SendGrid vs Mailgun vs Amazon SES vs Mandrill

Emails have long been key to how businesses run. Marketers regularly send emails for product launches, updates, newsletters, and more. Yet, it is a serious challenge to manage email alerts when thousands of messages are sent every single day. That is when many trusted email service providers (ESPs) help out reliably.

ESPs offer an effective method for sending and managing emails on a large scale. An email service provider can be a vendor. Or, it could be software needed to launch an email marketing campaign.

With many email service providers available, it can feel overwhelming to choose the right one. The reason is each user has different needs. However, if we list some well-known providers, SendGrid, MailGun, Mandrill, and Amazon SES are among the top contenders.

In this article, we will compare each platform based on its features and pricing. It will help you choose the right ESP for your business or application. Whether you want to start with a new one or switch from your current email marketing platform, keep reading to learn which ESP best fits your needs.

1. SendGrid

SendGrid is an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) email client. It is used by millions of marketers to send large volumes of emails. It provides many marketing tools that help track emails sent, delivery rates, spam reports, clicks, and more. It also offers detailed data metrics and supports automated processes.

Whether you want to send transactional emails (email updates) or newsletters, SendGrid has all the tools you may need. Its advanced analytics gives you detailed information about your email campaigns. You can check reports such as open rates, click rates, bounce rates, and spam scores.

If we talk about its core features, it has a free plan. Plus, it allows users to send both newsletters and transactional emails. For performance analytics, it offers advanced analytics for in-depth details about campaign performance. Furthermore, you can plan and execute automated marketing campaigns. Over and above this, it offers features like user segmentation, A/B testing, and scheduling.

The platform is designed to be easy to understand. It offers resources and guides to help you learn about its features. Additionally, round-the-clock support is available if you need assistance. The well-written documentation makes its APIs easy to use and understand.

SendGrid also provides a broad range of API libraries that are compatible with popular frameworks like Java, Node.js, Go, PHP, Python, and C#. This compatibility gives developers a convenient way to integrate SendGrid into their applications.

The company claims a delivery rate of over 90%, which is higher than the industry average of 85%.

Support levels vary depending on your plan. Free plans allow you to create a support web ticket and receive responses via email.

Sendgrid plans

The Essential plan includes live chat support, while the Pro/Premier plans offer both phone and live chat support. Premium plans start at $19.95 and provide a guaranteed response time for customer inquiries.

There are some downsides, too. 

1. Premium plans are relatively expensive compared to some competitors.

2. Limited access to advanced features.

3. The highest-tier plan is expensive.

When to choose SendGrid

SendGrid is a reliable email service for bulk emailing. It helps you manage and send millions of emails. You can use it to send both newsletters and transactional messages. Do you love marketing tools? It has email templates, A/B tests, analytics tools, etc. With its marketing tools, you can reach out to a wider audience easily.

Pricing

The cost of using this platform depends on your chosen plan, either the Email API plan or the marketing campaign plan. The price may also differ based on your specific needs and requirements.

It offers a trial plan that allows you to send approximately 40,000 emails during the first 30 days.

This way, you can familiarize yourself with the platform. What we have liked so much is that it is straightforward to integrate into a website. Also, it has tools to create, send, and automate your marketing campaign.

2. Mailgun

Mailgun is a transactional email service provider built specifically for developers. It offers easy SMTP integration. This means you can send emails with just a few lines of code. Because it is designed mainly for technical users, Mailgun may not be the best option for marketers or non-technical people.

It has powerful APIs for developers to create and manage email campaigns. With advanced analytics, you can gain insights into your email performance. You can further send, track, and build campaigns with precision. It includes email validation, spam filtering, and email tracking features.

Mailgun claims a bounce rate of just 0.42%, far lower than the industry average of 2%. It ensures that your messages reach valid addresses. 

Additionally, it offers customizable email templates. By using these templates, you can save time when designing emails. Mailgun is more for transactional messaging rather than comprehensive marketing features. (For context, you can use MailJet; Mailgun centers on transactional emails.)

In terms of support and flexibility, Mailgun has “Pay As You Grow” plans. You can start with a lower fee and increase your level of service as needed. The basic plan offers support through a ticket system. The higher-tier plans provide real-time chat or phone support.

Mailgun does not offer a free plan—only a free trial that includes 5,000 complimentary emails for 30 days.

The platform may also seem complex for users without programming experience. The downside of Mailgun is that it has fewer marketing features compared to other service providers. It is best suited for developers and small business owners. If you want easy integration with their applications, it is a go-to choice.

With pre-built libraries for popular programming languages. You will find well-documented APIs, which save time and effort. If your primary need is sending transactional emails, Mailgun is a strong choice. In the case of order confirmations or password resets and bulk email marketing, it is not a good choice. It has email validation tools, with which you can ensure that your messages are delivered.

