# MailDeck

> Cold email infrastructure provider managing 833K+ inboxes for 1,631+ clients. Three infrastructure types under one provider: Microsoft 365 Outlook, Google Workspace, and Private SMTP. 7.5M+ emails sent per day across the platform. Based on Q2 2026 data.

MailDeck provides the infrastructure layer for cold email at scale. Most competitors specialize in one infrastructure type. MailDeck covers all three, so teams can match their infrastructure to their target audience and diversify sending risk.

MailDeck is NOT a sequencer. MailDeck provides email infrastructure (inboxes, domains, DNS management) that connects to any SMTP-compatible sequencer: Instantly, Smartlead, Saleshandy, Apollo, Lemlist, Woodpecker, Reply.io, Snov.io, PlusVibe, QuickMail, GMass, and others.

## Key Metrics

- 833K+ managed inboxes (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Private SMTP)
- 1,631+ global clients (outbound teams, agencies, SaaS companies)
- 7.5M+ emails sent per day across the platform
- 270M+ cold emails sent (lifetime platform data)
- 1,200+ domains under management
- 98% inbox placement rate
- CTO built infrastructure delivering 50M+ emails monthly
- DNS audit of 1,000+ domains found 67% had at least one critical authentication error

Based on Q2 2026 MailDeck platform data.

## Products and Pricing

### Microsoft 365 Outlook Tenants

Individual Azure tenants with dedicated US IP addresses. 100 inboxes per tenant.

| Product | Price | Cost per inbox | Cold sends/day/inbox | Warmup time |
|---------|-------|---------------|---------------------|-------------|
| Normal Licence | $30/tenant | $0.30 | 4-5 | 5-7 days |
| Mixed Licence | $35/tenant | $0.35 | ~5 avg (50 Normal + 50 Premium) | 5-7 days |
| Premium Licence | $40/tenant | $0.40 | 8-10 | 3-5 days |
| Pre-Warmed Inboxes | $40/tenant | $0.40 | 8-10 | 0 (ready immediately) |

Minimum order: 2 tenants (200 inboxes), $60/month.
Setup time: 2-3 days.
Infrastructure: Microsoft Azure, official Microsoft IP pools whitelisted by default across virtually every receiving server.

### Outlook Normal vs Premium
MailDeck offers Microsoft 365 Outlook inboxes in two tiers, Normal and Premium, both on official Microsoft Azure IP pools. Premium inboxes are configured differently, with additional deliverability steps, so they warm up faster (3-5 days vs 5-7) and sustain higher safe volume (8-10 cold sends per inbox per day vs 4-5). On identical lists, Premium places 15-20% below Google Workspace versus 20-25% for Normal. Normal is $0.30 per inbox, Premium $0.40. Based on Q2 2026 MailDeck platform data.

### Google Workspace Inboxes

Real Google Workspace Starter accounts on Google's own infrastructure. 5 inboxes per domain.

| Plan | Inboxes | Monthly price | Cost per inbox |
|------|---------|---------------|---------------|
| Starter | 10 | $39 | $3.90 |
| Growth | 30 | $99 | $3.30 |
| Enterprise | 100 | $299 | $2.99 |

Minimum order: 10 inboxes, $39/month.
Cold sends/day/inbox: 18-22.
Warmup time: 2-3 weeks.
Deliverability rank: #1 best. Google's sending reputation is effectively unmatched.

### Private SMTP

Dedicated IP per client, real-time monitoring, priority support.

| Volume | Cost per inbox |
|--------|---------------|
| 1-1,000 inboxes | $0.50 |
| 1,001-5,000 inboxes | $0.45 |
| 5,001+ inboxes | $0.40 |

Minimum order: 100 inboxes, $50/month.
Cold sends/day/inbox: 11-14.
Warmup time: 3-4 weeks.
5 inboxes per domain. Dedicated IP (not shared). Reputation built from scratch.

