Cold email send cost calculator: inboxes, domains and cost per email

Why it matters: cold email volume is capped per inbox, so the real cost of sending is inboxes, domains and a sending tool, not the copy. Most teams also forget the spare inboxes that keep volume steady when one burns. This calculator works out the whole setup for your daily target and prices it from the vendors listed in our directory.

How it works

• Type the cold emails you want out each sending day, follow ups included.
• It divides that by 30 emails per inbox a day, then adds 50% spare inboxes kept in warmup. That is the spare capacity rule from our guide to cold email infrastructure: a 3,000 a day sender runs 100 inboxes plus a warm pool that could carry another 1,500.
• Inboxes are spread three to a domain, and domains are priced across 12 months.
• Every inbox vendor is ranked by monthly cost, and each sending tool is matched to the smallest plan that covers your monthly emails and new contacts.
• Open Change the assumptions to set your own per inbox limit, spare percentage, inboxes per domain, domain price or sequence length.

What it does not count

• Lead data and email verification. Price those with the verification cost calculator.
• Paid warmup add-ons. Both sending tools here include warmup on every plan.
• Tax, setup fees and limited time deals. Prices are each vendor’s list price on the date shown.

Frequently asked questions

How many emails can one inbox send a day?

Around 30 cold emails a day per inbox is the figure our setup guide works from, and many teams go lower. Some vendors set their own cap, which the calculator applies when it is lower than yours.

Why keep 50% spare inboxes?

Inboxes burn. If every inbox you own is sending, one bad domain cuts your volume until a replacement finishes warming up. A warm spare pool lets you swap it out the same day.

How many inboxes should go on one domain?

Two or three is the common setup, so one damaged domain only takes a few inboxes with it. The calculator uses three; change it under Change the assumptions.

What does cold email cost per email?

Infrastructure alone usually works out to a fraction of a cent per email at volume, with small senders paying more because sending tool plans have fixed minimums. Type your volume above to see your figure.

Where do the prices come from?

From each vendor’s own pricing page, on the date shown under its result, with a link to that page. Compare more vendors in deliverability and outreach.

Next steps: see what the outbound earns with the recruiter outbound ROI calculator, check every script with the spintax checker, and confirm your domains with the SPF, DKIM and DMARC checker.