--- title: "Best Mailgun alternatives in 2026" description: "Mailgun alternatives ranked for app teams: free plans, API, transactional plus marketing, deliverability and how hard it is to move your Mailgun data." url: https://www.unitpost.com/best/mailgun-alternatives section: Roundups updated: 2026-11-02 --- # Best Mailgun alternatives in 2026 Mailgun is built for high-volume sending, with validation and inbox placement testing, but its free plan is 100 emails a day on one domain with a day of logs, and marketing needs another tool. The best Mailgun alternative for app teams is Unitpost: a 5,000-email free plan, campaigns on the same API and a one-key import. SendGrid and Amazon SES suit very high volume. > Updated 2026-11-02. We make Unitpost, and it is on this list. Every score has a reason and the weights are published below, so you can re-rank it for your own needs. ## At a glance | # | Product | Best for | Free plan | Score | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Unitpost | app teams sending both kinds of email | 5,000 emails a month, 200 a day, no card | 4.3 | | 2 | Brevo | marketers who want a full suite | 300 emails a day | 3.7 | | 3 | Resend | developer-first transactional email | 3,000 emails a month, 100 a day | 3.6 | | 4 | Postmark | mail that must reach the inbox | 100 emails a month | 3.1 | | 5 | SendGrid | enterprises and multi-tenant platforms | None: a 60-day trial at 100 emails a day | 3.0 | | 6 | MailerSend | a cheap first paid plan | 500 emails a month, card required | 2.7 | | 7 | Amazon SES | lowest cost at very high volume | None for SES; new AWS accounts get up to $200 in credits | 2.5 | ## Why teams look for a Mailgun alternative - The free plan is 100 emails a day on one domain, with logs kept for a day. - Marketing campaigns need another product. - The API authenticates with HTTP Basic auth rather than a bearer token. ## When Mailgun is still the better choice - You need email address validation as part of your pipeline - You need EU data residency for compliance reasons - You want inbox-placement testing and detailed deliverability analytics ## What moves when you leave Mailgun With Unitpost's Migration Assistant and one Mailgun key: - Contacts: imports. Mailgun keeps addresses only as mailing list members, so the importer reads every list's members with their name and `vars` (as custom fields). An address on several lists imports once. - Unsubscribes and consent: partly imports. Each domain's unsubscribes import as unsubscribe suppressions, tag-level ones included, and become a full marketing opt-out here. A member unsubscribed from any one list imports unsubscribed from all marketing. - Suppressions (bounces and complaints): imports. Bounces and complaints from every domain in the region import with their reason, merged into one workspace list. - Mailing lists: imports. Each list becomes a static segment named after the list (or its address), with its members. - Topics: rebuild. Mailgun has no topics. Create them here if you want per-category opt-outs on campaigns. - Templates: partly imports. Domain templates import the active version's HTML as drafts in code mode. Account-level templates and subjects are not read, and a template whose content fails to load arrives empty without a warning. - Sending domains: partly imports. Every domain in the region the importer reads is recreated as verifying with a new DKIM key. - Webhooks: partly imports. Domain-level webhooks are merged per URL and recreated switched off with a new signing secret. Account-level webhooks are not read. - API keys and SMTP credentials: rebuild. Your Private API key and per-domain SMTP credentials stay at Mailgun. Unitpost SMTP logs in with an API key. - Routes: rebuild. Not read. Unitpost receives mail per verified domain, stores it and fires `email.received`; there is no forwarding, so a `forward()` route becomes a webhook handler. [The Mailgun migration plan](https://www.unitpost.com/migration/mailgun.md) ## 1. Unitpost Best for app teams sending both kinds of email. Transactional and marketing email on one API, one contact list and one bill, with a permanent free plan and an importer for six providers. Pros: - Permanent free plan, no card - Imports contacts, suppressions (bounces and complaints), mailing lists from Mailgun with one key - REST API, SMTP relay, MCP server and nine SDKs on every plan - Unlimited contacts on paid