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

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Short answer
Instantly vs Mailshake vs Derrick in short. Instantly: unlimited warm-up · 160M B2B database · Agency-friendly. Mailshake: cold email · Dialer · Multichannel cadences. 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 Mailshake.

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 +31,000 others

Quick facts01 / 10

Instantly vs Mailshake 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

Mailshake

  • Starting price: $29/user/month
  • Free plan: 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Founded: 2017
  • HQ: Austin, TX, USA
4.4/5 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 Mailshake

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

01

Web app enrichment, no CSV exports

Derrick is a web app, nothing to install: import your list, enrich it, and each column populates inline. The same enrichment runs in the web app (and in Google Sheets, Claude and the API), Claude (MCP) and the API. No platform-switching, no CSV round-trip.

02

From €9/month : unused credits roll over

Pricing comparison : Instantly from $47/month, Mailshake from $29/user/month, Derrick from €9/month. Note the unit - both Instantly and Mailshake either cap your credits or charge per seat, so a real team's monthly bill is typically 2-5× the headline. Derrick's paid plans open at 9 EUR a month, and every row you enrich draws credits from that balance.

03

Plug Derrick into Claude / ChatGPT via MCP - no glue code

In 2026, AI agents need data tools they can call natively. Derrick speaks MCP out of the box - point Claude at your list, ask "enrich these 200 LinkedIn URLs with mobile numbers", done. Instantly and Mailshake need either a custom integration or a Zapier middleman for the same workflow.

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, Mailshake, 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 →

What Mailshake does better

  • Salesforce integration that actually works under load
  • US-based support that knows the product
  • Multichannel + dialer in one bundle on Sales Engagement
Read full Mailshake 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 Mailshake Derrick
Starting price $47/mo (Growth, was $37 Light Speed pre-2026 restructure ; annual $37.60) $29/user/month €0 (free) · €9/month paid
Annual cost (base) ~$564/yr ~$348/yr €0/year free · €108/year on Mini
Free plan? Free 14-day trial 30-day money-back guarantee ✓ 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 Mailshake vs Derrick: full feature comparison

Instantly Derrick App Mailshake
Entry price$47/mo (Growth, was $37 Light Speed pre-2026 restructure ; annual $37.60)Free plan · from €9/month$29/user/month
Free planFree 14-day trialFree plan, 100 credits/month30-day money-back guarantee
Typical useAgencies + cold-email-at-scaleB2B enrichment (web app, Sheets, Claude, API)Traditional SDR teams on Salesforce
Category positioningCold email outreachWeb app for B2B data (also Sheets, Claude, API)Sales engagement
Founded202120222017
Mailbox modelUnlimited on all paid tiersN/A - data not senderPer-user (1-5 mailboxes/seat)
Built-in warm-up1.5M+ mailbox private networkN/ABasic, no private network
AI personalizationGates to Hypergrowth ($97)Via LLM integrationsAdded 2024, less mature
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 Mailshake 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 Mailshake if…

  • You specifically need traditional SDR teams on Salesforce
  • Salesforce integration that actually works under load
  • US-based support that knows the product
  • You're already invested in the Mailshake ecosystem
Read full Mailshake 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 Mailshake

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 Mailshake: when does each fit best?

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Instantly is positioned as cold email outreach for agencies + cold-email-at-scale. Mailshake is positioned as sales engagement for traditional sdr teams on salesforce. 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 Mailshake 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. Mailshake entry-paid tier : Starter at $29/user/month (annual). Next tier up is Email Outreach ($59/user/month (annual)). Mailshake's free tier : 30-day money-back guarantee. If tier-based pricing is what you are weighing, Derrick App starts free with 100 credits a month and moves to 9 EUR for 4,000, every credit usable in the web app, Google Sheets, Claude or the API.

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

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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 Mailshake over Instantly?

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Salesforce integration that actually works under load. Mailshake's Salesforce sync is bidirectional, real-time, and doesn't break under high-volume scenarios. Newer competitors' integrations are mostly write-only or batch-synced, which causes data inconsistency in CRM-led sales motions. That is the difference to test against your own workflow before it decides anything.

Can Derrick replace both Instantly and Mailshake?

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Both Instantly and Mailshake 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 Mailshake. 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 Mailshake, what other tools should I evaluate?

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Four other tools in the same competitive set worth evaluating : Smartlead, Saleshandy, Lemlist, Apollo. Each has its own positioning trade-off versus Instantly and Mailshake - Smartlead sits closest to them on the same use case, with Saleshandy, Lemlist, Apollo 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.