Infraforge Alternative: Lower Cost at Scale with Native Microsoft 365

We manage 650K+ inboxes across Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and SMTP infrastructure for 1,500+ clients at MailDeck, maintaining 98% inbox placement. Based on Q1 2026 platform data.

Infraforge offers private SMTP infrastructure at $4/mailbox. MailDeck offers dedicated Microsoft 365 tenants, Google Workspace inboxes, and SMTP inboxes from $0.50/inbox (SMTP) to $3.90/inbox (Google Workspace). At scale, this difference amounts to tens of thousands of dollars annually. Both serve high-volume cold email operations, but they make different tradeoffs.

This comparison breaks down pricing at every scale, the infrastructure differences, and when each provider makes more sense.

Infraforge pricing verified on https://www.infraforge.ai/pricing as of March 2026.

Quick Comparison

Pricing at Every Scale

Infraforge pricing (from their website):

• Per mailbox: approximately $4/mailbox

MailDeck pricing:

Google Workspace:

• Start Up: 10 inboxes at $39/month ($3.90/inbox)
• Growth: 30 inboxes at $99/month ($3.30/inbox)
• Enterprise: 100 inboxes at $299/month ($2.99/inbox)

Outlook Normal Licence Tenants:

• 100 inboxes per tenant: $30/tenant ($0.30/inbox)

Outlook Premium Licence Tenants:

• 100 inboxes per tenant: $40/tenant ($0.40/inbox)

SMTP:

• Private SMTP: $0.50/inbox

Minimum orders:

• Outlook: 2 tenants (200 inboxes) → $60/month
• SMTP: 50 inboxes → $50/month
• Google Workspace: 10 inboxes → $39/month

MailDeck prices shown for SMTP product. Google Workspace and Outlook tenant pricing also available — see full pricing below.

Annual savings at 1,000 inboxes: $42,000/year with MailDeck (SMTP).

Important context: Infraforge allows purchasing individual mailboxes with no minimum. MailDeck has minimum orders: Outlook 2 tenants (200 inboxes, $60/month), SMTP 50 inboxes ($50/month), Google Workspace 10 inboxes ($39/month). The cost advantage shifts strongly to MailDeck at scale. For a comparison across all providers, see our pricing analysis of 11 cold email providers.

Infrastructure Differences

MailDeck: Dedicated Microsoft 365 Tenants

MailDeck provisions dedicated Microsoft 365 tenants with automated DNS configuration (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Your emails send through Microsoft's servers with Microsoft's sender reputation.

This matters most when your recipients are enterprise companies using Microsoft Exchange. Microsoft-to-Microsoft email receives higher trust from corporate spam filters. For DNS configuration details, see our SPF, DKIM, DMARC setup guide.

Infraforge: Private SMTP Infrastructure

Infraforge uses private SMTP servers with dedicated IPs. They offer automated DNS configuration and quick provisioning.

This matters if you prefer building your own IP reputation or want the control that private SMTP provides.

Where MailDeck Falls Short

To give you an honest comparison, here's where Infraforge has advantages:

No minimum purchase. Infraforge allows purchasing individual mailboxes. MailDeck has minimum orders: Outlook 2 tenants (200 inboxes, $60/month), SMTP 50 inboxes ($50/month), Google Workspace 10 inboxes ($39/month). For very small operations, Infraforge is more flexible.

Faster setup. Infraforge offers automated provisioning. MailDeck takes 48 hours to provision Microsoft 365 tenants.

Where MailDeck Wins

Dramatically lower cost at scale. At 1,000 SMTP inboxes, MailDeck costs $500/month vs Infraforge's $4,000/month. That's $42,600/year in savings.

Dedicated infrastructure. Each MailDeck domain gets its own Microsoft 365 tenant. Your domains are fully isolated from other customers.

Enterprise deliverability. Microsoft 365 infrastructure has the highest trust with corporate mail servers. We maintain 98% inbox placement across 650K+ managed Outlook inboxes.

Transparent pricing. MailDeck pricing is published — pricing varies by product (SMTP, Google Workspace, Outlook). No calculator needed. To plan capacity, see our inbox calculator.

Simpler scaling model. Need to send 1.5M emails/month? 1,000 SMTP inboxes at $500/month. The math is straightforward.

MailDeck Pricing

Google Workspace Inboxes:

Minimum: Start Up plan (10 inboxes, $39/month)

Outlook Normal Licence Tenants:

Each tenant includes 100 inboxes. Minimum: 2 tenants (200 inboxes, $60/month)

Outlook Premium Licence Tenants:

Each tenant includes 100 inboxes. Minimum: 2 tenants (200 inboxes, $80/month)

SMTP Inboxes:

Minimum: 50 inboxes ($50/month)

All plans include automated DNS configuration (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).

Who is MailDeck For?

MailDeck is built for high-volume cold email operations:

• Lead generation agencies scaling past 100k emails/month
• B2B SaaS companies with dedicated outbound teams
• SDR teams sending at enterprise scale
• Recruitment firms with high-volume outreach

If you're sending less than 30,000 emails/month, Infraforge's per-mailbox pricing may be sufficient. Once you scale, the cost difference becomes substantial.

FAQ

How much does Infraforge cost?

Infraforge charges approximately $4 per mailbox per month. At 500 inboxes, approximately $2,000/month. At 1,000 inboxes, approximately $4,000/month. Current pricing on https://www.infraforge.ai/pricing.

How does MailDeck compare to Infraforge on price?

MailDeck charges $0.50/inbox (SMTP), $0.30-0.40/inbox (Outlook tenants), and $2.99-3.90/inbox (Google Workspace). At 1,000 SMTP inboxes, MailDeck costs $500/month vs Infraforge's $4,000/month. At 1,000 inboxes, MailDeck saves $42,000/year. The tradeoff: MailDeck requires 48-hour setup.

How does Microsoft 365 compare to private SMTP?

Microsoft 365 infrastructure has established sender reputation trusted by email providers globally. Private SMTP servers build reputation over time. For enterprise recipients using Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft-to-Microsoft email has the highest trust.

Can I use MailDeck with Instantly or Smartlead?

Yes. MailDeck is infrastructure only. It provides SMTP credentials that work with any sequencer: Instantly, Smartlead, Salesforge, Apollo, and any other SMTP-compatible tool.

What's the minimum purchase for MailDeck?

MailDeck has minimum orders: Outlook 2 tenants (200 inboxes, $60/month), SMTP 50 inboxes ($50/month), Google Workspace 10 inboxes ($39/month). Infraforge allows purchasing individual mailboxes.

Do you offer a trial?

Contact us for a pilot program if you're currently spending $500+/month on email infrastructure.

How long does MailDeck setup take?

48 hours. MailDeck provisions dedicated Microsoft 365 tenants with full DNS configuration. Infraforge offers faster automated provisioning.

Methodology

Data sources: MailDeck platform metrics from 650K+ managed inboxes across 1,500+ clients. Competitor pricing verified from public pricing pages as of March 2026. Inbox placement rate (98%) measured across MailDeck Microsoft 365 infrastructure over Q1 2026.

Limitations: Competitor pricing may change. Custom enterprise pricing not included.

Last updated: March 2026

Written by Sabo Nagy

Founder & CEO

Has built email infrastructure serving 650K+ inboxes across 1,500 clients. Specializes in email infrastructure strictly for high-volume cold outreach.

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