inboxes (10 domains)
Inframail:
Platform: $129/month
Domains: 10 × $16.44/year ÷ 12 = $13.70/month
Warmup: $0 (if using Instantly/Smartlead built-in warmup)
Total: ~$143/month
Mailscale:
Platform: $119/month (Business tier required per pricing)
Domains: 10 × $12/year ÷ 12 = $10/month
Warmup: $0 (included)
Total: ~$129/month
Savings with Inframail: ~$16/month (~$192/year)
Scenario B: 100 inboxes (20 domains)
Inframail:
Platform: $129/month
Domains: 20 × $16.44/year ÷ 12 = $27.40/month
Warmup: $0
Total: ~$156/month
Mailscale:
Platform: $119 (Business tier) + $50 (50 additional inboxes at $1 each per month) = $169/month
Domains: 20 × $12/year ÷ 12 = $20/month
Warmup: $0
Total: ~$189/month
Savings with Inframail: ~$63/month (~$756/year)
Scenario C: 200 inboxes (40 domains)
Inframail:
Platform: $129/month
Domains: 40 × $16.44/year ÷ 12 = $54.80/month
Warmup: $0
Total: ~$184/month
Mailscale:
Platform: $249/month (Enterprise tier)
Domains: 40 × $12/year ÷ 12 = $40/month
Warmup: $0
Total: ~$289/month
Savings with Inframail: ~$135/month (~$1,620/year)
Comparison to Google Workspace baseline
For perspective, Google Workspace Business Starter costs $7-8.40 per user per month. At scale:
50 inboxes: $350-420/month
100 inboxes: $700-840/month
200 inboxes: $1,400-1,680/month
Both Inframail and Mailscale represent significant savings over Google Workspace. For a 10-client agency billing $20,000/month total, Google Workspace at $350-420/month for 50 inboxes represents 1.75-2.1% of billings. Inframail at ~$143/month represents 0.72%. Both keep you well under the 25-30% infrastructure threshold that triggers margin squeeze, but Inframail's flat rate means the percentage continues to drop as revenue grows while inbox count stays constant.
For agencies planning to scale beyond 50 domains, Inframail's flat-rate model eliminates the "tax on growth" that tiered pricing creates. Watch our video on Cold Email System Setup with AI In 10min or Less to see how the infrastructure integrates with your sending stack, or check out How to Create Unlimited Cold Email Inboxes for a detailed walkthrough.
Final verdict: When to choose Inframail over Mailscale
Choose Inframail if you want to protect margins at scale:
You manage or plan to manage 50+ inboxes and want predictable costs
Dedicated IP infrastructure matters for protecting client reputations
You're already using Instantly or Smartlead with built-in warmup
You value transparent deliverability metrics and blacklist monitoring
Annual savings of $750-1,600 at scale impacts your bottom line
Choose Mailscale if:
You're running fewer than 15 inboxes and want the lowest entry price
You don't need dedicated IP isolation
You prefer tiered pricing that matches your current scale
For most agency founders managing 50-200 domains across 5-15 clients, Inframail's flat-rate model protects margins as you add clients. The combination of unlimited inboxes, dedicated IPs, and automated DNS configuration removes infrastructure as a growth bottleneck. Watch our interview with an agency owner who signed a $50,000 whale client using cold email infrastructure to see the potential impact.
Sign up for Inframail and get started today.
Frequently asked questions
What are Mailscale's main features?
Mailscale automates DNS configuration (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), provides built-in warmup, and offers tiered pricing from $79-249/month for 15-200 inboxes on shared IP infrastructure.
How does Mailscale pricing compare to alternatives?
Mailscale starts lower at $79/month for 15 inboxes but scales to $249/month for 200 inboxes. Inframail charges $129/month flat for unlimited inboxes.
What are the best alternatives to Mailscale?
Inframail is the primary alternative for agencies needing dedicated IPs and flat-rate pricing. Google Workspace remains an option for those prioritizing native deliverability at higher per-inbox costs.
Does Inframail include warmup?
No. Inframail provides warmup configuration parameters in CSV exports but does not execute warmup, so you need a sending platform like Instantly or Smartlead with built-in warmup.
How many inboxes per domain should I use?
Industry best practice recommends 3-5 inboxes per domain for optimal deliverability. Review our guide on calculating email sending capacity for detailed recommendations.
Can I bring my own domains to either platform?
Yes. Inframail allows domain transfers, while Mailscale supports domain connections but encourages purchasing through their platform.
Key terminology
Cold email infrastructure: The backend setup (domains, IPs, inboxes) required to send outbound emails at scale. Does not include sending platforms like Instantly or Smartlead.
Dedicated IP: An IP address used exclusively by one sender. Your sending reputation depends only on your behavior.
Shared IP pool: Multiple users share the same IP addresses. Other users' sending behavior can impact your deliverability.
SPF/DKIM/DMARC: Email authentication protocols that verify sender identity. SPF specifies authorized mail servers. DKIM adds a digital signature. DMARC tells receiving servers how to handle authentication failures.
Inbox placement rate: The percentage of emails landing in the primary inbox versus spam. Target 70-85% for cold email campaigns according to industry benchmarks.
TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): The complete monthly cost including platform fees, domain renewals (amortized), and warmup tools. Essential for accurate margin calculations.
Warmup: The process of gradually increasing email volume from new inboxes to build sender reputation. Typical duration is 14-21 days per industry standards.
