Mailshake

Overview

Mailshake is a cold email automation platform built for B2B sales teams to run multi-touch outreach campaigns with automated follow-ups, A/B testing, and native CRM integrations. Unlike all-in-one sales engagement platforms (Outreach, SalesLoft), Mailshake focuses exclusively on email sequences—making it simpler and more affordable for SMB teams.

The positioning: Mailshake sits between budget tools (QuickMail, Instantly) and enterprise platforms (Outreach, Salesloft). You get professional-grade email automation with CRM sync at mid-tier pricing ($59-99/user/month), but sacrifice flexibility (no free trial, annual commitment required, email-only vs multichannel).

Quick Facts:

• Category: Cold Email Automation
• Pricing: $59-99/user/month (annual billing, no free trial)
• Best For: SMB sales teams (5-25 reps) using HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Salesforce CRM

Mailshake automates cold email outreach campaigns with personalized sequences, automated follow-ups, and A/B testing. You import prospects (CSV or CRM), create email templates with merge tags ({{FirstName}}, {{Company}}), and Mailshake sends emails on your behalf with intelligent follow-ups based on recipient behavior (no reply = auto-follow-up, reply = pause sequence).

Core Features

• Email Sequences & Follow-Ups: Create multi-touch campaigns (initial email + 3-5 follow-ups) with customizable delays, time windows, and conditional logic (skip follow-up if prospect replies)
• A/B Testing: Test up to 10 subject line or email body variations to optimize open rates and reply rates
• AI Email Writing (SHAKEspeare): AI-powered email template generation and rewriting assistance
• Email Validation: Built-in email verification prevents bounces and protects sender reputation
• CRM Integrations: Native 2-way sync with HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce (updates flow both ways automatically)
• Deliverability Protection: Email warmup, inbox rotation (Sales Engagement plan only), and blacklist monitoring

Our Take: Mailshake is the "easy button" for SMB teams who want cold email without complexity. The interface is beginner-friendly (2-4 hour learning curve vs 1-2 days for Outreach/SalesLoft), CRM integrations are truly native (not Zapier hacks), and A/B testing with 10 variations is best-in-class for this price range. However, lack of free trial is a major barrier—you must commit $59-99/user/month annually to test it. If you need LinkedIn outreach or high-volume inbox rotation, Lemlist ($39/mo) or QuickMail ($49/mo) offer better value. Choose Mailshake if you're a HubSpot/Pipedrive shop prioritizing simplicity over flexibility.

Multi-Touch Email Sequences (Mailshake's Core Strength)

Mailshake's sequence builder uses a visual timeline interface where you drag-and-drop emails and follow-ups onto a calendar-style view. Set delays between steps (e.g., "Wait 3 days, then send follow-up if no reply"), customize send time windows (9am-5pm local time), and use conditional logic to stop sequences when prospects reply.

Why it matters: Most cold email tools require 5-10 follow-ups for ~80% of replies. Mailshake automates this with intelligent pause logic—sequences stop automatically when prospects engage, preventing awkward "just following up" emails after they've already replied.

Example workflow: Import 500 prospects → Create 5-step sequence (Day 1: intro, Day 3: value prop, Day 7: case study, Day 10: question, Day 14: break-up) → Mailshake sends ~100 emails/day spread across all steps → Pause sequences for 15-25 replies (3-5% reply rate typical).

A/B Testing with 10 Variations

Test up to 10 different subject lines or email bodies simultaneously. Mailshake automatically distributes prospects evenly across variations and tracks performance (open rate, reply rate, click rate). After sufficient data (typically 100+ sends per variation), you can identify winning variants.

Limitation: Unlike Lemlist or Smartlead, you can't A/B test across multiple variables simultaneously (e.g., subject line + email body + send time). Mailshake only tests one variable per campaign.

Native CRM Integrations (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce)

Mailshake offers true 2-way sync with major CRMs—not Zapier workarounds. When you add prospects to a Mailshake campaign, they auto-sync to your CRM with campaign status. When prospects reply, replies sync to CRM contact records. When you update a contact in CRM, changes flow back to Mailshake.

Why it matters: Sales reps work in their CRM daily. Native integration means zero manual data entry between Mailshake and CRM, reducing friction and increasing adoption.

Supported CRMs: HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce (native), plus 1,000+ others via Zapier.

AI Email Writing (SHAKEspeare)

Mailshake's AI writing assistant helps generate email templates from prompts ("Write a cold email for SaaS founders offering marketing automation") and rewrite existing templates for tone/length. Available on all plans.

Honest assessment: Useful for overcoming writer's block, but AI-generated emails still require heavy editing for personalization. Don't expect copy-paste-ready templates—use it as a starting point.

