7 Proven SendGrid Alternatives for Transactional Emails (2026)

When email infrastructure costs rise or delivery control feels limited, teams often start evaluating other transactional providers. This page compares Twilio Sendgrid alternatives for transactional emails in 2026, where we evaluated each platform on deliverability, pricing, ease of use, and support quality.

Hopefully this guide will help businesses assess practical options for replacing or supplementing SendGrid based on sending volume, technical requirements, and infrastructure flexibility, supporting informed platform selection for email delivery service.

Disclaimer: This article evaluates SendGrid alternatives, including Sender, which our company owns. Assessments are based on research, industry standards, and user feedback. No commissions are earned from links in this article.

Why Businesses Are Switching from SendGrid in 2026

• Shared IP reputation risks—Sending from shared IP pools can expose businesses to deliverability drops caused by other senders’ behavior, especially without proper IP warmup and reputation management;
• Limited support access—Technical issues related to delivery, blocks, or account reviews often require fast resolution, but slower or tier-restricted support can delay problem handling;
• Unexpected account suspensions—Automated compliance systems may pause accounts during traffic spikes or list audits, disrupting transactional and system-critical email flows;
• Lack of detailed failure insights—Basic bounce or block data without deeper diagnostics makes it harder for teams to identify root causes of delivery failures or filtering issues;
• Hidden or scaling costs—Add-ons for dedicated IPs, higher throughput, validation tools, or advanced features can increase total cost beyond initial pricing expectations.

SendGrid Alternatives Comparison Table

Now that we’ve agreed it’s time to look for a SendGrid alternative, let’s quickly compare each of the top options.

Platform	Cost	Deliverability**	Free Plan	Best Feature
Sender	Starts at $7/month	99.3%	Yes	Automation
Postmark	Starts at $15/month	93.8%	Yes	Message streams
Amazon SES	$0.10/1000 emails	85.9%	No	Pay-as-you-go pricing
Mailgun	$15/month	97.4%	Yes	Inbox placement tracking
Mailtrap	$15/month	85%	Yes	Dedicated sending streams
Mailchimp Transactional Email	$20/block*	92.6%	No	Webhooks
Brevo	Starts at $8/month	88.3%	Yes	CRM suite

* One block equals 25,000 email sends + users have to pay for their Mailchimp plan separately.

** Deliverability rates from EmailToolTester (2026). Sender’s rate based on internal testing. Results vary by domain reputation and sending practices.

7 Best SendGrid Alternatives

If you’re searching for a SendGrid equivalent, you should consider the following tools:

Sender — Best Solution for Transactional & Marketing Emails

Sender is an email platform that seamlessly integrates marketing campaigns with transactional email sending via API and SMTP. Unlike SendGrid’s separated environments, Sender unifies marketing newsletters and operational alerts (such as password resets or shipping notifications) in a single dashboard, simplifying the workflow for both developers and marketers.

The platform distinguishes itself by offering a high-volume Free Forever plan that supports both promotional and transactional sending without a credit card. Users can utilize a visual drag-and-drop editor to design responsive transaction emails, eliminating the need for hard-coded HTML templates.

For automation, Sender provides a visual workflow builder to create multi-step customer journeys triggered by specific API events, abandoned carts, or engagement data. This allows businesses to manage complex lifecycle campaigns and high-deliverability transactional messaging from one cost-effective interface.

Pros

• Marketing and transactional emails. Unifies both campaign types in a single platform, streamlining your workflow and reducing the need for multiple tools;
• Accessible automation and segmentation. Features visual workflow builders and granular audience segmentation across all plans, allowing for targeted campaigns without a premium price tag;
• Generous free tier. Supports up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails per month, making it an exceptional value for startups and growing businesses;
• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor. Empowers non-technical users to create professional, responsive emails quickly without needing any coding knowledge;
• Insightful reporting and analytics. Delivers detailed metrics on open rates, clicks, and subscriber behavior to help you track engagement and optimize future campaigns;

Cons

• Branding on free plan. Emails sent on the free plan include Sender’s logo, which might make your marketing campaigns look less professional.

Pricing

One of Sender’s biggest advantages is its pricing—clear, flexible, and more affordable than most competitors. 

