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 growth and lifecycle teams weigh. Free tier and entry price sit with each pick above.
| Provider | Scheduling | Event stream | Operating since | Suppressions API | Best published rate per 1,000 | Multi-tenant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postmark | No | Yes | 2010 | Yes | $1.50 | Yes |
| Mailgun | Yes | Yes | 2010 | Yes | $0.70 | Yes |
| Amazon SES | No | Yes | 2011 | Yes | $0.10 | No |
| Mailtrap | No | Yes | 2014 | Yes | Tiers not published in comparable form | Yes |
| Loops | Yes | Yes | 2022 | Yes | Tiers not published in comparable form | No |
| Brevo | Yes | Yes | 2012 | Yes | Tiers not published in comparable form | No |
| Elastic Email | Yes | Yes | Not published | Yes | Tiers not published in comparable form | Yes |
| SendPulse | Yes | Yes | Not published | Yes | Tiers not published in comparable form | No |
| Resend | Yes | Yes | 2023 | Yes | $0.35 | No |
If you are growth and lifecycle teams
Growth work lives or dies on targeting and measurement. What matters is whether behavioral triggers can be built without engineering time, whether the event stream supports attribution past the open, and whether deliverability holds when broadcast volume shares a reputation with product email.
The order above is the general editorial ranking. Re-sorted against scheduling, event stream, and operating track record, the shortlist for behavior-triggered journeys, broadcasts, and winback campaigns measured on revenue becomes Mailgun, Elastic Email, and Loops. That differs from the headline order, which weighs all audiences together.