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Alternatives

SendGrid alternatives

Four email services a developer leaving SendGrid would actually consider, weighed on inbound mail, signed webhooks, agent tooling and what an extra thousand emails costs. Every figure was read from the vendor's own page on 2026-09-16.

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SendGrid
SendGrid is Twilio's email product: an API and an SMTP service with seven official libraries, sold as Email API plans, with its campaign tooling bought as a second subscription.
What this page is
A list of four email services that would take the mail SendGrid sends for you today, compared on the same rows and against the same sources. Rasket is one of them, and we build it — so every claim we make about ourselves is linked to a Rasket page, and every claim about anybody else is linked to theirs.

Key takeaways

  • Extra emails, per 1,000 — Rasket: $0.60. SendGrid: $1.30.
  • Entry paid plan — Rasket: $20 a month for 50,000 emails. SendGrid: $19.95 a month for 50,000 emails.
  • Free plan — Rasket: 3,000 emails a month, 100 a day, 3 domains. SendGrid: No free plan — a 60-day trial of 100 emails a day.
  • Inbound email — Rasket: Yes. SendGrid: On the Pro and Premier plans.
  • Official SDKs — Rasket: Node.js and Python. SendGrid: C#, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python and Ruby.

Why developers look for a SendGrid alternative

Three reasons that are rows of the table below rather than opinions. Each one is something SendGrid publishes about itself.

  • There is no free plan to stay on — the entry is a 60-day trial of 100 emails a day.
  • Inbound Parse arrives on the Pro plan, so receiving mail means moving up two tiers.
  • Searchable email activity is three days on Essentials, which is shorter than most support conversations.

None of those is a reason on its own. They are reasons if they describe what you are doing: a product past its free tier, a support conversation longer than the history you can read, a campaign you would rather not buy twice.

Four alternatives to SendGrid

Rasket is first because we build it, and you should read the table before you take our word for the order.

  1. 1.Rasket

    It is, for most of what the Email API plans do. Rasket sends over a REST API, signs webhooks and lets you replay them, receives inbound mail on every plan, and keeps thirty days of history on the self-serve plans against three on Essentials. What Rasket does not have is an SMTP relay or SendGrid's seven client languages, and it is not part of Twilio, so shared billing with SMS and voice is not on the table.

    Best for: Developers who want sending, receiving and broadcasts behind one API key

  2. 2.Postmark

    Postmark is a transactional email service with six official libraries, an SMTP option and Message Streams, which keep transactional and broadcast mail on separate sending infrastructure. Free plan: 100 emails a month, and it does not expire. Extra emails, per 1,000: $1.80.

    Best for: Teams who want transactional and bulk mail kept on separate streams

  3. 3.Mailgun

    Mailgun is an email API from Sinch with six official SDKs, an SMTP relay, rule-based inbound routing and signed webhooks, sold on plans whose log retention grows with the tier. Free plan: 100 emails a day. Extra emails, per 1,000: From $1.80 on Basic.

    Best for: Teams who route inbound mail with rules and want a relay in front of it

  4. 4.MailerSend

    MailerSend is an email API with six official libraries, an SMTP relay, signed webhooks and an MCP server, sold on small plans that start below every other entry price here. Free plan: 500 emails a month, 1 domain, 1 template. Extra emails, per 1,000: $1.30 on Starter and Professional.

    Best for: Small projects that want the cheapest paid plan on this list

The four, row by row

The same rows for all four, with the source of every cell numbered at the foot of the page.

