Best AI Tools for Writing Cold Emails
Find the right AI tool to write cold emails that actually get responses
Cold email is a numbers game, but it’s also a quality game. The best cold emails feel personal, relevant, and valuable to the recipient. AI tools can help you write better emails faster, but choosing the wrong tool means generic output that lands in spam.
We tested the leading AI writing tools specifically for cold email use cases. Here’s what actually works, who each tool is best for, and where they fall short.
What We Looked For
When evaluating these tools specifically for this use case, we focused on:
- Ability to generate personalized, non-generic openers
- Quality of cold email templates and frameworks
- Speed of generating variations for A/B testing
- Integration with email sending tools
- Price relative to volume needs
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Free Tier | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lavender | SDRs and sales teams focused specifically on em… | $29/monthly | ✅ Yes | ⭐ 4.7/5 |
| Instantly.ai | Agencies and teams running cold email campaigns… | $37/monthly | ❌ No | ⭐ 4.5/5 |
| SmartWriter | B2B sales teams doing account-based outreach | $49/monthly | ✅ Yes | ⭐ 4.3/5 |
| Jasper | Marketing teams needing high-volume, on-brand copy | $59/monthly | ❌ No | ⭐ 4.2/5 |
| Copy.ai | Freelancers and small businesses starting with … | $29/monthly | ✅ Yes | ⭐ 4.0/5 |
| ChatGPT | Power users comfortable with prompting who want… | $24/monthly | ✅ Yes | ⭐ 3.8/5 |
Detailed Reviews
Lavender
AI email coach that helps you write better emails
Rating: 4.7/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The specialist choice - built specifically for cold email with real performance data
Pricing: $29/monthly | Free tier: 5 emails/month with basic features Pro plan at $45/mo. Team plans available.
What we like:
- ✅ Purpose-built for cold email (not general copywriting)
- ✅ Real-time scoring and suggestions
- ✅ Integrates with Gmail, Outlook, and sales tools
- ✅ Shows data on what works based on millions of emails
What to watch out for:
- ⚠️ Narrowly focused (only email)
- ⚠️ Higher tiers needed for full analytics
- ⚠️ Less useful if you’re not doing sales outreach
Best for: SDRs and sales teams focused specifically on email outreach
Instantly.ai
Cold email software with AI personalization
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Full platform approach - writes AND sends, great for serious outreach operations
Pricing: $37/monthly | No free tier Includes email warmup. Hypergrowth plan at $97/mo.
What we like:
- ✅ Complete cold email solution (writing + sending + warmup)
- ✅ AI generates personalized first lines at scale
- ✅ Unlimited email accounts on all plans
- ✅ Built-in deliverability tools
What to watch out for:
- ⚠️ More than just a writing tool (might be overkill)
- ⚠️ Learning curve for full platform
- ⚠️ Requires your own sending domains
Best for: Agencies and teams running cold email campaigns at scale
SmartWriter
AI personalized cold emails using prospect data
Rating: 4.3/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Personalization powerhouse - pulls prospect data automatically for relevant openers
Pricing: $49/monthly | Free tier: 7-day free trial Basic plan. Popular plan at $149/mo, Pro at $299/mo.
What we like:
- ✅ Scrapes prospect data for hyper-personalization
- ✅ LinkedIn integration for research
- ✅ Generates unique first lines at scale
- ✅ Good for ABM campaigns
What to watch out for:
- ⚠️ Credit system can get expensive at volume
- ⚠️ Personalization quality varies by prospect data availability
- ⚠️ Interface less polished than competitors
- ⚠️ Some users report customer support issues
Best for: B2B sales teams doing account-based outreach
Jasper
AI writing assistant for marketing teams
Rating: 4.2/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Strong templates for sales sequences, but requires tuning for personalization
Pricing: $59/monthly | No free tier 7-day free trial available. $69/mo if billed monthly.
What we like:
- ✅ Excellent templates specifically for marketing copy
- ✅ Brand voice training keeps output consistent
- ✅ Fast generation with multiple variations
- ✅ Strong integration with Surfer SEO
What to watch out for:
- ⚠️ Expensive for solo users or small teams
- ⚠️ Output can feel generic without careful prompting
- ⚠️ Only Pro and Business plans available now
Best for: Marketing teams needing high-volume, on-brand copy
Copy.ai
AI-powered copywriting made simple
Rating: 4.0/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great cold email templates out of the box, free tier lets you test extensively
Pricing: $29/monthly | Free tier: 2,000 words/month Free tier available. $24/mo if billed annually.
What we like:
- ✅ Generous free tier to test before committing
- ✅ Clean, simple interface
- ✅ Good variety of templates
- ✅ Workflows feature for multi-step content
What to watch out for:
- ⚠️ Long-form content quality inconsistent
- ⚠️ Less sophisticated than Jasper for complex projects
- ⚠️ Limited brand voice options on lower tiers
Best for: Freelancers and small businesses starting with AI copywriting
ChatGPT
OpenAI’s general-purpose AI assistant
Rating: 3.8/5 ⭐⭐⭐
Powerful but generic - requires good prompts to match specialized tools
Pricing: $24/monthly | Free tier: GPT-3.5 access, limited GPT-4 Plus subscription for full GPT-4/GPT-5 access
What we like:
- ✅ Extremely versatile (not just copywriting)
- ✅ Best raw language capability with GPT-5
- ✅ Constant improvements
- ✅ Huge community with shared prompts
What to watch out for:
- ⚠️ No built-in templates for specific use cases
- ⚠️ Requires good prompting skills
- ⚠️ No email-specific features or scoring
- ⚠️ Generic without custom instructions
Best for: Power users comfortable with prompting who want flexibility
Frequently Asked Questions
Can AI write cold emails that don’t sound like AI?
Yes, but it requires the right tool and some editing. Specialist tools like Lavender and SmartWriter produce more natural output than general-purpose writers because they’re trained on successful cold emails. The key is using AI for the first draft, then adding your personal touch.
Is it worth paying for a cold email AI tool when ChatGPT is free?
Depends on your volume. For occasional emails, ChatGPT with good prompts works fine. For sales teams sending hundreds of emails weekly, specialized tools save significant time with templates, personalization features, and performance data that ChatGPT lacks.
Will recipients know my email was written by AI?
Not if you use the tools correctly. The biggest tell is generic, unpersonalized content. Tools that pull in prospect-specific data (like SmartWriter) or score your email’s ‘humanness’ (like Lavender) help avoid detection.
What’s the best free option for AI cold emails?
Copy.ai’s free tier gives you 2,000 words monthly, enough for roughly 100-150 cold emails. Lavender’s free tier is limited to 5 emails but gives you the scoring feature. For unlimited free access, ChatGPT with a good cold email prompt template works well.
The Bottom Line
For most people looking at this use case, Lavender offers the best balance of features and value. However, your specific needs matter:
- On a budget? Start with the free tiers from Copy.ai or ChatGPT
- Running a sales team? Lavender or Instantly give you the specialized features you need
- Need maximum personalization? SmartWriter’s prospect research is unmatched
The best tool is the one you’ll actually use consistently. Most offer free trials, so test 2-3 before committing.
Last updated: November 2025. Prices and features verified as of this date.