• Free tiers: $0 (2,500 contacts—15,000 emails/month);
• Standard: $7/month (1,000 contacts—12,000 emails/month);
• Professional: $14/month (1,000 contacts—24,000 emails/month);
• Enterprise: Custom price.

SendGrid vs. Sender Breakdown

Feature	SendGrid	Sender	Winner
Primary Use Case	Developer-focused transactional email delivery	All-in-one email marketing and transactional sending	Sender
Free Plan	Limited free tier (feature/volume constrained)	Free Forever plan with generous email marketing limits	Sender
Pricing Structure	Usage-based add-ons (e.g., dedicated IPs, higher tiers)	Simpler tiers designed for SMB budgets	Sender
Transactional Email (SMTP/API)	Core strength (SMTP relay + API)	Available (SMTP/API options depending on setup)	Tie
Marketing Campaigns	Available, but product is more dev-first	Core strength (campaigns, newsletters, segments)	Sender
Automation Builder	More limited for marketing-style journeys	Visual automation builder for marketing flows	Sender
Email Builder & Templates	Basic builders and templates	Drag-and-drop builder + reusable templates	Sender
SMS Marketing	Not a core product	Built-in SMS marketing (on supported plans)	Sender
Deliverability Controls	Dedicated IP options; reputation depends on setup	Domain/auth guidance + sending readiness support	Sender
Failure Insights & Logs	Event webhooks/logs (technical, dev-oriented)	Clear campaign reporting + practical troubleshooting	Sender
Account Holds/Suspensions	Compliance holds can disrupt sending	Migration + deliverability safeguards and guidance	Sender
Customer Support	Support level depends on plan	24/7 customer + phone support on all plans	Sender

Key advantages over SendGrid

• All-in-one marketing + transactional; 
• More generous “starter” experience for small teams; 
• Better suited for ecommerce lifecycle flows alongside API sends; 
• Simpler for non-technical users (less dev overhead for campaigns/flows);
• More generous free plan.

See why businesses choose Sender:

---

Postmark — Great Transactional Email API Service Provider

Postmark is a great transactional email delivery platform and is designed with tech startups in mind. And is one fine SendGrid alternative at that, too.

Postmark pricing: Starts at $15/month for unlimited contacts and up to 10,000 emails/month | Postmark Free plan available.

During my time with Postmark, one of the things I really liked was the pre-made email templates. There’s a bunch of them, they look professional, and they make sending messages so much quicker. 

Another great thing about Postmark is message streams. This keeps emails from getting mixed up and helps improve both traffic management and deliverability.

On top of that, Postmark’s SMTP (or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) relay server is super reliable, which explains its superb deliverability rate (which stayed strong at 93%, same as reported by folks at EmailToolTester) and emails reaching clients without any noticeable hiccups.

That said, it’s worth noting that this SendGrid alternative separates transactional and bulk email infrastructure for reliability.

While it makes it ideal for password email solutions (such as password reset emails) and other critical email notifications, Postmark doesn’t have the standard campaign-building tools you might expect from platforms like Sender or Mailchimp. Small nuisance, but one worth keeping in mind.

Pros

• Excellent deliverability. Ensures your transactional and marketing emails consistently reach inboxes on time, minimizing bounce rates and delivery issues;
• Developer-friendly API and documentation. Offers clear, well-structured API docs that make integration fast and hassle-free for developers;
• Reliable customer support. Provides responsive, knowledgeable assistance to help troubleshoot issues and optimize email performance;
• Great template selection. Features a range of professional, customizable templates to simplify email design and maintain brand consistency;

Cons

• No built-in CRM. Lacks native customer relationship management tools, requiring integration with third-party platforms for advanced contact tracking;
• Higher per-email costs than bulk providers. Pricing is on the higher side compared to bulk email services, making it less ideal for large-scale campaigns;
• Limited marketing features. Focuses primarily on transactional email delivery, offering fewer tools for automation, segmentation, and campaign management;

Pricing

Postmark offers easy-to-understand, usage-based pricing with lower overage rates on higher tiers. Keep in mind that, unlike most transactional email providers, it doesn’t limit contact count.

