We Tried Mailreef for 14 Days: Here's Our Unbiased Review
I paid for Mailreef.
Used it for 14 days.
Ran real cold email campaigns.
Here’s what no one tells you:
If you’re sending cold emails and want better deliverability, this matters.
Because I almost wasted $249/month on a setup that looked good…
But came with way more rules, limits, and hidden costs than I expected.
This is the breakdown I wish someone had given me earlier.
Before you spend a dollar, read this.
TL;DR: Mailreef is a solid infrastructure tool for cold emailers, but it’s not truly “unlimited” and comes with scaling costs.
Mailreef isn’t a CRM. It’s the infrastructure behind your cold email. It’s a cold email infrastructure tool, meaning it provides the specialized backend needed for scalable, reliable outreach—handling multiple inboxes, deliverability optimization, and integrations for agencies and businesses.
Great if you know what you’re doing. But for most teams, Mailforge offers faster setup, built-in warm-up, and flat pricing that scales cleaner.
The initial configuration process with Mailreef includes mailbox setup, which is crucial for ensuring high deliverability and compliance from the start.
What Is Mailreef? (And Who It’s Actually For)
Mailreef isn’t a CRM.
It’s not an email sender either.
You don’t write campaigns inside it.
It’s the infrastructure behind your cold email.
Most people don’t think about the tech stuff, but it matters a lot if you’re scaling.
Here’s what you actually get:
Dedicated IPs (you’re not sharing reputation with strangers) 1-click mailbox and domain creation
✅ Auto DNS setup (SPF, DKIM, DMARC handled)
🚫 No built-in warm-up (you’ll need a separate tool)
💸 Per-email billing + hard caps on domains and inboxes
Mailreef integrates with various email service providers to enable seamless campaign tracking, automation, and account integration. It also allows you to easily manage and transfer existing domains, making domain authentication and deliverability setup straightforward.
If that sounds confusing, it probably is.
Mailreef is built for people who already know what cold email infrastructure means.
If you’re just getting started, this might be too much too soon.
Mailreef Pricing: It Says Unlimited, But It’s Not
Mailreef says it’s “unlimited.” It’s not.
Mailreef offers three pricing plans designed for different user needs. Their pricing plans are structured to appeal to businesses of varying sizes and outreach requirements.
Here’s what you really pay:
- 💰 $249/month just to get started (this is the base monthly fee Mailreef charges)
- 💰 $0.001 for every email you send
- 💰 $19 for each domain you add
- ⛔ You’re limited to 50 domains and 200 inboxes per server
- Want to grow past that? You pay another $249/month for a second server
The Mailreef pricing structure combines a flat monthly fee with additional per-email and per-domain charges, which can make the total cost less predictable as you scale. The flat fee covers basic features like mailbox creation and domain setup, but additional usage—such as more domains or higher email volume—incurs extra charges.
While this may seem competitive, it’s essential to consider the cumulative costs as your email volume increases. Mailbox cost and domain cost both add up quickly as you scale your outreach, impacting your overall budget planning.
Let’s break it down:
You sent 120,000 emails this month and use 10 domains You’ll pay:
$249 (base monthly fee Mailreef) + $120 (emails) + $190 (domains) = $559/month
Need more capacity? Add another server: $559 + $249 = $788/month
That’s not “unlimited.”
That’s not beginner-friendly.
And it’s definitely not cheap. Domain costs and mailbox costs can significantly impact your total monthly expense, especially as you add more domains or mailboxes.
Now let’s move on to the pros and cons of using Mailreef.
5 Pros of Using Mailreef
✅ Setup is fast and clean
You don't need to touch DNS records manually.
Domains and inboxes can be created in a few clicks.
It's one of the quickest setups in the cold email space.
✅ Dedicated IP gives you full control
You're not sharing your sender reputation with 50 random users.
If your emails go to spam, it's on you, not someone else.
✅ Unlimited inboxes per server (until you hit the cap)
You can create as many mailboxes as you want — up to 200 per server.
No extra cost per inbox. That's a big deal when you're scaling.
