Cold emailing can feel like shouting into a crowded room—your message often gets lost in the noise. Both as a sender and a recipient—I understand how crucial it is to make your outreach stand out.

With the sheer volume of emails we all receive, it's no wonder that many end up ignored or deleted. However, crafting personalized emails for hundreds of prospects can be overwhelming, especially as your list grows.

To effectively scale your outreach, cold email software is essential. It automates your processes, saving you time and maximizing your results.

With so many options available, finding the right tool can be overwhelming.

Some platforms are too complex for beginners, while others lack the features needed by experienced marketers.

In this article, we’ll cut through the noise and share my firsthand experiences with the top cold email solutions available today. You’ll discover which tools excel in specific areas, their pros and cons, and how to select the one that aligns perfectly with your sales strategy. 

And if you’re short on time, we’ve included a quick summary of the best options to help you make an informed choice. 

• Smartlead.ai: AI-driven warmup and deliverability to keep your emails out of spam.
• Mixmax: Advanced email automation and scheduling for efficient outreach management.
• Hunter: Simplifies finding email addresses for freelancers and beginners.
• Klenty: AI-powered tool for customizing personalized email sequences.
• Woodpecker: Generates compelling email bodies with AI for streamlined content creation.
• Apollo: Automates lead engagement to enhance your prospect connections.
• GMass: Chrome extension for easy management of personalized email campaigns.
• Mailshake: Supports multichannel outreach to effectively reach prospects.
• QuickMail: Your go-to tool for streamlined cold outreach

What Makes the Best Cold Email Tool?

When it comes to cold emailing, the right software can make all the difference. The best cold email tools help sales, marketing, and recruitment teams send personalized, targeted email outreach at scale by automating the sending process and optimizing deliverability.

Here are the must-have features that distinguish great cold email software:

1. Automation

Manual emailing can be tedious and time-consuming. The best cold email tools allow you to create one message and send it to multiple recipients simultaneously.

They can also automate entire email sequences, sending follow-ups until a recipient replies. Plus, these tools handle unsubscriptions, ensuring you don’t accidentally reach out to those who have opted out.

2. Deliverability

Deliverability is crucial; your emails need to land in the inbox, not the spam folder. Cold email software helps you manage your sending volume, gradually dispatching emails to avoid triggering spam filters.

Many tools also distribute your sending volume across multiple inboxes, reducing the risk of spikes that could flag your accounts.

3. Tracking Performance

Great cold email tools automatically track key metrics like replies, opens, clicks, and unsubscribes. Look for software that provides insightful reports on your campaigns, helping you gauge your performance over time.

This data is vital for refining your strategy and improving your outreach effectiveness.

4. Integrations

A solid cold email tool should seamlessly integrate with your email service provider (like Gmail or Outlook) and your CRM. This integration allows you to send emails directly from your account and keeps all your conversations organized.

For more complex workflows, consider tools that support webhooks or services like Zapier to manage your email data efficiently.

5. Data Collection

Some cold email platforms go beyond just sending messages. Tools like Smartlead help you verify email addresses, making your outreach process more efficient. Having access to features that assist with prospecting can enhance your overall strategy.

6. Personalization

Personalization is key to effective cold emailing. Instead of manually tweaking every message, the best tools enable you to inject custom attributes into your emails, creating distinct messages that resonate with each recipient.

7. Customer Support

Strong customer support is essential when using any software tool. Look for cold email platforms that offer responsive support channels, such as live chat, email assistance, or comprehensive knowledge bases.

Good support can help you troubleshoot issues quickly and ensure you get the most out of your chosen tool.

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9 Best Cold Email Software for Sales Automation

1. Smartlead

Smartlead is a powerful email outreach platform designed to transform cold emails into consistent revenue streams. With the ability to scale outreach through unlimited mailboxes, warmups, and email deliverability infrastructure, Smartlead provides a unified inbox to manage your entire revenue cycle in one place.

