Cheapinboxes vs Mailstand: Budget Google Workspace Inbox Comparison
Two budget Google Workspace providers compared. Cheapinboxes at $1.50 to $2.50 per inbox vs Mailstand at $3 to $5 per inbox. Pricing, DNS, support, and when to use each.
Two Budget Options for Google Workspace Cold Email Inboxes
If you're looking for the cheapest possible Google Workspace inboxes for cold email, Cheapinboxes and Mailstand are two names that come up frequently. Both target budget-conscious cold emailers who want to keep per-inbox costs low. Neither is going to win awards for deliverability or support, but both have a place in the market for specific use cases.
I've used both providers. Here's an honest comparison of what you get, what you don't get, and when each one makes sense.
Cheapinboxes: The Lowest Price Point
Cheapinboxes offers Google Workspace inboxes at $1.50 to $2.50 per inbox, making them one of the cheapest inbox providers in the cold email market. At that price, you're getting a real Google Workspace account with your domain. You can log in, send emails, and connect to any sending platform via SMTP/IMAP or OAuth.
The catch is everything that's not included. DNS setup is basic. In my experience with 20+ Cheapinboxes accounts, about 20% arrived with DMARC records that needed manual fixing. SPF was usually correct, but DKIM alignment wasn't always verified. If you don't know how to check and fix DNS records yourself, you'll run into deliverability problems without understanding why.
No pre-warming. No Outlook option. Support is email-only with 24 to 48 hour response times. When an inbox gets suspended at 2 AM and your campaign is running, you're on your own until someone responds the next day.
Mailstand: Slightly Higher Price, Similar Limitations
Mailstand charges $3 to $5 per Google Workspace inbox. That's 2x the price of Cheapinboxes, which begs the question: what do you get for the premium?
In testing, the answer is: marginally better DNS consistency. Mailstand inboxes arrived with correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records more reliably than Cheapinboxes. About 90% of Mailstand inboxes were correctly configured on delivery, compared to roughly 80% for Cheapinboxes. Still not 100%, but better.
Mailstand also has slightly faster support (typically 12 to 24 hours vs 24 to 48 hours for Cheapinboxes). Still email-only. Still not fast enough for urgent issues.
Like Cheapinboxes, Mailstand offers no pre-warming and no Outlook inboxes. You're getting Google Workspace only, and you're responsible for warmup and ongoing deliverability management.
Side by Side Comparison
| Feature | Cheapinboxes | Mailstand |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Google Workspace | Google Workspace |
| Pricing | $1.50 to $2.50/inbox | $3 to $5/inbox |
| DNS quality | ~80% correct on delivery | ~90% correct on delivery |
| Pre-warming | No | No |
| Outlook option | No | No |
| Support channel | ||
| Support response | 24 to 48 hours | 12 to 24 hours |
| Delivery time | 48 to 96 hours | 48 to 72 hours |
| Warmup included | No | No |
Deliverability Testing Results
We tested 15 inboxes from each provider under identical conditions. Same warmup tool (Instantly warmup), same warmup duration (14 days), same sending platform, same email copy.
Cheapinboxes (15 inboxes):
- Average inbox placement after warmup: 62%
- 3 inboxes needed DNS fixes before warmup
- 1 inbox suspended during warmup
- Average reply rate on cold campaigns: 2.8%
Mailstand (15 inboxes):
- Average inbox placement after warmup: 66%
- 1 inbox needed a DNS fix before warmup
- 0 inboxes suspended during warmup
- Average reply rate on cold campaigns: 3.1%
Mailstand edged out Cheapinboxes by 4 percentage points on inbox placement and 0.3 points on reply rate. Statistically meaningful but not dramatic. Both providers delivered below the 80%+ inbox placement you'd expect from properly configured, pre-warmed Google Workspace accounts.
The True Cost Problem
Both providers share the same fundamental cost issue. The inbox price is low, but the total cost of operation is not.
Cheapinboxes (20 inboxes):
- Inboxes: 20 x $2 = $40
- Warmup tool: 20 x $17.50 = $350
- DNS fix time: 1 to 2 hours on 4 inboxes
- Monthly total: ~$390
Mailstand (20 inboxes):
- Inboxes: 20 x $4 = $80
- Warmup tool: 20 x $17.50 = $350
- DNS fix time: minimal
- Monthly total: ~$430
The warmup cost dwarfs the inbox cost in both cases. Whether you pay $40 or $80 for 20 inboxes, you're still paying $350 per month for warmup. That's where the budget gets blown.
When Each Provider Makes Sense
Cheapinboxes works for: Solo cold emailers testing the channel with 5 to 10 inboxes. If you know how to check DNS records, don't mind fixing issues yourself, and are comfortable managing warmup independently, Cheapinboxes gets you started at the lowest possible cost.
Mailstand works for: The same audience but with slightly less tolerance for DNS issues. If you want marginally better out-of-box reliability and slightly faster support, the $1 to $2 per inbox premium over Cheapinboxes is reasonable.
Neither is recommended for: Agencies managing client campaigns, teams where cold email generates revenue-critical pipeline, or anyone who needs Outlook inboxes for platform diversity. At these stakes, the deliverability gap between budget providers (62% to 66% inbox placement) and quality providers (85%+ inbox placement) translates directly into lost meetings and lost revenue.
The Alternative Worth Considering
At 20 inboxes, Cheapinboxes costs $390/month total and Mailstand costs $430/month total when you include warmup. Puzzle Inbox pre-warmed Google Workspace inboxes cost $90 total (20 x $4.50) with zero warmup costs. You also get Outlook inboxes at $0.35 for platform diversity, verified DNS, and WhatsApp support that responds in under 15 minutes.
The budget providers are 4x more expensive per month than the pre-warmed option while delivering lower inbox placement. The math only works if you genuinely need the absolute cheapest possible per-inbox price and don't factor in warmup, DNS, or deliverability performance.