Get SupportCheap Inboxes is the easiest MailDeck alternative to price when the requirement is standard Google or Microsoft mailboxes.
MailDeck's current public page lists Microsoft, Google, private SMTP, mixed, and diversified infrastructure. It also publishes starting plan amounts, including $30 per month for a Normal Microsoft tenant, $40 for Premium, $35 for Mixed, $50 for Private SMTP with a 100-inbox minimum, and $99 for a diversified stack.
Those numbers are finally usable. They still do not buy the same architecture.
Separate the MailDeck offers first
| MailDeck offer | Published starting amount checked July 23, 2026 | Published structure | What still needs confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Microsoft | $30/tenant/month | 100 inboxes per tenant | Domain count, tenant ownership, support, and exit |
| Premium Microsoft | $40/tenant/month | 100 inboxes per tenant | What the premium configuration adds |
| Mixed | $35/tenant/month | Mixed infrastructure | Exact provider and allocation |
| Private SMTP | $50/month | Minimum 100 inboxes; five inboxes per domain | Server/IP allocation, usage, and reputation responsibility |
| Diversified stack | $99/month | Combines multiple infrastructure types | Quantity and scope of each included layer |
Keep the unit attached to every number. A tenant, SMTP package, mixed stack, and standard provider mailbox should not be compared as though they are the same cart item.
1. Cheap Inboxes — public pricing and standard accounts
Cheap Inboxes publishes $3.50 per mailbox per month for 1–99, $3.25 for 100–249, and $3.00 for 250–999. The offer covers Google and Microsoft mailboxes; domains and sending software are separate.
Customers can bring an existing domain or buy one, and each workspace uses one domain. The public product also documents API, MCP-compatible, webhook, DNS-related, cancellation, and disconnect workflows.
The ranking is not based on pretending the account itself is unique. It is based on transparent pricing, an understandable operating model, and customer service when the setup needs a person.
2. MailDeck — make the plan scope do the work
MailDeck now gives buyers enough public pricing to build a real shortlist. The remaining job is to attach each amount to the exact account model, quantity, commitment, and ownership boundary.
Ask MailDeck to put these items on one page:
- exact mailbox architecture;
- active mailbox and domain count;
- billing cadence and minimum term;
- one-time and recurring domain costs;
- dedicated or shared infrastructure;
- admin and credential ownership;
- support responsibilities;
- cancellation, export, and asset transfer.
Then compare the written total. The public starting amount gets the provider onto the shortlist; the complete scope decides whether the number survives procurement.
3. Infraforge — an itemized custom-infrastructure option
Infraforge's pricing page exposes a $4 mailbox slot, a 10-slot minimum, $14 annual .com domains, a $99 monthly dedicated IP billed quarterly, and separate masking charges.
If the MailDeck quote is for private SMTP, this is a more relevant architecture comparison than a standard Google mailbox.
Match the exact resource model and include every selected add-on. The visibility of a line item does not prove it is required, but an omitted line item should not be assumed free.
4. MailReef — a server and send-volume budget
MailReef publishes a dedicated server subscription plus $0.001 per send. The page reviewed showed $240 and $249 server amounts.
That gives a MailDeck buyer another custom-infrastructure model to price. It also creates a different operating unit. Compare server allocation, volume, domains, monitoring, support, reputation responsibility, and offboarding.
Do not force either quote into a per-Google-mailbox calculation.
5. Icemail — multiple architectures with public starting points
Icemail lists standard Google/Microsoft, Azure, and IMAP/SMTP offers. The standard promotional rate is $2.50 per mailbox per month, with $3.50 also shown. Azure is $29 per domain per month; IMAP/SMTP is $49 per domain per month.
Keep the tone measured and the rows separate. The value of including Icemail here is not the lowest displayed number. It is the ability to compare a published architecture-specific starting point with the MailDeck quote.
What would make a MailDeck quote comparable?
A usable quote answers three things without a follow-up call:
- What is being bought? Provider account, SMTP mailbox, server, IP, domain, software, or service.
- What repeats? Monthly, annual, quarterly, usage-based, or another cadence.
- What leaves with the customer? Domains, DNS control, credentials, account access, data, and reputation-bearing assets.
If the quote does not answer those questions, ask again before debating features.
Test the quote at two quantities
Ask for the planned launch quantity and the next realistic scale step. A 20-mailbox pilot may use a different server, tenant, support level, or discount than a 200-mailbox operation.
For each quantity, preserve:
- account type and architecture;
- active domains and mailboxes per domain;
- shared or dedicated resources;
- recurring price, usage, and commitment;
- included setup and support;
- replacement and expansion unit;
- cancellation and asset transfer.
This catches a quote that is attractive only at the pilot size or one whose larger configuration changes the operating model.
A standard-mailbox baseline
When the MailDeck quote is for standard Microsoft accounts, compare it with a standard provider baseline. Thirty Cheap Inboxes mailboxes cost $105 per calendar month in the public 1–99 tier. Domains and sending software are separate.
If the quote is for private SMTP, remove the Google/Microsoft baseline and compare it with custom-infrastructure providers. The buyer should not select the cheaper-looking lane until the architecture decision is made.
Quote quality is part of service quality
A complete quote shows that the provider understands the operating boundary before money changes hands. It should make future additions, replacements, support, and exit predictable.
That is relevant to Cheap Inboxes' positioning. Customer service is not only how quickly someone replies. It is whether the commercial and technical handoff leaves the operator with fewer surprises.
FAQ
How much does MailDeck cost?
The current page lists $30 per month for a Normal Microsoft tenant, $40 for Premium, $35 for Mixed, $50 for Private SMTP with a 100-inbox minimum, and $99 for a diversified stack. Confirm the exact account quantity, commitment, domains, support, and exit terms for the selected offer.
Does public starting pricing make the MailDeck quote complete?
No. The starting amounts are useful, but multiple architectures remain in the catalog. The written order still needs to define the provider model, quantities, billing term, included domains, support, and ownership.
What is the closest MailDeck alternative?
For standard Google or Microsoft accounts, Cheap Inboxes is the first test. For private SMTP or server infrastructure, compare providers in the same architecture lane.
What should be tested after the quote?
Order one production-like domain and verify DNS, admin ownership, mailbox creation, sequencer connection, support, replacement, cancellation, and asset transfer.
Should a third-party MailDeck price be used?
No. The official page now provides starting amounts. Use those figures, then confirm the account type, quantity, cadence, and inclusions in the current order instead of importing a third-party estimate.
How should a private SMTP quote be normalized?
Convert only the billing cadence while retaining the original unit. A quarterly server or domain package may be expressed as a calendar-month equivalent, but it remains a server or domain package, not a standard mailbox.