Mailforge Alternative: Dedicated Infrastructure vs Shared IP Pools

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.

Mailforge is one of the most talked-about cold email infrastructure tools with strong content marketing presence. MailDeck offers dedicated Microsoft 365 tenants at a lower per-inbox cost. Both serve the cold email market, but there's a fundamental architectural difference you should understand.

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

Mailforge pricing verified on https://www.mailforge.ai/pricing as of March 2026.

Quick Comparison

Pricing at Every Scale

Mailforge pricing (from their website):

• Per mailbox pricing: approximately $3/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: Approximately $30,600/year with MailDeck (SMTP).

Important context: Mailforge has a lower entry point (1 mailbox). MailDeck has minimum orders: Outlook 2 tenants (200 inboxes, $60/month), SMTP 50 inboxes ($50/month), Google Workspace 10 inboxes ($39/month). For a comparison across all providers, see our pricing analysis of 11 cold email providers.

The Core Difference: Shared vs Dedicated

Mailforge's Approach

Mailforge "leverages a shared IP pool, distributing your mailbox accounts among millions of businesses - similar to platforms like Gmail or Outlook."

This sounds reasonable in theory. In practice:

• Your sender reputation is tied to other users' behavior
• If others abuse the platform, your deliverability can suffer
• Limited control over IP reputation

MailDeck's Approach

MailDeck provisions dedicated Microsoft 365 tenants. Your domains, your tenant, Microsoft's infrastructure. No shared pools with other customers.

For DNS configuration details, see our SPF, DKIM, DMARC setup guide.

Where MailDeck Falls Short

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

Lower entry point. Mailforge 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 small tests or solo operations, Mailforge is more accessible.

Faster setup. Mailforge can provision mailboxes faster. MailDeck takes 48 hours to provision Microsoft 365 tenants.

Where MailDeck Wins

Cost at scale. Once you pass 100 inboxes, MailDeck becomes significantly cheaper. At 500 SMTP inboxes, you're paying $250/month vs approximately $1,500/month with Mailforge.

Dedicated infrastructure. Each MailDeck domain gets its own Microsoft 365 tenant. Your domains are fully isolated from other customers. No cross-contamination from other users' behavior.

Transparent pricing. MailDeck pricing is published — pricing varies by product (SMTP, Google Workspace, Outlook). No calculator needed.

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

Simpler pricing model. Mailforge per-mailbox pricing requires calculation. MailDeck pricing varies by product — see full pricing on our website. To calculate capacity needs, see our inbox calculator.

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).

FAQ

How much does Mailforge cost?

Mailforge charges approximately $3 per mailbox per month. At 500 inboxes, total cost is approximately $1,500/month. Current pricing on https://www.mailforge.ai/pricing.

How does MailDeck compare to Mailforge 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 Mailforge's approximately $3,000/month. The tradeoff: MailDeck requires 48-hour setup.

Is shared IP pool really a problem?

It depends on your volume and targets. For high-volume senders targeting enterprise recipients, shared pools carry reputation risk from other users. Dedicated tenants eliminate this cross-contamination risk.

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.

Why is MailDeck cheaper at scale?

Per-inbox/tenant pricing vs per-mailbox. At 1,000 SMTP inboxes, MailDeck costs $500/month (at $0.50/inbox) vs Mailforge's approximately $3,000/month ($3/inbox).

What's the minimum purchase?

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

How long does MailDeck setup take?

48 hours. MailDeck provisions dedicated Microsoft 365 tenants with full DNS configuration. Mailforge can provision mailboxes faster.

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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