✅ Integrates with Smartlead, Instantly, and other senders
Works out of the box with top cold email tools, including popular cold email tools known for automated setup, high deliverability, IP rotation, and advanced management features.
No messy workarounds. Just plug and send.
✅ Supports API + Zapier for full automation
If you’re running operations at scale, this matters.
You can build automations for inbox creation, domain setups, and more, without manual effort. Mailreef also supports sales automation by enabling automated workflows for sales teams, streamlining processes such as lead generation and follow-ups.
5 Cons of Mailreef to Know Before You Buy
❌ “Unlimited” isn't truly unlimited
You get 50 domains and 200 inboxes per server.
Want more? You'll need a second server — and that's another $249/month.
The “unlimited” pitch breaks fast once you start growing.
❌ No warm-up tool included
You still need to warm up your inboxes manually or through another tool.
If you skip this, your deliverability tanks.
It's a big risk for beginners who don't know this upfront.
❌ Per-email billing gets expensive
$0.001 per email sounds cheap — until you send 100K+.
Costs grow fast, and there's no cap or buffer.
That makes budgeting hard for lean teams.
❌ Extra infra = extra $249 every time you scale
You can't just upgrade your plan, when you hit domain or inbox limits
You have to buy a whole new server. That's not scalable for most teams.
❌ Not beginner-friendly past the first week
The initial setup is smooth, but is it long-term management?
You're on your own.
You'll need to handle deliverability, warmup, IP management, or things break fast.
Mailreef Use Cases (By Persona)
Who Mailreef is good for:
- Cold email agencies sending 500K+ emails/month
- Ops teams who want full control over IPs and DNS
- Users already using a separate warm-up tool
Mailreef is ideal for these personas whose primary use case is managing large-scale cold emailing campaigns.
Who it’s not good for:
- Founders doing cold email themselves
- Agencies under 100K sends/month
- Anyone who doesn’t want to manage infrastructure manually
Mailreef Deliverability: How Well Do Your Emails Land?
When it comes to cold email campaigns, deliverability is everything. If your emails don’t land in the right inboxes, your entire cold outreach effort falls flat—no matter how good your copy or offer is. So, how does Mailreef stack up when it comes to getting your cold emails delivered?
Dedicated IP Addresses = Control Over Your Sender Reputation
One of Mailreef’s biggest deliverability advantages is its use of dedicated IP addresses. Unlike some cold email tools that lump you in with other senders (risking your emails getting flagged because of someone else’s bad habits), Mailreef gives you your own dedicated IP infrastructure. This means your sender reputation is entirely in your hands—critical for businesses focused on scaling cold email campaigns and keeping their outreach out of spam folders.
Unlimited Inboxes and Multiple Email Accounts for Scaling
Mailreef enables users to create unlimited inboxes and multiple email accounts per server (up to the domain and inbox caps). This is a game-changer for sales teams running multiple campaigns or needing to rotate inboxes to avoid triggering strict spam filters. The platform’s robust email infrastructure is built for scaling cold email campaigns, letting you manage high volumes without sacrificing deliverability.
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: The Technical Backbone
Deliverability isn’t just about volume—it’s about trust. Mailreef’s automated setup handles SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for every domain you add. These protocols are non-negotiable for cold email deliverability: they prove to inbox providers that your emails are legit, not spam. With Mailreef, you don’t have to wrestle with DNS records or worry about misconfigurations that could tank your sender reputation.
Custom Tracking Domains and Multiple Campaigns
Want to track opens, clicks, and replies across multiple campaigns? Mailreef supports custom tracking domains, so you can monitor performance without risking your main domain’s reputation. This is especially useful for businesses running highly personalized cold emails across different verticals or client accounts.
Automated Setup and Easy Domain Creation
Getting started with Mailreef is straightforward—even if you’re not a technical expert. The platform’s automated setup and easy domain creation mean you can launch new cold email campaigns in a few clicks, without waiting on IT or dealing with complicated domain forwarding or master inbox configurations.
Consistent Inbox Placement—But Watch the Warm-Up
Mailreef’s dedicated IP infrastructure and unlimited mailbox creation give you the tools for consistent inbox placement. However, while the platform makes it easy to scale, you’ll still need to handle warm-up (either manually or with a separate tool) to ensure new inboxes don’t get flagged by spam filters. Skipping this step can hurt your cold email deliverability, so plan accordingly.