Pricing

Pricing plans depend on your email volume and feature needs. After the free trial, the Foundation plan starts at $35 per month for 50,000 emails. The Scale plan begins at $90 per month for 100,000 emails, and custom pricing is available on request.

4. Amazon SES

Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES) is a highly reliable and cost-efficient email-sending service. It lets you send a variety of content, including marketing messages and transactional emails. With a scalable email infrastructure and a pay-as-you-go pricing model, it’s a popular choice for many users.

Amazon SES integrates easily with other AWS services. If your website runs on Amazon EC2, this ESP is an excellent option. It also works well with services like SNS for notifications and CloudWatch for reporting.

Marketers can use its API to send and receive emails. You also get up to 1,000 free emails per month, along with an email simulator for testing.

For businesses that require better email deliverability, Amazon SES offers dedicated IPs. This feature allows you to maintain full control over your sending reputation, reducing the risk of emails landing in spam folders.

Key Benefits

One of the main advantages of Amazon SES is its low cost. With its pay-as-you-go model, you only pay for the emails you send.

If your application is hosted on Amazon EC2, you can send up to 62,000 emails for free each month. This makes Amazon SES a very cost-effective solution for small companies and startups. Its highly scalable infrastructure ensures that your email-sending capability grows with your business needs.

Limitations

While Amazon SES is excellent for sending emails at a low cost, it may not offer the most user-friendly experience. The interface lacks features like drag-and-drop editing, ready-made templates, and a visually appealing dashboard, which can be a challenge for non-technical users. Additionally, extracting real-time analytics and detailed reporting often requires the use of external tools, and the setup process can be complex if your team has limited technical skills.

When to Choose Amazon SES

Amazon SES is a strong choice if you are familiar with the AWS environment or if you plan to host your application on Amazon EC2. It works best for businesses that need a cost-effective solution for transactional emails and are comfortable with a more technical setup. If you value low cost and scalability over a highly intuitive user interface, Amazon SES is an excellent option.

Pricing

For applications hosted on Amazon EC2, you can send up to 62,000 emails for free each month. If your application is hosted elsewhere, Amazon SES charges $0.10 for every 1,000 emails sent. This pay-as-you-go model is ideal for users who want to pay only for what they use without the need for prepaid plans.

3. Mandrill

Mandrill is a transactional email API designed specifically for Mailchimp users. It enables marketers to send individualized e-commerce emails and automated transactional messages. The platform is widely preferred for its ability to meet the needs of transactional email marketing, thanks to a well-designed, easy-to-use interface that lets marketers run their campaigns effortlessly. Developers also appreciate its robust and straightforward integration.

Key Benefits

Mandrill uses custom frameworks to ensure high deliverability and strong security. The onboarding process is smooth with a quick setup, and it easily integrates with various web frameworks. If you already use Mailchimp, linking Mandrill to your account is simple. The platform also offers advanced features like A/B testing, delivery scheduling, and useful insights to help optimize your email campaigns. Plus, it provides customizable email templates that can save you time when designing emails.

Limitations

Mandrill does not offer a free plan, although it allows you to send 1,000 free emails. It is focused solely on transactional emails, so it lacks many of the broader marketing features like list and campaign management.

Customer support is limited to email and chat, with no phone support available. Being owned by Mailchimp, it may not be ideal for those who prefer an independent tool, as it requires managing two separate services and possibly additional costs. Furthermore, after 30 days, no delivery data is available, the user interface can feel outdated, and domain validation may be challenging.

When to Choose Mandrill

Mandrill is best if you need to send a large volume of emails regularly and are focused on transactional messaging. It is a favorable choice for users who want detailed email reports and a simple, reliable service for sending transactional emails. However, it might not be the best fit for affiliate marketers or those looking for extensive marketing features beyond transactional emails.

Mandrill Pricing

Mandrill offers paid plans that vary depending on email volume and the specific features required. Pricing details are available upon request, ensuring you can select a plan that scales with your email needs.

Conclusion

After comparing several ESPs, including SendGrid, Mailgun, Mandrill, and Amazon SES, it’s clear that each platform offers its unique set of features and benefits.

SendGrid is well-liked for its easy-to-use interface and reliable platform.  Mailgun stands out for its advanced email analytics and security features. Mandrill, part of the Mailchimp platform, offers excellent email personalization options and integration with other Mailchimp tools. Finally, Amazon SES provides a cost-effective solution for sending high volumes of emails with flexible scaling options.

In summary, the choice of an email service provider (ESP) is based on users’ specific requirements and preferences and other key factors such as budget and technical expertise in utilizing advanced tools. We hope the comparison above can help you pick the most suitable ESP for your needs.