February 18, 2026
Free Lemlist Alternative 2026: 5 Cold Email Tools Compared
Looking for a free alternative to Lemlist? Detailed comparison of 5 cold email tools: HeraMail, Instantly, Woodpecker, Saleshandy, and Smartlead.
Why look for a Lemlist alternative?
Lemlist is an excellent multichannel prospecting tool. But at $59-99 per user per month, it's a significant investment — especially for solopreneurs, freelancers, and small teams.
If you primarily do B2B cold email (no LinkedIn automation or WhatsApp), there are more affordable options.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Deliverability score | GDPR native |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HeraMail | $0 → $29/mo | Yes (20/day) | Yes (0-100) | Yes |
| Lemlist | $59/user/mo | No | No | Yes |
| Instantly | $30/mo | No | No | No |
| Woodpecker | $29/mo | No (7d trial) | Partial | Yes |
| Saleshandy | $25/mo (annual) | No | No | No |
| Smartlead | $39/mo | No | No | No |
1. HeraMail — Most accessible
Price: Free (20 emails/day) → $29/mo (200 emails/day)
HeraMail is a French-built B2B cold email tool with AI. Its differentiator: a 0-100 deliverability score calculated on every email before sending.
What's missing vs Lemlist: No built-in warm-up, no multichannel (LinkedIn), no lead database.
What's better: Functional free plan, deliverability score before sending, no per-user pricing, French company (GDPR compliant), AI-powered email generation.
2. Instantly — The volume king
Price: $30/mo (Growth) → $77/mo (Hypergrowth)
Instantly is optimized for volume: unlimited email accounts, built-in warm-up. But the B2B Lead Finder is a separate product at $47/mo.
Limitations: No free plan, no native GDPR compliance, UI can be confusing for beginners.
3. Woodpecker — Closest to Lemlist
Price: $29/mo (billed per prospects contacted)
Woodpecker is solid: warm-up, spam word detection, complete API. But pricing per prospects contacted gets expensive at scale.
Limitations: No free plan, no complete deliverability score (just spam words), variable pricing.
4. Saleshandy — Cheapest established option
Price: $25/mo (annual billing required)
Saleshandy offers unlimited mailboxes, warm-up, and 700M+ lead database. Best features-to-price ratio.
Limitations: Annual billing required, no native GDPR, India-based company (data location concerns).
5. Smartlead — Best warm-up
Price: $39/mo (Basic) → $94/mo (Pro)
Smartlead focuses on warm-up and inbox rotation. Good deliverability features but no AI content generation.
Limitations: No free plan, no deliverability score, limited email editor.
Which tool should you choose?
- Zero budget, testing → HeraMail (free plan, no credit card)
- Volume + warm-up → Instantly or Saleshandy
- Multichannel (email + LinkedIn) → Stay with Lemlist
- GDPR + European company → HeraMail
- API + integrations → Woodpecker
- Best warm-up → Smartlead
Feature comparison table
| Feature | HeraMail | Lemlist | Instantly | Woodpecker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI email generation | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Deliverability score | 0-100 | No | No | Partial |
| Multi-inbox rotation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes (20/day) | No | No | No |
| BYOS (own SMTP) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Unsubscribe link | Auto | Auto | Manual | Auto |
Try HeraMail free: heramail.io — 20 emails/day, AI included, no credit card.