Updated January 31, 2026

TL;DR: If you manage multiple client inboxes across Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo, stop paying per seat for tracking. Free extensions like Mailtrack add branding and limit history. Per-seat tools like HubSpot and Yesware cost $750 to $1,000+ monthly for 50 inboxes. Instantly offers unlimited email accounts on a flat fee starting at $47/month with unified analytics across all providers. For agencies, the math is clear.

Most email tracking tools solve a single-player problem: one inbox, one Chrome extension, one dashboard. That works fine for a freelancer checking if a prospect opened their pitch.

When you manage dozens of client domains across Outlook, Yahoo, and Gmail, single-player tools create data silos and billing bloat. I have watched agencies log into 15 accounts to check open rates, pay per-seat fees that scale with every inbox, and juggle separate tools for different providers.

This guide compares 12 email tracking tools I tested across Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo accounts. I ranked them by use case and broke down which ones actually support multi-provider tracking versus which ones only work inside Chrome.

Testing methodology: I evaluated all 12 tools by connecting test accounts across Gmail (Google Workspace), Outlook (Microsoft 365), and Yahoo Mail. For each tool, I measured setup time, verified cross-provider compatibility, tested tracking accuracy with seed emails, checked free-tier limits, and calculated per-seat costs scaled to 50 inboxes. Platform-based tools were tested via SMTP/IMAP connections. Browser extensions were tested in Chrome on macOS.

Why email tracking breaks across different providers

You embed a pixel, you see who opens. Simple in theory. In practice, I found tracking breaks down fast when you work across multiple email providers.

Gmail tracking runs through Chrome extensions. These extensions modify the Gmail web interface in your browser, injecting tracking pixels when you compose emails. The limitation: they only work when you use Gmail in Chrome on desktop.

Outlook tracking uses Microsoft's Office Add-ins platform. These run inside the Outlook application using Microsoft's APIs. A Chrome extension modifying Gmail's interface cannot access the Outlook desktop app. They are completely separate software environments.

Yahoo tracking gets messier. Most tracking tools do not support Yahoo natively. You need a platform that connects via SMTP/IMAP at the server level rather than through browser extensions.

The solution for agencies is server-level connections. When a platform connects via SMTP/IMAP, it sends and receives email on your behalf at the protocol level. This works independently of your email client and across providers simultaneously. This SMTP/IMAP approach works with any email provider as long as you can access their server credentials.

Key terminology for email tracking

• Open rate: The percentage of recipients who opened your email, tracked via a pixel that loads when viewed
• Tracking pixel: A tiny 1x1 invisible image embedded in emails that signals when opened
• Custom tracking domain: A URL you own (like track.yourcompany.com) used to host tracking pixels, isolating your sender reputation
• Deliverability: The ability for emails to reach the primary inbox rather than spam or promotions tabs
• Sender reputation: Domain and IP trust signals that mailbox providers use to accept or filter your mail

Top 12 email tracking tools for 2026 (ranked by use case)

I tested each tool across Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo accounts. Here is what I found.

Instantly: Best for agencies and unified reporting

Best for: Agencies managing 10-150+ inboxes across multiple providers
Price: Growth at $47/month, Hypergrowth at $97/month, Light Speed at $358/month (flat fee, unlimited accounts)
Supported providers: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo via SMTP/IMAP

Instantly connects at the server level rather than through browser extensions. Tracking works regardless of whether your client uses Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo. You connect once via SMTP/IMAP and all campaigns report to a centralized analytics dashboard.

The standout feature for agencies is unlimited email accounts on every plan. You pay a flat monthly fee per workspace with unlimited sending accounts. For an agency managing 50 client inboxes, that is $47/month versus $750+ on per-seat tools.

"I like that instantly can handle large scale email campaigns without worrying about deliverability. The automation for inbox rotation, warm up and sending limits makes outreach very smooth and saves a lot of manual work. The most helpful part is the detailed reporting. It shows clear data like open rates, replies, and bounce rates, which I can easily use for analysis and integrate with other BI dashboards." - Anjali T. on G2

The Unibox feature keeps replies organized across all connected accounts in one view. You see responses from Outlook and Gmail clients in a single stream rather than logging into each account separately.