• Developer (Free): $0 (100 emails/month)
• Basic: $15/month (10,000 emails/month, extra emails $1.80 per 1,000);
• Pro: $16.50/month (10,000 emails/month, extra emails $1.30 per 1,000);
• Platform: $18/month (10,000 emails/month, extra emails $1.20 per 1,000).

SendGrid vs. Postmark Breakdown

Feature	SendGrid	Postmark	Winner
Primary Use Case	Transactional email delivery (developer-first)	Transactional email delivery (developer-first)	Tie
Product Scope	Transactional + optional marketing tooling	Transactional-focused (no full marketing suite)	Tie
SMTP/API	SMTP relay + REST API	SMTP relay + API	Tie
Deliverability Approach	Strong, but depends on account setup and reputation controls	Strong emphasis on transactional deliverability and consistency	Postmark
Templates & Content Tools	Basic templates/editor options	Built-in template management geared to transactional	Postmark
Event Data & Webhooks	Email webhooks and logs	Detailed message events and webhooks	Tie
Failure Diagnostics	Delivery events are available; depth depends on setup/log use	Message-level visibility designed for troubleshooting	Postmark
Compliance / Account Risk	Compliance holds can interrupt sending	Transactional-focused policies; still enforces compliance	Tie
Marketing Campaigns	Available (more add-on / separate from core transactional)	Limited, broadcast streams available	SendGrid
Inbound Email	Available options depending on configuration/add-ons	Inbound email parsing is a core capability	Postmark
Multi-Stream Separation	Can separate traffic via subusers/categories/keys	Message Streams built for separating traffic types	Postmark

Key advantages over SendGrid

• Message Streams make it easier to separate traffic types and protect deliverability; 
• Faster, higher-touch support positioning; 
• Stronger “transactional-first” troubleshooting visibility; 
• Cleaner transactional template management workflow for dev teams.

“It’s a great SMTP provider that is easy to set up as well as great delivery and clean IPs. On top of that, it also has a DMARC reporting tool which I like and recommend to any beginner or non-techy person out there. Support is great and quick to reply to any issues you might have.”

— Dame from G2

---

Amazon SES — Cheap Dedicated IP Addresses

Amazon SES, standing for Simple Email Service, caters to businesses seeking a reliable and affordable solution for service emails. No surprise it’s trusted by industry giants like Reddit and Netflix.

Amazon SES pricing: One email is priced at $0.10 per 1,000 messages, with attachment data charged at $0.12 per gigabyte. | Free plan available.

In my experience, Amazon SES might not have all the flashy marketing features other platforms offer, but it definitely makes up for it with the essentials. The Virtual Deliverability Manager is great for automated inbox optimization, and the Mailbox Simulator makes testing different scenarios super easy.

What really stands out to me is how simple and transparent the pricing of this SendGrid alternative is. It’s fully pay-as-you-go, so you only pay for what you actually use it for—no unnecessary overpaying for things that get left untouched, right, MailChimp?

SES also supports SPF and DKIM authentication, which helped my emails reach inboxes reliably, and the activity and reputation tracking tools gave me clear insight into performance.

With its robust infrastructure and focus on reliability, Amazon SES remains a compelling choice for businesses prioritizing transactional emails and looking for a solid SendGrid replacement.

Pros 

• Affordable pricing. Extremely cost-effective, especially for high-volume senders, since you only pay for what you use with no hidden fees;
• Superb deliverability. Known for its strong sender reputation and reliable inbox placement when properly configured;
• Virtual Deliverability Manager. Automates inbox optimization and monitoring, helping ensure emails land in recipients’ inboxes rather than spam folders;
• Flexible sending options. Supports multiple delivery methods—API, SMTP, or console—giving developers plenty of control over how emails are sent.

Cons

• Steep learning curve. Initial setup can be tricky, with domain verification, DKIM/SPF settings, and configuration requiring some technical know-how;
• Limited marketing tools. Lacks built-in campaign builders, templates, and A/B testing features found in more marketing-focused platforms;
• Basic support. Customer service is mostly documentation-based, with slower response times and limited live assistance options.

Pricing

Amazon SES offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model with no minimum fees or flat rates. You pay only for the emails you send and receive, along with any additional features you use.