Trusted by over 31,000 businesses, it excels in email deliverability, lead generation, cold email automation, and sales outreach, making it an essential tool for businesses looking to fill their pipelines with high-quality leads.

Smartlead automates your entire outbound infrastructure with a robust cold email API and webhook system. This allows you to effortlessly manage campaigns, adjust settings, and integrate data between software, all without manual effort.

Key Features for Cold Emailing:

• Unlimited Warmups: Maintain a high sender reputation with AI-driven email interactions that help keep your messages out of spam folders through humanized activity and smart replies.
• Email Deliverability: Ensure your emails consistently reach your leads’ inboxes, building your sales pipeline with confidence.
• Master Inbox 3.0: Simplifies communication and tracking, allowing sales reps to focus on closing deals with real-time updates and data-driven insights.
• Mailbox Rotation: Scale your outreach without limits on daily sends or email reputation, enabling seamless campaign creation and mailbox connection.
• Protect Sender Reputation: Automatically manage email deliverability to safeguard your sender reputation and boost campaign performance.
• Powerful APIs and Automation: Leverage advanced APIs to automate your outbound processes, increasing efficiency and sales while reducing manual work.
• SmartAI Bot: Generate high-converting sales copy tailored to specific personas and utilize AI for context-aware responses, enhancing engagement.
• Customized White Labeling: Offer a branded experience to clients, automate reporting, and improve client retention with Smartlead’s white-label solutions.
• Built-in Email Verification: Reduce bounce rates and protect your email reputation with real-time verification backed by extensive data.
• Follow-Up Automation: Maximize conversion rates with automated follow-ups, ensuring no opportunity slips through the cracks.
• Enhanced Tracking and Analytics: Track your email campaign performance in real time, enabling informed decisions for optimization.

How to Run an Automatic Deliverability Test Using SmartDelivery

Smartlead’s SmartDelivery tool allows you to automate deliverability tests to monitor and enhance your email performance continuously. These tests remove guesswork by evaluating your emails against various deliverability parameters at scheduled intervals.

Step 1: Log In to Your Smartlead Account
Log in to access your Smartlead dashboard.

Step 2: Choose Test Mode
Select the Automatic Test option to run spam tests at regular intervals without manual intervention.

Step 3: Fill In General Details
Enter the following information:

• Test Name: Name your test for easy identification.
• Description: Briefly summarize the test.
• Move to a Folder: Organize your tests (optional).

By default, your test will go through the SpamAssassin spam filter to ensure it meets necessary standards. You can also enable the Link Checker to verify that all links (except the unsubscribe link) are valid. Finally, set the sending throttle rate to control how quickly emails are sent.

Step 4: Select Mailboxes and Copy
Choose the campaign you want to test from the dropdown menu, select the sequence within that campaign, and review the email copy. You can then select which sender accounts to use for the test.

Optionally, modify email providers to include a seed list with over 50 addresses across various ESPs for comprehensive results.

Step 5: Set Test Frequency
Define how often you want the automatic tests to run (daily or weekly) and set start and end dates. Once configured, click Activate Test. The system will track your email deliverability automatically, providing you with regular updates.

You can pause or stop the automated test at any time through the action menu and review deliverability reports as needed.

With Smartlead.ai, you can stay ahead of potential deliverability issues and ensure your cold outreach efforts are effective and efficient.

Smartlead Pricing‍

Smartlead offers a variety of plans to suit different business needs.

The Basic Plan is priced at $39/month and is ideal for solopreneurs or those looking to try out Smartlead, providing 2000 active leads and 6000 emails per month, along with unlimited email warmup and accounts, dynamic IP addresses, a centralized master inbox, dynamic sequences, detailed analytics, and general support within 24 hours. 

The Pro Plan, at $94/month, caters to marketers and pre-scale businesses, offering 30,000 active leads and 150,000 emails per month, along with features like ChatGPT-4, email guide assistance, active support, a global block list, webhooks, integrations, API access, and unlimited seats. 

