fbpx

Instantly vs Hunter io: Maximize Email Deliverability in 2025

by | Last updated Jan 5, 2025

Winner
Instantly
9.5
  • Personalized Cold Email At Scale
  • Unlimited Email Warm-Up
  • 160 Million B2B Contacts
  • Inbox Placement Tracking
  • Website Visitor Tracking + CRM
  • 14 Day Free Trial
  • Plan Starts from $37/month
Runner Up
Best section img 6
8.0
  • B2B Lead Database
  • Email Verifier
  • Automated Cold Email Outreach
  • Intent Signal
  • Email Finder
  • Free plan available
  • Paid Plans from $49/month
instantly vs hunter io

Tired of your emails landing in spam? 😫 It’s frustrating, right?

You spend hours crafting the perfect outreach message, only to have it disappear into the abyss.

But don’t worry; the right tools can seriously boost your email deliverability!

In this post, we’ll compare two popular options, Instantly vs Hunter io, to help you choose the best one for your needs. 

We’ll break down their features, pricing, and more so you can land more emails in those inboxes (and get more replies!). 📧

Instantly vs Hunter io Overview

We’ve rigorously tested both Instantly and Hunter io to give you the most accurate comparison.

Examining key features like email finding accuracy, deliverability, ease of use, integrations, and pricing.

This hands-on experience allows us to provide real-world insights and help you make an informed decision.

Instantly AI

Ready to give Instantly a try? Experience the speed and simplicity of a modern lead generation tool.

10out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. The premium plan starts at $37/month.

Key Features:

  • Advanced email finder
  • Automated warm-up
  • Powerful deliverability tools
hunter io CTA

Want to find anyone’s email address in seconds? ✨ Hunter.io has over 100 million email addresses.

10out of 10

Pricing: Free plan is available. The premium plan starts at $49/month.

Key Features:

What is Instantly?

Have you ever wished you had a personal assistant for your email outreach? That’s what Instantly is!

It’s a powerful platform designed to help you find email addresses, send outreach campaigns, and improve your deliverability.

Think of it as your all-in-one tool for connecting with prospects and growing your business.

Instantly AI
Instantly
9.5

Ready to boost your email outreach? Don’t let another email get lost in spam. Try Instantly AI today and see the results for yourself.

Key Benefits

Pricing

Instantly offers a few different plans to fit your needs. Here’s a quick look:

  • Growth: $37/month.
  • Hypergrowth: $97/month.
  • Light Speed: $358/month.
Instantly AI

Pros

Cons

  • Limited email templates.
  • Integrations could be improved.
  • Occasional deliverability issues.
  • Analytics could be more robust.

What is Hunter io?

Need to find someone’s email address? Hunter.io is your go-to tool! It’s super simple to use.

Just type in a domain name, and Hunter.io will list all the email addresses associated with that website.

Pretty cool. It also verifies email addresses to ensure they’re valid to avoid those pesky bounces.

hunter io CTA
Hunter io
8.0

Unlock a world of leads with Hunter io’s domain search feature. Find all the email addresses associated with any company with a single domain search.

Key Benefits

  • Massive database with over 100 million email addresses. You’re likely to find who you need!
  • High accuracy rates for email finding. Get the correct contact info fast.
  • Easy-to-use interface. No technical skills required.
  • It’s a helpful Chrome extension for quick access. Find emails while you browse.
  • Integrates with other sales and marketing tools. Fits seamlessly into your workflow.

Pricing

Hunter.io has a free plan with limited searches, but their paid plans offer much more:

  • Free: $0 Monthly searches 25.
  • Starter: This plan starts at $49/month and offers 500 email credits and more advanced features.
  • Growth: starts at $149/month and gives you 10,000 email credits and even more advanced features, such as campaign automation.
  • Business: starts at $499/month and gives you 100,000 email credits and even more advanced features, such as campaign automation.
hunter io pricing

Pros

  • I love the Chrome extension.
  • It integrates with my CRM.
  • The interface is very intuitive.
  • It has a generous free plan.
  • Finding emails is super fast.

Cons

  • Accuracy can vary by domain.
  • Sometimes, it misses standard emails.
  • Customer support can be slow.
  • Email verification isn’t always perfect.

Instantly vs Hunter io Feature Comparison

Let’s clearly and concisely break down the key differences between Instantly and Hunter.io.

Here’s a point-by-point comparison to help you choose the right cold email software for your needs:

Email Finding Accuracy

  • Instantly: Boasts a 99% accuracy rate due to advanced algorithms and a vast b2b lead database. Excels at finding even niche email addresses for your email campaigns.
  • Hunter io: Relies on a massive database of over 100 million emails. It is highly accurate but might struggle with less common addresses, especially when conducting bulk domain testing.

