Mailforge vs ScaledMail (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mailforge and ScaledMail share a 1.6 GPA, neither has a free plan, and Mailforge starts cheaper, at $3 a month against $3.50 a month.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mailforge
Shared-IP domains and mailboxes built for cold email sending
ScaledMail
Managed cold email mailboxes, domains and DNS setup
Which one is for you
Pick Mailforge if
- Fits if you want cheap mailboxes for a sequencer you already pay for
- Works for small senders happy on shared IPs
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a tool that sends campaigns, as it doesn't
- Not for you if you want a trial, since there isn't one
- Watch out: slots are charged whether or not a mailbox is created
- Pricey if you add domains and masking: .com is $14 a year and masking is $2 per domain a month
Pick ScaledMail if
- Fits if you already have a sequencer and need mailboxes for it
- Works for agencies that want infrastructure set up for them
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try it first, as there is no trial and no free plan
- Not for you if you want to send campaigns from it, since it only supplies mailboxes
- Tight if you send much, because each mailbox is capped at 25 emails a day on Google and 10 on Outlook and SMTP
- Pricey if you want reporting, as it adds $2 a mailbox a month and turns the page's 2,000-a-day example from $397.75 into $653.75
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAMailforgeWeak | 1.6GPAScaledMailWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$3 a slot a month billed monthly, with a 10-slot minimum, so $30 at the floor. Just above the category's cheaper quarter ($25), before domains. | C$3.50 a mailbox a month on Google Workspace, so ten mailboxes cost $35, around the category's middle. Outlook is $50 a domain. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial. You can look around after signing up, but sending means buying domains and mailboxes. | FNo free plan and no trial is listed, so you pay before you try it. |
| Features | DDomains, mailboxes and DNS only. It needs a separate sender to be useful, and shared IPs share a reputation. | DMailboxes, domains, DNS, IP rotation and monitoring. It needs a separate sequencer to send or warm up anything. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. DNS is automated, but domains, slots and a sender all have to be put together. | CNo store rating on record. Domains, DNS and your sequencer have to be connected, even with the setup handled. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb with an API, and Salesforge, Infraforge, Warmforge and Primeforge from the same maker. | BWeb dashboard and a Slack support channel, working with Smartlead, Instantly, EmailBison, Apollo, lemlist and PlusVibe. |
| Best for | bulk mailboxes for cold email on shared IPs | managed mailboxes for cold email |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Mailforge and ScaledMail. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mailforge starts at $3 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ScaledMail starts at $3.50 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Mailforge starts $0.50 a month lower. Of the other cold outreach tools on the chart, none scores higher than Mailforge for less, and none scores higher than ScaledMail for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Mailforge also covers inbox warm-up.
At a glance
| Mailforge | ScaledMail | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $3 per mailbox slot / month, billed monthly, with a 10-slot minimum | $3.50 per mailbox / month for Google Workspace |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Mailforge | ScaledMail Products LLC |
| Price read from | mailforge.ai | scaledmail.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mailforge
- Slots are billed whether or not a mailbox is created in them, and the minimum purchase is 10.
- Domains are bought separately; the calculator prices .com at $14 a year, charged once, with no annual discount on domains.
- There is no free trial; the app can be explored after sign-up, but domains and mailboxes must be purchased to send.
- Each Forge product is a separate subscription, and SSL and domain masking costs $2 per domain a month.
ScaledMail
- It provides infrastructure only: warm-up and sending run in your sequencer, such as Smartlead, Instantly, EmailBison or PlusVibe.
- The listed mailbox limits are 25 emails a day on Google Workspace and 10 on Outlook and SMTP.
- The page's 2,000-emails-a-day example comes to $397.75 a month before reporting, $256 more with it on every account.
- Billing is monthly with no long-term contract; the volume can be adjusted.
Key features
Mailforge
- Automated DNS setup
- Each domain added gets DMARC, SPF, DKIM and custom domain tracking configured, with bulk DNS updates in the app.
- Shared IP pool
- Mailboxes are spread across a shared IP pool, in contrast with Infraforge's dedicated servers.
- Pre-warmed domains and mailboxes
- The page says domains and mailboxes can be bought pre-warmed so sequences can start right away.
- Workspaces and domain transfers
- Projects can have their own workspaces, and domains can be transferred in or out.
- Works with any sending tool
- Mailboxes connect to any sending software, including Salesforge from the same vendor.
- SSL and domain masking
- An add-on that redirects securely while masking the domain behind a branded website.
ScaledMail
- Managed mailboxes
- Google Workspace, Microsoft Outlook and SMTP mailboxes are created for you, and the three types can be mixed in one package.
- Domain and DNS setup
- ScaledMail registers a domain or connects one from another registrar, and configures SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
- IP rotation and monitoring
- Every package includes IP rotation and ongoing reputation and deliverability monitoring.
- Volume calculator
- A calculator sizes a package from a daily or monthly sending target and shows the cost, including an example for 2,000 emails a day.
- Dedicated Slack support
- Each package includes a dedicated Slack support channel, and setup is listed as taking 24 to 72 hours.
Plans
Mailforge
Mailbox slots$3
per mailbox slot / month, billed monthly, 10-slot minimum
Slots are the capacity to create mailboxes and are charged whether used or not. The calculator shows 25 slots at $75 a month, or $60 a month billed yearly.
ScaledMail
Google Workspace$3.50
per mailbox / month
2 to 3 mailboxes per domain, up to 25 emails per mailbox a day, with SPF, DKIM and DMARC set up. Optional reporting add-on at $2 per mailbox a month.
Microsoft Outlook$50
per domain / month
25 mailboxes per domain, up to 10 emails per mailbox a day. Optional reporting add-on at $5 per domain a month.
SMTP Server$3.75
per domain / month
4 mailboxes per domain, up to 10 emails per mailbox a day. Optional reporting add-on at $2 per mailbox a month.
Ways to pay less
Mailforge
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual mailbox billing
The FAQ says annual billing for mailboxes gets 2 months free automatically; there is no discount on domains.
ScaledMail
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mailforge or ScaledMail?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mailforge is cheaper to start with: $3 a month, against $3.50 a month for ScaledMail. Mailforge starts at $3 per mailbox slot / month, billed monthly, with a 10-slot minimum, and ScaledMail starts at $3.50 per mailbox / month for Google Workspace.
Which has a free plan, Mailforge or ScaledMail?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Mailforge nor ScaledMail has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.