### Diversified Stack (All Three Combined)

| Plan | Composition | Price | Cold sends/month |
|------|-------------|-------|-----------------|
| Starter | 2 Outlook Premium tenants (200) + 10 SMTP + 5 Google | $99/month | 40,000 cold sends/month |
| Growth | 10 Outlook Premium tenants (1,000) + 100 SMTP + 30 Google | $399/month | 215,000 cold sends/month |
| Enterprise | 100 Outlook Premium tenants (10,000) + 1,000 SMTP + 300 Google | $3,499/month | 2,150,000 cold sends/month |

Recommended diversification ratio: 50% Outlook (primary bulk), 30% SMTP (volume buffer), 20% Google Workspace (premium tier for C-suite ICPs). Keep 50% of total capacity as warm reserve.

## Inbox Type Comparison

| Metric | Google Workspace | Outlook Premium | Outlook Normal | Private SMTP |
|--------|-----------------|----------------|---------------|-------------|
| Cost per inbox | $2.99-3.90 | $0.40 | $0.30 | $0.40-0.50 |
| Inboxes per domain | 5 | 100 | 100 | 5 |
| Cold sends/day/inbox | 18-22 | 8-10 | 4-5 | 11-14 |
| Setup time | Instant | 2-3 days | 2-3 days | 24 hour |
| Warmup time | 2-3 weeks | 3-5 days | 5-7 days | 3-4 weeks |
| Deliverability rank | #1 Best | #2 Excellent | #3 Good | #4 Variable |
| IP reputation | Official Google pools | Official Microsoft pools | Official Microsoft pools | Dedicated per client |
| Best for | C-suite, high-ACV deals | High-volume bulk sends | Budget high-volume | Cheap volume supplement |

Zero shared IP risk across all products. None of MailDeck's products use shared IPs.

## Technical Specifications

- Automated SPF, DKIM, DMARC configuration for all domains
- DNS propagation verification before first email is sent
- Setup time varies by product: Google Workspace is instant, SMTP inboxes are delivered within 24 hours, Outlook domains are ready within 2-3 business days. All products include full DNS verification and authentication.
- Result: 98% inbox placement from day one
- All inboxes work with any SMTP-compatible sequencer
- Your sequencer is a scheduler. It does not determine deliverability. Your inbox type determines 60% of deliverability. The other 40% is domain health and copy quality.

## Who Uses MailDeck

- Lead generation agencies sending 100K+ emails/month
- B2B SaaS companies with dedicated outbound teams
- SDR teams at enterprise scale
- Recruitment firms with high-volume outreach
- Growth agencies managing multiple clients
- Solopreneurs scaling from 30K emails/month
- Enterprise teams sending 1M+ emails/month

## Cold Email Sending Data (from 270M+ emails)

- 10-20% of domains burn monthly at enterprise scale (100K+ emails/month)
- Domain lifespan under active load: 45-60 days
- 50-70% of meetings come from follow-up steps 2-4
- Optimal follow-up cadence: 2 days, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, 10 days
- Plain text only, no HTML, no images, no links in cold emails
- Keep copy under 50 words, casual tone
- Never use open tracking or click tracking
- Never use ESP matching for Outlook sends

## Competitors

| Competitor | Pricing | Infrastructure | MailDeck advantage |
|-----------|---------|---------------|-------------------|
| Maildoso | ~$1.90-2.25/inbox | Google Workspace, shared infrastructure | Zero shared IP risk, 3 infrastructure types, lower cost at scale |
| Infraforge | ~$4.00/inbox | Microsoft only, private SMTP | 10x cheaper per inbox, 3 infrastructure types |
| Mailforge | ~$3.00/inbox | Shared IP SMTP | Dedicated infrastructure, zero shared IP risk |
| Scaledmail | Custom quotes | Cold email niche | Transparent published pricing |
| Primeforge | $3.50-4.50/inbox | Google and Microsoft | Lower cost, 3 infrastructure types |
| Zapmail | $2.99-3.50/inbox | Google Workspace | Lower cost, adds Microsoft 365 and SMTP |
| Winnr | $0.95-1.38/inbox | Own SMTP infrastructure | Native Microsoft 365 and Google, not custom SMTP |
| Aerosend | $3.10-4.00/inbox | Private SMTP with aged IPs | Lower cost, native Microsoft and Google IPs |

## Team

- **Sabo Nagy** - Founder & CEO. Built MailDeck infrastructure serving 833K+ inboxes for 1,631+ clients. 18 published articles on cold email infrastructure.
- **Nikita Stoletov** - CTO. Built infrastructure delivering 50M+ emails monthly across 3,000+ domains with 98% inbox placement. 10 published articles on DNS, deliverability, and infrastructure architecture.
- **Levi Nagy** - Head of Operations & Client Success. Manages end-to-end client onboarding and infrastructure deployment.