For agencies looking to scale, the Custom Plan starts at $174/month and includes tailored features to meet specific lead generation needs. Additionally, there are add-ons available, such as client management for $29/client/month and email verification credits starting at $15/month.

2. Mixmax

Best for sales professionals, customer success teams, and account executives looking for a powerful cold emailing tool that integrates seamlessly with Gmail.

Mixmax stands out as a robust cold emailing software that enhances your outreach with automation and scheduling features. With Mixmax, you can send personalized emails, track engagement, and automate follow-ups—all from within your Gmail inbox.

Key Features for Cold Emailing:

• Personalized Messaging: Customize emails within your sequences for a more tailored approach to outreach.
• Easy Scheduling: Simplify the process of sending calendar invites, meeting notifications, and reminders.
• Engagement Tracking: Embed polls and surveys, and monitor key metrics such as open rates, bounce rates, and click tracking.

Mixmax Pricing

Mixmax offers five pricing tiers, including a Free Plan. The SMB Plan starts at $29 per user per month for email campaigns, while the Growth Plan, which includes sales automation features, is available for $49 per user per month.

Many users appreciate the sequence feature, noting, “The sequences are the best part of Mixmax; you can create a message to send to customers after a meeting, and if there's no response, it automatically sends your follow-up message.”

However, some have found the learning curve a bit steep, with one user commenting, “At first, I thought it was quite complicated to understand because I wasn’t used to managing everything on a new platform, so getting the hang of it seemed challenging.”

Overall, Mixmax offers a comprehensive solution for those looking to elevate their email outreach efforts, making it easier to connect with leads and manage relationships effectively.

3. Hunter

Launched in 2019, Hunter Campaigns complements Hunter's existing tools—Email Finder and Email Verifier—offering an intuitive cold email solution for teams at any experience level.

Key Features for Cold Emailing:

• Generous Free Plan: Hunter offers a robust free plan that allows users to run a 500-recipient campaign without any cost.
• Ease of Use: The platform is designed with a user-friendly interface, making it accessible for beginners.
• Seamless Integration: Effortlessly connect with the Hunter.io suite to manage the entire outreach process from one tool.
• Rich CRM Integrations: Integrate smoothly with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and Zoho for streamlined workflows.
• No Limits: Enjoy unlimited email sends and active leads, along with a reliable API for tech-savvy users.
• Zapier Compatibility: Automate workflows by connecting Hunter with other tools via Zapier.

Hunter Pricing

Hunter's free plan allows anyone to connect one email address and run a cold email campaign. To send from multiple addresses or add more than 500 recipients, users will need to upgrade. Paid plans start at $49/month, unlocking advanced reporting features to monitor key metrics over time.

If you're new to cold emailing, Hunter's free plan is a great starting point. It allows you to test a 500-recipient campaign while providing access to essential analytics, browser extensions, and CRM integrations—all at no cost.

While Hunter is a fantastic choice for freelancers or those with modest campaign needs, its scaling options may fall short for users requiring extensive outreach capabilities. Even the highest-tier plan, priced at $499/month, is capped at 20 email accounts.

By connecting Hunter to Zapier, you can streamline your cold email workflows—automatically validating new leads and integrating them with your other sales and marketing apps without manual effort. This makes it an excellent choice for both beginners and those looking to refine their cold email strategy.

4. Klenty

If you're looking for a cold email tool that excels in customizing email sequences, Klenty stands out. It leverages AI and automation to streamline your outreach process, making it a strong contender for businesses focused on efficiency.

Key Features for Cold Emailing:

• Intelligent Workflow Automation: Klenty's IQ features simplify and automate various outreach tasks, saving you valuable time.
• AI Assistant: The AI tool can generate entire email sequences, call scripts, LinkedIn messages, and text responses in just seconds.
• Comprehensive Analytics: With stepwise metrics, you can easily track key performance indicators like bounce rates and open rates for each email in your sequences.

