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Instantly vs Lemlist vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?

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Claude
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Short answer
Instantly vs Lemlist vs Derrick in short. Instantly: unlimited warm-up · 160M B2B database · Agency-friendly. Lemlist: multichannel cold outreach (email + LinkedIn + calls). Derrick is a B2B enrichment web app (nothing to install), also available as a Google Sheets add-on, a REST API and an MCP server (Claude and ChatGPT drive enrichment for you). It is free forever with 100 credits/month, with paid plans from €9/month, and it runs on its own or alongside Instantly or Lemlist.

Where Instantly optimises the send + measure loop, Derrick owns the lead-list quality that determines whether Instantly's send loop ever lands in inbox. The side-by-side comparison below covers Instantly's pricing tiers, deliverability features and contact-source ecosystem against Derrick's 10-source lookup enrichment.

Free plan Yes - 100 credits/mo
Starts at €9/mo
Setup Nothing to install
Where it lives Web app, plus Sheets, Claude, API

See the full comparison ↓

Trusted by Hands Down best extension for sheets till date. It eased up my linkedin lead collection journey by 10x. Thank you!! Rahul Nair from Google Workspace Marketplace This tool makes enriching LinkedIn URLs incredibly easy. You can enrich both personal and company profiles with a single click, and the Google Sheets integration is a game-changer. Pankaj Rohilla from Google Workspace Marketplace Great extension. There's bigger companies that do 1000x less. Go with Derrick. Ben Leinen from Google Workspace Marketplace It makes my life a lot easier… no more copy and paste and time wasted. Thank you! Cris Forlani from Google Workspace Marketplace Derrick is your one stop solution to data collection and up to date leads data automated collection. 100/100 value for money. Manu Nair from Google Workspace Marketplace This is one hell of a magical tool, it has blown my mind already, it's so handy, just love it. I am exploring how much more I can do with it Jagdip Gohil from Google Workspace Marketplace Loving the smoothness of the experience especially on Chrome. Great value for the price as well. GB Alao from Google Workspace Marketplace I was looking for a tool to enrich LinkedIn data. Very easy to use. Keith Hildebrand from Google Workspace Marketplace Easy to enhance contacts by running bulk lists. Try it James Finlayson from Google Workspace Marketplace +34,000 others

Quick facts01 / 10

Instantly vs Lemlist vs Derrick at a glance

Instantly

  • Starting price: $47/mo (Growth, was $37 Light Speed pre-2026 restructure ; annual $37.60)
  • Free plan: Free 14-day trial
  • Founded: 2021
  • HQ: Wyoming, USA
4.8/5 G2 4.7/5 Capterra

Lemlist

  • Starting price: $63/seat/mo (annual)
  • Free plan: No (14-day free trial)
  • Founded: 2017
  • HQ: Paris, France
4.6/5 G2 4.5/5 Capterra

Derrick

Recommended
  • Starting price: Free · Paid from €9/mo
  • Free plan: Yes - 100 credits/mo permanent
  • Founded: 2022
  • HQ: Marseille, FR
4.8/5 G2 4.8/5 Capterra

Why Derrick wins02 / 10

Why teams pick Derrick over Instantly and Lemlist

3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.

01

Web app, nothing to install, no CSV round-trip

If your B2B data ends up in Google Sheets anyway (most teams' do), running it through Instantly or Lemlist first means two unnecessary hops : platform → CSV → Sheets. Derrick removes both hops. One web app, nothing to install (also in Google Sheets, Claude and the API), results in the next column. The unit-of-work shrinks from "run the export" to "enrich the list".

02

Free plan to start, then €9/month for 4,000 credits

Instantly ($47/month) and Lemlist ($63/seat/mo (annual)) follow the SaaS-standard model : tier the features, cap the credits, upsell when you outgrow it. Derrick works the other way round : one credit balance, six plans from 0 to 320 EUR a month, and unused credits roll over on the paid ones. Predictable spend for teams that hate budgeting around credit-pool refills.

