The top 8 Mailgun alternatives for marketing and transactional emails

Email remains a cornerstone of any business communication, especially for transactional emails like order confirmations, password resets, and account notifications. Choosing the right email service provider can make or break your deliverability, scalability, and user experience.

Mailgun has been a go-to for developers, but it's not the only player in town. Whether you’re seeking better pricing, enhanced features, or user-friendly UI, exploring Mailgun alternatives can open up new possibilities.

This article isn’t going to market which one is the best, but we’ll dive into why you might consider alternatives to Mailgun, what to look for, and a detailed comparison of the top eight Mailgun alternatives.

What is Mailgun?

Mailgun is a developer-focused email API service designed for sending and receiving transactional and marketing emails. Founded in 2010 and now part of Sinch since 2021, it’s particularly popular among developers for its flexibility and integration.

Why should you look for Mailgun alternatives?

Mailgun is a popular choice for sending transactional emails—but it's not the perfect fit for everyone. As businesses grow or evolve, some users find that Mailgun’s limitations start to get in the way.   Here are some reasons why users are exploring alternatives to Mailgun.

1. Scaling up? So does the price

Mailgun’s pricing structure can get steep as your email volume grows, especially when you factor in paid add-ons like dedicated IPs or enhanced analytics. For startups and small businesses, this can quickly become unsustainable, and  you may need to look for more cost-effective options.

2. Shared infrastructure concerns

Mailgun supports both transactional and marketing emails on the same platform. While convenient, this shared infrastructure can impact your sender reputation, especially if marketing emails affect deliverability for critical transactional messages. 

3. Deliverability isn’t always consistent

Some users report emails landing in spam folders or being delayed. While not universal, inconsistent deliverability can be a deal breaker when you're sending time-sensitive emails like password resets or payment confirmations.

4. Customer support falls short for some

User reviews on platforms like Trustpilot show mixed feedback. Some customers appreciate the support, while others cite long wait times or unresolved issues. When email is business-critical, responsive support matters.

5. Limited feature access for low-tier plans

While Mailgun provides robust features for marketing emails, its transactional email capabilities are limited in comparison. Many essential features are gated behind higher-tier plans, restricting full access for users on lower tiers. Additionally, Mailgun lacks efficient tools for organizing or segmenting transactional emails, making it harder to manage them at scale.

What should you consider when choosing a Mailgun alternative?

Before choosing an alternative to Mailgun, it’s important to evaluate the key features that make a transactional email service reliable and scalable. Here’s what you should consider:

✅ Dedicated infrastructure: Look for providers with strong sender reputations and dedicated infrastructure for sending transactional emails.

✅ Focuses on email deliverability: High inbox placement rates and fast delivery are critical for transactional emails.

✅ Handles high-volume sending with ease: Scalable infrastructure grows with your business.

✅ Advanced bounce handling: Dedicated bounce reports help you maintain your sender reputation.

✅ Easy integration: Look for smooth connectivity with your app or website via SMTP or API.

✅ Strong compliance and privacy standards: Make sure it adheres to GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and other regulations.

✅ Powerful email management tools: Organize, track, and monitor your emails with ease.

✅ Insightful analytics: Access detailed reports for smarter, data-driven decisions.

✅ Data retention: Longer data retention periods are useful for troubleshooting and compliance.

✅ Responsive customer support: Choose a product that has a team available when you need real help, not robotic replies.

✅ Pricing and scalability: Evaluate whether the pricing model (monthly subscriptions, pay-as-you-go, or credit-based) aligns with your email volume and growth plans.

The top 8 alternatives to Mailgun

1. Zoho ZeptoMail

2. Postmark

3. SendGrid

4. Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill)

5. Amazon SES

6. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

7. Bird (formerly MessageBird)

8. Netcore Cloud

Unlock this detailed feature comparison to choose the right transactional email service for your business.

View full comparison

1. Zoho ZeptoMail

Zoho ZeptoMail was launched in 2020 exclusively for sending transactional emails with speed, reliability, and affordability. Unlike Mailgun, which supports both transactional and marketing emails, ZeptoMail focuses exclusively on transactional emails, optimizing its infrastructure for high deliverability.

Area of specialization:

Fast, reliable transactional email delivery with real-time bounce handling.

Who is it for?

Startups, growing businesses, and enterprises looking for a dedicated and secure transactional email platform that scales with their needs.