plans, priced by sends Cons: - A newer sender, without a long public track record - No sub-accounts, and dedicated IPs are not launched yet - SMS is on paid plans only Free plan: 5,000 emails a month, 200 a day, no card. Paid from: $10 a month for 20,000 emails. Priced by: emails sent. Website: https://www.unitpost.com ## 2. Brevo Best for marketers who want a full suite. A marketing suite with email, SMS, WhatsApp, a CRM and automation, plus a transactional API and SMTP relay. Its free plan sends the most email here. Pros: - The largest free volume: 300 emails a day - CRM, landing pages and automation built in - Paid plans sized by email volume, from $9 a month Cons: - SMS and WhatsApp credits are bought separately - A large step in price from Standard to Professional Free plan: 300 emails a day. Paid from: $9 a month for 5,000 emails. Priced by: emails sent. Website: https://www.brevo.com ## 3. Resend Best for developer-first transactional email. A clean, modern email API from the team behind React Email, with inbound email and an official MCP server on every plan. Marketing contacts are billed on a separate plan. Pros: - A modern API with clear errors and many SDKs - Inbound email on every plan, free included - React Email for building templates in code Cons: - Marketing is a second plan, priced by contacts ($40 a month for 5,000) - Free sending is capped at 100 emails a day Free plan: 3,000 emails a month, 100 a day. Paid from: $20 a month for 50,000 emails. Priced by: sends and contacts. Website: https://resend.com ## 4. Postmark Best for mail that must reach the inbox. Transactional email known for fast, reliable inbox placement, with bulk mail kept on separate broadcast streams. It costs more, and the free plan is for testing. Pros: - The best-regarded deliverability record here - Transactional and bulk mail kept on separate streams - 45 days of message content and good debugging tools Cons: - The free plan is 100 emails a month - No audience or campaign tools, and no inbound on Basic Free plan: 100 emails a month. Paid from: $15 a month for 10,000 emails. Priced by: emails sent. Website: https://postmarkapp.com ## 5. SendGrid Best for enterprises and multi-tenant platforms. The long-running email API, now part of Twilio, with Marketing Campaigns as a separate product. Strong at scale; there is no free plan any more. Pros: - Proven at very high volume - Sub-accounts for multi-tenant platforms - Dedicated IPs from the Pro plan Cons: - No free plan: a 60-day trial, then from $19.95 a month - Marketing Campaigns is a separate product and plan Free plan: None: a 60-day trial at 100 emails a day. Paid from: $19.95 a month (Essentials). Priced by: sends and contacts. Website: https://www.twilio.com/en-us/sendgrid ## 6. MailerSend Best for a cheap first paid plan. A transactional email API with an official hosted MCP server and a $7 first paid plan. The free plan is small. Pros: - Hobby is $7 a month for 5,000 emails - API and SMTP on the free plan - An official hosted MCP server Cons: - 500 emails a month on free - No audience or campaign tools Free plan: 500 emails a month, card required. Paid from: $7 a month for 5,000 emails. Priced by: emails sent. Website: https://www.mailersend.com ## 7. Amazon SES Best for lowest cost at very high volume. Amazon's sending service, inside AWS: the lowest price per email here. You build the rest yourself, from bounce handling to templates and dashboards. Pros: - $0.10 per 1,000 emails on pay-as-you-go pricing - Runs inside your AWS account and IAM - Inbound email as well as sending Cons: - No campaign builder or audience tools - Bounce handling, dashboards and reputation work are yours Free plan: None for SES; new AWS accounts get up to $200 in credits. Paid from: $0.10 per 1,000 emails (new accounts start on a $0.16 plan). Priced by: emails sent. Website: https://aws.amazon.com/ses/ ## Scores | Product | Free plan (20%) | Developer experience (20%) | Transactional + marketing (20%) | Switching (15%) | Deliverability (15%) | Scale (10%) | Total | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Unitpost | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4.3 | | Brevo | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3.7 | | Resend | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.6 | | Postmark | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3.1 | | SendGrid | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3.0 | | MailerSend | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2.7 | | Amazon SES | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2.5 | ## How we scored This list is for teams sending app email through Mailgun who are weighing a switch. What matters to them: a free or cheap way to keep sending, a modern API, marketing email in the same place, and a move that keeps suppressions. - **Free plan (20%).