lemlist is one of the few outreach tools that puts cold email and LinkedIn steps in the same sequence, so it is the closest comparison to what we build. That also makes it a good tool, and plenty of teams should stay on it.
This post is for the teams that are looking anyway. We cover why people shop around, six alternatives worth a look, and a simple way to decide.
What lemlist does well
It is worth being honest about this before talking about alternatives.
- Email and LinkedIn in one sequence. lemlist supports LinkedIn steps (visits, invites, messages) alongside email. If someone tells you it is email-only, they are out of date.
- Personalization. lemlist is known for personalized images, custom landing pages, and variables that go beyond first name and company. If your outreach depends on visual personalization, few tools match it.
- Templates and playbooks. There is a large library of sequence templates, which helps if you are starting from zero.
- Its own lead database. At the time of writing, lemlist includes a B2B lead database, so you can find and contact people in one place.
- Warmup. Its warmup tool (lemwarm) is part of the product, though what is included depends on the plan.
If those are the things you value most, lemlist is a reasonable choice and you may not need to switch.
Why people look for lemlist alternatives
The reasons we hear most often are practical, not dramatic.
- Pricing structure as you grow. lemlist is priced per seat, and some capabilities sit on higher tiers or add-ons. That is fine for one person, but the math changes as you add SDRs and senders. Check their current pricing against your actual team size.
- Wanting a simpler tool. lemlist does a lot. If you only need sequences, LinkedIn steps, and an inbox, a lot of features can feel like overhead.
- Contact limits. Some teams want to upload their whole list without thinking about contact caps. Tools that price on emails sent rather than contacts stored make that easier.
- Deliverability tools built in. Warmup is table stakes. Teams sending real volume also want sender health, bounce monitoring, DNS checks, and inbox placement tests in the same place they run sequences.
- A different channel balance. Some teams are really LinkedIn-first. Others barely use LinkedIn and want the strongest email tool possible.
6 lemlist alternatives worth considering
1. SuperSend
What it is: A cold email and LinkedIn sequencer for founders, SDRs, and small sales teams. Email steps and LinkedIn steps (profile visits, post likes, connection requests, wait-until-connected, messages) run in one sequence, and a reply on either channel stops both. All replies land in one unified inbox with AI labels like interested, meeting request, and out of office.
Best for: Small teams that want email plus LinkedIn with simple, volume-based pricing. Plans are priced on emails sent, contacts are unlimited, and every feature is on every plan. Warmup, SPF/DKIM/DMARC checks, bounce monitoring, and inbox placement tests are built in, and you can buy inboxes and domains inside the app.
Worth knowing: LinkedIn sending is a paid add-on per connected LinkedIn account. There is no free trial or demo; you sign up and start. If personalized images are central to your outreach, lemlist is stronger there.
2. Reply.io
What it is: A multichannel sales engagement platform covering email, LinkedIn, calls, and other channels, with AI features for writing and handling replies.
Best for: Teams that want many channels (including calling) in one platform and are comfortable with a broader, more feature-heavy tool.
Worth knowing: Like lemlist, it is a full platform, so it may not solve the "I want something simpler" problem. Check how seats and channels are packaged on current plans.
3. La Growth Machine
What it is: A multichannel prospecting tool built around LinkedIn and email, with enrichment to find contact details for the leads you import.
Best for: Teams whose outreach is LinkedIn-led, with email as a strong second channel, who like a visual sequence builder.
Worth knowing: Its strength is the LinkedIn side. If most of your volume is cold email across many inboxes, compare its email and deliverability tooling carefully against email-first tools.
4. Instantly
What it is: An email-first cold outreach tool known for connecting many sending inboxes, built-in warmup, and a lead database.
Best for: Teams focused mainly on cold email volume across many inboxes.
Worth knowing: At the time of writing, it is primarily an email tool. If LinkedIn steps inside the same sequence matter to you, confirm what is available natively before you switch. We go deeper in our Instantly alternatives post.