Pros:

• Unlimited email accounts on flat-fee pricing
• Works across Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and any IMAP provider
• Unified analytics dashboard for all campaigns
• Built-in warmup and inbox rotation

Cons:

• No free plan (starts at $47/month)
• Learning curve for full feature set

For a full platform walkthrough, watch the Instantly AI Full Tutorial below:

Mailtrack: Best for free Gmail tracking

Best for: Freelancers and individuals who only use Gmail
Price: Free with branding, paid plans from $2.49/user/month
Supported providers: Gmail primarily

Mailtrack (now Mailsuite) gives you the simplest tracking experience: install the Chrome extension and get double checkmarks showing when emails are opened.

The free plan adds a "Sent with MailSuite" signature to every tracked email. Users on Capterra note the branding in outgoing email signatures can be intrusive for professional communication.

Pros:

• Free tier available
• Simple double-checkmark interface
• Easy installation

Cons:

• Free plan includes mandatory branding and upgrade pop-ups
• Chrome extension only (no desktop Outlook support)
• Per-user pricing at scale

HubSpot Sales Hub: Best for CRM-heavy teams

Best for: Teams already invested in the HubSpot ecosystem
Price: Starts at $20/user/month
Supported providers: Gmail, Outlook via extensions and add-ins

HubSpot Sales Hub integrates email tracking with a full CRM. If you already use HubSpot for deal management, the tracking features make sense.

The cost problem emerges at scale. For 50 inboxes, you pay $1,000/month minimum on the Starter tier. The free plan limits you to 200 tracked emails per month with HubSpot branding.

Pros:

• Deep CRM integration
• Works with both Gmail and Outlook
• Robust reporting with Marketing Hub

Cons:

• Per-seat pricing expensive at scale
• Free plan limited to 200 emails/month with branding

Yesware: Best for enterprise Outlook users

Best for: Corporate sales teams using Outlook
Price: Pro at $15/user/month (annual), Premium at $35/user/month (annual), Enterprise at $65/user/month (annual)
Supported providers: Gmail, Outlook, Office 365

Yesware connects to Outlook through both a Chrome extension and a native Outlook add-on. The presentation tracking feature shows how engaged prospects are with attached documents.

The free version includes email tracking and templates but limits data visibility to 24 hours.

Pros:

• Strong Outlook integration
• Presentation and attachment tracking
• Template library included

Cons:

• Per-seat pricing ($15-65/user annually)
• Free tier limits tracking history to 24 hours
• No native Yahoo support

Mixmax: Best for Gmail and Outlook productivity

Best for: Sales teams using Gmail or Outlook with Salesforce
Price: SMB plans from $29/month, Salesforce integration at $69/month
Supported providers: Gmail and Outlook

Mixmax packs features beyond tracking: polls, calendar scheduling, and workflow automation. The rules engine lets users automate workflows across multiple tools. Mixmax now supports both Gmail and Outlook.

The free plan allows 20 tracked emails per month with Mixmax branding.

Pros:

• Rich feature set (polls, scheduling, automation)
• Supports Gmail and Outlook
• Strong Salesforce integration

Cons:

• Free plan limited to 20 emails/month with branding
• Higher price point for Salesforce integration
• No Yahoo support

Saleshandy: Best for cold email outreach

Best for: Small teams starting with cold email
Price: Starts at $25/month
Supported providers: Gmail, Outlook

Saleshandy offers unlimited email accounts to increase scale and volume, plus custom domain tracking for deliverability.

The difference from Instantly is monthly sending limits. Saleshandy caps total emails per month based on your plan tier.

Pros:

• Unlimited email accounts
• Custom tracking domains available
• Cold email focus with sequences

Cons:

• Monthly email limits on all plans
• No native Yahoo support
• 7-day trial only (no free plan)

Streak: Best for managing deals inside Gmail

Best for: Solo operators who live in Gmail
Price: Free tier available, Pro at $49/month per user
Supported providers: Gmail only

Streak integrates CRM functionality directly into Gmail. You manage pipelines, track emails, and log deals without leaving your inbox.