03

MCP-ready for AI workflows in 2026

Derrick exposes its enrichment API via MCP (Model Context Protocol) - Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and other LLM agents can call Derrick directly without writing integration code. Instantly and Lemlist require Zapier, Make, or custom API wiring to do the same.

Replace Instantly: enrich leads from their LinkedIn profile in Derrick's web app, nothing to install

Honest comparison03 / 10

What each tool does better

We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where Instantly, Lemlist, and Derrick each genuinely win.

What Instantly does better

  • Private warm-up network is genuinely differentiated
  • Unified inbox handles 50+ mailboxes without losing your mind
  • Bundled 160M B2B database removes a real stack-cost line
Read full Instantly review →

Real annual cost04 / 10

True cost over 12 months

Headline pricing rarely tells the whole story. Here's the real cost of running each tool for a year.

Cost item Instantly Lemlist Derrick
Starting price $47/mo (Growth, was $37 Light Speed pre-2026 restructure ; annual $37.60) $63/seat/mo (annual) €0 (free) · €9/month paid
Annual cost (base) ~$564/yr ~$756/yr €0/year free · €108/year on Mini
Free plan? Free 14-day trial No (14-day free trial) ✓ Forever - 100 credits/mo
Setup cost Hours to days Hours to days Nothing to install (web app)
Switching cost CSV export + retraining CSV export + retraining Zero - works alongside any stack

Most teams pay 2-5x more on add-ons (extra seats, phone credits, integrations) than on the headline base price. Derrick keeps it to one transparent credit model.

Feature-by-feature05 / 10

Instantly vs Lemlist vs Derrick: full feature comparison

Instantly Derrick App Lemlist
Entry price$47/mo (Growth, was $37 Light Speed pre-2026 restructure ; annual $37.60)Free plan · from €9/month$63/seat/mo (annual)
Free planFree 14-day trialFree plan, 100 credits/month✕
Typical useAgencies + cold-email-at-scaleB2B enrichment (web app, Sheets, Claude, API)Multichannel outbound teams
Category positioningCold email outreachWeb app for B2B data (also Sheets, Claude, API)Multichannel Outreach
Founded202120222017
Mailbox modelUnlimited on all paid tiersN/A - data not senderPer-tier
Built-in warm-up1.5M+ mailbox private networkN/AAvailable
AI personalizationGates to Hypergrowth ($97)Via LLM integrationsBasic merge tags
Bundled B2B database160M contacts (Lead Finder)Derrick search + enrichStandalone
Works natively in Google Sheets✕✓✕
Per-row pricing (credits roll over)✕✓✕
MCP-ready for AI / LLM agents✕✓✕

Pricing in a nutshell06 / 10

Instantly vs Lemlist vs Derrick pricing breakdown

Migration guide07 / 10

How to switch from Instantly to Derrick in 3 steps

Derrick is a web app - nothing to install, no formulas to learn, no pipelines to migrate. Sign up and you're enriching in under a minute.

Open the Derrick web app

Sign up on the Derrick web app. Nothing to install, no credit card required - you start with 100 free credits per month.

Import your Instantly list

Upload the CSV you exported from Instantly, paste LinkedIn URLs, or import from LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Prefer to stay in your tools? The same features run in Google Sheets, in Claude (MCP) and via the API.

Enrich your list with one click

Select the column with names, LinkedIn URLs, or company domains. Pick what you want - emails, phone numbers, LinkedIn data, company info, tech stack - and click "Enrich". Derrick fills the columns in your list. No pipelines, no waiting.

Try the app free
or use it in
Google Sheets
Claude
API

100 free credits / month · No credit card · Cancel anytime

Decision in 60 seconds08 / 10

Which one is right for you?