Total Monthly Cost: Know What You’re Paying For
While Mailreef’s base monthly fee covers core features like unlimited mailbox creation and dedicated IP addresses, keep an eye on additional costs for domain forwarding, advanced features, or scaling past domain caps. Understanding your total monthly cost is key to making sure your cold email infrastructure investment pays off.
Bottom Line: Deliverability That Scales—If You Know What You’re Doing
Mailreef delivers where it counts for cold email outreach: dedicated IPs, robust email infrastructure, and the ability to create unlimited inboxes for multiple campaigns. For sales teams and businesses focused on scaling cold email efforts, these features enable highly personalized cold emails to land in the right inboxes—without getting lost in spam folders.
If you’re serious about cold email deliverability and want full control over your sender reputation, Mailreef is a strong contender. Just make sure you’re ready to manage warm-up and keep an eye on your total monthly cost as you grow.
#1 Mailreef Alternative: Mailforge — The Cold Email Infrastructure That Doesn’t Punish You for Growing
Mailreef gives you infrastructure. But it comes with tradeoffs:
Caps. Surprise fees. The need for extra tools. And scaling? That costs even more.
That’s where Mailforge is different.
Mailforge gives you cold email infrastructure that actually works at scale, without the mental math or surprise charges. Mailforge supports unlimited email accounts, making it easy to manage large campaigns and maintain deliverability at scale, unlike Mailreef's limitations.
Both Mailforge and Mailreef offer the same core features required for effective cold email campaigns, ensuring you don't miss out on essential tools.
Mailforge also provides a free plan so you can try the service before committing financially.
Here’s how:
You Set Up in Minutes, Not Hours
You log in. You add your domain. You hit one button. Done.
Mailforge automatically configures your DNS (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) — no need to log into your registrar or Google help docs.
You don’t need to be technical. You don’t need a developer.
It just works.
Your Inboxes Start Warming The Moment You Create Them
Unlike Mailreef, where warm-up isn't included, Mailforge has warm-up built in.
This means you're not risking your emails going to spam just because you forgot to buy another tool or connect it manually.
Your domains warm up automatically in the background, so your sender reputation stays clean and healthy.
You Pay a Flat Monthly Price — And That’s It
No per-email fees. No server stacking. No weird add-ons.
You pay $13 per mailbox per month. That includes:
- Unlimited sending
- DNS + warm-up setup
- Spam prevention best practices
- And the ability to scale without reconfiguring anything
Even better?
You're not limited to 200 inboxes or 50 domains per “server” like with Mailreef.
There are no server limits.
Want to grow from 5 inboxes to 100? Just add them. No penalty. No “infra upgrade” cost.
You get Live support
Most tools give you either one or the other.
Mailforge gives you both.
You can bring your own domains, configure advanced settings if you want, and manage your entire cold email infrastructure.
But you also get live support, not canned replies.
We're available on chat and Slack to walk you through setup, deliverability, or anything that breaks. This isn't just “tech support.”
This is support from people who run cold email at scale — and know what you're trying to do.
Works With Your Current Workflow
Mailforge isn't trying to replace your cold email tool. It plugs right into whatever you're using:
- Smartlead
- Instantly
- Lemlist
- Salesforge
- Or even custom-built tools via Zapier or API
Your sending setup doesn't change. You just make it 10x more stable.
Optional Add-Ons That Make Sense
Need more deliverability protection?
Mailforge offers domain masking + SSL as an optional add-on for just $2/month per domain.
It’s not forced. It’s not bloated. It’s there if you want to tighten your setup.
So, Why Mailforge Over Mailreef?
Let's not oversell it.
If you're an agency sending 500K+ emails a month and want dedicated IPs, maybe Mailreef works for you.
But most teams aren't there yet.
Most teams just want:
- A fast setup
- Inboxes that don't get flagged
- Pricing that makes sense
- And room to grow — without rebuilding everything
That's Mailforge.
