Head to head

Instantly vs Woodpecker

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Instantly

$47/mo Free trial

Cold-email infra for teams farming many sending mailboxes. Public Outreach start is $47/mo monthly.

Where Instantly fits

Outbound recruiting teams sending at volume
Agencies running many sending accounts
Desks that need warmup plus a unibox
MCP/API automation around campaigns

Woodpecker

$35/mo 14 day free trial

Cold email tool with optional LinkedIn steps, billed by contacted prospects. 500 prospects cost $35/mo, with a 14-day trial and no card.

Where Woodpecker fits

SDR teams sending cold email at steady volume
Agencies adding many mailboxes and users
Teams connecting outreach to Clay or a CRM
Buyers who want a 14-day trial with no card

At a glance

Detail	Instantly	Woodpecker
Starting price	$47/mo	$35/mo
Free tier	–No	–No
Free trial	Yes	14 day free trial
MCP server	✓Yes	✓Yes
Public API	✓Yes	✓Yes
Listed under	Lead generation, Outreach	Verification, Lead generation, LinkedIn, Outreach

Where they pull apart

Instantly

Stands out: Warmup, unibox, and volume send with hosted MCP and a public API.

Watch out: Deliverability still depends on your domains and inboxes, not the tool alone.

Not the right fit for

Teams that only need LinkedIn messaging
Buyers looking for an ATS

Woodpecker

Stands out: Unlimited team members and mailboxes at no extra cost, since billing is set by how many prospects you contact.

Watch out: LinkedIn costs $29/mo per connected account, and the API, webhooks, MCP and CLI sit in a $20/mo integrations add-on.

Not the right fit for

LinkedIn-first teams that want it in the base price
Buyers who want API access without an add-on

Pros and cons

Instantly

Warmup and unibox in the same desk
Hosted MCP plus REST API
No-card get-started path on the vendor site

Sending domains and inboxes are bought separately
Sequence designer is plainer than multichannel rivals
Volume tiers step up quickly as mailboxes grow

Woodpecker

$35/mo for 500 contacted prospects
Unlimited users and mailboxes
Hosted MCP server and REST API

LinkedIn is $29/mo per account
API and MCP need a $20/mo add-on
Sending stops at your prospect cap

What each one costs

Instantly

$47/mo

From ~$30/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 17 Sep 2026

Woodpecker

$35/mo

Billed per contacted prospect at $7 per 100, so 500 prospects cost $35/month, and annual billing saves 33 percent. LinkedIn is $29/month per account and the API/MCP integrations add-on is $20/month. The 14-day trial (or 100 emails) needs no card. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Is Instantly cheaper than Woodpecker?

Woodpecker starts lower, at $35/mo against $47/mo for Instantly. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.

Can you try Instantly or Woodpecker for free?

Neither carries a free tier on our listing. Instantly offers a free trial. Woodpecker offers a 14 day free trial.

Does Instantly or Woodpecker have an MCP server?

Instantly and Woodpecker ship a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 17 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?