For a thorough understanding of what each option offers, a simplified comparison table isn't enough to grasp all intricacies that come with each tool, so let's dive deeper into what makes Zapmail and Mailforge unique.

Zapmail vs Mailforge: Cold Email Infrastructure Overview

When you evaluate a cold email infrastructure platform, the foundational architecture matters because it determines deliverability behavior, how you scale campaigns, and what kinds of email accounts and workspace setups are possible.

• Zapmail positions itself as a provider of Google Workspace and Microsoft mailboxes hosted on US/EU IPs, offering pre-warmed mailboxes and workspace-level isolation - a model that emphasizes using mainstream provider accounts for better inbox placement.

Zapmail offers a pre-warmed mailbox option, automated DNS setup, and one domain per workspace with admin access, which can appeal to teams that want official provider mailboxes and OAuth-based connections.

• Mailforge, by contrast, is presented as a distributed cold email infrastructure tool built specifically for cold outreach workflows. It advertises a shared IP setup and automated DNS set up for DKIM, SPF, DMARC and tracking domains + bulk DNS updates and domain transferring inside the app.

Mailforge frames itself as a deliverability-first infrastructure for cold email: automated DNS, multiple workspaces, unlimited mailboxes at a very low cost, and workflow guidance for how many domains and mailboxes you need to avoid deliverability issues.

Pricing Structure

Mailforge provides flexible, usage-based pricing for shared IP email infrastructure (you buy domains + mailbox slots). A handy on-page calculator estimates your exact costs. Annual billing for mailboxes gives 2 months free.

• $14/year per .com domain. Use the calculator to see how many domains you’ll need for your sequences.
• $3/Mailbox Slot/month. Minimum purchase: 10 mailbox slots.
• With annual billing the effective cost for 10 slots is $25/month.

Add-ons & extras

• SSL & Domain Masking: $2/domain/month or $0.5/domain/month when billed yearly.
• Forge Expert Double Session: $500 for two 1:1 consulting sessions.

Zapmail offers tiered subscription bundles for Google & Microsoft mailboxes (you buy plans that include a set number of mailboxes + add-on mailboxes). Discounts with quarterly and yearly billing.

• Domains: Bring your own domain or purchase new domains in-app (pricing varies, .com domains are $13 each).
• $39/month Starter Plan (includes 10 Google mailboxes, additional mailboxes - $3.50/mailbox)
• $99/month Growth Plan (includes 30, additional - $3.25/mailbox)
• $299/month Pro Plan (includes 100, additional - $3.00/mailbox)
• Also offers Pre-Warmed Mailboxes plan at $27.99/month, which includes 3 Pre-Warmed Gmail or Outlook mailboxes (additional - $5/mailbox/month)

Scalability

Scalability isn’t just adding mailboxes - it’s how you provision domains, update DNS records at scale, and maintain inbox health while campaigns multiply.

• Zapmail’s published pricing and plan tiers are built around buying mailboxes at set amounts. Zapmail also touts 50+ outreach tool integrations and API access to provision mailboxes programmatically, which helps scale operations if you stay inside the Google/Microsoft mailbox model.
• Mailforge’s scalability additionally centers around automated DNS setup, bulk DNS updates, domain transferring, and low per-mailbox economics. The platform is purpose-built to create hundreds of domains and mailboxes with minimal manual work.

Mailforge's approach lets outbound teams spread volume across many domains and avoid the single-point-of-failure risk of concentrating sends on a few high-profile mailboxes.

Setup Speed

Speed of onboarding affects time-to-first-campaign and how quickly you can iterate.

• Zapmail highlights various setup time metrics, but usually it takes about 10 minutes, and it promotes automated DNS configuration.

The option of pre-warmed Google Workspace & Microsoft 365 mailboxes (for an additional price) and instant OAuth connections means Zapmail customers can often connect inboxes and outreach tools with minimal manual DNS steps, and skip the warm-up portion of setting up mailboxes.

• Mailforge’s design centers on free automated set up and bulk DNS updates so that domain setup and mailbox setup are completed by the system for each domain you add.

Mailforge explicitly takes care of DKIM, SPF, DMARC and custom domain tracking in accordance with best practices. Additionally, you can update multiple domains’ DNS records in just a few clicks.

Mailforge mailboxes are ready in just 5 mins with automated DNS set up, and a guided in-app flow that helps calculate how many domains and mailboxes you actually need to process contacts without causing deliverability or bloat issues.

Domain & DNS Management

Domain setup and DNS configuration are where deliverability battles are won or lost.

• Zapmail highlights flexible domain options and advanced domain management: buy or connect domains, domain masking and forwarding, DNS management and health checks, and an “Instant Domain Genie” for spinning up SEO-smart domain names.