Pros: 

✅ Dedicated infrastructure: Designed exclusively for transactional emails and not for marketing emails. ZeptoMail ensures optimal inbox placement and sender reputation.

✅ Seamless integrations: Easily connect via SMTP or a powerful API with websites, apps, and third-party platforms.

✅ Lightning-fast delivery: Email routing protocols are optimized for speedy and reliable email delivery.

✅ No monthly subscriptions: There’s a pay-as-you-go plan with a flexible credit-based system. Credits remain valid for 6 months.

✅ 24/7 free support: There’s free assistance anytime via email, chat, or phone.

✅ Comprehensive email tracking: Real-time metrics measure opens, clicks, bounces, and more.

✅ Effortless transition: Switch from Mailgun to ZeptoMail in less than five minutes.

✅ Enterprise-grade security: Two-factor authentication (2FA), domain authentication, and IP restrictions ensure safe sending.

Cons: 

❌ Limited to transactional emails: ZeptoMail does not support sending marketing emails from the infrastructure.

Key features: 

• Mail Agents: Organize and manage emails by type, product, or department.

• Custom Reports: Analyze and compare email performance across various Mail Agents.

• Activity Logs: Monitor all user actions for transparency and control.

• IP Restrictions: Authorize specific IPs for additional sending security.

• Data Retention: Retain email content for 60 days and activity logs for up to a year.

• Prebuilt Templates: Access ready-to-use templates for transactional messages.

• Auto Top-up: Automatically renew credits to maintain uninterrupted email delivery.

• Suppression List: Prevent emails to addresses with a history of hard bounces.

Pricing: 

• 1 Credit = $2.50 for 10,000 emails

• 30 Credits = $75 for 300,000 emails

• Free Plan: Includes 1 credit (10,000 emails), valid for 6 months.

2. Postmark

Postmark is a powerful email delivery service that initially specialized in transactional emails but expanded in 2020 to support marketing and bulk email campaigns as well. Postmark has separate sending infrastructures for transactional and promotional emails to ensure high email deliverability.

Area of specialization:

High-speed delivery of transactional, promotional, and marketing emails with distinct infrastructures.

Who is it for?

Startups to enterprises that want to send both transactional and marketing emails using the same platform.

Pros: 

✅ Separate infrastructure for marketing and transactional emails: Prevents deliverability issues by isolating promotional traffic from critical transactional messages.

✅ Reliable and fast email delivery: Built on well-optimized sending protocols to ensure that your emails reach inboxes quickly.

✅ Message streams: Organize emails into separate streams (transactional and broadcast) to improve clarity and deliverability.

Cons:

❌ Higher cost at scale: Pricing can become expensive for businesses with growing email volumes, and unused emails don’t roll over to the next month.

❌ Limited server access on lower-tier plans: Entry-level users are capped at 10 servers and must upgrade to higher plans to increase server or domain limits.

Key features: 

• Message streams: Maintain separate channels for transactional and marketing emails, improving sender reputation and organization.

• Email activity tracking: Get detailed insights on opens, bounces, and clicks with data stored for up to 45 days.

• Prebuilt templates: Use professionally designed templates to streamline email creation and branding.

• Team access controls: Assign user roles and permissions to manage your email projects efficiently.

Pricing:

• Basic Plan–$15/month: 10,000 emails | 5 servers | up to 4 users

• Pro Plan–$60.50/month: 10,000 emails | 10 servers | up to 6 users

• Platform Plan–$138/month: 10,000 emails | unlimited servers and users

Note: To add more than 10 servers, users on the Basic plan must upgrade to the Platform plan.

3. SendGrid

SendGrid, now part of Twilio (since its 2019 acquisition), is a powerful cloud-based email service built for businesses that send high volumes of transactional and marketing emails.

Area of specialization:

Known for its developer-first approach and strong API support, SendGrid offers a reliable platform for email automation, list management, and campaign delivery.

Who is it for?

SendGrid is best for mid-size to enterprise businesses needing an all-in-one email solution with marketing automation.

Pros:

✅ Highly scalable infrastructure: Effortlessly manage millions of emails, making it a top choice for fast-growing businesses and enterprise use cases.

✅ Robust API integrations: SendGrid’s developer-friendly APIs support customized email flows, notifications, and complex automation setups.

