Instantly vs Smartlead:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Smartlead had more branded searches than Instantly among cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide. Smartlead was estimated to have 40K branded searches compared to Instantly’s 34.4K, and held a 9.4% Share of Search versus Instantly’s 8.1%. Worldwide · English terms: these are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Instantly or Smartlead?
Compare cold email, prospecting, and sales engagement software used by outbound sales teams, measured through worldwide English-language branded search demand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Smartlead, Instantly. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Apollo.io | lemlist | Smartlead | Instantly | Salesloft | Reply.io | Outreach | Woodpecker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 47.5% | 23.1% | 8.1% | 8.7% | 10.3% | 0.95% | 0.86% | 0.41% |
| Nov 2025 | 52.7% | 21.8% | 7.7% | 8.2% | 7.9% | 0.72% | 0.64% | 0.38% |
| Dec 2025 | 54.7% | 18.4% | 8.2% | 8.4% | 8.2% | 0.91% | 0.79% | 0.39% |
| Jan 2026 | 54.9% | 18.5% | 8% | 8.4% | 8.2% | 0.75% | 0.78% | 0.42% |
| Feb 2026 | 52.7% | 21.6% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 7.9% | 0.71% | 0.78% | 0.39% |
| Mar 2026 | 60.3% | 16.9% | 7.2% | 7.7% | 6.1% | 0.7% | 0.78% | 0.31% |
| Apr 2026 | 64.4% | 15.1% | 6.6% | 6.9% | 5.5% | 0.5% | 0.79% | 0.26% |
| May 2026 | 62.8% | 14.6% | 7.6% | 8.1% | 5.3% | 0.62% | 0.65% | 0.29% |
| Jun 2026 | 59.2% | 16.7% | 8.7% | 7.6% | 6% | 0.67% | 0.64% | 0.46% |
| Jul 2026 | 59.2% | 16.7% | 8.7% | 7.6% | 6% | 0.81% | 0.61% | 0.36% |
| Aug 2026 | 64.2% | 10% | 9.4% | 8.1% | 6.5% | 0.71% | 0.65% | 0.31% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Instantly and Smartlead comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands once in the 11 months ending August 2026: Smartlead took it in June 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Instantly’s estimated Share of Search among cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide moved from 8.7% to 8.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 34.9K to 34.4K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Smartlead’s estimated Share of Search among cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide moved from 8.1% to 9.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 32.6K to 40K.
How did search popularity change for cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, Smartlead gained estimated Share of Search among cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide, from 8.7% to 9.4%.
In August 2026, Instantly gained estimated Share of Search among cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide, from 7.6% to 8.1%.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Instantly’s and Smartlead’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Put your own brand in this comparison
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