Compare · Instantly
Cadency vs Instantly.
Cold email at scale, with or without LinkedIn.
Instantly is the default cold email tool for a lot of teams: unlimited email accounts, unlimited warm-up, a Unibox from the Hypergrowth plan, and a 450M+ lead database sold as credits. It has no LinkedIn channel. Cadency runs the same kind of email volume from your own mailboxes and adds LinkedIn senders to the same campaign and inbox.
- LinkedIn and email in one sequence
- No uploaded-contact caps
- Unlimited mailboxes and teammates
$199
Small Team, 100k emails and 5 LinkedIn senders
Scale $699 with 500k emails and 20 LinkedIn senders.
$97
Hypergrowth, 125,000 emails a month, email only; $77.60 on annual billing.
2
Channels in one campaign
LinkedIn steps branch into email steps.
1
Email. No LinkedIn automation on any plan.
Unlimited
Contacts and leads stored
No upload caps on either plan.
25,000
Uploaded contacts on Hypergrowth; 1,000 on Growth, 100,000 on Light Speed.
Both plans
Unified inbox included
One thread per lead across channels.
Hypergrowth+
Unibox and the AI reply agent start on Hypergrowth.
Side by side
Cadency and Instantly, feature by feature.
Instantly facts checked on 26 September 2026 against its public pages.
| Cadency | Instantly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||
| Entry price | $199 a month, $139 on annual billing | Growth $47 a month, $37.60 on annual billing, 5,000 emails |
| What scales the bill | LinkedIn senders and monthly email volume | Emails a month and uploaded contacts per plan; lead credits sold separately |
| Plans | Small Team $199 (100k emails), Scale $699 (500k, up to 2M) | Growth $47 (5k), Hypergrowth $97 (125k), Light Speed $358 (500k); bundles with credits from $94 |
| Annual discount | 30% | 20% on Outreach plans |
| Channels and inbox | ||
| Visit, connect, message, InMail, comment, voice note, like, follow | None | |
| Your Google and Microsoft mailboxes, isolated network with dedicated IPs, warm-up, rotation | Unlimited email accounts, unlimited warm-up, deliverability tooling | |
| Inbox | One thread per lead across LinkedIn and email, assignable, reply as any sender | Unibox from Hypergrowth, with an AI reply agent |
| Contacts | Unlimited storage | 1,000 to 100,000 uploaded contacts depending on plan |
| Data, safety, developers | ||
| Database | People and company search with waterfall enrichment on credits | 450M+ leads via credit plans from $47 a month |
| Account safety | Per-action LinkedIn ceilings, dedicated proxy per account, pause on checkpoint; mailbox warm-up | Email warm-up and sending limits |
| API and assistants | REST API and MCP server | API, webhooks and integrations |
| Trial | Access in small batches after a short call | Sign-up with no credit card |
Why teams pick Cadency
LinkedIn in the same campaign
Instantly stops at email. On Cadency, a lead who ignores the connection request gets an email three days later, from the same sender's name.
No contact caps
Instantly meters uploaded contacts per plan. Cadency stores unlimited leads on both plans; you pay for senders and volume.
One inbox from the first plan
Instantly's Unibox starts on Hypergrowth. Cadency's inbox, with assignment and interest tags, is on every plan.
Volume with a ceiling on every account
Sender rotation on LinkedIn and email, each account under its own limit, pause on checkpoint.
Isolated network
Email sends run on dedicated IPs so nobody else's list touches your reputation.
Unlimited teammates and workspaces
Agencies get a workspace per client at no extra cost.
Where Instantly wins
It is not always us.
You only send email and want the cheapest start
Instantly's Growth plan at $47, or $37.60 on annual billing, gets one person sending 5,000 emails a month with unlimited accounts and warm-up. Cadency starts at $199.
You want a self-serve trial today
Instantly signs you up with no credit card. Cadency opens access in small batches after a short call.
You buy leads inside the sending tool
Instantly's credit plans put a 450M+ database next to the campaigns. Cadency's database and enrichment run on credits too, but the product is younger.
What does Instantly cost at real volume?
The Outreach tab lists Growth at $47 a month with 5,000 emails and 1,000 uploaded contacts, Hypergrowth at $97 with 125,000 emails and 25,000 contacts, and Light Speed at $358 with 500,000 emails and 100,000 contacts, with 20% off on annual billing. Bundles that add lead credits start at $94. Those are email-only prices; LinkedIn needs a second tool with its own inbox.
Why do contact caps matter?
Because volume teams reload lists. A 25,000-contact cap on a 100,000-email plan means you rotate lists in and out or move up a tier. Cadency has no contact cap; the meters are LinkedIn senders and emails sent.
Who should pick which?
A solo founder or a small agency doing pure cold email at low cost has a strong case for Instantly. A team that sends email volume and works LinkedIn accounts, or that wants one inbox for both, is Cadency's customer.
Pricing at scale
What the bill looks like as you grow.
| Team | Cadency | Instantly |
|---|---|---|
| 5 LinkedIn senders, 100k emails a month | $199 a month | Hypergrowth $97 for email, 25,000 contacts; LinkedIn needs a separate tool |
| 20 LinkedIn senders, 500k emails a month | $699 a month | Light Speed $358 for email, 100,000 contacts; LinkedIn separate |
| 30 LinkedIn senders, 1M emails a month | $1,124 a month | Above Light Speed: custom; LinkedIn separate |
| 50 LinkedIn senders, 2M emails a month | $1,749 a month | Custom; LinkedIn separate |
Cadency rows use monthly billing; annual billing takes 30% off. Instantly prices from the Outreach tab of instantly.ai/pricing on 26 September 2026, monthly billing; annual billing is 20% less.
Price any team size across all seven toolsQuestions
Cadency or Instantly?
Is Cadency or Instantly better in 2026?+
For email-only outreach at the lowest entry price, Instantly. For LinkedIn and email in one campaign and one inbox, with no contact caps, Cadency.
How much does Instantly cost?+
Outreach plans: Growth $47 a month (5,000 emails, 1,000 contacts), Hypergrowth $97 (125,000 emails, 25,000 contacts), Light Speed $358 (500,000 emails, 100,000 contacts), 20% off annually. Lead credit plans from $47. Checked on instantly.ai on 26 September 2026.
Does Instantly do LinkedIn automation?+
No. Instantly is an email platform; none of its plans include LinkedIn steps.
Does Cadency limit uploaded contacts like Instantly?+
No. Leads are unlimited on both plans. Cadency meters LinkedIn senders and emails sent per month.
Can I move from Instantly to Cadency?+
Reconnect your mailboxes through Google or Microsoft sign-in, import lists from CSV, rebuild sequences in the builder. Onboarding includes migration help.
Ready when you are.
We will tell you if it fits.
Tell us who you sell to and how many senders you have. If Cadency is the wrong tool for it, we will say so.
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