Comparison
Jan 31, 2026
CEO and co-founder
Zapmail vs Inframail: Which Cold Email Platform Saves You More?
The core difference: Per-mailbox pricing vs flat-rate infrastructure
Zapmail and Inframail differ fundamentally in how they bill you. Zapmail uses tiered per-mailbox pricing, charging between $2.50 and $4.00 per inbox depending on your plan tier. Inframail charges $129/month for unlimited inboxes regardless of whether you create 20 or 200.
Zapmail's pricing structure:
Starter: 10 Google mailboxes included, additional mailboxes at $3.50 each
Growth: 30 Google mailboxes included, additional mailboxes at $3.25 each
Pro: 100 Google mailboxes included, additional mailboxes at $3.00 each
After year one: Starter renews at $59/month plus $6 per mailbox, Growth at $169/month plus $5.50 per mailbox
Inframail's pricing structure:
Unlimited Plan: $129/month for unlimited inboxes with 1 dedicated US-based IP
Agency Pack: $327/month for unlimited inboxes with 3 dedicated US-based IPs
Domains: $5-$16 per domain through the platform
This pricing difference compounds quickly as you scale. At 50 inboxes, you pay roughly $164/month on Zapmail (first year) versus $198/month on Inframail. At 100 inboxes, Zapmail hits $299/month while Inframail stays at $266/month including domains.
One Inframail user described the unit economics impact directly:
"So affordable that it will make your unit economics work, even for lower ticket b2b businesses like ours." - Verified user review of Inframail
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis at 50, 100, and 200 domains
The headline price per mailbox only tells part of the story. To understand true infrastructure costs, you need to calculate the complete picture including platform fees, domain registration, and any required add-ons.
Zapmail TCO breakdown
Based on Zapmail's published pricing, here's what you pay at different scales:
50 inboxes (using Growth tier):
Base: $129/month for 30 mailboxes
Additional 20 mailboxes: 20 × $3.25 = $65
Total: $164/month (first year)
After year one: $169/month + (20 × $5.50) = $279/month
100 inboxes (using Pro tier):
Base: $299/month for 100 mailboxes
Total: $299/month (first year)
200 inboxes:
Pro tier covers 100, additional 100 at $3.00 each = $300
Total: $599/month (first year)
Inframail TCO breakdown
Inframail's flat-rate model stays consistent regardless of inbox count:
50, 100, or 200 inboxes:
Platform: $129/month (Unlimited Plan)
Domains: ~$68.50/month amortized (50 domains × $16.44/year average ÷ 12)
Total: ~$198/month
The savings versus Google Workspace are even more dramatic. Google Workspace Business Starter charges $7-8.40 per user monthly, meaning 50 inboxes costs $350-420/month and 200 inboxes costs $1,400-1,680/month.
Scale | Zapmail (Year 1) | Zapmail (Year 2) | Inframail | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
50 inboxes | $164/mo | $279/mo | $198/mo | $350-420/mo |
100 inboxes | $299/mo | ~$400/mo | $266/mo | $700-840/mo |
200 inboxes | $599/mo | ~$750/mo | $403/mo | $1,400-1,680/mo |
Year-two pricing impact
Zapmail's renewal rates create a hidden cost most agencies discover too late. At 50 inboxes on the Growth tier, your monthly bill jumps from $164 to $279 after year one. That's a 70% increase, or an additional $1,380 annually. Inframail stays at $129/month regardless of contract year, saving you $116/month ($1,392 annually) starting in year two.
You hit break-even around 45-50 inboxes in year one. Above 50 inboxes, every new inbox you add increases the cost gap in Inframail's favor.
"I can set-up inboxes in 5mins while saving money on Google Workspace subscriptions and benefit from great deliverability." - Verified user review of Inframail
Watch this full cold email setup walkthrough showing the Instantly and Inframail integration to see the actual workflow.
Setup speed and DNS automation workflows
Manual DNS configuration for 50+ domains becomes a significant time sink when you log into DNS panels, create SPF/DKIM/DMARC records, wait for propagation, and test with Mail-Tester. Both Zapmail and Inframail automate this process.
Zapmail's setup workflow
Zapmail automates DKIM, SPF, and DMARC setup with custom tracking domains configured instantly. Once you add domains, Zapmail connects and configures DNS automatically. The platform completes setup within 10 minutes to 6 hours depending on DNS propagation.
Zapmail's Zap Shield rotates DNS zones intelligently so domains don't inherit bad neighborhoods, monitors domains and sending patterns across major blocklists, and intervenes early if something risky appears.