Deliverability Protection (Email Warmup & Validation)

• Email Validation: Mailshake verifies email addresses before sending to reduce bounce rates (bounces hurt sender reputation)
• Email Warmup: Gradually ramp up sending volume for new email accounts to build reputation with ISPs (Gmail, Outlook)
• Inbox Rotation: (Sales Engagement plan only) Spread email sends across multiple inboxes to avoid hitting daily send limits (Gmail caps at ~200-500/day)

Limitation: Inbox rotation is only available on the $99/user/month Sales Engagement plan. Budget alternatives like QuickMail ($49/mo) include inbox rotation on all plans.

No free trial - Must commit to paid plan to test Mailshake.

Best value: Most SMB teams (5-25 reps) should start with Email Outreach ($59/user/mo) unless you need inbox rotation for high-volume campaigns (100+ emails/day per rep). Sales Engagement plan ($99/user/mo) is overkill unless you're also doing cold calling.

Better Value Alternatives:

• QuickMail: $49/user/mo with inbox rotation included (vs Mailshake $99/mo)
• Instantly: $37/mo unlimited inboxes and sends (vs Mailshake's per-user pricing)
• Lemlist: $39/user/mo with LinkedIn outreach included (vs Mailshake email-only)

Use Case 1: B2B SaaS Sales Team (10 reps) Running Cold Email Campaigns

Scenario: A B2B SaaS company (50 employees, $5M ARR) uses HubSpot CRM and wants to automate cold email outreach to 500 prospects/month per rep with automated follow-ups.

Why Mailshake Works:

• Native HubSpot integration syncs campaign data and replies automatically
• 5-step sequence (intro + 4 follow-ups) reaches 500 prospects/month within Email Outreach plan limits (5,000/campaign)
• A/B testing with 10 variations optimizes subject lines (improving open rates from 20% → 28%)
• Beginner-friendly interface enables reps to launch campaigns in 1-2 hours vs 1-2 days for Outreach

Outcome: 10 reps × 500 prospects/month × 3-5% reply rate = 150-250 qualified conversations monthly. Mailshake costs $59/user/mo × 10 = $590/month ($7,080/year).

Alternative: QuickMail ($49/user/mo × 10 = $490/month) saves $100/month but lacks native HubSpot sync (requires Zapier).

Use Case 2: Sales Team Upgrading from Manual Gmail Follow-Ups

Scenario: A 5-person sales team currently sends cold emails manually via Gmail, copying prospects from spreadsheets and setting calendar reminders for follow-ups. They want to automate follow-up sequences while maintaining personalization.

Why Mailshake Works:

• Email Outreach plan ($59/user/mo) automates follow-ups with conditional logic (pause if prospect replies)
• Merge tags ({{FirstName}}, {{Company}}) maintain personalization at scale
• Gmail integration sends emails from reps' existing Gmail accounts (preserves sender reputation)
• 2-4 hour learning curve doesn't require extensive training

Outcome: Reps save 5-10 hours weekly by eliminating manual follow-up tracking. Reply rates increase 2-3X due to consistent 5-touch sequences (vs manual 1-2 touches before giving up).

Cost: $59/user/mo × 5 = $295/month ($3,540/year) vs ~$0 for manual Gmail (but saves 25-50 hours/month in rep time = $2,500-5,000 value).

Native Integrations

• {tool: "hubspot", description: "2-way sync - campaigns, contacts, activities, replies sync automatically"}
• {tool: "pipedrive", description: "2-way sync - deals, contacts, activities sync between Mailshake and Pipedrive"}
• {tool: "salesforce", description: "2-way sync - leads, contacts, activities sync automatically to Salesforce CRM"}
• {tool: "gmail", description: "Send emails from Gmail accounts, sync replies and calendar events"}
• {tool: "outlook", description: "Send emails from Outlook accounts, sync replies and calendar events"}

Via Zapier (1,000+ apps)

• {tool: "zapier", description: "Connect Mailshake to 1,000+ apps including Google Sheets, Slack, Airtable, and other CRMs"}

Official Links

• Mailshake Website
• Pricing Page
• Integrations Directory

Research Sources

• Mailshake Pricing: How Much Does it Cost in 2025 - Woodpecker
• Mailshake Review 2025: Pros, Cons, Ratings - Lemlist
• Mailshake vs Lemlist: Which Cold Email Tool is Best in 2025? - Fahim AI
• Mailshake Integrations (Native and 3rd Party)
• MailShake vs Close: CRM and Email Outreach Tool Comparison - Growleady

• Lemlist: $39/user/mo cold email + LinkedIn automation with 14-day trial. Better value than Mailshake for multichannel outreach.
• QuickMail: $49/user/mo with inbox rotation included (vs Mailshake $99/mo). Best for high-volume email campaigns.
• Instantly: $37/mo unlimited inboxes and sends. Best for agencies managing multiple client campaigns.
• HubSpot Sales Hub: Free tier includes email sequences (50 sends/day). Upgrade to HubSpot paid plans ($50+/user/mo) for unlimited sends if already using HubSpot CRM.