• Free Tier: Up to 3,000 emails per month for the first 12 months after account creation;
• Email Sends: $0.10 per 1,000 emails;
• Attachments: $0.12 per GB of data.

SendGrid vs. Amazon SES Breakdown

Feature	SendGrid	Amazon SES	Winner
Primary Use Case	Developer-focused transactional email delivery (Email API / SMTP)	Cloud email sending service for applications (transactional and high-volume sending)	Tie
Pricing Model	Tiered monthly plans based on volume/features	Pay-as-you-go usage pricing	Amazon SES
SMTP/API Options	SMTP service + Email API	SMTP interface + SES API + SDK/CLI support	Tie
Dedicated IP Options	Dedicated IP available on higher tiers / add-ons	Dedicated IP (managed) available; BYOIP supported (with specific requirements)	Tie
Deliverability Tooling	Deliverability tools + monitoring features; event webhook for near real-time events	Infrastructure-focused sending; deliverability depends on configuration and reputation management	SendGrid
Event Tracking & Webhooks	Event Webhook + Email Activity/monitoring options	Programmatic delivery events available via AWS services	SendGrid
Setup & Operations	Developer-focused onboarding for email sending via API/SMTP	Requires AWS account setup, IAM, and configuration	SendGrid

Key Advantages over SendGrid

• Lowest unit-cost sending with true pay-as-you-go pricing; 
• Deep AWS-native integration for teams already on AWS; 
• Flexible sending options (API/SMTP/SDK tooling) for engineering-led orgs; 
• More control for infrastructure-minded teams willing to configure deliverability themselves.

“It’s a cloud-based email service that’s helpful because it’s cost-effective, reliable, and easy to use. It can help you send and receive emails at scale, and it integrates with other AWS services.”

— Chinna from G2

---

Mailgun — High Email Delivery with Easy Integration

Mailgun is used as a white-labeled solution by many apps and startups. It offers a comprehensive suite of email deliverability tools, including inbox placement, verification, and transactional SMS capabilities.

Mailgun pricing: Starts at $15/month for unlimited contacts and up to 10,000 emails/month | Mailgun Free plan available.

I’ve been impressed with how smoothly Mailgun connects with other email marketing services, letting non-technical users get email marketing campaigns running quickly through its drag-and-drop editor. The InboxReady toolkit has been particularly useful, helping boost deliverability with pre-send checks, email verification, and invalid email addresses clean-up. 

Of course, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. It lacks built-in email marketing features like automation or templates. Also, its interface can feel a bit technical for beginners, requiring some familiarity to get the most out of its tools. 

All in all, I’d say Mailgun works best for developers or teams that primarily need a dependable transactional email API rather than a full marketing suite.

Pros 

• Excellent API & developer tools. Robust API with powerful webhooks and SDKs, giving developers full control over sending, tracking, and event handling;
• High deliverability rates. Strong infrastructure and reputation management ensure consistent inbox placement when domains and authentication are properly configured;
• In-depth analytics & tracking. Comprehensive logs, real-time metrics, and event insights help monitor performance, troubleshoot issues, and optimize deliverability.

Cons

• Steep learning curve (for non-technical users). Setup requires DNS configuration, authentication, and API integration, which can be challenging without technical experience;
• Advanced features locked behind premium plans. Dedicated IPs, extended log retention, and premium support are only available on higher-tier subscriptions;
• No built-in landing pages or forms. Focused solely on email delivery, Mailgun lacks marketing tools like drag-and-drop builders or signup form creation.

Pricing

Mailgun offers a flexible, developer-focused pricing structure designed to scale with your email needs. Here’s a breakdown of their plans:

• Free: $0/month (100 emails/day, 1 custom domain, 1 inbound route);
• Basic plan: $15/month (10,000 emails/month, 5 inbound routes, 1 day log retention);
• Foundation: $35/month (50,000 emails/month, 1,000 custom domains, 5-day log retention);
• Scale: $90/month (100,000 emails/month, SAML SSO, 5,000 email validations, 30 days log retention);
• Enterprise: Custom pricing (for high-volume senders, includes dedicated IP pools, advanced analytics, and 7-day message retention).

