A $47 sequencer can sit on top of a four-figure operating system. Domains, mailboxes, data, verification, enrichment, monitoring, and reply handling are usually purchased in different places. Put them in one monthly model before comparing plans.
Build the model around a month of work
Choose one realistic month: new prospects loaded, follow-ups sent, active mailboxes, domains, users, clients, and expected replies. Count follow-ups as sends and separate uploaded contacts from active contacts. Then map each unit to the plan that charges for it.
- Domains and renewals
- Mailboxes and provider fees
- Sequencer plan
- Lead data and enrichment
- Verification and second passes
- Monitoring and placement tests
- Reply handling and manual research
Do not buy around an ‘unlimited’ label
Unlimited mailboxes can still sit beside contact, send, workspace, or fair-use limits. A bundled lead database can still charge separately for verification. White-labeling, client workspaces, servers, or placement tests may live outside the core plan. Copy every relevant counter into the model.
Price the operator
Someone has to watch authentication, domain health, disconnected inboxes, suppression, replies, bounces, and ownership. Track that time during the trial. A more expensive product is sometimes cheaper because it turns failures into an obvious queue instead of a forensic exercise.
Google’s published sender requirements are a useful floor: authentication, valid DNS, TLS, standards-compliant messages, low spam rates, and additional requirements for bulk senders. The software subscription does not perform all of that work by itself.
Use a 30-day exit test
Before an annual commitment, export contacts, campaign state, suppression data, replies, and sender history. Disconnect one mailbox and restore it. Move a campaign to another tool on paper. Switching cost belongs in the price model even if you hope never to pay it.