Email Verification

  • Instantly: Offers bulk domain testing to analyze the entire domain for deliverability issues, going beyond basic verification to ensure your email account maintains a good sender reputation.
  • Hunter.io: Performs standard email verification, checking syntax and domain validity to confirm you’re sending professional emails.
Instantly-ai-login

Email Warm-up

  • Instantly: This feature features an automated email warm-up that gradually increases sending volume, mimicking human behavior for better deliverability and preventing cold emails from landing in spam.
  • Hunter.io offers warm-up capabilities but requires more manual input and monitoring, potentially hindering your email marketing efforts.

Integrations

  • Instantly: It integrates with a broader range of tools, including HubSpot, Zapier, and other email marketing and outreach tools, to streamline your workflow.
  • Hunter io: Integrates with popular CRMs like HubSpot and other essential sales and marketing tools but offers fewer options than Instantly.
instantly-ai-email-preview

LinkedIn Outreach

  • Instantly: Offers a dedicated LinkedIn outreach feature to find and verify emails directly from LinkedIn profiles, making it a powerful outreach tool for sales teams.
  • Hunter.io: Lacks a dedicated LinkedIn tool, but its Chrome extension can sometimes capture emails from LinkedIn, though less reliably. This might limit your multichannel outreach strategies.

Email Automation and Sequences

  • Instantly: Provides email automation with built-in AI for smart suggestions and personalized messaging, allowing you to optimize your email sequences and outreach efforts.
  • Hunter.io: Offers basic email automation and sequencing features but lacks the advanced AI capabilities of Instantly.
hunter io domain search

Pricing Plans

  • Instantly: Offers flexible pricing plans, including a free trial, and tends to be more affordable for high-volume senders looking to scale their outreach. You can try the tool and explore its features before committing.
  • Hunter.io: Includes a free plan with limited features and various paid plans with increasing email credits and features. It also offers a free trial to test the tool before subscribing.

Considering these features, you can also choose the best email outreach tool for your cold email needs, whether you’re sending different emails or need unlimited emails to reach your audience.

Instantly and Hunter.io are tools like many others, but their unique features set them apart as powerful tools for any email marketing strategy.

What to Look for When Choosing the Right Email Deliverability Tool?

  • Ease of Use: Instantly and Hunter.io are user-friendly, but Instantly might have a slight edge for the beginners due to its intuitive interface and helpful onboarding resources.
  • Customer Support: If you need help, Instantly offers faster and more responsive customer support than Hunter.io.
  • Deliverability Rate: While both tools prioritize deliverability, Instantly’s advanced features, such as warm-up and spam testing, give it a potential advantage in reaching the inbox.
  • Specific Needs: Consider your unique requirements. Instantly’s dedicated LinkedIn outreach feature is a significant plus if you heavily rely on LinkedIn for lead generation. If budget is a primary concern, Hunter.io’s free plan might be a good starting point.
  • Future Growth: Consider your long-term goals. Instantly, its scalability and advanced features might make it a better choice if you plan to expand your outreach efforts significantly.
  • Trial and Error: Both platforms offer free trials, during which you can test the features and see which tool best suits your workflow and preferences.

Final Verdict

For us, Instant takes the crown! 👑 Its b2b lead finder consistently gave us the most accurate results.

Plus, we loved how easy it was to verify our email lists and improve our sender reputation with their email warmup tools.

Instantly made our cold email campaigns more effective. But that doesn’t mean Hunter.io is a bad choice.

It’s still a great tool, especially if you need to find the email addresses associated with specific websites quickly.

Ultimately, the best choice depended on your needs.

Do you need help with cold outreach across email and LinkedIn? Go with Instantly.

Are you looking for a simple email service to manage multiple email accounts? Hunter.io is a better fit.

No matter which tool you choose, remember to use the email addresses responsibly and ethically. Happy emailing! 📧

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Instantly and Hunter io to find anyone’s email address?

While both tools are powerful, they can’t find every email address. They primarily focus on professional email addresses associated with businesses and organizations. Always respect privacy and use these tools ethically.

Which tool is better for managing high-volume campaigns?

It might be a better choice for high-volume sending due to its robust features, advanced automation, and more affordable pricing for bulk email credits.

Do these tools integrate with email service providers like Gmail?

Instantly, Hunter.io integrates with popular email service providers like Gmail, allowing you to connect your existing accounts and streamline your workflow.

Can Instantly and Hunter to help enhance my cold email deliverability?

Absolutely! Both tools offer email verification, warm-up, and spam testing to help you improve your sender reputation and land more emails in your inbox.

Is there a free trial available for Instantly and Hunter io?

Yes, both platforms offer you a free trial period. Instantly provides a 14-day free trial, while Hunter.io offers a 7-day free trial. Before committing to a paid plan, this allows you to test the features and see which tool best suits your needs.