Some users may find the interface challenging to navigate, particularly when setting up new campaigns. Klenty is on the pricier side, especially for those needing advanced features.

During my free trial, I was impressed by its IQ features, which allow you to import a full prospecting list from LinkedIn or your CRM with just one click. Plus, the AI assistant can auto-generate sequences tailored to your value propositions, personalizing emails for each recipient seamlessly.

Klenty's analytics suite is another highlight, providing detailed metrics that let you monitor the performance of each email in your sequences. This level of insight is invaluable for optimizing your outreach efforts.

However, it's worth noting that this robust functionality comes at a price. The user interface can be somewhat convoluted; for example, starting a new email campaign required me to navigate through multiple clicks (and they call email sequences "cadences," which might add to the confusion).

Klenty Pricing

Klenty integrates with popular CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive, but to access these features, you'll need to sign up for the Growth plan, which starts at $70/month. If you’re on the base plan, you can still connect to your favorite tools through Zapier.

Klenty offers a 14-day free trial, allowing you to test its features before committing. Paid plans start at $60/user/month, billed quarterly, for the Startup plan.

5. Woodpecker

Best for sales teams from small to medium-sized businesses looking to personalize and automate their cold outreach efforts.

Woodpecker is a powerful cold email software designed to simplify and optimize your outreach campaigns.

With its intelligent follow-up system and personalized email automation, Woodpecker helps you connect with more prospects and boost your response rates. The tool seamlessly integrates with both Gmail and Outlook, making it a versatile choice for various email environments.

Key Features for Cold Emailing:

• Email Verification: Automatically checks for invalid email addresses before launching your campaign, helping you maintain a clean list.
• Condition-Based Campaigns: Create customized follow-up sequences that respond automatically to prospect actions, ensuring timely and relevant engagement.
• Templates: Use pre-built templates to streamline your workflow and save time on composing emails.

Many users praise Woodpecker for its intuitive interface and strong customer support. One user noted, “It’s intuitive, easy to use, and has a great support team... simple - it works perfectly!” Another mentioned, “I enjoy my experience with Woodpecker. I would only add an option to customize not only the first message but also the follow-ups for more granularity in reporting.”

Woodpecker Pricing

Woodpecker offers plans starting at $39 per month per email slot, although some advanced features like A/B testing and API access are not included in this base price.

Woodpecker is an excellent choice for salespeople in SMBs who want to enhance their cold outreach with automation and personalization. While it excels in ease of use and customer support, users may desire more customization options for follow-ups and enhanced reporting features. 

6. Apollo

Best for businesses looking to leverage a comprehensive B2B database for lead generation and cold emailing.

Apollo is designed to be a complete sales platform that combines cold email capabilities with robust lead generation tools. Its motto, "Cut your stack. Do it all in Apollo," reflects its goal of streamlining the sales process—from prospecting to closing deals.

Key Features for Cold Emailing:

• AI Assistant: Apollo’s AI can help you craft and personalize email sequences, making outreach quicker and more efficient.
• Extensive B2B Database: With access to a Living Data Network that includes 156 million business and personal emails, Apollo equips you with a wealth of lead information, including phone numbers and additional details.
• User-Friendly Cold Email Tool: The platform is intuitive, featuring a helpful tutorial video when you start building your first email sequence. You can also generate sequences using AI or choose from pre-built templates, all accessible on the free plan (though limited to two active sequences at a time).
• Integration Capabilities: Apollo integrates seamlessly with popular tools, including a Chrome extension for pulling lead information from platforms like LinkedIn. Plus, you can use Zapier to connect Apollo with other apps in your workflow.

Apollo Pricing

Apollo offers a generous free plan that allows users to explore most features without committing to a subscription. Paid plans start at $59 per user per month for the Basic plan.

Users appreciate Apollo for its extensive features and ease of use. While the platform does have a learning curve, many find the investment worthwhile, especially for businesses that need a unified tool for cold emailing and lead prospecting.