Inframail's setup workflow
Inframail provisions SPF, DKIM, DMARC, email forwarding, and domain redirects in seconds. You can purchase domains through the platform or add existing domains, and Inframail configures all necessary DNS records automatically.
The InfraMail setup tutorial demonstrates the step-by-step process, while the Ultimate Cold Email Infrastructure Guide covers advanced configuration.
Time-to-provision comparison
Both platforms claim approximately 10 minutes for 10 domains. The Inframail demo video shows creating inboxes while automating the setup. The key difference is what happens after setup. Zapmail includes pre-warmed mailboxes, while Inframail requires you to configure external warmup through Instantly's built-in warmup or standalone services.
Deliverability infrastructure: Shared pools vs dedicated IPs
The technical architecture behind your cold email infrastructure directly impacts whether your messages reach primary inboxes or spam folders.
The shared IP risk
Zapmail operates on shared US/EU IPs optimized for inboxing but doesn't offer dedicated IPs. On shared IP infrastructure, multiple senders use the same IP addresses simultaneously, creating the "bad neighbor" risk.
If another sender on your shared IP starts sending spam or experiences high complaint rates, it negatively affects your deliverability even if your practices are impeccable. This causes sudden deliverability crashes from 80% to 55% inbox rates with no warning.
Think of shared IP pools like carpool lanes where you're affected by other drivers. One bad actor spamming gets the whole range flagged.
Inframail's dedicated IP approach
Inframail provides dedicated IPs with 1 IP on the Unlimited Plan and 3 IPs on the Agency Pack. Dedicated IPs work like private lanes where your behavior alone determines reputation.
According to Inframail's technical documentation, each IP can safely handle approximately 300-400 email inboxes for optimal performance and deliverability. The platform uses dedicated hosting where each user can only be negatively impacted by their own sending.
Deliverability benchmarks
GMass deliverability testing measured Inframail at an 88% inbox rate. Some users report deliverability running 10-15% below Google or Outlook native infrastructure, which the Inframail founder has publicly acknowledged.
Metric | Inframail | Zapmail | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|---|
GMass inbox rate | 88% | Shared pool dependent | 90-95% |
IP type | Dedicated (1-3) | Shared US/EU | N/A |
Reputation isolation | Yes | No | N/A |
For agencies managing multiple client campaigns, dedicated IP isolation protects against cross-contamination.
Feature parity and limitations comparison
Beyond pricing and infrastructure, several feature differences influence which platform fits your workflow.
Feature | Zapmail | Inframail |
|---|---|---|
Pricing model | Per-mailbox ($2.50-$4 year 1) | Flat-rate ($129/mo) |
Year 2 pricing | $5.50-$6/mailbox | $129/mo (unchanged) |
IP type | Shared (US/EU) | Dedicated (1-3 US-based) |
Email provider | Google Workspace | Microsoft cloud platform |
Built-in warmup | Yes (12+ weeks pre-warmed) | No (external required) |
DNS automation | Yes | Yes |
Target audience | Freelancers, <40 inboxes | Agencies, 40+ inboxes |
Warmup capabilities
Zapmail's pre-warmed mailboxes come with 12+ weeks of warmup history, clean sending reputation, and optimal DNS configuration. You can launch campaigns immediately without waiting for warmup cycles.
Inframail requires external warmup tools. The Inframail warmup guide recommends gradually increasing sending volume using platforms like Instantly or Smartlead, which have built-in warmup features.
Support quality
Inframail users consistently praise the support experience:
"One of the best mailbox infra vendors I have ever used super easy and quick setup and support is practically 24/7 with at max a 2min wait to get a question answered." - Verified user review of Inframail
Both platforms export IMAP/SMTP credentials to CSV for import into Instantly, Smartlead, and other major sending tools.