SendGrid vs. Mailgun Breakdown

Feature	SendGrid	Mailgun	Winner
Primary Use Case	Developer-focused transactional email (API + SMTP)	Developer-focused transactional email (API + SMTP)	Tie
Deliverability tools	Deliverability insights are available as part of Email API feature set	Dedicated deliverability suite (inbox placement testing, blocklist monitoring, DMARC reporting via Red Sift)	Mailgun
Inbound email handling	Inbound Parse Webhook posts parsed messages to a configured endpoint	Inbound routing/parsing (Routes) to parse inbound emails into structured data	Tie
Data residency/regions	Region/data residency options are less clearly presented on core product pages	US + EU regions with account-level control over where data is processed	Mailgun
Dedicated IP pools	Dedicated IPs are available as paid add-ons / higher-tier features	Dedicated IP pools are included on higher plans, and IP Pools are a first-class feature	Mailgun
Logs/retention	Log/history depth depends on plan and add-ons	Plans call out log retention (e.g., 30 days on Scale) and message retention	Mailgun
Email validation	Email Address Validation API is available as an add-on product	Validation credits are included on some plans (e.g., Scale includes validations)	Tie
Pricing transparency	Pricing is volume + features; add-ons like validation/dedicated IP are common	Pricing page lists included features like dedicated IP pools, validations, log retention by plan	Mailgun

Key advantages over Sendgrid

• Stronger deliverability toolkit positioning; 
• Clearer plan-level feature visibility (log retention, validations, IP pools called out); 
• US/EU region controls and routing features are first-class in the platform;
• Popular with dev teams needing precision + diagnostics (API-first depth).

“Mailgun helps me verify my email list to ensure valid email addresses. This is important for email deliverability and for ensuring my clients receive the information they need from me.”

— Jeanette from G2

---

Mailtrap — Flexible and Customizable Email API Provider

Mailtrap is an email delivery platform built for developers and product teams that need a reliable way to send transactional and bulk emails at scale.

Mailtrap pricing:  Starts at $15/month for 10,000 emails; Free plan: 4000 emails per month and 100 contacts (free forever, no credit card required)

With dedicated sending streams, real-time analytics, and proactive deliverability features, it’s one of the best developer-friendly SendGrid alternatives out there.

During our testing, we appreciated how simple it was to integrate Mailtrap using either SMTP or its RESTful Email API. Official SDKs are available for major languages like Node.js, Python, PHP, Ruby, and Elixir—making implementation smooth regardless of your stack.

What stood out most was Mailtrap’s use of dedicated sending streams to separate transactional from bulk traffic. This helps protect sender reputation and gives teams control over email deliverability.

The analytics experience was another highlight. Mailtrap offers helicopter-view dashboards, drill-down reports, and mailbox-provider stats (Google, Microsoft, etc.), all with optional color-coded indicators to spot weak metrics quickly. And while the free plan only keeps logs for 3 days, they’re highly detailed and easy to navigate.

For anyone working in VS Code or with an AI assistant, Mailtrap’s custom MCP servers let you send emails right from your IDE, a thoughtful touch for technical teams. It’s also worth checking out Mailtrap alternatives if your team is not as tech-savvy.

Pros

• High deliverability infrastructure. Dedicated streams for transactional and bulk sending help protect IPs and boost inbox placement;
• Real-time analytics. Includes provider-level stats, drill-down reports, and spam complaint monitoring;
• Developer-first integrations. RESTful API, SMTP support, official SDKs, and access to MCP servers for sending from IDEs or AI tools;
• Reliable support. 24/7 expert assistance available on higher-tier plans, plus help with setup and deliverability tuning.

Cons

• Limited out-of-the-box integrations. Compared to marketing platforms, Mailtrap offers fewer native integrations with external tools;
• Short log retention on free plan. Email logs are only stored for 3 days unless you upgrade;
• Not built for advanced marketing automation. Lacks tools like complex workflow builders, CRM sync, or segmentation logic.