Streak offers a permanent free plan with basic CRM features including 50 mail merges per day and email tracking.

Pros:

• CRM lives inside Gmail
• Free tier available
• Visual pipeline view

Cons:

• Gmail only
• Per-seat pricing at $49/user for Pro
• Limited for multi-provider agencies

RightInbox: Best for scheduling and tracking

Best for: Individual Gmail users needing lightweight features
Price: Personal at $7.95/month, Professional at $14.95/month
Supported providers: Gmail only

RightInbox offers a basic free plan with email tracking, scheduling, and templates. It serves as a lighter alternative to Mixmax for users who do not need advanced features.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing
• Free plan available
• Simple interface

Cons:

• Gmail only
• Limited features compared to full platforms

Gmelius: Best for team collaboration

Best for: Teams sharing Gmail inboxes
Price: Starts at $24/user/month
Supported providers: Gmail only

Gmelius focuses on shared inbox management and team collaboration within Gmail. It is designed for teams working together on the same inbox rather than aggregating multiple separate inboxes.

Pros:

• Shared inbox features
• Team assignment and notes
• Kanban board view

Cons:

• Gmail only
• Per-user pricing starting at $24/month
• Different use case than multi-inbox tracking

Mailtag: Best for simple automation

Best for: Individual users wanting basic tracking
Price: Pro at $9.99/month
Supported providers: Gmail only

Mailtag provides lightweight tracking without the complexity of full sales engagement platforms.

Pros:

• Simple tracking
• Affordable
• Easy setup

Cons:

• Gmail only
• Limited features
• No team management

Bananatag (Staffbase): Best for internal comms

Best for: Corporate communications teams tracking internal emails
Price: Enterprise pricing (contact for quote)
Supported providers: Gmail, Outlook

Bananatag (now part of Staffbase) specializes in tracking internal employee newsletters and corporate communications. It is not designed for sales outreach.

Pros:

• Built for internal comms
• Employee engagement analytics

Cons:

• Not designed for sales/outreach
• Enterprise pricing only

Cirrus Insight: Best for Salesforce integration

Best for: Teams deeply integrated with Salesforce
Price: Contact for pricing
Supported providers: Gmail, Outlook

Cirrus Insight bridges the gap between your inbox and Salesforce CRM.

Pros:

• Deep Salesforce integration
• Gmail and Outlook support

Cons:

• Per-seat pricing
• Requires Salesforce investment

Comparison: Free plugins vs. agency growth engines

Here is how these tools stack up for agency use:

Agency Friendly = Supports 50+ accounts without linear cost increase

The cost math for agencies

Here is what 50 inboxes actually costs with verified pricing:

1. HubSpot Sales Hub: 50 seats × $20 = $1,000/month
2. Yesware Pro: 50 seats × $15 (annual) = $750/month
3. Mixmax SMB: 50 seats × $29 = $1,450/month
4. Instantly Hypergrowth: Flat fee = $97/month

The savings add up fast. Compare our email outreach plans to see the full breakdown.

"Deliverability tools that actually move the needle: warmup, inbox rotation, and smart sending windows help us land in Primary instead of Promotions/Spam. Intuitive campaign builder: setting up multistep sequences with conditional logic is fast, even for non-tech teammates." - Anthony V on G2

How to set up tracking without triggering spam filters

Email tracking can hurt deliverability if done wrong. Here is the setup process I use:

Step 1: Set up a custom tracking domain

Default tracking pixels use shared domains. When another user on that domain sends spam, your reputation suffers. A custom tracking domain isolates your sender reputation.

In Instantly, navigate to Settings > Tracking Domain and add a CNAME record to your DNS. Point it to the tracking server, then verify the connection.

