Contact form outreach vs cold email
Both are ways to write to companies that do not know you yet. Cold email goes to an address you found or bought. Contact form outreach goes through the form each company put on its own website. Here is how they differ, where each one fits better, and what each costs.
$0.09 for each form that goes through. $10 covers about 111.
The short answer
Contact forms
Land in the inbox the company set up for messages from its website. Nothing to set up first. $0.09 for each form that goes through.
Cold email
Reaches a named person when you have their address, and works where there is no form. Needs extra email addresses, a paid sending tool, a wait before you can send, and contact data.
Both
Open with the contact form, then follow up by email with the companies that answer.
How the two compare
Where the message goes, what you set up, and what you get back. Cold email has real strengths too, and they are in the table.
| Topic | Contact forms | Cold email |
|---|---|---|
| Where the message lands | The inbox the company set up for messages from its website | The inbox of the address you have, if filters let it through |
| Who reads it | The people the company chose to answer messages from its website | The person the address belongs to, if it is still in use |
| Spam filters | No mailbox spam folder in between. Some sites screen form messages themselves | Filters on the receiving side decide if it reaches the inbox |
| What you set up | Nothing. Pick the companies, write one message, approve the list | Extra email addresses and a paid sending tool, usually set up by someone technical |
| Wait before you can send | None. Start sending the same day | Usually 2 to 4 weeks before you can send to many companies |
| Contact data | Not needed. Each campaign collects the emails and phone numbers the sites list, at no extra charge | Bought or found separately, often $0.10 to $0.30 per contact, and some addresses no longer work |
| Reaching a named person | No. It goes to whoever reads the messages from the company's website | Yes, when you have the right address |
| Companies with no contact form | Cannot be reached this way. They are left out and not charged | Can be reached if you have an address |
| How you pay | $0.09 for each form that goes through, plus the search cost when we find the companies for you. Top up from $10, no subscription | Extra email addresses and a sending tool subscription, plus contact data |
| Proof it was sent | A picture of each filled-in form and of the page the site showed after sending | A note that the other side accepted it, not where it landed |
| Replies | Collected in one inbox in the app, matched to their campaign and company | Arrive in the mailboxes you send from |
Pick the one that suits the job
Neither one is right for every message. Here is when each works better.
Contact forms fit when
- You want to reach many companies in a market without buying a list
- You would rather not set up and look after extra email addresses
- The company's own contact form is the right place for your message
- You want proof of what was sent, for yourself or for a client
Cold email fits when
- You know the exact person you need, and you have their address
- The company has no contact form on its website
- You plan several follow-ups to the same person in one thread
- You already have email addresses ready for sending, and a clean list
Using both. Send through contact forms first to open the conversation. Each campaign collects the emails and phone numbers the sites list, so you can follow up by email or phone with the companies that answer. Download them as a spreadsheet (Excel or CSV).
The first month for 1,000 companies
One message to each company. Cold email figures are estimates from typical public list prices, not quotes.
Contact forms
$90
at most, at $0.09 for each form that goes through. Forms that do not go through cost nothing. When we find the companies for you, the search cost is added and shown before you start.
- No extra email addresses or sending tool
- No contact data to buy
- No wait before you can send
- The emails and phone numbers each site lists, included
- Proof of every form that goes through, included
- Replies in one inbox, included
Cold email setup (estimate)
$161 to $421
for the first month, using typical public list prices
- Extra web addresses to send from (1, about $12 each per year)
- $12
- Email addresses to send from (2, about $6 each per month)
- $12
- Paid sending tool
- $37 to $97
- Contact data ($0.10 to $0.30 per checked contact)
- $100 to $300
- Wait before you can send
- 2 to 4 weeks
Other list sizes, first month
Contact forms: the most you pay. Cold email: our estimate.
| Companies | Contact forms | Cold email |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | $22.50 | $80 to $190 |
| 500 | $45 | $105 to $265 |
| 1,000 | $90 | $161 to $421 |
| 2,500 | $225 | $335 to $895 |
| 5,000 | $450 | $621 to $1,693 |
Questions about contact forms and cold email
Anything not covered here? Email us at hello@contactformoutreach.com.
Is contact form outreach the same as cold email?
No. Cold email goes to an email address you found or bought. Contact form outreach goes through the form a company publishes on its own website, so the message arrives in the inbox the company set up for messages from its website.
Do contact form messages end up in spam?
There is no mailbox spam folder between the form and the people who read it. Some websites screen form messages themselves, and a form can reject a message. When a form rejects it, you are not charged and the credit goes back.
Can I reach a specific person through a contact form?
Usually not. The message goes to whoever reads the messages from the company's website. Each campaign collects the emails and phone numbers the site lists, so you can follow up with a person by email or phone afterwards.
Do I need to set anything up first?
No. Messages are sent through each company's website form, not from your email, so there are no extra email addresses or sending tools to set up, and no wait before you can send.
Is contact form outreach cheaper than cold email?
For a first campaign, usually. The forms for 1,000 companies cost at most $90, at $0.09 for each form that goes through. When we find the companies for you, the search cost is added and shown before you start; bring your own list and there is none. We estimate a first month of cold email to the same 1,000 companies at $161 to $421, using typical public prices. Cold email costs less in later months once the web addresses are paid for, and contact forms only reach companies that have a form.
Can I use both?
Yes. Open the conversation through the contact form, then follow up by email or phone with the companies that answer, using the contacts each campaign collects. You can download them as a spreadsheet.
Is contact form outreach legal?
Rules differ by country. Some countries treat unsolicited advertising sent through a contact form like advertising email, which can need the company's consent first. Check the rules where the companies are, or ask a lawyer. Our guide lists what to check. It is general information, not legal advice.
Try contact forms on your next list
Top up from $10, enough for about 111 forms that go through. Nothing to set up first, and nothing is sent until you approve the list.