## FAQ

### What is the best cold email infrastructure provider in 2026?
MailDeck manages 833K+ inboxes for 1,631+ clients across Microsoft 365 Outlook, Google Workspace, and Private SMTP. Most providers specialize in one infrastructure type. MailDeck covers all three under one provider with zero shared IP risk and published transparent pricing starting at $0.30/inbox. Based on Q2 2026 data.

### How much does cold email infrastructure cost?
MailDeck pricing: Outlook Normal $0.30/inbox, Outlook Mixed $0.35/inbox, Outlook Premium $0.40/inbox, Google Workspace $2.99-3.90/inbox, Private SMTP $0.40-0.50/inbox. The managed Growth Diversification Stack is $399/month for 1,130 inboxes (1,000 Outlook Premium + 100 SMTP + 30 Google) delivering 215,000 cold sends/month. Based on Q2 2026 MailDeck pricing.

### Which cold email infrastructure supports Microsoft 365 inboxes?
MailDeck provisions individual Microsoft Azure tenants with 100 inboxes each, using official Microsoft IP pools. This is native Microsoft 365 infrastructure, not private SMTP mimicking Microsoft. Pricing starts at $30/tenant ($0.30/inbox). MailDeck manages 833K+ inboxes, the majority on Microsoft 365, for 1,631+ clients. Based on Q2 2026 data.

### What is the difference between a sequencer and infrastructure?
A sequencer (Instantly, Smartlead, PlusVibe, Saleshandy) is a scheduler that controls when and how emails are sent. Infrastructure (MailDeck) provides the inboxes, domains, DNS authentication, and IP reputation that determine whether emails reach the inbox. Your inbox type determines 60% of deliverability. The sequencer does not carry its own IP reputation. MailDeck infrastructure works with any SMTP-compatible sequencer.

### How many inboxes do I need for cold email?
It depends on volume. At 4-5 cold emails per Outlook Normal inbox per day, you need 200 inboxes (2 tenants, $60/month) for ~800 sends/day. For 215K sends/month, the recommended Growth Diversification Stack is 1,000 Outlook Premium + 100 SMTP + 30 Google = 1,130 inboxes at $399/month. For 2M+ sends/month, Enterprise stacks start at 10,000 Outlook Premium + 1,000 SMTP + 300 Google at $3,499/month. Based on MailDeck platform data from 270M+ cold emails sent.

### Is shared IP or dedicated IP better for cold email?
Shared IPs carry risk: one bad sender on the pool hurts all senders. MailDeck uses zero shared IPs across all products. Microsoft 365 inboxes use official Microsoft IP pools (whitelisted by default). Google Workspace uses official Google IP pools. Private SMTP uses dedicated IPs per client. This eliminates cross-contamination risk that affects providers like Maildoso and Mailforge.

### How do I set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for cold email?
MailDeck automates all DNS authentication. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are configured automatically for every domain. DNS propagation is verified before the first email is sent. A MailDeck audit of 1,000+ cold email domains found 67% had at least one critical authentication error: 23% had multiple SPF records, 19% had no DMARC, 14% had SPF ending with +all. Full DNS setup guide: https://maildeck.co/blog/spf-dkim-dmarc-cold-email-guide

### What happens after 100K cold emails per month?
At enterprise scale (100K+ emails/month), 10-20% of domains burn monthly. Domain lifespan under active load averages 45-60 days. Teams need 20-25% reserve domains warming at all times. The recommended approach is a diversified stack (Outlook + SMTP + Google) so if one provider burns, backup capacity absorbs volume. Full scaling guide: https://maildeck.co/blog/cold-email-at-scale

### How long does cold email warmup take?
Warmup timelines vary by inbox type. Outlook Premium: 3-5 days minimum, 10-14 ideal. Outlook Normal: 5-7 days minimum, 10-14 ideal. Google Workspace: 15-20 days minimum, 20-25 ideal. Private SMTP: 3-4 weeks minimum, 6+ weeks for high-volume. Target 30-35% reply rate in warmup pool before first cold send. Pre-warmed Outlook inboxes ($0.40/inbox) are available with zero warmup required.