** A permanent free plan large enough to run a small app on, with no card. - **Developer experience (20%).** A clear REST API, current SDKs, readable errors and docs. - **Transactional + marketing (20%).** Both kinds of email in one product, on one contact list and one bill. - **Switching (15%).** An importer, or a documented path, that moves Mailgun contacts, suppressions and templates. - **Deliverability (15%).** A long public record of inbox placement, and the tooling to protect it. - **Scale (10%).** Proven at very high volume, with dedicated IPs and enterprise plans. Each product gets 1 to 5 per criterion; the total is the weighted mean. ### Why Unitpost scored 4.3 - Free plan: 5/5. 5,000 emails a month free for good, 200 a day, no card. - Developer experience: 5/5. Bearer-token REST API, nine SDKs, a CLI and an MCP server, with idempotency keys on sends. - Transactional + marketing: 5/5. Campaigns, segments and topics share the contact list and the bill with API sends. - Switching: 4/5. The Migration Assistant imports contacts, suppressions (bounces and complaints), mailing lists from Mailgun with one key; the guide covers the rest. - Deliverability: 3/5. Guided SPF, DKIM and DMARC with continuous checks, but a short public record so far. - Scale: 2/5. No sub-accounts, and dedicated IPs are not launched yet. Checked 2026-11-02 against https://www.unitpost.com/pricing, https://www.unitpost.com/sms, https://registry.npmjs.org/unitpost. ### Why Brevo scored 3.7 - Free plan: 5/5. 300 emails a day, about 9,000 a month, on a permanent free plan. - Developer experience: 3/5. A full API and SMTP relay, shaped by the marketing suite rather than built for developers first. - Transactional + marketing: 5/5. Campaigns, automation and transactional sending in one account. - Switching: 2/5. No importer or guide for Mailgun found; contacts move by CSV and the rest by API. - Deliverability: 3/5. An established sender, without Postmark's public time-to-inbox record. - Scale: 3/5. Professional plans from 150,000 emails; the focus is marketing teams more than high-volume APIs. Checked 2026-11-02 against https://www.brevo.com/pricing/, https://developers.brevo.com/docs/mcp-protocol, https://help.brevo.com/hc/en-us/articles/7959631848850, https://help.brevo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021533839, https://registry.npmjs.org/@getbrevo/brevo. ### Why Resend scored 3.6 - Free plan: 4/5. 3,000 emails a month free, capped at 100 a day. - Developer experience: 5/5. The API many newer providers copy, with SDKs across most languages. - Transactional + marketing: 3/5. Broadcasts exist, but marketing contacts sit on a second plan and bill. - Switching: 3/5. A published guide for moving from Mailgun; no importer, so data moves by CSV and API. - Deliverability: 3/5. A shorter public record than SendGrid or Postmark. - Scale: 3/5. Higher-volume plans above Pro; less proven at the very largest volumes. Checked 2026-11-02 against https://resend.com/pricing, https://resend.com/migrate, https://resend.com/docs/dashboard/receiving/introduction, https://github.com/resend/mcp-send-email, https://resend.com/docs/send-with-smtp, https://resend.com/docs/api-reference/api-keys/create-api-key, https://registry.npmjs.org/resend, https://resend.com/docs/dashboard/webhooks/retries-and-replays. ### Why Postmark scored 3.1 - Free plan: 2/5. 