Mails.so vs Reacher (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mails.so grades higher than Reacher: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mails.so grades higher on ease of use and platforms. Reacher grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mails.so
Email validation API and list checker with flat monthly plans
Which one is for you
Pick Mails.so if
- Fits if you want a flat monthly price instead of buying packs
- Works for people who also want an email finder
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: the 90% first-month discount lasts one month, then the plan renews in full
- Skip it if you want a free plan, since it's 50 credits once
- Pricey if you validate small amounts, as plans start at €48 a month
- Watch out: prices were read in euros and the dollar price is unconfirmed
Pick Reacher if
- Fits if you can run a server and want verification inside your own system
- Works for developers who want to read and change the source
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you do not want to host and maintain a server
- Watch out: the pricing page says mail servers often limit or block checks from unknown IPs
- Watch out: catch-all checks and hosted verification are a separate service, No2Bounce
- Watch out: the SMTP proxy service is separate and paid; its prices were not read
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMails.soFair | 2.0GPAReacherFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C€48 a month for 10,000 validations, which is near the category's $49 dearer quarter once converted. The dollar price is unconfirmed. | CFree software, but you supply and run the server, which makes it a C under the ladder. The proxy service and hosted checks are priced separately and were not read. |
| Free plan and trial | C50 free credits on sign-up with no card, once. No monthly free plan. | BThe engine is free to download and run under MIT. It costs you a server and an IP that mail servers will accept. |
| Features | CList validation, an API and an email finder. Only the three paid plans are listed, with no pay-as-you-go pack. | CSMTP-based address check behind an HTTP backend. Catch-all checks come from a separate hosted service. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You upload lists or use the API. | DSelf-hosting, and an HTTP API to call it. No rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and API with Mailchimp and HubSpot links. No apps. | CWeb only, and no integrations are listed. You get the source and an HTTP backend. |
| Best for | an email validation API with flat monthly plans | developers hosting their own email verifier |
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: Mails.so and Reacher. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mails.so starts at about $53.63 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Reacher has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Mails.so scores higher, and starts $53.63 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other email verification and deliverability tools on the chart, 8 score higher than Mails.so for less, and none scores higher than Reacher 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
- Reacher is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Mails.so | Reacher | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | €48 per month for 10,000 validations, shown in euros | Free |
| Free plan | None | The open-source engine is free to download and run yourself under the MIT license. |
| Free trial | 50 free credits on sign-up, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Mails, Inc. | Reacher |
| Price read from | mails.so | reacher.email |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mails.so
- Prices were read in euros; a US dollar view could not be read, so the dollar price is unconfirmed.
- The 90% first-month discount applies to the first month only; the plan then renews at full price.
- The free allowance is a one-time 50 credits, not a monthly free plan.
- Only the three paid plans were listed; there is no separate pay-as-you-go pack on the page.
Reacher
- You host and maintain it yourself; the pricing page says mail servers often limit or block verification traffic from unknown IP addresses.
- Hosted verification, including catch-all checks, is a separate service called No2Bounce with usage-based pricing, which was not priced on the Reacher pages.
- The Reacher site says it is owned by No2Bounce.
- The SMTP proxy service is a separate paid offering; its prices were not read.
Key features
Mails.so
- List validation
- Upload a list to check its addresses, or paste single addresses into the checker on the homepage.
- Validation API
- Every paid plan includes API access, for checking addresses at signup or inside other software.
- Email finder
- An email finder is included on all three paid plans.
- Mailchimp and HubSpot integrations
- Listed on every paid plan for cleaning lists held in those platforms.
- Top-ups
- Extra validations can be bought at any time on Pro and Business at a stated per-validation rate.
Reacher
- SMTP-based address check
- Checks whether a mailbox exists without sending an email; the GitHub project describes it as written in Rust.
- HTTP backend
- The repository comes with an HTTP backend, so the verifier can be called as an API from your own applications.
- Modifiable source
- The MIT-licensed code can be downloaded, changed and built into your own verification system.
- Port 25 SMTP proxies
- A separate Reacher service offers managed IP pools with rotation and MX-aware routing, for senders whose servers block verification traffic.
Plans
Mails.so
Pro€48
per month for 10,000 validations
First month €4.80 (90% off). 5 concurrent validations; top-ups at €0.005 per validation.
Business€98
per month for 50,000 validations
First month €9.80 (90% off). 5 concurrent validations; top-ups at €0.002 per validation.
Unlimited€498
per month for unlimited validations
First month €49.80 (90% off). 10 concurrent validations.
Reacher
Self-hosted Reacher$0
Open-source software you run on your own servers. You supply the infrastructure.
Ways to pay less
Mails.so
- Other savings
90% off the first month
The homepage shows each paid plan at 90% off for the first month, then at full price. No end date is shown.
Reacher
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mails.so or Reacher?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Reacher is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $53.63 a month for Mails.so. Mails.so starts at €48 per month for 10,000 validations, shown in euros, and Reacher is free.
Which has a free plan, Mails.so or Reacher?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Reacher has a free plan. Mails.so does not, though it has a free trial.
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.