If you’re in search of an all-in-one solution for cold emailing and lead generation, Apollo could be your go-to app. Its combination of a large B2B database, AI capabilities, and a user-friendly interface makes it a strong contender for any sales team. 

7. GMass

Best for users looking for a straightforward way to manage email campaigns directly within Gmail.

If you're hesitant about navigating new software platforms, GMass is a breath of fresh air. This Chrome extension operates entirely within your Gmail account, allowing you to streamline your email outreach without the learning curve associated with more complex tools.

Key Features for Cold Emailing:

• Gmail Integration: GMass runs directly in Gmail, making it incredibly easy to send mass emails without leaving your inbox. Once you install the extension, you'll find a convenient GMass button next to the standard send button.
• Sync with Google Sheets: For users with existing spreadsheets of leads, GMass allows you to import contact lists effortlessly. This integration simplifies the process of reaching out to potential clients.
• Essential Campaign Features: While GMass may not offer the extensive functionality of some other tools, it includes essential features such as A/B testing, automatic follow-ups, and campaign metrics to track your email performance.
• Simplicity: GMass excels in its straightforward approach. It’s designed for users who want to send mass emails quickly and efficiently, without the need for advanced features like AI-generated sequences or meeting scheduling.

 GMass Pricing

GMass offers a 7-day free trial, after which paid plans start at $25 per user per month for the Standard plan. Each email account requires its own subscription, so keep that in mind if you're managing multiple accounts.

Many users appreciate GMass for its simplicity and effective performance. It’s often described as the easiest way to send mass emails directly from Gmail, making it a popular choice for those who want to avoid the hassle of new software.

For those looking for a user-friendly solution to manage email campaigns, GMass stands out as an excellent option.

While it may not offer the breadth of features found in more complex platforms, its integration with Gmail and Google Sheets makes it a powerful tool for straightforward email outreach. If you’re aiming for simplicity without sacrificing functionality, GMass is definitely worth considering.

8. Mailshake

Best for businesses looking to streamline cold email, calling, and social media outreach all in one platform.

If you’re searching for a versatile tool that handles more than just cold emails, Mailshake could be your ideal solution. This platform excels not only in email outreach but also offers features for cold calling and social media engagement.

Key Features for Cold Emailing:

• Multichannel Outreach: Mailshake supports cold emailing, cold calling, and social media outreach, allowing you to engage with prospects across multiple platforms seamlessly.
• Lead Management: The Lead Catcher feature stores all your leads in one centralized location, making it easy to respond to messages and track your prospects' status (won, lost, or ignored) with just one click.
• AI Email Writer: The aptly named SHAKEspeare helps you craft compelling emails, ensuring your outreach is both effective and personalized.
• Unlimited Warm-Up and Automated Sequences: Mailshake offers unlimited warm-up for your email accounts and automated sequences to enhance your outreach efforts.

Mailshake Pricing

Mailshake's paid plans start at $29 per user per month for the Starter plan, with the Sales Engagement plan priced at $99, which includes LinkedIn automation and unlimited dialer minutes across multiple phone numbers.

While Mailshake provides a robust platform, it does come with some limitations. Its prospect database is less extensive compared to competitors, and some users may find the learning curve a bit steep. Additionally, its strict spam compliance filter may occasionally flag emails as "risky," which can be frustrating without clear context.

Mailshake integrates with popular tools like Salesforce, Pipedrive, and HubSpot, as well as Calendly for scheduling and Twilio for SMS outreach. For more advanced integrations, Zapier can help you connect Mailshake with other apps you use daily.

For those seeking a comprehensive outreach tool that goes beyond email, Mailshake stands out with its multichannel capabilities.

While it may require some time to get the hang of, the value it offers in managing leads and automating outreach can significantly enhance your sales strategy.

If you’re ready to boost your outreach efforts and engage prospects across various channels, Mailshake is definitely worth exploring.

9. QuickMail

Best for small to mid-sized businesses looking to enhance their cold email outreach and follow-up processes, with options tailored for agencies.

