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CraftNudge vs Instantly: when you only need the sending layer.

These are not the same kind of product. Instantly is a broad suite with a warmup network and a lead database. CraftNudge is narrow on purpose. The split, both ways, is below.

Each claim about Instantly links to the page we read it on. We read them all on 14 September 2026.

ScopeInstantlySending, warmup network, lead database, AI, CRM, LinkedIn stepsCraftNudgeSending and reporting from your own inboxes
InboxesInstantlyGoogle Workspace, Microsoft 365, any SMTP. Mailboxes unlimited.sourceCraftNudgeAny SMTP and IMAP server with a username and password, Google Workspace with an app password. No OAuth.
Per-inbox cap and rampInstantlyDaily cap, a slow ramp from 2 a day, and a minimum gap with a random delayCraftNudgeDaily cap, a ramp up from a starting number, a minimum gap with jitter
Per-domain cap and rampInstantlyNo cap or ramp per sending domainsourceCraftNudgeA daily cap per domain shared by its inboxes, and a weekly warmup ramp per domain
SequencesInstantlyMulti-step with email, LinkedIn and webhook steps. Branching on Hypergrowth and up.sourceCraftNudgeMulti-step with waits and threaded follow-ups, manual LinkedIn and call steps the sequence waits on, and a step for interested or not interested replies only.
A/B variantsInstantlyUp to 26 per step on Hypergrowth and up, with stats and auto-optimiseCraftNudgeUnlimited, the winner favoured after a number of sends you set, per-variant stats
Stop on replyInstantlyYes, plus a company-level pausesourceCraftNudgeYes, and optionally the whole company
Unified inboxInstantlyPreview only on Growth. Full on Hypergrowth and up.CraftNudgeOn every plan, with interest labels and reply in the same thread
Lead lists and dedupeInstantlyYes, bothsourceCraftNudgeReusable lists, one campaign at a time, a re-contact window
Email verificationInstantlyPaid, in creditssourceCraftNudgeOn your own Reoon account, before the first send, with invalid and risky addresses skipped by default. A free mail server check as well.
SMTP responseInstantlyBounce type and reason per bounced lead, plus health scoressourceCraftNudgeThe raw response stored on every send
Bounce detailInstantlyHard, soft or unknown, with the reason for each bounced leadsourceCraftNudgeClassified by DSN code: bad data told apart from bad reputation
Custom tracking domainInstantlyYessourceCraftNudgeYes, off until its DNS check passes
AnalyticsInstantlyPer campaign, mailbox, step and variant, with date ranges and CSV downloadsourceCraftNudgePer campaign, inbox, day, step and variant, over any dates, with a daily chart, conversions and their value, each client workspace side by side, and CSV export
API and webhooksInstantlyAPI. Webhooks on Hypergrowth and up.CraftNudgeAPI on every plan. Signed, retried webhooks for seven events (sent, reply, bounce, unsubscribe, interested, interest changed, task due), and REST hooks a Zap can subscribe to.
IntegrationsInstantlyHubSpot and Pipedrive native, Salesforce through OutboundSync, Zapier, and Slack on Hypergrowth and upCraftNudgeNotes into HubSpot or Pipedrive on a reply or a change of interest, Zapier through REST hooks, and a signed webhook. No two-way sync.
WarmupInstantlyBuilt in, freesourceCraftNudgeNone, by design
Lead databaseInstantlyYes, sold as a separate credit plansourceCraftNudgeNone, by design
Placement testInstantlyYes, as a separate plan from $47 a monthsourceCraftNudgeTo your own seed addresses, results recorded by hand
Provider matchingInstantlyYessourceCraftNudgeNo
PricingInstantlyGrowth $47/mo ($37.60 annual): 1,000 contacts, 5,000 emails a month, mailboxes unlimited, 14-day trial. Light Speed $358/mo ($286.30 annual). Charged by contacts and emails. Leads on a separate credit plan.CraftNudgeStarter $29/mo, 3 inboxes. Agency $149/mo, 30 inboxes. Contacts and sends unlimited. Charged by sending inbox.

Where Instantly wins

Where CraftNudge wins

  • A daily cap per domain shared by its inboxes, and a weekly warmup ramp per domain held back by its bounce rate. Instantly ramps the mailbox, not the domain.source
  • Contacts and emails unlimited on every plan. Instantly Growth is 1,000 contacts and 5,000 emails a month.
  • A full unified inbox on every plan. Instantly's is a preview on Growth and full on Hypergrowth and up.
  • An API and webhooks on every plan. Instantly's webhooks start at Hypergrowth.
  • The raw SMTP response stored on every send, not only on bounces, and bounces sorted by DSN code.source
  • A free mail server check across a whole list before the first send. Instantly's verification costs credits.source
  • Telegram notifications.source

Pricing, checked September 2026

Instantly Growth is $47 a month, or $37.60 on an annual plan, for 1,000 contacts and 5,000 emails a month with mailboxes unlimited, a 14-day trial, and the unibox as a preview only. Light Speed is $358 a month, or $286.30 annual. Both are charged by contacts and emails, and leads are a separate credit plan. CraftNudge Starter is $29 a month for three sending inboxes and Agency is $149 for thirty, with contacts and sends unlimited and a 14-day trial without a card. Prices read on 14 September 2026 from each vendor's pricing page.

About Instantly

Instantly was founded in 2021 and is bootstrapped. It reached $2.4m ARR within nine months and $20m ARR by early 2024, and Latka estimates $38.2m for 2026 with about 200 people. Its customer count is not reliably public.

Who should not switch

If you want one dashboard to find leads, warm inboxes, write copy and send, Instantly is built for that and CraftNudge is not. Come to CraftNudge when you have outgrown the contact cap, you already have your list and your warmup sorted, and you are tired of a health score that does not match where your mail actually lands.

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Sources