Four alternatives to SendGrid, compared row by row
CriterionRasketPostmarkMailgunMailerSend
Inbound emailYes Rasket, source 1Receive at your own domain on every plan, delivered as a signed webhook.On the Pro and Platform plans Postmark, source 13The pricing table lists inbound email processing against Pro and Platform.1 route on Free, 5 on Basic, full routing from Foundation Mailgun, source 20On the Starter and Professional plans MailerSend, source 26
Transactional and broadcasts on one planYes Rasket, source 2A broadcast travels the same send pipeline as a password reset, on the same plan and the same key.Yes, on a separate Broadcast stream Postmark, source 13Their pricing FAQ says transactional and marketing mail are kept on parallel, separate sending infrastructure.Not published Mailgun, source 20Not published MailerSend, source 26
Signed webhooksYes Rasket, source 3No Postmark, source 14Their webhook guide says Postmark does not sign webhooks with HMAC, and recommends HTTP basic authentication and an IP allowlist instead.Yes Mailgun, source 21A token, a timestamp and an HMAC-SHA256 signature posted with the event.Yes MailerSend, source 27A Signature header holding an HMAC-SHA256 of the body, keyed by a per-webhook signing secret.
Replay a webhook eventYes Rasket, source 3Send the event again from the dashboard or the API; a replay carries the identical payload under the same event id.Not published Postmark, source 14Not published Mailgun, source 22Not published MailerSend, source 27
Idempotent sendsYes Rasket, source 4An Idempotency-Key is remembered for 24 hours.Not published Postmark, source 15Not published Mailgun, source 23Not published MailerSend, source 28
Versioned templatesYes Rasket, source 5Published versions with typed variables; every send records the version it used.Not published Postmark, source 16Templates are created and edited through the API; the page does not describe versions.Not published Mailgun, source 23Not published MailerSend, source 28
AutomationsYes Rasket, source 6Not published Postmark, source 15Not published Mailgun, source 20Not published MailerSend, source 26
MCP serverYes Rasket, source 7An HTTP MCP server with seven toolsets, plus a setup skill.Not published Postmark, source 15Yes Mailgun, source 24Yes MailerSend, source 29
Markdown docs and llms.txtYes Rasket, source 8Markdown at every docs URL, with llms.txt and llms-full.txt.An llms.txt index Postmark, source 15The index is published; a .md suffix on a documentation URL answered 404 on the day.Yes Mailgun, source 23A .md suffix on a documentation URL returns Markdown, and llms.txt maps the set.An llms.txt index MailerSend, source 30The index is published; a .md suffix on a help URL answered 404 on the day.
Official SDKsNode.js and Python Rasket, source 9Node.js and TypeScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, Java and .NET Postmark, source 17Ruby, PHP, Python, Java, Go and Node.js Mailgun, source 25PHP, Node.js, Go, Python, Ruby and Java MailerSend, source 28
Free plan3,000 emails a month, 100 a day, 3 domains Rasket, source 10100 emails a month, and it does not expire Postmark, source 13No overage is allowed on it.100 emails a day Mailgun, source 20500 emails a month, 1 domain, 1 template MailerSend, source 26
Entry paid plan$20 a month for 50,000 emails Rasket, source 10$15 a month for 10,000 emails Postmark, source 13The Basic plan. Fifty thousand emails is $55.$15 a month for 10,000 emails Mailgun, source 20The Basic plan.$7 a month for 5,000 emails MailerSend, source 26The Hobby plan, paying monthly; the page opens on yearly billing, where the same plan is $5.60 a month.
Extra emails, per 1,000$0.60 Rasket, source 10The rate steps down to $0.25 as the Scale ladder climbs.$1.80 Postmark, source 13Basic, between 10,000 and 125,000 emails a month.From $1.80 on Basic Mailgun, source 20From $1.30 on Foundation and from $1.10 on Scale.$1.30 on Starter and Professional MailerSend, source 26The page does not state a rate for the entry Hobby plan.
Data retention30 days on the self-serve plans Rasket, source 10Custom retention on a Custom plan.45 days, up to 365 with an add-on Postmark, source 13The retention add-on starts at $5 a month and needs a Pro plan.1 day of logs on Free and Basic, 5 on Foundation, 30 on Scale Mailgun, source 201 day on Free and Hobby, 7 on Starter, 30 on Professional MailerSend, source 26
Dedicated IPAn add-on on Scale Rasket, source 10$50 a month per IP, on Pro and above Postmark, source 13For senders above 300,000 emails a month.One included on Scale, extra IPs $59 a month each Mailgun, source 20An add-on above 100,000 emails a week MailerSend, source 26The page does not state its price.
SMTP relayNo Rasket, source 11Sending is the REST API, the SDKs and the MCP server. There is no relay to point a mail client at.Yes Postmark, source 18Yes Mailgun, source 20Yes MailerSend, source 26
DKIM key size2048-bit, one key per domain Rasket, source 12Not published Postmark, source 19Not published Mailgun, source 23Not published MailerSend, source 28
Best forDevelopers who want sending, receiving and broadcasts behind one API keyTeams who want transactional and bulk mail kept on separate streamsTeams who route inbound mail with rules and want a relay in front of itSmall projects that want the cheapest paid plan on this list

Moving your domain off SendGrid

Add your domain in Rasket, publish the DKIM, SPF and DMARC records we generate, and keep sending through SendGrid until verification passes. Then swap the call: POST /emails takes the same pieces as their mail send, and the key moves to an Authorization header. Dynamic templates are rewritten once and published as a version; Event Webhook endpoints become Rasket webhooks with their own signing secret, and a failed delivery can be replayed from the dashboard while you finish the handler.

Nothing about a verified sending domain is exclusive, so both providers can hold it while you move. Send a small share of your mail through the new one first, watch the delivery and bounce events, and cut the rest over once the numbers look like the old ones.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best SendGrid alternative for developers?

