Reply.io vs Smartlead
We give Reply.io a 2.0 GPA and Smartlead a 2.6, out of 4.0. Reply.io grades higher on features. Smartlead grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Smartlead
High-volume cold email with unlimited mailboxes and client workspaces
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAReply.ioFair | 2.6GPASmartleadGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is on record: Reply's pricing page answered our reader with a bot check, so there's no per-head figure for a team of five to set against the category's $40 middle. With nothing published, it sits at C. Usage is also metered by active contacts each month. | ABase's 6,000 emails and 2,000 contacts won't carry five people, so the team plan is Pro: $78.30 a month billed yearly for everyone, about $15.66 a head. That's under 60% of the cheaper quarter's $32.50. Watch the add-ons, though. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free is on record. With the pricing pages behind a bot check, we couldn't confirm a free plan or a trial, and an unconfirmed trial can't earn a grade. | CNo free plan. The 14-day trial needs no card and allows 2,500 sends and 1,250 contacts, with the AI agents switched on, but white labeling stays locked. |
| Features | BThe whole job: sequences mixing email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS, WhatsApp and tasks, with A/B variants per step and holiday calendars. Jason AI SDR answers common questions and nudges quiet leads, on autopilot or with approval. Contact search and validation use credits. | CUnlimited mailboxes with warm-up and rotation, a master inbox sorted by intent, AI agents, and an API and MCP from Pro. The gap is LinkedIn: there are no LinkedIn steps, so you'd pair it with something like Expandi, and verified leads cost $59 a month extra on Base and Pro. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. There's real setup: email and LinkedIn accounts to connect, the LinkedIn side through a browser extension, and playbooks and knowledge bases if you want Jason writing for you. | CNo App Store rating on record. Expect to connect mailboxes, wait for warm-up and set up rotation before real sending starts, though the AI assistant helps with campaign setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus a browser extension, with an API, an MCP server and a command-line tool for builders. n8n is the only named integration on record, which is thin next to rivals. No phone or desktop app. | BWeb plus iPhone and Android apps for answering replies, with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Clay, Zapier, Slack and Expandi links, and an API and webhooks from Pro. No desktop app on record. |
| Best for | multichannel sequences with an AI SDR | high-volume cold email, and agencies |
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: Reply.io and Smartlead. How we grade
Where they differ
- Only Reply.io lists a browser extension.
- Only Smartlead lists iOS and Android apps.
- Smartlead also covers sales pipeline.
At a glance
| Reply.io | Smartlead | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $32.50 per month for 6,000 emails, billed yearly ($39 monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial, no card required, with 2,500 email sends and 1,250 contacts |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Reply | 521 Products Pty Ltd (Smartlead) |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | smartlead.ai |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Reply.io
- Sales teams that mix email, LinkedIn, calls and messaging in one sequence
- Teams that want an AI SDR to draft outreach and answer replies
- Developers building outreach on an API, MCP server or CLI
Smartlead
- Lead generation agencies running outreach for several clients
- High-volume senders spreading campaigns over many mailboxes
- Teams that answer replies from a phone
Worth knowing
Reply.io
- Prices could not be confirmed: reply.io and its help center answered every automated reader with a bot check when this was written.
- Usage is metered partly by active contacts, the people first contacted in a billing month, from one pool for the organization or one per team.
- Live Data contact searches and email validation consume credits on top of the subscription.
- LinkedIn accounts are connected through Reply's browser extension.
Smartlead
- Base has no CRM, API or webhooks and stores only 2,000 contacts.
- Verified lead emails cost $59 a month extra on Base and Pro, and email verification is sold separately in credit packs from $32.
- Inbox placement tests (SmartDelivery, from $49 a month), dedicated servers ($39 each a month) and calling credits (from $9 a month) cost extra.
- There is no free plan; the 14-day trial allows 2,500 sends and 1,250 contacts and leaves out white labeling.
Key features
Reply.io
- Multichannel sequences
- Sequence steps cover email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS, WhatsApp and to-do tasks, with A/B variants per step, sending schedules and holiday calendars.
- LinkedIn automation
- LinkedIn accounts connect through Reply's browser extension, with daily caps on connection requests, messages, InMails, profile views and likes.
- Jason AI SDR
- An AI SDR that follows playbooks and knowledge bases, answers common questions with reply handlers, re-engages silent leads and can run on autopilot or wait for approval.
- Live Data and AI fields
- Search for contacts with Live Data and validate emails, both using credits, and run AI prompts that fill contact fields for personalization.
- Inbox with categories
- Replies are gathered into inbox threads that are sorted into categories, alongside reports on emails, calls, LinkedIn and meetings booked.
- Domains and mailboxes
- Buy sending domains and mailboxes inside Reply, with first-term and renewal prices shown before purchase.
Smartlead
- Unlimited mailboxes with rotation
- Every plan connects any number of email accounts, warms them up and spreads a campaign's sends across them to protect each sender's reputation.
- Unified master inbox
- Replies from all accounts land in one inbox sorted by intent, with bulk actions and Kanban deal tracking. CRM access starts at Pro.
- SmartProspect lead finder
- A built-in B2B lead finder. Verified prospect emails are included on Unlimited Smart and Prime and are a $59 a month add-on on Base and Pro.
- SmartAgents and SmartAssistant
- AI agents and an assistant create campaigns, watch warmup and mailbox health, find leads and sort replies, on every plan including the trial.
- Client workspaces and white labeling
- From Pro, agencies run each client in its own workspace under their own brand for $29 a month per workspace; Unlimited Prime includes 3.
- API, webhooks and MCP
- Pro and above include the API and webhooks, and an MCP server gives AI assistants such as Claude access to campaigns, mailboxes and leads.
Plans
Reply.io
Pricing could not be confirmed. See reply.io.
Smartlead
Base$32.50
per month for 6,000 emails, billed yearly ($39 monthly)
2,000 stored contacts, unlimited mailboxes and warmup. No CRM, API or webhooks; 2,000 verified prospect emails are a $59 a month add-on.
Pro$78.30
per month for 90,000 emails, billed yearly ($94 monthly)
30,000 contacts, CRM, API and webhooks, and client workspaces at $29 a month each. 30,000 verified prospect emails are a $59 add-on.
Unlimited Smart$144.50
per month for 150,000 emails, billed yearly ($174 monthly)
Unlimited contacts, the premium warmup pool, calls with a customer success manager and 50,000 verified prospect emails included.
Unlimited Prime$314.60
per month for 500,000 emails, billed yearly ($379 monthly)
170,000 verified prospect emails, 3 dedicated SmartServers, 3 client workspaces, a dedicated manager and a private Slack channel.
Ways to pay less
Reply.io
No public discounts listed.
Smartlead
- Annual discount
Save 17% with yearly billing
Billed yearly, Base is $390 a year ($32.50 a month) instead of $39 monthly, and Pro $939.60 a year ($78.30 a month) instead of $94.
- Other savings
50% off the first month
The pricing page offers new sign-ups 50% off their first month on any plan, with no end date shown.