QuickMail is an email automation platform designed to simplify the cold emailing process, enabling businesses to efficiently reach out to potential prospects.

With features aimed at building a predictable sales pipeline, QuickMail stands out for its comprehensive approach to email outreach.

Key Features for Cold Emailing:

• Bounce Detection: This feature ensures that campaigns are halted immediately if invalid addresses are detected, helping to maintain your sender reputation.
• Automated Follow-Up Sequences: Effortlessly manage your outreach with automated follow-ups and segmentation, ensuring that no lead falls through the cracks.
• Email Deliverability Reports: Gain insights into your campaign’s performance with detailed reports that help you make data-driven decisions.

QuickMail Pricing

QuickMail’s Basic Plan starts at $49 per month, allowing you to send up to 30,000 emails and manage 10,000 active prospects—making it a cost-effective option for businesses looking to scale their outreach efforts.

Users have praised QuickMail for its ease of use, with one stating, “This is by far the best tool I've ever used for cold email outreach.” The auto warm-up feature is highlighted as essential, contributing to better deliverability. Users also appreciate the in-depth reporting capabilities, which allow for improved campaign strategies.

However, some users express frustration with manually setting send schedules for each campaign, noting that the calculations for inboxes, daily send limits, and email steps can be cumbersome.

For small to mid-sized businesses looking to simplify their cold outreach and enhance follow-up effectiveness, QuickMail is an excellent choice. Its user-friendly interface, robust features, and strong deliverability make it a valuable asset for building a successful sales pipeline. If you’re ready to elevate your cold emailing efforts, QuickMail is worth considering.

Other Cold Email Software to Consider

While there are many cold email tools available, a few noteworthy options didn’t quite make the top of our list but are definitely worth mentioning.

• Salesforge: With unlimited email warm-up capabilities and a comprehensive AI toolset, Salesforge helps streamline your outreach efforts.
• Autoklose: This tool features a built-in prospect database along with sales tracking functionality, making it a solid option for sales teams.
• Reply: Utilizing AI sales development representatives (SDRs), Reply enhances your outreach strategy by automating parts of the communication process.
• Snov.io: This app stands out with its strong multichannel outreach capabilities and a diverse range of email campaign templates to suit your needs.
• SmartReach: Equipped with an AI assistant, SmartReach can generate compelling subject lines and body text, helping you craft engaging emails.
• MailRush.io: If you need templates for various outreach campaigns, MailRush.io can generate a wide range for you.
• Overloop: Known for its sleek user interface, Overloop facilitates smooth multichannel outreach, ensuring your efforts are well-coordinated.

Essential Tools for Cold Email Success

To maximize your outreach efforts, you may need to supplement your cold email app with additional tools:

• Lead Enrichment: While some cold email apps like Apollo offer lead data enrichment, consider dedicated services like Clay or Cognism for a more specialized approach.
• Chatbots: Incorporate AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini to assist in crafting your email campaigns. Check out these ChatGPT prompts that generate effective sales emails to get started.
• CRMs: Integrating your cold email app with a CRM is essential for effective lead management. Explore Zapier’s roundup of the best CRMs to find the one that best fits your business needs.

By connecting your cold email platform with these additional tools using Zapier, you can automate your outreach workflows and ensure a seamless experience. This integrated approach will help you optimize your cold email strategy and drive better results for your sales efforts.

Wrapping Up!

Choosing the right cold email software is crucial for enhancing your sales process and optimizing your outreach efforts.

By focusing on key factors like deliverability rates, personalization features, and automation capabilities, you can ensure that your cold emails reach the right audience at the right time, maximizing your chances of conversion.

If you're looking for a powerful tool that combines all these elements seamlessly, consider Smartlead.

With its robust automation features, advanced analytics, and top-notch deliverability, Smartlead can transform your cold outreach strategy and help you generate high-quality leads efficiently.

Ready to elevate your cold email game? Start your free trial with Smartlead today and watch your outreach efforts flourish.