The platform documents automated DNS configuration, and domain & workspace segregation (1 domain per workspace) that provides isolation and easier troubleshooting.

• Mailforge additionally emphasizes bulk DNS updates as a core capability. Mailforge will set up DKIM, SPF, DMARC and custom domain tracking for each domain you add and explicitly offers bulk DNS updates to update multiple domains’ DNS records in just a few clicks.

Mailforge also supports domain transferring (you can add or move domains between apps as needed) and provides a calculator to estimate how many domains and mailboxes you need to spread volume and avoid deliverability issues.

That combination of bulk DNS management, automated DNS and in-app domain transferring reduces the time and human error associated with domain setup at scale.

Email Deliverability

Email deliverability is the single metric that determines whether your cold outreach reaches prospects’ inboxes or disappears in spam folders.

• Zapmail promotes high deliverability by offering US-hosted Google & Microsoft mailboxes, pre-warmed accounts, workspace-level isolation (one domain per workspace), and deliverability-optimized configuration.

Those are effective tactics when your strategy relies on mainstream provider accounts and you need immediate inbox placement for early campaigns.

• Mailforge approaches deliverability from an infrastructure scale perspective. The product is built for cold outreach with automated DNS set up, bulk DNS updates, SSL & domain masking, and a shared IP architecture tuned for cold email.

Mailforge provides tools (inbox placement tests, the email deliverability center Warmforge, etc.) to measure and improve outcomes.

• If your priority is immediate sends with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 mailboxes, Zapmail’s pre-warmed model is compelling.
• But if your priority is sustained high deliverability across many campaigns and clients, Mailforge’s automated infrastructure and deliverability tooling provide a stronger foundation for long-term inbox placement.

It's important to also highlight the importance of spreading volume across many domains, mailboxes, and even different types of infrastructures to reduce the chances of deliverability issues that stem from concentrated sending.

Alternative Infrastructure Options: Shared IP & Private IP Email Infrastructures

Salesforge uniquely bundles alternative infrastructure choices into a single stack:

• Primeforge (Google Workspace & MS365 mailboxes) for ESP-matched deliverability
• Mailforge for shared IP infrastructure needs
• Infraforge for private, dedicated-IP infrastructure and more customizable control

That product architecture means a single vendor can support multiple outbound campaigns and use-cases - from teams that want to manage multiple domains and multiple accounts cheaply, to heavy hitters who need dedicated IP provisioning or fine-grained control.

• By contrast, Zapmail's positioning does not advertise a connected family of infrastructure alternatives you can switch between on the same platform. They focus only on Gmail and Outlook email infrastructure.

For buyers weighing long-term lead generation and cold email outreach, this matters.

Having integrated alternatives (ESP-matched mailboxes + shared infra + private infra) inside one suite preserves CRM integration, feedback loops, and the ability to run deliverability tests and reputation monitoring under the same platform umbrella.

This saves time, reduces manual DNS setup and plan friction when adding new domains or new users, and helps maintain stable sender reputation as your sending volume scales.

Customer Support

Customer support models differ a lot between providers and that difference matters for adoption, troubleshooting deliverability, and long-term campaign health.

Zapmail provides self-help resources (docs, DNS/check tools, FAQ) and direct contact through its site, with email/support channels and API documentation for technical integrations. Higher paid tiers include priority support and the site centers on ticket/email help and knowledge-base resources rather than public Slack or 24/7 chat claims.

Mailforge advertises consultative services and add-ons - such as expert sessions to diagnose outreach challenges - along with deliverability resources and onboarding that reduces setup time

Besides that, Mailforge also offers:

• 24/7 email and live chat support
• Extensive documentation
• Youtube tutorials
• An active Slack community
• And even weekly AMA sessions.

In practice that means fewer technical steps for your team, less manual work mapping records across registrars, and fewer hours spent troubleshooting or waiting for a response.

Final Verdict - Which Infrastructure Should You Pick For Your Cold Email Outreach?

If you need official Google Workspace mailboxes, workspace-level isolation, and immediate OAuth connections - Zapmail is a logical fit.

Zapmail explicitly lists Gmail and Outlook mailboxes with an optional pre-warmed mailbox option for extra cost. Their plan structure maps to mid-size agencies, and agencies with multiple clients.

But if your strategy is to scale campaigns by spreading volume across many domains and mailboxes, minimize per-mailbox costs, and rely on automated DNS setup, bulk DNS updates, and a deliverability-first distributed infrastructure - Mailforge is the better match.

Mailforge’s shared IP set up, free automated setup of DKIM/SPF/DMARC, bulk domain management, and multiple workspaces simplify domain setup and mailbox setup at scale, making it easier for teams of all sizes to scale campaigns quickly and affordably.

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