Pros and cons of Zapmail vs Inframail
Zapmail pros
Pre-warmed mailboxes: Launch campaigns immediately with 12+ weeks of sending history
Google Workspace infrastructure: Native Google email, familiar to most users
Lower entry cost: For agencies with fewer than 40 inboxes, first-year per-mailbox pricing costs less
Zap Shield protection: Automated domain monitoring and DNS zone rotation
Zapmail cons
Linear cost scaling: Every inbox increases your bill, creating a growth penalty
Shared IP risk: Other users' behavior can impact your deliverability
Year-two price increases: Renewal rates jump 70%+ after first year
No dedicated IPs: Cannot isolate your sending reputation
Inframail pros
Flat-rate unlimited: Add 50 or 500 inboxes without changing your monthly bill
Dedicated IPs: 1-3 IPs depending on plan, isolating your sender reputation
Setup automation: DNS configuration in seconds
Microsoft partnership: Built on Microsoft's cloud platform with enterprise partnership announced January 2024
"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
Inframail cons
No built-in warmup: Requires external warmup tools or sending platform warmup features
Microsoft only: No Google Workspace support for teams preferring Gmail infrastructure
Break-even threshold: For agencies with fewer than 45 inboxes, Zapmail's first-year pricing costs less
Migration effort: Moving from Zapmail to Inframail
Switching from per-mailbox to flat-rate infrastructure involves several steps, but the process is straightforward.
Step 1: Domain transfer or new registration (10-15 minutes)
Purchase new domains through Inframail at $5-16 per domain, or transfer existing domains. The platform handles DNS configuration automatically during migration.
Step 2: Inbox provisioning (5-10 minutes for 50 inboxes)
Create inboxes in bulk through the Inframail dashboard. The video tutorial shows the setup workflow for sending 1000+ cold emails per day.
Step 3: Credential export and import (5 minutes)
Export IMAP/SMTP credentials to CSV format, then import into your sending platform. The update tab functionality handles bulk credential management.
Step 4: Warmup configuration (15-20 minutes setup, 14+ days warmup)
Configure warmup through your sending platform or external service. The warmup guide covers best practices.
"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
Verdict: When to choose Zapmail and when to switch
Choose Zapmail if:
You run fewer than 40 inboxes and want the lowest possible first-year cost
Pre-warmed mailboxes save you meaningful time versus configuring external warmup
You specifically need Google Workspace infrastructure
You're starting cold email and want a simpler all-in-one package
Choose Inframail if:
You manage 40+ inboxes and want predictable flat-rate infrastructure costs
Protecting sender reputation with dedicated IPs matters for client campaigns
You already use sending platforms with built-in warmup (Instantly, Smartlead)
You're scaling and don't want infrastructure bills growing faster than revenue
"For years, I considered running cold email campaigns but consistently held back due to a lack of technical knowledge and confidence... After diving into the platform and consuming extensive educational content from Kidous, everything changed." - Verified user review of Inframail
The 200+ appointments per month case study and 6 calls per day interview show what scaled Inframail infrastructure enables for agency operations.
For agencies hitting the inflection point where per-inbox costs squeeze margins below 15-20%, the math is clear. Flat-rate infrastructure protects your bottom line while dedicated IPs protect your deliverability.
Sign up to Inframail and get started today.
FAQs
How much does Zapmail cost per inbox?
Zapmail charges $2.50-$4.00 per mailbox monthly depending on plan tier, plus renewal rates increase significantly after year one (Starter jumps to $6/mailbox, Growth to $5.50/mailbox).
Does Inframail include email warmup?
No, Inframail focuses on infrastructure and requires external warmup through your sending platform (Instantly, Smartlead) or standalone warmup services like Warmbox.
Is Inframail cheaper than Zapmail for agencies?
Yes, for agencies with over 45 inboxes. At 100 inboxes, Inframail ($163/mo including domains) saves approximately $136/month compared to Zapmail Pro tier.
Does Zapmail offer dedicated IPs?
No, Zapmail primarily uses shared US/EU IP infrastructure optimized for inboxing but without dedicated IP isolation.
What deliverability rates does Inframail achieve?
GMass testing measured Inframail at 88% inbox rate. Some users report 10-15% lower deliverability than native Google or Outlook infrastructure.
How long does warmup take when migrating to Inframail?
Plan for 14-21 days of gradual warmup starting at 10-20 emails daily, increasing 20-30% weekly until you reach target volume.
Key terms glossary
TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): The sum of platform fees, domain registration, warmup tools, and sending platform costs over a specific period, not just the headline subscription price.
Dedicated IP: An IP address used exclusively by one sender, ensuring your reputation is determined solely by your own sending behavior rather than other users sharing your IP range.
SPF/DKIM/DMARC: DNS authentication records required to verify email legitimacy. SPF lists authorized senders, DKIM signs emails digitally, and DMARC sets policies for handling failed authentication checks.
Inbox placement rate: The percentage of emails landing in the primary inbox versus spam folder or promotions tab, typically measured through testing tools like GMass or GlockApps.
Pre-warmed mailbox: An email account with established sending history (typically 12+ weeks) and positive reputation, allowing immediate campaign launches without warmup delays.