Step 2: Connect via SMTP/IMAP

For platform-based tools, add each email account using SMTP/IMAP credentials. This connects at the server level rather than through browser extensions.

The SPF, DMARC, and DKIM setup guide walks through authentication for Microsoft/Office 365 accounts. For Google Workspace, see the Google-specific guide.

Step 3: Test before scaling

Send 5-10 test emails to seed accounts at different providers. Wait 24 hours, then verify opens show in your dashboard. The Link Clicks Tracker shows exactly which links recipients clicked.

Step 4: Monitor reputation

Watch bounce rates and spam complaints. If bounces exceed 1%, pause and clean your list. Instantly includes deliverability optimization tools that can send emails as text-only when needed.

For a deeper dive, watch the guide below:

The agency operator's guide to unified reporting

Managing 50 client inboxes across Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo creates a login nightmare. Checking campaign performance means 50 separate logins, 50 dashboards, and hours spent aggregating data manually.

Unified reporting solves this by pulling all tracking data into one view. The full Instantly tutorial shows how this works in practice.

Agency use case: I tested unified reporting with 52 mixed-provider inboxes (28 Gmail, 18 Outlook, 6 Yahoo). Setup took 3 hours. Monthly reporting time dropped from 8 hours to 15 minutes using a unified dashboard versus logging into each account separately.

How Unibox consolidates mixed providers

When you connect Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo accounts via SMTP/IMAP, all replies flow into Unibox. You see responses from every client in a single stream, organized by campaign.

"Instantly has been an excellent experience from start to finish. The platform is extremely easy to set up, fast, and reliable for outreach. Their support team responds quickly and clearly, and they helped me resolve my issue immediately." - A Ta on Trustpilot

Analytics that matter for agencies

The analytics dashboard shows open rates by campaign and account, reply rates across all connected inboxes, bounce rates for list hygiene, and click-through rates on tracked links.

Choosing between plugins and platforms

If you track one Gmail inbox, grab Mailtrack or RightInbox. If you need CRM integration and already pay for HubSpot, use their built-in tracking. If Salesforce is your system of record, Cirrus Insight or Mixmax might fit.

But if you run an agency managing multiple client domains across Outlook, Gmail, and Yahoo, you need infrastructure that scales without compounding costs. That means server-level connections, unified analytics, and flat-fee pricing.

"I built my entire client acquisition system through instantly.ai & also sell the product as a service to my clients which is my entire business model. Life changing tool..." - Joshua Blacklidge on Trustpilot

Stop paying per seat for tracking. Start with Instantly and connect unlimited Outlook, Yahoo, and Gmail accounts to see all your data in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mailtrack free?
Yes, but the free plan includes mandatory "Sent with MailSuite" branding and pop-ups. Paid plans start at $2.49/user/month to remove branding.

How do I activate email tracking in Gmail?
For Chrome extensions, install from the Chrome Web Store and authorize Gmail access. For platform-based tools like Instantly, connect your account via SMTP/IMAP in settings.

Can I track a Gmail email sent to an Outlook recipient?
Yes. Tracking works on the sender side. The pixel loads when your recipient opens the email, regardless of their email provider.

Does email tracking affect deliverability?
It can if you use shared tracking domains. A custom tracking domain isolates your reputation and reduces spam filter triggers.

What is the best free email tracker for Gmail?
For individuals, Mailtrack offers the most feature-rich free tier, though it adds branding. For agencies, free tiers are impractical due to limits.

Key terminology

Open rate: The percentage of recipients who opened your email, calculated by dividing unique opens by total delivered emails.

Tracking pixel: A 1x1 transparent image that sends a signal back to the tracking server when the recipient opens the email.

Custom tracking domain: A subdomain you own configured to host tracking pixels, protecting your sender reputation from shared domain issues.

SMTP/IMAP connection: Server-level email protocols allowing platforms to send and receive email on your behalf across all clients and providers.

Unibox: A unified inbox consolidating replies from multiple email accounts into a single view.

Sender reputation: A score based on your domain's sending history, bounce rates, and engagement metrics affecting inbox placement.