We build Rasket, so read this as a disclosed preference and not a verdict. It is, for most of what the Email API plans do. Rasket sends over a REST API, signs webhooks and lets you replay them, receives inbound mail on every plan, and keeps thirty days of history on the self-serve plans against three on Essentials. What Rasket does not have is an SMTP relay or SendGrid's seven client languages, and it is not part of Twilio, so shared billing with SMS and voice is not on the table.

Is there a free SendGrid alternative?

Rasket: 3,000 emails a month, 100 a day, 3 domains. Postmark: 100 emails a month, and it does not expire. Mailgun: 100 emails a day. MailerSend: 500 emails a month, 1 domain, 1 template. Each figure is from that vendor's own pricing page on 2026-09-16.

Which SendGrid alternative includes inbound email?

Rasket: Yes. Postmark: On the Pro and Platform plans. Mailgun: 1 route on Free, 5 on Basic, full routing from Foundation. MailerSend: On the Starter and Professional plans. Inbound means receiving mail at your own domain, not just sending from it.

Which SendGrid alternative works with AI agents?

Rasket: Yes. Postmark: Not published. Mailgun: Yes. MailerSend: Yes. An MCP server is what lets an assistant call the API directly; Markdown docs and llms.txt is the other half, and it reads: Rasket: Yes. Postmark: An llms.txt index. Mailgun: Yes. MailerSend: An llms.txt index.

How do I move my domain off SendGrid?

Add your domain in Rasket, publish the DKIM, SPF and DMARC records we generate, and keep sending through SendGrid until verification passes. Then swap the call: POST /emails takes the same pieces as their mail send, and the key moves to an Authorization header. Dynamic templates are rewritten once and published as a version; Event Webhook endpoints become Rasket webhooks with their own signing secret, and a failed delivery can be replayed from the dashboard while you finish the handler.

Sources

  1. 1. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/features/receiving. Read 2026-09-16.
  2. 2. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/features/broadcasts. Read 2026-09-16.
  3. 3. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/features/webhooks. Read 2026-09-16.
  4. 4. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/docs/idempotency. Read 2026-09-16.
  5. 5. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/features/templates. Read 2026-09-16.
  6. 6. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/features/automations. Read 2026-09-16.
  7. 7. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/features/agents. Read 2026-09-16.
  8. 8. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/llms.txt. Read 2026-09-16.
  9. 9. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/about. Read 2026-09-16.
  10. 10. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/pricing. Read 2026-09-16.
  11. 11. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/features/email-api. Read 2026-09-16.
  12. 12. Rasket — http://localhost:3000/features/domains. Read 2026-09-16.
  13. 13. Postmark — https://postmarkapp.com/pricing. Read 2026-09-16.
  14. 14. Postmark — https://postmarkapp.com/developer/webhooks/webhooks-overview. Read 2026-09-16.
  15. 15. Postmark — https://postmarkapp.com/llms.txt. Read 2026-09-16.
  16. 16. Postmark — https://postmarkapp.com/developer/api/templates-api. Read 2026-09-16.
  17. 17. Postmark — https://postmarkapp.com/developer/integration/official-libraries. Read 2026-09-16.
  18. 18. Postmark — https://postmarkapp.com/developer/user-guide/send-email-with-smtp. Read 2026-09-16.
  19. 19. Postmark — https://postmarkapp.com/developer/api/domains-api. Read 2026-09-16.
  20. 20. Mailgun — https://www.mailgun.com/pricing/. Read 2026-09-16.
  21. 21. Mailgun — https://documentation.mailgun.com/docs/mailgun/user-manual/webhooks/securing-webhooks. Read 2026-09-16.
  22. 22. Mailgun — https://documentation.mailgun.com/docs/mailgun/user-manual/webhooks/webhooks. Read 2026-09-16.
  23. 23. Mailgun — https://documentation.mailgun.com/llms.txt. Read 2026-09-16.
  24. 24. Mailgun — https://documentation.mailgun.com/docs/mailgun/mcp. Read 2026-09-16.
  25. 25. Mailgun — https://documentation.mailgun.com/docs/mailgun/sdk/introduction. Read 2026-09-16.
  26. 26. MailerSend — https://www.mailersend.com/pricing. Read 2026-09-16.
  27. 27. MailerSend — https://developers.mailersend.com/api/v1/webhooks.html. Read 2026-09-16.
  28. 28. MailerSend — https://developers.mailersend.com/. Read 2026-09-16.
  29. 29. MailerSend — https://developers.mailersend.com/mcp. Read 2026-09-16.
  30. 30. MailerSend — https://www.mailersend.com/llms.txt. Read 2026-09-16.

Last checked 2026-09-16. Prices and plan contents change. Every figure above was read from the linked page on the date beside it; if one has moved since, the page it came from is the one to trust.

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