- You want to test the message before sending: spam score, inbox placement, client previews, and an AI eye-tracking heatmap in one plan, with results in about 30 seconds
- You need placement data beyond the Top 3: Unspam seeds Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Zoho, ProtonMail, and AOL; MXToolbox's seed testing covers Gmail, Outlook.com, and Yahoo plus its own test inboxes
- $129/mo is more than you need to spend: Unspam's free plan needs no card, paid plans run $9 to $29/mo, and every paid plan has a 14-day no-questions refund
- You want recurring placement tests with alerts (Autopilot) in a tool built for marketers, not a postmaster console
// Unspam vs MXToolbox
An MXToolbox alternative that tests the email, not just the domain
MXToolbox is an email-infrastructure diagnostics platform: DNS and blacklist lookups, DMARC report processing, and monitoring, with paid plans from $129/mo. Unspam tests the email itself (spam score, inbox placement, client previews, and an AI heatmap), from free, paid from $9/mo.
Which one fits you?
- You need ongoing DMARC aggregate-report processing and analytics. MXToolbox's Delivery Center is built for this; Unspam checks SPF, DKIM, and DMARC per test only and does not monitor DMARC reports
- You live in free DNS, MX, SMTP, and blacklist lookups. MXToolbox's free diagnostic toolset is still the most comprehensive around, including weekly blacklist monitoring for one domain across the top ~30 blacklists
- You need infrastructure extras like SPF flattening, domain impersonation protection, or adaptive sender blacklist monitoring (Delivery Center Plus, $399/mo)
Unspam vs MXToolbox, feature by feature.
Based on public product pages and documentation. Spotted something outdated? Tell us in the chat and we’ll fix it.
Feature
Unspam
MXToolbox
Free plan or trial
Free plan, no card
Free lookup tools
First paid plan
$9/mo
$129/mo
Spam score testing
Yes
Partialbest-practice checks
Inbox placement tests
Yes
Partiallimited providers
Client previews & screenshots
Yes
Partialsingle render
AI attention heatmap
Yes
—No
Blacklist monitoring
Yes
Yes
SPF / DKIM / DMARC checks
Yes
Yes
AI fix recommendations
Yes
—No
Scheduled automatic tests
Yes
Yes
API access
YesWhite Label plan
Yes
Email verification
Yes
Partialdomain-level checks
Automated inbox warmup
—No
—No
DMARC report monitoring
Partialchecked per test
Yes
Deliverability consulting
Yesseparate service
Yesmanaged service
What each one costs.
MXToolbox prices confirmed June 2026; billed monthly, annual discounts not published.
- Free $0
10 spam tests, 10 previews, 10 heatmaps, 3 inbox placement tests per month. AI assistant included.
- Basic $9/mo
50 spam tests, 50 previews, 10 heatmaps, 10 inbox placement tests per month. Historical results.
- Business $19/mo
200 spam tests, 200 previews, 50 heatmaps, 50 inbox placement tests per month. Historical results.
- Agency from $29/mo
500 spam tests, 500 previews, 250 heatmaps, 250 inbox placement tests per month.
- White Label Custom
Spam tests, previews, heatmaps, and inbox tests sized to your contract. Custom API access.
- Free $0
Free diagnostic lookups; weekly blacklist monitoring for 1 domain (top 30 blacklists); limited free DNS API requests
- Delivery Center $129/mo
Up to 5 domains and 500,000 monthly messages; DMARC report processing and analytics; inbox placement testing; blacklist monitoring; recipient complaint reporting; SPF/DKIM configuration management
- Delivery Center Plus $399/mo
5 domains and 5,000,000 monthly messages; everything in Delivery Center plus adaptive sender blacklist monitoring, domain impersonation protection, and SPF flattening
MXToolbox pricing and feature information was collected from publicly available sources in June 2026 and may have changed since; it is provided for general comparison only and is not guaranteed to reflect current offers. Confirm current pricing on the vendor's website. MXToolbox is a trademark of its respective owner. Unspam is not affiliated with or endorsed by MXToolbox.
Why teams move from MXToolbox to Unspam.
No free-to-$129 cliff
MXToolbox's first paid tier is Delivery Center at $129/mo for 5 domains, and reviewers note there is no intermediate tier between that and free. Unspam starts free with no card, then $9, $19, or from $29 per month, each with a 14-day refund.
It tests the email, not just the DNS
MXToolbox has no standalone pre-send spam test (content checks are bundled into its paid placement feature), and its preview is a single render, with no multi-client screenshots or dark mode. Unspam includes spam scoring, client previews, an AI heatmap, and an AI assistant on every plan, including free.
Wider placement coverage, on a schedule
MXToolbox's seed-list testing is limited to Gmail, Outlook.com, and Yahoo. Unspam seeds 6+ providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Zoho, ProtonMail, and AOL), and Autopilot reruns tests automatically, alerting you when placement slips.
// FAQ
Unspam vs MXToolbox, answered.
Is Unspam a full replacement for MXToolbox?
Not entirely. If you rely on MXToolbox for DMARC aggregate-report processing or its free DNS and blacklist lookup tools, Unspam does not replace those: authentication is checked per test, not monitored continuously. For pre-send testing, Unspam covers more: spam scoring, inbox placement across 6+ providers, client previews, and AI heatmaps, none of which MXToolbox offers in full.
How do the prices compare?
MXToolbox is free for lookups, then jumps to $129/mo for Delivery Center and $399/mo for Plus, with no tier in between. Unspam has a free plan with no card required, and paid plans from $9/mo to $29/mo, all with a 14-day no-questions-asked refund and 2 months free on annual billing.
What is the biggest functional difference?
MXToolbox diagnoses infrastructure: DNS records, blacklists, SMTP, and DMARC reports. Unspam tests the email itself: content spam score, placement across 6+ providers, client previews, and an AI eye-tracking heatmap. Neither does the other's core job: MXToolbox has no heatmap or AI assistant, and Unspam has no DMARC report monitoring.
How do the free tiers compare?
MXToolbox's free tier covers diagnostic lookups, weekly blacklist monitoring for one domain, and a small DNS API quota, but no spam testing or inbox placement without the $129/mo plan. Unspam's free plan includes 10 spam tests, 10 previews, 10 heatmaps, and 3 inbox placement tests per month, with the AI assistant included and no card required.
// see for yourself