Smartlead and lemlist both come up when people look for a way to find prospects and reach them. Here is how they compare on price, data, sending, channels and AI, using facts from each vendor’s own site, last checked October 1, 2026.
Short answer. Smartlead is best for agencies and high-volume senders who want unlimited mailboxes, AI reply triage and cheap white-label client access. lemlist is best for sales teams that want lead data, email and LinkedIn/phone outreach in one subscription and are fine paying per user for multichannel.
At a glance
Pricing
| Smartlead | lemlist | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $39/month | From $69/month |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Trial | Pricing page offers 50% off the first month on any plan, no credit card required; FAQ links a free trial without stating its length | 14-day free trial, no credit card required; includes Multichannel plan features except in-app calls, plus 200 free credits |
| Plans | Base: $39/month (monthly billing) ($32.50/month billed yearly) · 2,000 contacts stored, 6,000 email sends, 2,000 verified prospect emails; no CRM, calls, private infrastructure or API Pro: $94/month (monthly billing) ($78.30/month billed yearly) · 30,000 contacts stored, 90,000 email sends, 30,000 verified prospect emails, CRM access; API as add-on Unlimited Smart: $174/month (monthly billing) ($144.50/month billed yearly) · Unlimited contacts, 150,000 email sends, 50,000 verified prospect emails, CRM, warmup pool, private OAuth Unlimited Prime: $379/month (monthly billing) ($314.60/month billed yearly) · Unlimited contacts, 500,000 email sends, 170,000 verified prospect emails, CRM, calls, private infrastructure, API and webhooks, dedicated manager, 3 SmartServers | Email: $69/month (monthly billing) ($55/month billed yearly (quarterly billing: $60/month)) · Unlimited users and email senders, 50,000 emails/month at the listed price (volume is selectable), email and phone finder, 650M+ lead database, lemAgent AI agents, MCP and CLI, email warm-up and Deliverability Hub, CRM integrations and API Multichannel: $109/month per user (monthly billing) ($87/month per user billed yearly (quarterly billing: $95/month)) · Everything in Email plus 5 senders per user, unlimited emails and messages, LinkedIn automation, SMS automation, WhatsApp automation add-on, built-in call dialer and VoIP integrations, use lemlist from Gmail and LinkedIn Enterprise: Custom (talk to sales) · Everything in Multichannel plus 5 or more senders per user, use lemlist from your CRM, custom roles and permissions, dedicated account manager, custom terms, SSO/SAML, priority support Lead data enrichment (add-on): $20/month ($16/month billed yearly) · 2,000 credits/month (400 emails or 100 phones), pay per success, unused credits roll over while subscribed |
Features side by side
| Smartlead | lemlist | |
|---|---|---|
| Lead data | SmartProspect lead finder with verified prospect emails (monthly allowance per plan) | 650M+ lead database with email finder/verifier and phone finder; contact data uses credits (Data add-on) |
| Warm-up | Exclusive warm-up pool with human-like interactions | lemwarm warm-up and Deliverability Hub included in all plans; inbox rotation, in-app domain and mailbox purchase |
| Sending inboxes | Unlimited mailboxes | Email plan: unlimited users and email senders; Multichannel: 5 senders per user; Google, Microsoft and SMTP supported |
| Through native integrations with HeyReach and Aimfox (per its own blog), not built in | LinkedIn automation on Multichannel (profile visits, follows, invites, text and voice messages) | |
| Calls, SMS, WhatsApp | SmartDialer for calls with parallel dialing and local-presence numbers (call access on Unlimited Prime); SMS and WhatsApp not mentioned | Multichannel: built-in call dialer and VoIP integrations (Aircall, Ringover), SMS automation; WhatsApp is an add-on |
| AI writing | SmartAgents that research leads and write personalized emails | lemAgent and Smart Messaging AI agents (research, enrichment, personalized copy, AI LinkedIn voice notes) |
| Replies / inbox | Master Inbox with an AI reply manager that prioritises hot leads | Unified inbox; comparison table lists AI reply intent detection, AI out-of-office detection and AI-generated replies |
| CRM | HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Clay, Listkit and more, plus built-in CRM from Pro | HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive; Zapier, Make, n8n, Clay; 500+ integrations |
| API | API and webhooks included on Unlimited Prime, add-on on lower plans | API key and documentation, plus MCP server and CLI |
| Agencies | White-label at $29 per client; one client included free with the Pro plan | Not listed on its site |
Facts from each vendor’s own pricing and product pages, last checked October 1, 2026: Smartlead, lemlist. Prices change often, so check before you buy.
Where Smartlead stands out
- Unlimited mailboxes and, from Unlimited Smart, unlimited contact storage
- Verified prospect emails included in every plan
- AI reply manager in the master inbox
- Built-in dialer on the top plan
- Low per-client white-label price for agencies
Limitations
- No free plan
- API is included only on the top plan (add-on below)
- LinkedIn only via third-party integrations
- Base plan has no CRM, calls or API
Where lemlist stands out
- Lead database (650M+) and email/phone finder inside the same tool as sequencing
- Email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS and WhatsApp in one campaign on the Multichannel plan
- Email plan includes unlimited users and email senders
- Warm-up and deliverability tools included in all plans
- 14-day trial without a credit card
Limitations
- No free plan
- Contact data (emails, phones) and intent signals are paid via credit add-ons
- LinkedIn, calls and SMS require the per-user Multichannel plan; WhatsApp is an extra add-on
- No white-label offering stated on its pricing page
And if you don’t have a list yet?
Both tools expect you to decide who to contact. If you sell to small or local businesses, or you want the targeting and the writing done for you, LeadGen.tools reads your website, finds the companies and the person who decides at each one, and writes a different email for every prospect. Free plan, no card.
FAQ
Is Smartlead cheaper than lemlist?
By listed starting price: Smartlead from $39/month, lemlist from $69/month. Limits per plan differ, so compare what each plan includes.
Does Smartlead or lemlist have a free plan?
Smartlead: no free plan listed. lemlist: no free plan listed.
What is the main difference between Smartlead and lemlist?
They differ most on: agencies. Smartlead is best for agencies and high-volume senders who want unlimited mailboxes, AI reply triage and cheap white-label client access. lemlist is best for sales teams that want lead data, email and LinkedIn/phone outreach in one subscription and are fine paying per user for multichannel.
Related comparisons
See it on your own business. Paste your website and watch LeadGen.tools find your best customers, the person who decides at each one, and write the emails. Free, no card. Analyze your website →