100 emails a month free, enough to test, not to run an app. - Developer experience: 4/5. A mature, well-documented API with official libraries. - Transactional + marketing: 2/5. Broadcast streams send bulk mail, but there are no audience or campaign tools. - Switching: 3/5. A published guide for moving from Mailgun; no importer, so data moves by CSV and API. - Deliverability: 5/5. A long public record of time-to-inbox, protected by separate streams. - Scale: 3/5. Handles large volume; dedicated IPs from 300,000 emails a month on Pro and above. Checked 2026-11-02 against https://postmarkapp.com/pricing, https://postmarkapp.com/migration-guides, https://postmarkapp.com/lp/mcp, https://postmarkapp.com/developer/user-guide/send-email-with-smtp, https://registry.npmjs.org/postmark, https://postmarkapp.com/developer/webhooks/inbound-webhook. ### Why SendGrid scored 3.0 - Free plan: 1/5. No free plan: a 60-day trial at 100 emails a day, then from $19.95 a month. - Developer experience: 3/5. A large API with SDKs, shaped by a decade of backwards compatibility. - Transactional + marketing: 3/5. Marketing Campaigns is a separate product with its own plans. - Switching: 3/5. A published guide for moving from Mailgun; no importer, so data moves by CSV and API. - Deliverability: 4/5. A long track record, with dedicated IPs from the Pro plan. - Scale: 5/5. Proven at very high volume, with sub-accounts and enterprise support. Checked 2026-11-02 against https://www.twilio.com/en-us/products/email-api/pricing, https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/for-developers/sending-email/integrating-with-the-smtp-api, https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/analytics-and-reporting/email-activity-feed, https://registry.npmjs.org/@sendgrid/mail, https://www.twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/for-developers/parsing-email/inbound-email. ### Why MailerSend scored 2.7 - Free plan: 2/5. 500 emails a month on one domain. - Developer experience: 4/5. A modern REST API, SMTP and an official MCP server. - Transactional + marketing: 2/5. Built for transactional email; bulk sending comes on paid plans, without audience tools. - Switching: 2/5. No importer or guide for Mailgun found; contacts move by CSV and the rest by API. - Deliverability: 3/5. An established sender, without a long public inbox-placement record. - Scale: 3/5. Plans for growing volume; fewer enterprise tools than the incumbents. Checked 2026-11-02 against https://www.mailersend.com/pricing, https://developers.mailersend.com/mcp, https://www.mailersend.com/help/smtp-relay, https://www.mailersend.com/features/inbound-emails, https://developers.mailersend.com/api/v1/webhooks.html, https://registry.npmjs.org/mailersend, https://developers.mailersend.com/api/v1/inbound. ### Why Amazon SES scored 2.5 - Free plan: 2/5. No SES free tier; new AWS accounts get up to $200 in credits. - Developer experience: 3/5. AWS SDKs and IAM: powerful, with more setup than an email API. - Transactional + marketing: 1/5. A sending service; it has no campaign builder. - Switching: 2/5. No importer or guide for Mailgun found; contacts move by CSV and the rest by API. - Deliverability: 3/5. Good infrastructure, but reputation monitoring is your job. - Scale: 5/5. AWS-scale throughput and dedicated IPs. Checked 2026-11-02 against https://aws.amazon.com/ses/pricing/, https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/dg/smtp-connect.html, https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/dg/smtp-credentials.html, https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/dg/vdm-dashboard.html, https://registry.npmjs.org/@aws-sdk/client-sesv2, https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/dg/receiving-email-notifications-contents.html. ## FAQ ### Does Mailgun have a free plan? Yes: 100 emails a day on one domain, with one inbound route and one day of logs. Paid plans start at $15 a month for 10,000 emails. ### How do I move off Mailgun? Copy suppressions first, so nobody who bounced or complained gets mail from the new provider. Unitpost's Migration Assistant imports contacts, suppressions (bounces and complaints), mailing lists with one Mailgun key, and the migration plan lists what you rebuild by hand. ## Related - [Best Brevo alternatives in 2026](https://www.unitpost.com/best/brevo-alternatives): Brevo alternatives ranked for developers: API quality, free plans, transactional plus marketing in one product, deliverability and moving your Brevo data. - [Best Loops alternatives in 2026](https://www.unitpost.com/best/loops-alternatives): Loops alternatives ranked for SaaS teams: pricing as your user base grows, API and SMTP, transactional plus marketing, and how hard it is to leave Loops. - [Best Mailchimp alternatives for developers in 2026](https://www.unitpost.com/best/mailchimp-alternatives): Mailchimp alternatives ranked for developers: the API, syncing contacts from your app, pricing as the list grows, transactional email and the editor.