Best Amazon SES Alternatives in 2026
The top Amazon SES alternatives are Mailgun, Twilio SendGrid Email API and Mailjet: 15 email APIs our editors would look at instead of Amazon SES, in our ranking order.
Amazon SES: A low-cost AWS email API for high-volume transactional and marketing sending. Where it falls short: no permanent free plan.
Switching from Amazon SES? For most email apis buyers the best Amazon SES alternative is Mailgun, built for developers wanting a mature full email API. On a budget, Brevo Transactional Email starts at $9/mo. Hyvor Relay offers the most monthly send limit (300000 /mo).
Why People Look for an Amazon SES Alternative
- No permanent free plan
- Some features and pricing depend on the selected monthly plan
- Inbound receiving is region-dependent
- No free plan — 11 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallMailgun9.7
Developers wanting a mature full email API
Visit Mailgun - Lowest priceBrevo Transactional Email7.6
Paid plans from $9/mo
Visit Brevo Transactional Email - Best free optionMailgun9.7
Has a free plan (Amazon SES has none)
Visit Mailgun - Most monthly send limitHyvor Relay7.4
300000 /mo
Visit Hyvor Relay
All 15 Amazon SES Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forDevelopers wanting a mature full email API
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.7 vs 8.3
A mature email API with broad sending, inbound routing, tracking, and deliverability tools.
- Inbound email
- Dedicated IP option
- Email templates
9.7/10★★★★★Visit Mailgun -
Best forEstablished teams needing broad API capabilities
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 8.3
A mature email API with broad developer features, but no ongoing free plan.
- Inbound email
- Dedicated IP option
- Email templates
9.3/10★★★★★Try Twilio SendGrid -
Best forMarketing teams needing email automation breadth
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.1 vs 8.3
A broad email platform combining APIs, automation, campaigns, and collaboration.
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Mailjet -
Best forEuropean teams needing authenticated email delivery
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.3
A developer-focused email API with free sending and a €80 Scale tier.
- Dedicated IP option
- SMTP relay
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Scaleway -
Best forTransactional email teams prioritizing deliverability
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.3
A focused email API for transactional delivery, tracking, templates, and inbound processing.
- Inbound email
- Dedicated IP option
- Email templates
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Postmark -
Best forOpen-source teams needing flexible email workflows
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
- Editor score 8.6 vs 8.3
A flexible email API with workflows, inbound processing, and self-hosting.
- Inbound email
- Email templates
- SMTP relay
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Plunk -
Best forEstablished teams needing API and SMTP breadth
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
- Editor score 8.4 vs 8.3
A broad email API and SMTP service for teams with varied sending needs.
- Dedicated IP option
- SMTP relay
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Netcore -
Best forTeams needing SMTP, API, and inbound parsing
A broad email API platform for teams that need sending, parsing, and event visibility.
- Inbound email
- Dedicated IP option
- Email templates
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit SocketLabs -
Best forMarketing teams needing campaigns and automation
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
A marketing-focused email platform with API, SMTP, automation, and campaign tools.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Elastic Email -
Best forHigh-volume senders on a low-cost plan
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
A low-cost email API with inbound routing, webhooks, templates and SMTP relay.
- Inbound email
- Dedicated IP option
- Email templates
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Maileroo -
Best forTeams sending API-managed broadcast email
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
A flexible broadcast email API with visual editing, automation, and delivery analytics.
- Inbound email
- Dedicated IP option
- Email templates
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Resend -
Best forTeams needing affordable transactional email
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
Affordable transactional email with API, SMTP, templates, scheduling, and event webhooks.
- Inbound email
- Dedicated IP option
- Email templates
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Brevo -
Best forSMTP-focused delivery with AI templates
A focused SMTP and API sender with templates, tracking, validation, and routing.
- Dedicated IP option
- Email templates
- SMTP relay
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit turboSMTP -
Best forSelf-hosters sending high email volumes
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
A self-hostable email API with broad delivery controls and developer-focused infrastructure.
- SMTP relay
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit HYVOR -
Best forDevelopers wanting SDKs and integration breadth
- Better than Amazon SES:
- Free plan
A developer-focused email API with SDKs, SMTP, inbound mail, and detailed event webhooks.
- Inbound email
- Dedicated IP option
- Email templates
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit Mailtrap
Amazon SES Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Amazon SES?
Mailgun: #1 in our Email APIs ranking, with an editor score of 9.7 out of 10. A mature email API with broad sending, inbound routing, tracking, and deliverability tools.
Is there a free alternative to Amazon SES?
Yes. Mailgun, Mailjet, Postmark, Plunk and Netcore Email API have a free plan or a free tier (11 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Amazon SES?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Brevo Transactional Email starts lowest, at $9/mo.
Why do people look for Amazon SES alternatives?
No permanent free plan; Some features and pricing depend on the selected monthly plan; Inbound receiving is region-dependent.
Which Amazon SES alternative has the most monthly send limit?
Hyvor Relay, with 300000 /mo.
How do I switch from Amazon SES?
Export your data from Amazon SES (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Amazon SES.
How to Switch from Amazon SES
- Export your data from Amazon SES (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Amazon SES.
Amazon SES vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Monthly send limit | Inbound email | Delivery event webhooks | SMTP relay | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Amazon SES | No | $0.10/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 1 | Mailgun | Yes | 10000 /mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.7 | |
| 2 | Twilio SendGrid Email API | No | $19.95/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.3 | |
| 3 | Mailjet | Yes | 8000 /mo | 9.1 | ||||
| 4 | Scaleway Transactional Email | No | 100000 /mo | No | Yes | Yes | 9.0 | |
| 5 | Postmark | Yes | $15/mo | 10000 /mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.8 |
| 6 | Plunk | Yes | $0.001/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 7 | Netcore Email API | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.4 | |||
| 8 | SocketLabs | No | $39.95/mo | 40000 /mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.2 |
| 9 | Elastic Email | Yes | $29/mo | 37500 /mo | 8.0 | |||
| 10 | Maileroo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | ||
| 11 | Resend Broadcasts | Yes | $20/mo | 50000 /mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.8 |
| 12 | Brevo Transactional Email | Yes | $9/mo | 5000 /mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.6 |
| 13 | turboSMTP | No | €14.95/mo | 15000 /mo | No | Yes | Yes | 7.6 |
| 14 | Hyvor Relay | Yes | €30/mo | 300000 /mo | Yes | Yes | 7.4 | |
| 15 | Mailtrap Email Sending | Yes | $15/mo | 10000 /mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.3 |
Head-to-Head
- Amazon SES vs Mailgun
- Amazon SES vs Twilio SendGrid Email API
- Amazon SES vs Mailjet
- Amazon SES vs Scaleway Transactional Email
- Amazon SES vs Postmark
- Amazon SES vs Netcore Email API
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update