Pricing

Mailtrap offers its users four different pricing plans:

• Free: This plan lets you send 4,000 emails per month and have up to 100 contacts.
• Basic: The basic plan costs $15/month and lets you send 10,000 emails and have up to 50,000 contacts.
• Business: This is the most popular plan, which costs $85, comes with a sending limit of 100,000 emails per month, and lets you have up to 750,000 contacts.
• Enterprise: This plan costs $750/month and lets you send 1,500,00 emails in total to up to 2,500,000 contacts.

You can increase the sending limits for each plan using a sliding scale so that it fits your sending needs better.

SendGrid vs. Mailtrap Breakdown

Feature	SendGrid	Mailtrap	Winner
Primary Use Case	Developer-focused transactional email delivery (Email API + SMTP)	Email delivery platform with Email API/SMTP plus Email Sandbox for testing	Tie
Built-in email testing	No comparable first-party sandbox positioned as part of core Email API product	Dedicated Email Sandbox for inspecting/debugging messages without sending to real inboxes	Mailtrap
CI / automated testing support	Event Webhook is designed for production event data, not pre-send email QA	Testing workflows and API-based checks for email QA (e.g., validate emails in CI)	Mailtrap
Transactional sending (SMTP/API)	Email API + SMTP service for transactional sending	Email API/SMTP for sending transactional and bulk emails	Tie
Event tracking & webhooks	Event Webhook provides near real-time event data for monitoring/logging	Supports Email API/SMTP; event tooling exists but is less prominently defined on core pages	SendGrid
Deliverability monitoring orientation	Promotes deliverability tooling alongside Email API (e.g., monitoring options mentioned in docs)	Positions itself around deliverability + analytics for dev/product teams	Tie
Product packaging	Email API plans are priced by monthly volume and features	Email API/SMTP and Email Sandbox are sold separately (each with free/paid plans)	Tie

Key advantages over SendGrid

• Built-in Email Sandbox for QA/testing; 
• Strong dev workflow support (API/SMTP + testing-first tooling in one vendor); 
• Dedicated sending streams help separate transactional vs bulk traffic;
• Often rated highly for ease-of-use/support in review comparisons.

“We use Mailtrap to send high volumes of transactional emails reliably and maintain clean separation from our bulk infrastructure.”

— Edoardo P. from G2

---

Mailchimp Transactional — Best for Transactional Emails

Mailchimp Transactional Email (formerly Mandrill) offers a user-friendly SMTP service, which makes managing and sending transactional messages a walk in the park. And if you’re looking for a transactional email service provider to replace SendGrid, look no further.

Mailchimp Transactional pricing: Prices start at $20/block, where one block equals to 25,000 email sends. 

During my time testing this SendGrid alternative, I’ve found Mailchimp Transactional Email to be surprisingly powerful. It offers features like dynamic content, conditional rules, webhooks, click tracking, and A/B testing.

Pricing is straightforward too—based on blocks of 25,000 emails, with costs per block decreasing as your sending volume grows. That said, compared to other options on this list, it’s not quite as user-friendly, as Mailchimp for transactional emails are more suited for developers or teams with one at hand.

Pros 

• Integrated with Mailchimp ecosystem. If you’re already using Mailchimp for marketing/emails, having transactional under the same vendor reduces fragmentation;
• Top-notch email deliverability. Leverages Mailchimp’s infrastructure, reputation management, and IP pool to help get emails into inboxes;
• Seamless API + SMTP support. Gives developers flexibility in how you integrate transactional sending.

Cons

• Requires a Mailchimp Marketing plan. You can’t use the transactional service standalone. Instead, it functions as a paid add-on to your main Mailchimp account;
• Developer-oriented. It’s geared toward users comfortable with APIs, HTML templates, and integration work; non-technical users may find setup and management challenging;
• No true free plan. The free or trial options are limited (e.g., 500 sends) and you must move to paid tiers for ongoing use.

Pricing

Mailchimp’s transactional email pricing is based on blocks of 25,000 emails, so you purchase credits in advance and each block covers that number of emails. The cost scales with volume, making it easy for businesses to manage expenses as their sending needs grow.

• 1–20 blocks (up to 500k emails): $20 per block;
• 21–40 blocks (500k–1M emails): $18 per block;
• 41–80 blocks (1M–2M emails): $16 per block;
• 81–120 blocks (2M–3M emails): $14 per block;
• 121–160 blocks (3M–4M emails): $12 per block;
• 161+ blocks (4M+ emails): $10 per block.