✅ Advanced analytics: Monitor email performance with detailed reports on opens, clicks, bounces, and engagement.

Cons:

❌ Potential deliverability issues: Shared IPs and lack of reputation controls can sometimes impact inbox placement, especially for new senders.

❌ Shared infrastructure: Marketing and transactional emails share infrastructure, potentially impacting deliverability.

❌ Limited support on lower-tier plans: Email or chat support may not be as responsive unless you’re on a higher plan.

❌ Confusing pricing model: Dedicated IPs, advanced features, and add-ons can significantly increase total costs for small businesses.

❌ Dedicated IPs: Available in Pro plan ($89.95/month) and above.

Key features:

• Automated workflows: Build triggers, drip sequences, and autoresponders for transactional and marketing journeys.

• Prebuilt email templates: Access a library of responsive templates to streamline design and branding.

• Dedicated IPs (add-on): Maintain better sender reputation with your own IP address.

• Suppression management: Maintain clean lists by automatically handling unsubscribes and bounces.

Pricing:

SendGrid offers multiple pricing tiers based on email volume and feature access:

• Essentials Plan: Starts at $19.95/month for 50,000–100,000 emails

• Pro Plan: Starts at $89.95/month for 100,000–2.5 million emails

• Premier Plan: Custom pricing for high-volume senders with advanced needs

Note: Dedicated IPs, extra email validations, and advanced automation come at additional costs.

4. Mailchimp Transactional

Mailchimp Transactional is a paid add-on designed for existing Mailchimp users to send automated transactional and marketing emails. Originally launched as Mandrill, it now integrates tightly with Mailchimp’s core marketing platform.

Area of specialization:

Sending personalized promotional emails and automated transactional messages.

Who is it for?

Businesses already using Mailchimp for email marketing who need basic transactional email capabilities.

Pros:

✅  Unified platform: Manage marketing and transactional emails from one dashboard.

✅  Advanced reporting: Access personalized analytics, insights, and smart recommendations.

Cons:

❌ Add-on limitation: Only accessible with a Mailchimp marketing plan.

❌ Costly for growing businesses: Pricing increases with volume, which can impact startups and small teams.

Key features:

• Dynamic content: Supports merge tags and conditional rules.

• Analytics: Tracks clicks, opens, and user behaviors.

• Webhooks: Real-time tracking of opens, clicks, bounces, and unsubscribes.

Pricing:

• $20/month: 10,000 emails (1 block) + Mailchimp marketing plan cost

• $40/month: 50,000 emails (2 blocks) + Mailchimp marketing plan cost

Note: Blocks must be purchased monthly, and all emails (including unused ones) are billed.

5. Amazon SES

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is a cost-effective, scalable email-sending service within the AWS ecosystem. It’s designed for developers building custom email solutions, offering minimal features but unbeatable pricing.

Area of specialization:

Built for businesses seeking a budget-friendly and scalable way to manage high-volume email sending.

Who is it for?

Amazon SES is best for developers and businesses within the AWS ecosystem needing a low-cost, scalable solution.

Pros:

✅  Reliable email deliverability: Leverages dedicated IPs and advanced content filtering to ensure emails land in inboxes.

✅  Flexible pricing plan: No fixed monthly cost—pay only for the emails you send.

Cons:

❌ Technical setup required: Configuration can be complex, making it less beginner-friendly.

❌ Additional features need AWS integrations: Core functionality often depends on services like Amazon SNS (notifications), Amazon S3 (storage), and IAM (user access management).

❌ Limited features: It lacks templates, analytics, or suppression lists out of the box.

Key features:

• Configuration sets: Easily group and manage outbound emails for better organization and tracking.

• Suppression lists: Automatically handle bounces and complaints to protect sender reputation.

• 24/7 support: Get assistance anytime via email, chat, or phone.

Pricing:

Starts at $5.12 for 50,000 emails.

Note: Final cost depends on usage volume and any additional AWS services used.

6. Brevo

Brevo is a feature-rich marketing platform that brings together email marketing, SMS campaigns, CRM, and transactional email services. It offers a unified solution for businesses to automate, manage, and scale their communication efforts across multiple channels.

Area of specialization:

Ideal for managing both marketing and transactional messages in one place.

Who is it for?

• Growing businesses that need a budget-friendly, scalable marketing platform.

• Marketers and business owners looking to automate and simplify email and SMS outreach.