5. Smartlead
What it is: An email-first cold outreach platform with inbox rotation, warmup, and features aimed at agencies, such as managing multiple clients.
Best for: Agencies and teams running email campaigns for several clients or brands.
Worth knowing: Like Instantly, its center of gravity is email. Check whether LinkedIn steps are native or rely on integrations, and how contact limits work on your plan. Our Smartlead alternatives post covers it in more depth.
6. Expandi
What it is: A LinkedIn-first automation tool that runs in the cloud, with campaign flows built around connection requests, messages, and engagement actions. It also supports email steps.
Best for: Teams where LinkedIn is the main channel and email is occasional.
Worth knowing: If email is a major channel for you, check how deep its email tooling goes (multiple inboxes, rotation, warmup, deliverability checks) compared to email-first tools.
Quick comparison
This is a qualitative snapshot, not a feature audit. "Check" means it depends on plan or has changed recently, so verify on the vendor's site.
| Tool | Email sequences | LinkedIn steps in same sequence | Warmup built in | Unified inbox | Strongest fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lemlist | Yes | Yes | Yes (check plan) | Yes | Personalization-heavy outreach |
| SuperSend | Yes | Yes (paid add-on) | Yes | Yes | Small teams, email + LinkedIn, unlimited contacts |
| Reply.io | Yes | Yes | Check | Yes | Many channels, including calls |
| La Growth Machine | Yes | Yes | Check | Yes | LinkedIn-led multichannel |
| Instantly | Yes | Check | Yes | Yes | High email volume, many inboxes |
| Smartlead | Yes | Check | Yes | Yes | Agencies running email for clients |
| Expandi | Partial | Yes | Check | Yes | LinkedIn-first teams |
No prices here on purpose. Every vendor on this list changes pricing and packaging regularly, so check their current pricing pages and model the cost for your real team size and volume.
How to choose
Start with your channel mix, not the feature list.
If email is 80% or more of your outreach, shortlist email-first tools and judge them on deliverability: warmup, inbox rotation, bounce monitoring, DNS checks, and placement testing. Our deliverability checklist covers what to look for.
If LinkedIn is the main channel, a LinkedIn-first tool may suit you better. Whatever you pick, pace conservatively. LinkedIn does not publish exact limits and its terms restrict automation, so accept that risk knowingly and read our guide on LinkedIn automation limits.
If you genuinely use both, you want one sequence where a reply on either channel stops the other, plus one inbox for every reply. That is the job lemlist does, and the job the multichannel tools above compete on.
Then run this checklist against your shortlist:
- Can email and LinkedIn steps live in one sequence, with a reply on either channel stopping both?
- Is pricing based on seats, contacts, or emails sent? Model it at your size 12 months from now.
- Is warmup included, and are there tools to see sender health and bounces?
- Can you test inbox placement before a big send?
- Do all replies (email and LinkedIn) land in one inbox?
- Does it connect to your CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive) or to Zapier, Make, or an API?
- Can you set your own daily LinkedIn action limits?
- Will you actually use the extras (lead database, image personalization), or are you paying for them unused?
The last question is the one most teams skip. If you use lemlist's personalization and database every day, the switching cost is real. If you mostly use sequences and the inbox, a simpler tool may fit better.
The short version
- lemlist is a strong multichannel tool with real LinkedIn steps, great personalization, and a built-in lead database. Many teams should stay.
- People usually look elsewhere because of per-seat pricing as they grow, wanting something simpler, contact limits, or wanting deliverability tools in the same place.
- Instantly and Smartlead are email-first; Expandi and La Growth Machine lean LinkedIn; Reply.io covers the most channels.
- Pick based on your channel mix, then compare deliverability tooling and how pricing scales with your team.
- Verify every feature and price on the vendor's site, because they change often.
If you want email and LinkedIn in one sequence, priced on emails with unlimited contacts, see SuperSend pricing.
