Inbox placement tests · see where each campaign lands
Pick Instantly if you want unlimited one-time placement tests. They come with Inbox Placement Growth, a separate plan from Instantly's sending plans, at $47 a month.
our pick for you
Our pick
Instantly wins for senders who want unlimited tests with no monthly cap. Smartlead SmartDelivery wins for Smartlead users who test up to 50 sender inboxes at once. GlockApps wins for agencies testing across clients on different tools.
- An inbox placement test sends your campaign to test inboxes at Gmail, Outlook and other providers, then reports how much landed in the inbox, the spam folder or the promotions tab.
- A free spam-score checker reads one email's words and setup. It can't tell you how Microsoft treats your domain.
- Instantly gives 2 free one-time tests. After that, its separate Inbox Placement plan sells unlimited one-time tests on Growth and unlimited automated tests on Hypergrowth.
- Smartlead SmartDelivery Growth is $49 a month for 120 campaign tests, with up to 50 sender inboxes per test.
- The math: SmartDelivery Growth is $49 ÷ 120 = about $0.41 per test, capped at 120 a month. Instantly Inbox Placement Growth is $47 a month with no cap. That is $49 - $47 = $2 a month less, and SmartDelivery stops at 120 tests.
Ranked picks
- #1
Instantlytop pickBest for: Cold email senders who want unlimited placement tests with no monthly cap.
- Inbox Placement Growth is $47 a month for unlimited one-time tests.
- Inbox Placement Hypergrowth is $97 a month and adds unlimited automated tests.
- #2
Best for: Smartlead users who want to test up to 50 sender inboxes in one test.
- It tests up to 50 sender inboxes at once on Growth, and up to 500 on Expert.
- It runs inside the tool that already sends your campaigns.
- #3
Best for: Agencies that test for clients on different sending tools.
- It works with any sending tool.
Compare
| Tool | Price band | Best for | Dealbreaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Instantly | Starter is $85 a month… | Cold email senders who want unlimited placement tests with no monthly cap. | Inbox Placement is its own subscription, so it is a separate bill from any other… |
| #2 Smartlead | Base is $39 billed monthly. | Smartlead users who want to test up to 50 sender inboxes in one test. | You pay for it on top of a Smartlead plan. |
| #3 GlockApps | Free $0 (2 tests). | Agencies that test for clients on different sending tools. | It is a second bill if you already pay for Instantly or SmartDelivery. |
MethodHow we scored these tools▾
We checked each vendor's prices and test limits in a browser on October 19, 2026, and Instantly's Inbox Placement prices on October 20, 2026.
Who it's for
buy if
- Use this page if replies dropped and you want to know which inbox providers send your mail to spam.
- Use this page if you run cold email from Instantly or Smartlead and want the test inside that tool.
skip if
- Skip this page if you only want a spam score for one newsletter email. A free checker that scores one message is enough for that.
The short answer
Pick Instantly if you want unlimited placement tests. They come with Inbox Placement Growth, a separate plan from Instantly's sending plans, at $47 a month.
Pick Smartlead SmartDelivery if you send from Smartlead. Its Growth add-on is $49 a month for 120 tests, with up to 50 sender inboxes per test.
Pick GlockApps if you test for clients who use different tools.
Passing SPF, DKIM and DMARC doesn't put you in the inbox
SPF, DKIM and DMARC are three DNS records that prove an email really came from your domain. Passing them is the entry ticket. It doesn't decide where the email lands.
Mohammad Muneeb posted an agency Smartlead placement test on LinkedIn on October 8, 2026. It sent from 200 SMTP inboxes, which are plain mailboxes from a hosting provider. Every email passed authentication. Google recipients got 100% in the inbox. Microsoft recipients got 37% in the inbox and 63% in spam. Replies followed the same split: 7 from 240 Google leads and 1 from 912 Microsoft leads.
The reply counts are small, and the agency had no Microsoft inbox group to compare yet. It still shows why you split results by recipient provider, the company that runs the person's inbox.
What to do with a bad Microsoft result
Split your list by recipient provider. Send to Microsoft addresses from inboxes that test well at Microsoft, and keep Google addresses on the inboxes that land at Google.
Run the test again after any change, before you send the full campaign.
What a year of testing costs
The math on Instantly: Inbox Placement Growth is $47 × 12 = $564 a year billed monthly, for unlimited one-time tests. Inbox Placement is its own subscription, billed apart from any other Instantly plan.
The math on Smartlead: SmartDelivery Growth is $49 × 12 = $588 a year for 120 tests a month. Add Smartlead Base at $32 × 12 = $384 a year billed yearly, so $588 + $384 = $972 a year.
The math on GlockApps: Essential is $708 a year billed yearly, before the cost of the tool that sends your email.
Common questions
What is an inbox placement test?▾
You send your campaign to test inboxes at providers like Gmail and Outlook. The test reports how much landed in the inbox, in spam or in the promotions tab.
Is there a free inbox placement test?▾
Yes. Instantly gives 2 free one-time tests, and GlockApps' free plan has 2 tests.
How do I test if my emails go to spam?▾
Run a placement test on the real campaign, then read the result by provider. A spam score for one email won't show how Microsoft or Google treats your domain.
what to do next
What to do next
Run one placement test on your next campaign before you send it to the full list. If you send from Instantly, or want tests with no monthly cap, start with Instantly and its 2 free tests. If you send from Smartlead, add SmartDelivery from Smartlead. Try Instantly Try Smartlead Next · Cold email infrastructure covers the inboxes you send from · Smartlead vs Instantly compares the two sequencers · Inbox providers helps you buy inboxes that land at Microsoft.