What is Mailshake?
Mailshake is a cold email & deliverability tool. Veteran cold email tool that's added multi-channel over time. Solid but hasn't kept pace with Instantly and Smartlead on deliverability innovation.
Best for: Teams already invested in the Mailshake ecosystem
Best For
Teams already invested in the Mailshake ecosystem
Mailshake Overview
Mailshake was one of the first dedicated cold email tools when it launched in 2017. The product established many of the patterns that the category follows today: simple campaign builder, automated follow-ups, A/B testing, and CRM integrations. Over time, Mailshake added a dialer, LinkedIn automation, and lead management features to evolve from a cold email tool into a broader outreach platform. The SalesIntel acquisition in 2022 added B2B data capabilities to the stack.
The current product spans email campaigns, phone dialer, social selling (LinkedIn), and lead management in a unified interface. The Email Outreach plan ($45/month) covers cold email with automated follow-ups, A/B testing, and analytics. The Sales Engagement plan ($85/month) adds the dialer, LinkedIn tasks, and pipeline management. Lead Catcher consolidates replies and phone calls into a single workflow for follow-up.
Mailshake's challenge is positioning. In 2019, it was the default cold email tool for most teams. Since then, Instantly and Smartlead have taken the high-volume cold email segment with unlimited accounts and better warmup. Lemlist captured the personalization segment. Reply.io took the AI-assisted outreach angle. Mailshake hasn't defined a clear winning position in the current landscape, leaving it as a solid all-rounder without a standout feature.
The SalesIntel integration adds B2B data access, which is a differentiator over pure cold email tools. But the data is sold separately through SalesIntel's pricing, reducing the bundling advantage. For teams already using Mailshake who are satisfied with the workflow, there's no urgent reason to switch. For teams evaluating cold email tools fresh, Mailshake faces stiff competition at every price point and feature set.
Pros & Cons
Use Cases
Team Already on Mailshake Evaluating Whether to Switch
A 6-person SDR team has used Mailshake for two years. Their campaigns run well, Lead Catcher is embedded in their workflow, and the Salesforce integration syncs everything automatically. They evaluate Instantly for cost savings and Lemlist for personalization. The evaluation reveals that switching would save $15/user/month on cold email but require rebuilding templates, retraining the team, and reconfiguring CRM sync. They stay on Mailshake because the switching costs exceed the savings for their current workflow.
Small Team Wanting Email Plus Phone in One Tool
A 3-person outbound team needs both cold email and a basic dialer. Budget is tight enough that buying separate cold email and dialer tools is impractical. Mailshake's Sales Engagement plan at $85/month gives them email campaigns, a functional dialer with voicemail drop, and LinkedIn tasks. The team runs coordinated sequences: email day 1, call day 3, LinkedIn day 5, follow-up email day 7. One platform, one login, one monthly bill.
SalesIntel Customer Looking for Integrated Outreach
A sales team already paying for SalesIntel data wants the tightest possible integration between their data provider and outreach tool. The Mailshake/SalesIntel connection allows them to search for prospects in SalesIntel, push them directly into Mailshake campaigns, and track engagement alongside data quality metrics. The native integration eliminates the CSV export/import cycle between separate data and outreach platforms.
Key Features
- Email campaigns
- Phone dialer
- LinkedIn automation
- Lead catcher
- A/B testing
- Analytics
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Email Outreach | $45/mo |
| Sales Engagement | $85/mo |
Pricing as of 2026. Check Mailshake's website for current pricing.
Pricing Analysis
Mailshake's Email Outreach plan costs $45/user/month and includes email campaigns, automated follow-ups, A/B testing, Lead Catcher, and CRM integrations. The Sales Engagement plan runs $85/user/month and adds the dialer, social selling (LinkedIn), task management, and pipeline view.
Both plans are per-user with annual billing. Monthly billing is available at a higher rate. SalesIntel data access is sold separately through SalesIntel's own pricing structure.
The pricing puts Mailshake in an awkward competitive position. For email-only, Instantly ($30/month flat) and Woodpecker ($29/month) cost less. For multi-channel engagement, Salesloft and Outreach offer more powerful platforms (at a higher price). Mailshake's value proposition is the middle ground: more channels than pure cold email tools, simpler and cheaper than enterprise engagement platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mailshake still a good cold email tool?
Mailshake is a functional cold email tool, but it's no longer the category leader. Instantly offers better deliverability infrastructure and economics for high-volume cold email. Smartlead has better API and agency features. Lemlist has superior personalization. Mailshake's advantage is its multi-channel breadth (email + phone + LinkedIn in one tool) and mature CRM integrations. Teams already on Mailshake may not have a compelling reason to switch. Teams choosing fresh will likely find better options for their specific use case.
How does Mailshake compare to Instantly?
Instantly is better for pure cold email: unlimited accounts, larger warmup network, and $15/month cheaper. Mailshake is better if you need a built-in dialer and LinkedIn automation alongside email. If cold email is your primary channel, choose Instantly. If you want multi-channel outreach from one platform without enterprise pricing, Mailshake's Sales Engagement plan covers more ground.
Does Mailshake include a dialer?
Yes, on the Sales Engagement plan ($85/user/month). The dialer includes click-to-call, voicemail drop, and call recording. It's a basic but functional dialer suitable for 20-40 calls per day. Teams making 100+ calls daily need a dedicated power dialer like Orum or Nooks.
What happened with the SalesIntel acquisition?
SalesIntel acquired Mailshake in 2022 to create an integrated data-plus-outreach platform. The products remain separate with their own pricing but share tighter integration than third-party connections. SalesIntel users can push contacts directly into Mailshake campaigns. The acquisition gives Mailshake a data story, though the data is a separate purchase.
Should I switch from Mailshake to Instantly?
Switch if cold email is your primary channel and you want better deliverability at lower cost. Stay if you rely on Mailshake's dialer, LinkedIn features, Lead Catcher workflow, or CRM integrations. Calculate the true switching cost: retraining, template rebuilding, integration reconfiguration, and workflow disruption. For some teams, the savings don't justify the transition effort.
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Reviewed by the B2B Sales Tools Editorial Team. Last verified 2026-04-12.
Pricing, features, and ratings are based on vendor documentation, public filings, product demos, and feedback from sales teams using these tools in production. We update reviews when vendors ship major releases or change pricing.