Pros:

✅  Beginner-friendly UI: Clean, intuitive design for effortless campaign management.

✅  Unified marketing suite: Combines email, SMS, transactional emails, CRM, and automation tools.

✅  Multichannel support: Send transactional emails via email, SMS, and WhatsApp.

Cons:

❌ Not optimized for high-volume transactional emails: Lacks dedicated infrastructure for large-scale transactional delivery.

❌ Free plan limitations: Daily email caps and restricted feature access.

❌ Limited for enterprises: May not fully meet the advanced needs of large organizations.

Key features:

• Drag-and-drop automation builder: Create personalized campaigns and trigger-based workflows with ease.

• Folder-based segmentation: Organize and manage campaigns efficiently.

• Comprehensive email analytics: Monitor opens, bounces, clicks, and unsubscribes for performance insights.

Pricing:

• Starter Plan: From $9/month

• Business Plan: From $18/month

• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing based on specific business needs

7. Bird

Bird, previously MessageBird and SparkPost, is an omnichannel communication platform supporting email, SMS, WhatsApp, voice, and more. Its transactional email service is robust, with a focus on customer engagement across channels.

Area of specialization:

• Customer engagement across various messaging platforms.

• Streamlined communication for marketing, support, and real-time notifications.

Who is it for?

Bird is best for enterprises needing a unified platform for transactional emails and omnichannel engagement.

Pros:

✅ Omnichannel platform: Communicate through WhatsApp, SMS, Messenger, email, and voice using one platform.

✅ Email and message automation: Build workflows to automate transactional and marketing messages, improving engagement.

Cons:

❌ Basic analytics capabilities: Limited reporting and insights compared to more analytics-focused platforms.

❌ Pricing scales with usage: May become expensive for businesses sending a high volume of emails.

Key features:

• No-code flow builder: Easily design automated workflows for campaigns and customer support.

• Campaign scheduling: Schedule marketing messages to hit at the right time.

• API-triggered notifications: Send real-time updates based on user actions or events.

Pricing :

• Starts at $45/month for 30,000 emails

Note: Pricing varies based on the number of targeted contacts and messaging volume.

8. Netcore Cloud

Netcore Cloud is a comprehensive customer engagement and marketing automation platform that helps businesses deliver personalized, high-volume messages across email, SMS, push notifications, WhatsApp, and in-app messaging. With a strong focus on AI optimization and seamless integrations, it supports both transactional and marketing use cases.

Area of specialization:

Built to support intelligent email delivery, automated marketing workflows, targeted customer segmentation, and omnichannel communication.

Who is it for?

• Developers and tech-savvy teams looking for scalable API or SMTP integration.

• Mid-sized to large enterprises needing powerful multi-channel communication tools.

Pros:

✅ Omnichannel support: Engage users across email, SMS, push, WhatsApp, and more.

✅ Enterprise-grade scalability: Built to handle large volumes with high deliverability.

✅ Seamless integration: Easily integrates into apps and systems via API or SMTP.

Cons:

❌ Customer support limitations: Response times may lag during urgent issues.

❌ Restricted free plan: Limited access to advanced tools without upgrading.

Key features:

• AI-powered delivery engine: Enhances inbox placement and boosts engagement using predictive algorithms.

• Send-time optimization: Emails are delivered at times when users are most likely to engage.

Pricing:

Plans available: Startup, Growth, and Enterprise

Note: Custom pricing is based on usage, features, and volume. Schedule a demo to get a quote.

Wrapping up

Choosing the right Mailgun alternative depends on your specific needs, whether it’s affordability, deliverability, or additional marketing features. Here's a quick recap:

• Zoho ZeptoMail stands out for its laser focus on transactional emails, low cost, and robust features, making it a compelling choice for startups and SMBs.

• Postmark excels in deliverability for tech-savvy users.

• SendGrid offers a versatile all-in-one solution.

• Mailchimp Transactional suits existing Mailchimp users.

• Amazon SES is unbeatable for cost-conscious AWS developers.

• Brevo provides an affordable multichannel platform.

• Bird caters to omnichannel enterprises.

• Netcore Cloud is for personalized engagement.

It's time to evaluate your email volume, technical expertise, and budget, then test a few Mailgun alternatives with free plans or trials. Ultimately, the best alternative to Mailgun is one that aligns with your business goals and delivers your emails reliably to the inbox.