SendGrid vs. Mailchimp Transactional Breakdown

Feature	SendGrid	Mailchimp Transactional	Winner
Primary Use Case	Transactional email delivery (Email API + SMTP)	Transactional email sending for applications (API/SMTP)	Tie
API / SMTP Options	REST API + SMTP relay	API + SMTP sending	Tie
Ecosystem Integration	Separate product stack (transactional-first)	Designed to pair with Mailchimp’s marketing platform	SendGrid
Billing Fit for Irregular Volume	Monthly tiers are often better for steady volumes	Prepaid email blocks can be simpler for teams with spiky/seasonal sends	Mailchimp Transactional
Template Workflow	Dynamic templates available; workflow varies by setup	Transactional templates managed in the Mandrill environment (good for template-driven system email)	Mailchimp Transactional
Reporting Focus	Strong event/webhook tooling; reporting depends on plan and setup	Transactional-focused reporting in the Mandrill interface	Tie
Webhooks / Event Notifications	Event webhook supported	Event webhooks supported	Tie

Key advantages over SendGrid

• Works wonders if you’re already in the Mailchimp ecosystem;
• Prepaid “blocks” pricing can be simpler for spiky/seasonal sending volumes;
• Template-driven transactional workflow (Mandrill) is familiar to Mailchimp users;
• Frequently recommended for basic ecommerce automation receipts/notifications inside Mailchimp.

“Mailchimp Transactional Email (Mandrill) is well suited for basic automated emails that a business needs to send to their clients when their clients purchase a product or service, appointment/reservation reminders, etc. I would not use it for any sort of one-off email or really any sort of marketing purposes at all.”

— Brandon from TrustRadius

---

Brevo — Ecommerce-Friendly Transactional Platform

Brevo is a marketing + transactional messaging platform designed for teams that need more than just an email API. 

Instead of separating infrastructure email from customer marketing, Brevo brings both into one system, simplifying how teams manage messaging across the full customer journey.

Brevo pricing: Starts at $8/month for up to 100,000 contacts and up to 5,000 emails/month | Brevo Free plan available.

For ecommerce businesses, this unified model is especially useful. Stores must handle high volumes of transactional emails (order confirmations, shipping updates, receipts, password resets) while also running revenue-focused campaigns like abandoned cart reminders, post-purchase follow-ups, and win-back flows. 

Brevo allows all these flows to run on the same platform, so customer behavior can directly trigger automated journeys without heavy engineering work. Marketers can build flows visually, while developers still use API/SMTP for system messages.

Overall, Brevo suits organizations that want one platform for both promotional and operational messaging, particularly when marketing autonomy and ecommerce lifecycle campaigns are central to growth.

Pros

• Strong for mixed marketing + transactional use cases. Lets teams run lifecycle campaigns and system emails in one platform;
• Multichannel options beyond email. Supports SMS (and other channels on certain plans) for coordinated customer messaging;
• User-friendly tooling. Solid templates, segmentation, and automation builders for non-technical teams;
• Good fit for ecommerce messaging. Common flows like order updates, confirmations, and re-engagement campaigns are easy to manage.

Cons

• Less dev-first than pure Email API providers. If you only want infrastructure + deep event tooling, it can feel too marketing-y;
• Advanced deliverability controls require higher tiers. Things like dedicated IPs / more granular controls are typically not on entry plans;
• Analytics and logs may feel lighter than SendGrid. Especially if you rely heavily on detailed event pipelines and debugging.

Pricing

Brevo offers tiered plans designed to scale with sending needs and marketing feature depth:

• Free: $0 (300 emails/day);
• Starter: $8/month (500 contacts—5,000 emails/month);
• Business: $16/month (500 contacts—5,000 emails/month);
• Professional: $449/month (2,000,000—150,000 emails/month).