📊 Mailreef vs Mailforge: Real Pricing at Different Volumes
Most cold emailers don’t think about pricing until they hit limits.
But here’s the truth: the more you grow, the more Mailreef charges you to scale. If you’re planning a large-scale cold email campaign, these costs can add up quickly as your sending volume increases.
Let’s break it down based on real-world cold outreach volumes:
When comparing pricing, consider whether email tracking features are included, as this can significantly impact the value you get for your spend. Also, keep in mind that both platforms require you to connect a Gmail account for proper campaign management and reliable cold email delivery.
📌 Key Takeaways:
- Mailreef starts cheaper… until you scale. Then it adds complexity and cost.
- Mailforge scales linearly — you know exactly what you're paying.
- With Mailreef, you're buying more “infra” as you grow, which means more things to manage.
- Mailforge lets you grow inboxes/domains without hitting hard caps or needing to touch servers.
No gimmicks.
Mailforge gives you everything you need to run a stable cold email —
without turning infrastructure into a full-time job.
👉 [Try Mailforge Free]
👉 [Book a Demo]
Final Verdict: Is Mailreef Worth It in 2025?
Mailreef is powerful, but power comes with complexity.
It works if you know what you're doing, don't mind watching limits, and are okay with stacking costs as you grow.
But most teams don't need that.
They need something that works out of the box.
No guessing. No waiting. No infra tax.
That's why Mailforge makes more sense for 90% of cold emailers.
You get infrastructure that's simple, scalable, and already warmed up — at a price that doesn't spike when you succeed.
If you're serious about sending cold emails — and don't want to overthink the backend…
Set it up once. Focus on sending. Let the system take care of the rest.
FAQs
- Is Mailreef really unlimited?
No. Caps exist on sends, domains, and mailboxes per server. - Does Mailreef include inbox warm-up?
No. You’ll need a third-party tool. - Is Mailreef Good for Cold Outreach?
Yes, if you know what you’re doing.
It offers dedicated IPs and full control, but no warm-up, per-email fees, and scaling limits make it tough for beginners. If you’re planning to run large outreach campaigns or need to scale cold email infrastructure, be aware that Mailreef has server caps and limited automation for follow ups.
If you want plug-and-play cold email, Mailforge is easier.
- Mailreef vs Smartlead vs Mailforge
Verdict:
Use Mailreef for infra control, Smartlead for outreach automation, and Mailforge if you want infra + warm-up in one clean setup.
- Is Mailreef beginner-friendly?
The setup is smooth. Troubleshooting isn’t. - Is there a cheaper alternative to Mailreef?
Yes — Mailforge offers the same infrastructure, with warm-up and flat pricing.
- Does Mailreef support automated follow up and follow ups in outreach campaigns?
Mailreef does not natively automate follow up or follow ups within outreach campaigns. Automated and personalized follow-up sequences are important for increasing response rates and streamlining communication, so you may need to use external tools to manage these aspects. - Can Mailreef manage outreach campaigns?
Mailreef provides infrastructure for sending cold emails, but lacks built-in tools for managing outreach campaigns. If you need campaign management features like scheduling, tracking, or analytics for outreach campaigns, you’ll need to integrate with other platforms. - Can Mailreef handle broader marketing tasks?
Mailreef is focused on cold emailing and does not offer features for broader marketing tasks. If you require tools for creating campaigns, managing multiple marketing channels, or handling other marketing activities, consider a more comprehensive platform. - Does Mailreef support integration with multiple providers?
Mailreef allows you to connect with different email service providers, but the process is manual. Using multiple providers can help diversify your sending infrastructure and improve deliverability, but setup may require technical knowledge. - How does Mailreef handle scaling cold email infrastructure?
Mailreef gives you control over your infrastructure, but scaling cold email infrastructure is limited by server caps and manual setup. For large-scale outreach, you may face challenges with deliverability and management compared to platforms designed for easy scaling. - Can I create multiple domains with Mailreef?
Mailreef supports adding multiple domains, but you must create and configure each domain manually. Unlike some competitors, it does not automate the process of creating multiple domains, DNS setup, or mailbox creation for bulk operations.