9 Best SendGrid Alternatives (2026), Tested
Recommendations for teams leaving SendGrid after the May 2025 free-tier removal.
criteria
- Free tier
- API ergonomics
- Deliverability
- Migration effort
- 01
Postmark
TransactionalFor teams that valued SendGrid as transactional only.
- 02
Mailgun
TransactionalClosest API ergonomics if you used the SMTP plus API combo.
- 03
Amazon SES
TransactionalFor volume-heavy senders with AWS infrastructure.
- 04
Mailtrap
Transactional TestingTesting plus sending with a generous free tier.
- 05
Loops
Marketing TransactionalIf you used SendGrid for marketing as well as transactional.
- 06
Brevo
Transactional MarketingClosest replacement for SendGrid Marketing Campaigns.
- 07
Elastic Email
Transactional MarketingLower-cost API and SMTP relay if price matters more than brand recognition.
- 08
SendPulse
Transactional MarketingBest SendGrid alternative when free SMTP volume is the deciding factor.
- 09
Resend
TransactionalModern API for new React stacks. Confirm volume pricing fits.
All 9 compared
Every provider in this ranking against the priorities early-stage startups weigh. Free tier and entry price sit with each pick above.
| Provider | Best published rate per 1,000 | DX score | Operating since | Scheduling | SDKs | Webhooks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postmark | $1.50 | 9/10 | 2010 | No | node, python, go, ruby, php, java, elixir, rust, dotnet | Yes |
| Mailgun | $0.70 | 7/10 | 2010 | Yes | node, python, go, ruby, php, java | Yes |
| Amazon SES | $0.10 | 4/10 | 2011 | No | node, python, go, ruby, php, java, rust, dotnet | No |
| Mailtrap | Tiers not published in comparable form | 8/10 | 2014 | No | node, python, go, ruby, php, elixir | Yes |
| Loops | Tiers not published in comparable form | 9/10 | 2022 | Yes | node, python, go, ruby, php | Yes |
| Brevo | Tiers not published in comparable form | 7/10 | 2012 | Yes | node, python, go, ruby, php, java, dotnet | Yes |
| Elastic Email | Tiers not published in comparable form | 7/10 | Not published | Yes | node, python, php, java, dotnet | Yes |
| SendPulse | Tiers not published in comparable form | 6/10 | Not published | Yes | None | Yes |
| Resend | $0.35 | 8/10 | 2023 | Yes | node, python, go, ruby, php, rust, java, elixir, cli | Yes |
If you are early-stage startups
At an early stage the deciding factors are what the free tier actually covers, what the first paid invoice looks like, and how much of a founding engineer's week the setup costs. Feature depth that only matters at a million sends a month is noise until it is not.
The order above is the general editorial ranking. Re-sorted against best published rate per 1,000, developer experience, and operating track record, the shortlist for a waitlist, a launch announcement, onboarding email, and the first transactional sends becomes Mailgun, Loops, and Brevo. That differs from the headline order, which weighs all audiences together.