SendGrid vs. Brevo Breakdown

Feature	SendGrid	Brevo	Winner
Primary Use Case	Developer-focused transactional email delivery	Multichannel platform (marketing + transactional messaging)	Brevo
Transactional Email (SMTP/API)	Email API + SMTP relay	Transactional Email API + SMTP relay	Tie
Marketing Campaigns	Available, but positioned around Email API delivery	Built-in marketing messaging (email/SMS/WhatsApp available via API and platform tools)	Brevo
Multichannel Messaging	Primarily email sending (Email API / SMTP)	Email + SMS + WhatsApp supported in the platform/API	Brevo
Inbound Email Parsing	Inbound Parse Webhook supported	Inbound parsing is promoted as a product capability	Tie
Deliverability / Reliability Controls	Dedicated IPs, custom domains, deliverability features highlighted	Transactional product emphasizes fast sending and integrations; specifics vary by plan	SendGrid
Developer Documentation	Extensive developer docs and API resources	API reference and docs for transactional sending are provided	SendGrid

Key Advantages over SendGrid

• Marketing + transactional in one place;
• Easier for non-technical teams with a more guided campaign/automation experience;
• Multichannel messaging options like SMS alongside email for coordinated outreach;
• Better “all-in-one” value for small teams that don’t want separate tools for CRM/marketing workflows.

“I am able to integrate it with my WordPress site, use robust APIs and SMTP to send transactional mails, schedule emails, build campaings, and also use there dashboards/insights to analyse/improve my emails. It is a really solid tool for outreach, cold emails, retargetting, and more.”

— Aditya from Capterra 

---

SendGrid Competitors Price Comparison Table

	5,000 contacts	10,000 contacts	20,000 contacts
Sender	$23/month	$40/month	$82/month
Postmark	Starting at $15/month, you can send to unlimited contacts
Amazon SES	$0.10/1000 emails and unlimited contacts
Mailgun	Starting at $15/month, you can send to unlimited contacts
Mailtrap	$15/month	$15/month	$20/month
Mailchimp Transactional Email	$20/block, where one block equals 25,000 email sends
Brevo	$26/month (Brevo’s pricing is volume-based, 20,000 emails/month supports 500,000 contacts)

Free SendGrid Alternatives: Free Plans and Limits

Platform	Emails per month	Subscribers	Available features
Sender	15,000	Up to 2,500	Drag-and-drop editor, automation, segmentation, transactional emails, landing page builder
Postmark	100	Unlimited	SMTP relay + API access, webhooks, analytics, templates, and full transactional features
Mailgun	3,000	Unlimited	Transactional email API, logs, basic analytics
Mailtrap	4,000	Unlimited	Webhooks, templates, bulk stream
Brevo	9,000	2,000	Automation, transactional emails, CRM, AI assistant

FAQs

When should I look for a SendGrid alternative?

You should consider a SendGrid alternative when email needs expand beyond basic transactional delivery or when teams require different tooling, reporting depth, or workflow flexibility.

Common reasons include the need for built-in marketing automation, simpler account management, clearer failure diagnostics, or infrastructure better suited to specific volumes or compliance requirements. 

Are SendGrid alternatives only good for marketing emails?

No, many SendGrid alternatives support both transactional and marketing email. Some platforms emphasize APIs, SMTP relay, and event webhooks, whereas others add visual builders, segmentation, and automation flows.

The main distinction is whether the tool is designed primarily for application-generated email, marketing campaigns, or a combination of both within one environment.

What features matter most when comparing transactional email platforms?

Key comparison factors include delivery reliability, API and SMTP flexibility, event tracking, and block or bounce handling. Teams also review authentication support, IP management options, throughput controls, and logging visibility for troubleshooting.

Security practices, compliance handling, and integration options with backend systems are often as important as core sending speed or message volume capacity.

Do all SendGrid alternatives require coding skills?

No, not every SendGrid alternative requires developers on hand. Some alternatives are built for engineering teams and rely heavily on APIs, webhooks, and configuration at code level. Others, including Sender, provide dashboards, visual workflows, and non-technical setup options for marketing or operations teams. 

How do reporting capabilities differ between email delivery platforms?

The main difference between email delivery platforms is how easily teams can diagnose delivery issues, measure communication performance, and connect email activity to user behavior. Developer-oriented platforms often focus on event logs, delivery status, and webhook data, which require interpretation.

Broader platforms may combine these technical metrics with campaign performance data such as opens, clicks, and engagement trends.