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.
Premium Inboxes offers official Google and Microsoft inboxes for cold email campaigns. MailDeck offers dedicated Microsoft 365 tenants at a lower per-inbox cost. Both serve the cold email market, but they make different tradeoffs.
This comparison breaks down pricing at every scale, the infrastructure differences, and when each provider makes more sense for your operation.
Premium Inboxes pricing verified on https://premiuminboxes.com/pricing-page as of March 2026.
Quick Comparison
| MailDeck | Premium Inboxes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per inbox/tenant (varies by product) | Per mailbox |
| Cost per inbox (at 100) | $0.50 (SMTP) | ~$3.50 |
| Cost per inbox (at 500) | $0.50 (SMTP) | ~$3.00 |
| Infrastructure | Microsoft 365 (primary) + Google Workspace | Google + Microsoft |
| Setup time | 48 hours | Varies |
| Minimum purchase | 200 inboxes (Outlook) or 50 inboxes (SMTP) | Low minimum |
| Built-in sequencer | No (use Instantly, Smartlead, etc.) | No |
Pricing at Every Scale
Premium Inboxes pricing (from their website):
- Per mailbox: approximately $2.80-3.50/mailbox depending on volume
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
| Scale | Premium Inboxes | MailDeck | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 inboxes | ~$350/mo | $50/mo (SMTP) | MailDeck saves $300/mo |
| 500 inboxes | ~$1,500/mo | $250/mo (SMTP) | MailDeck saves $1,250/mo |
| 1,000 inboxes | ~$3,000/mo | $500/mo (SMTP) | MailDeck saves $2,550/mo |
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.
Important context: Premium Inboxes may have a lower entry point for small purchases. MailDeck minimums: SMTP 50 inboxes ($50/month), Outlook 200 inboxes ($60/month), Google Workspace 10 inboxes ($39/month). The cost advantage shifts strongly to MailDeck at every 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 a dedicated Microsoft 365 tenant for each domain. Each tenant includes 100 Outlook inboxes 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 details, see our SPF, DKIM, DMARC setup guide.
Premium Inboxes: Google and Microsoft Mailboxes
Premium Inboxes offers official business accounts across both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. They provide real mailboxes from established providers.
This matters if you need balanced focus across both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, or if you prefer their specific approach to account provisioning.
Where MailDeck Falls Short
To give you an honest comparison, here's where Premium Inboxes has advantages:
Lower entry point. Premium Inboxes may allow smaller purchases. MailDeck minimums: SMTP 50 inboxes ($50/month), Outlook 200 inboxes ($60/month), Google Workspace 10 inboxes ($39/month). For very small operations, Premium Inboxes may be more flexible.
Setup speed. MailDeck takes 48 hours to provision Microsoft 365 tenants. Premium Inboxes may offer faster provisioning.
Where MailDeck Wins
Cost at scale. MailDeck's pricing is significantly cheaper at every scale. At 500 SMTP inboxes, you're paying $250/month vs approximately $1,500/month with Premium Inboxes.
Dedicated infrastructure. Each MailDeck domain gets its own Microsoft 365 tenant. Your domains are fully isolated from other customers.
Transparent pricing. MailDeck pricing is published and transparent — from $0.50/inbox (SMTP) to $3.90/inbox (Google Workspace). No calculator needed. To plan capacity, see our inbox calculator.
Enterprise deliverability. Microsoft 365 infrastructure has the highest trust with corporate mail servers. We maintain 98% inbox placement across 650K+ managed Outlook inboxes.
MailDeck Pricing
Google Workspace Inboxes:
| Plan | Inboxes | Monthly Price | Price per Inbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Up | 10 | $39/month | $3.90 |
| Growth | 30 | $99/month | $3.30 |
| Enterprise | 100 | $299/month | $2.99 |
Minimum: Start Up plan (10 inboxes, $39/month)
Outlook Normal Licence Tenants:
| Tenants | Price per Tenant | Price per Inbox |
|---|---|---|
| Any quantity | $30/tenant | $0.30/inbox |
Each tenant includes 100 inboxes. Minimum: 2 tenants (200 inboxes, $60/month)
Outlook Premium Licence Tenants:
| Tenants | Price per Tenant | Price per Inbox |
|---|---|---|
| Any quantity | $40/tenant | $0.40/inbox |
Each tenant includes 100 inboxes. Minimum: 2 tenants (200 inboxes, $80/month)
SMTP Inboxes:
| Inboxes | Price |
|---|---|
| Any quantity | $0.50/inbox |
Minimum: 50 inboxes ($50/month)
All plans include automated DNS configuration (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
FAQ
How much does Premium Inboxes cost?
Premium Inboxes charges approximately $2.80-3.50 per mailbox per month depending on volume. At 500 inboxes, approximately $1,500/month. Current pricing on https://premiuminboxes.com/pricing-page.
How does MailDeck compare to Premium Inboxes on price?
MailDeck charges from $0.50/inbox (SMTP) to $3.90/inbox (Google Workspace), plus Outlook tenants from $30/tenant. At 500 SMTP inboxes, MailDeck costs $250/month vs Premium Inboxes' approximately $1,500/month. The tradeoff: MailDeck requires 48-hour setup for Outlook tenants.
Does Premium Inboxes offer Google Workspace?
Yes. Premium Inboxes offers both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 mailboxes. MailDeck provides high-quality inboxes across all three infrastructure types: Outlook, Google Workspace, and SMTP.
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.
Which is better for enterprise recipients?
MailDeck's dedicated Microsoft 365 tenants typically have better inbox placement with enterprise recipients because Microsoft-to-Microsoft email has the highest trust level.
What's the minimum purchase?
MailDeck minimums: SMTP 50 inboxes ($50/month), Outlook 200 inboxes ($60/month), Google Workspace 10 inboxes ($39/month). Premium Inboxes may have lower minimums for per-mailbox purchases.
How long does MailDeck setup take?
48 hours. MailDeck provisions dedicated Microsoft 365 tenants with full DNS configuration.
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
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