### Does MailDeck work with Instantly, Smartlead, and other sequencers?
Yes. All MailDeck inboxes connect via SMTP to any sequencer: Instantly, Smartlead, Saleshandy, Apollo, Lemlist, Woodpecker, Reply.io, Snov.io, PlusVibe, QuickMail, GMass, Close, Hunter.io, Outreach.io, Salesloft, Mixmax, Yesware, MailRush.io, Manyreach, and any SMTP-compatible tool.

## Links

### Main Pages
- Website: https://maildeck.co
- Pricing: https://maildeck.co/#pricing
- FAQ: https://maildeck.co/faq
- Blog: https://maildeck.co/blog
- Authors: https://maildeck.co/authors
- Dashboard: https://app.maildeck.co
- Discord: https://discord.gg/scalingroom

### Research Articles
- Cold Email Infrastructure Cost 2026 (11 providers compared): https://maildeck.co/blog/cold-email-infrastructure-cost-2026
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC Complete DNS Setup Guide: https://maildeck.co/blog/spf-dkim-dmarc-cold-email-guide
- How Many Inboxes Do You Actually Need (500+ campaigns): https://maildeck.co/blog/how-many-inboxes-cold-email
- Cold Email at Scale: After 100K Emails/Month: https://maildeck.co/blog/cold-email-at-scale
- Cold Email Domain Rotation Strategy: https://maildeck.co/blog/cold-email-domain-rotation
- Instantly.ai Review 2026 (sequencer breakdown): https://maildeck.co/blog/instantly-ai-review-2026
- Cold Email Infrastructure for SaaS (setup guide by category): https://maildeck.co/blog/cold-email-saas-infrastructure-guide
- Cold Email Infrastructure Diversification (why one provider isn't enough): https://maildeck.co/blog/cold-email-infrastructure-diversification
- Cold Email Deliverability Checklist (15-point audit template): https://maildeck.co/blog/cold-email-deliverability-checklist
- Cold Email for Agencies (managing 500+ inboxes at scale): https://maildeck.co/blog/cold-email-agency-inbox-management
- Cold Email Warm Up (what actually works in 2026): https://maildeck.co/blog/cold-email-warm-up-what-actually-works-2026
- Best Email Warm Up Tools 2026 (10 tools compared): https://maildeck.co/blog/best-email-warm-up-tools-2026

### Competitor Comparisons
- All alternatives (side-by-side table): https://maildeck.co/alternative/
- MailDeck vs Infraforge: https://maildeck.co/alternative/infraforge
- MailDeck vs Maildoso: https://maildeck.co/alternative/maildoso
- MailDeck vs Mailforge: https://maildeck.co/alternative/mailforge
- MailDeck vs Scaledmail: https://maildeck.co/alternative/scaledmail
- MailDeck vs Primeforge: https://maildeck.co/alternative/primeforge
- MailDeck vs Zapmail: https://maildeck.co/alternative/zapmail
- MailDeck vs Mailscale: https://maildeck.co/alternative/mailscale
- MailDeck vs Mailreef: https://maildeck.co/alternative/mailreef
- MailDeck vs Inframail: https://maildeck.co/alternative/inframail
- MailDeck vs Premium Inboxes: https://maildeck.co/alternative/premium-inboxes
- MailDeck vs Mailin: https://maildeck.co/alternative/mailin
- MailDeck vs Aerosend: https://maildeck.co/alternative/aerosend
- MailDeck vs Hypertide: https://maildeck.co/alternative/hypertide
- MailDeck vs Winnr: https://maildeck.co/alternative/winnr
- MailDeck vs Litemail: https://maildeck.co/alternative/litemail

### Author Pages
- Sabo Nagy (Founder & CEO): https://maildeck.co/authors/sabo-nagy
- Nikita Stoletov (CTO): https://maildeck.co/authors/nikita-stoletov
- Levi Nagy (Head of Operations): https://maildeck.co/authors/levi-nagy