Pick Instantly if…

  • You specifically need agencies + cold-email-at-scale
  • Private warm-up network is genuinely differentiated
  • Unified inbox handles 50+ mailboxes without losing your mind
  • You're already invested in the Instantly ecosystem
Read full Instantly review →

Pick Lemlist if…

  • You specifically need multichannel outbound teams
  • Best multichannel outreach UX
  • Lemwarm = built-in deliverability
  • You're already invested in the Lemlist ecosystem
Read full Lemlist review →

Pick Derrick if…

  • You want B2B enrichment with nothing to install (web app, also in Sheets, Claude, API)
  • You need a usable free plan (100 credits/mo, no card)
  • You don't want long contracts, lock-in, or sales calls
  • You need 100+ data points per lead in one tool
Try Derrick free →

Compare09 / 10

Keep exploring10 / 10

Customer stories

What teams say after switching from Instantly vs Lemlist

See what our customers say about Derrick.

  • Rated 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot, 323 reviews
323 reviews

"This app saved me so much time and effort. Great for anyone looking to build a contact list or network at scale quickly. As a start-up it's been invaluable."

Alex Clark

Director | SaaS GTM Leader

Reviewed on Product Hunt

"Working pretty nifty compared to Snov.Io. Price wise it does give a fair shake, and IMO better interface since it's google sheets."

David Sire

Mortgage Broker at Zero Point Mortgage

Reviewed on Product Hunt

"Derrick is a very simple and user-friendly app to enrich your contacts database. Best thing: you can test it for free. And then the price is so low, it's a no brainer."

Etienne Grange

CEO Form'actions

Reviewed on Capterra

FAQ

Stop copying data around. Start enriching.

Instantly vs Lemlist: when does each fit best?

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Instantly is positioned as cold email outreach for agencies + cold-email-at-scale. Lemlist is positioned as multichannel outreach for multichannel outbound teams. Both compete in the cold email + sales engagement category, so the choice comes down to which usage profile your team matches most closely. Both are established products with real user bases, so the deciding factor is workflow fit, not product quality.

How do Instantly and Lemlist pricing actually compare in 2026?

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Instantly entry-paid tier : Growth at $47/month. Next tier up is Hypergrowth ($97/month). Instantly's free tier : Free 14-day trial. Lemlist entry-paid tier : Free Trial at 14 days free. Next tier up is Email Pro ($63/seat/mo (annual)). Lemlist's free tier : No (14-day free trial). As a cross-reference : Derrick App's paid plans open at 9 EUR a month for 4,000 credits, and whatever you do not spend rolls over, which helps teams that hate budgeting around refills.

What's the biggest reason to pick Instantly over Lemlist?

+
Private warm-up network is genuinely differentiated. 1.5M+ mailboxes inboxing each other across the network create real reputation signal that Gmail and Microsoft trust. Reviewers consistently report 5-15% higher inbox-placement rates after migrating to Instantly versus Smartlead, Saleshandy, or Lemlist warm-up alone. That is the capability to test against your own list before it decides anything.

What's the biggest reason to pick Lemlist over Instantly?

+
Best multichannel outreach UX. Email + LinkedIn DMs + cold calls in one sequence builder. The visual flow is genuinely usable by SDRs without ops support - closest to 'click-to-launch' in the category. That is the difference to test against your own workflow before it decides anything.

Can Derrick replace both Instantly and Lemlist?

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Both Instantly and Lemlist compete in the cold email + sales engagement category. Derrick is a data-first web app (also in Google Sheets, Claude and the API) - it doesn't replace a full cold email + sales engagement platform feature-for-feature, but it eliminates the data + spreadsheet layer that teams typically use alongside Instantly or Lemlist. For teams whose primary need is enrichment + list-building, Derrick replaces 60-80% of typical cold email + sales engagement stack workflows, with credits that roll over on every paid plan (from 9 EUR a month). For teams running heavy cold email + sales engagement feature surface (sequencer, dialer, AI agents), Derrick complements rather than replaces.

Beyond Instantly and Lemlist, what other tools should I evaluate?

+
Four other tools in the same competitive set worth evaluating : Smartlead, Saleshandy, Apollo, Mailshake. Each has its own positioning trade-off versus Instantly and Lemlist - Smartlead sits closest to them on the same use case, with Saleshandy, Apollo, Mailshake as adjacent picks for different team sizes or use cases. Each tool's full review on this site has the deep trade-off matrix - start there before shortlisting.