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.
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.
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
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.
Here’s what you really pay:
- 💰 $249/month just to get started
- 💰 $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
While this may seem competitive, it's essential to consider the cumulative costs as your email volume increases.
Let’s break it down:
You sent 120,000 emails this month and use 10 domains?
You’ll pay:
$249 (base) + $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.
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.
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.
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
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
#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.
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.
Let’s break it down based on real-world cold outreach volumes:
📌 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 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.