Mailgun is a renowned email service provider with a vast client base; however, many of its clients look for Mailgun alternatives. Reasons behind switching could be issues with deliverability, customer support, pricing, etc.
If you are seeking email service providers that are competitors to Mailgun, then buckle up, my dear reader! We will explore the roads of some of the best ones that will lead you to your required solution.
In this blog, I will thoroughly discuss three SMTP providers —MailBluster, Amazon SES, Postmark, and SMTP2GO — as alternatives to Mailgun. Read on to choose the right SMTP provider.
Table of Contents
- What to Look for While Choosing an Alternative?
- Overview of Mailgun Alternatives
- Mailgun
- 4 Mailgun Alternatives
- MailBluster
- Amazon SES
- Postmark
- SMTP2GO
- Features: Amazon SES vs Postmark vs SMTP2GO
- Costing Examples: Amazon SES vs Mailgun vs SMTP2GO Pricing
- Wrap Up
- FAQ on Mailgun Alternatives
What to Look for While Choosing an Alternative?
When searching for an alternative, it is essential to keep several key factors in mind. First, you should know:
- What or why is the alternative best known for
- See if it provides a free trial
- Learn the pricing plans
- See if it has a free plan
- Check out the paid plans
- Learn about the customer support system
- Read reviews on popular software listing sites and check out the ratings
The following section is written based on these key factors. Making it easy for you to gather the facts about Mailgun alternatives at a glance.
Overview of Mailgun Alternatives
Have a look at the key details of Mailgun alternatives.
| Facts | MailBluster | Amazon SES | Postmark | SMTP2GO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best known for | Affordable and powerful email marketing | Super low pricing | Managing transactional emails and high deliverability | Ease of use and email deliverability |
| Free pricing plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Managed SMTP only | No | Yes | No |
| Paid plans | Starting at $0.6 per 1K emails | Starting at $0.1 per 1K emails | Starting from $15/mo for up to 10K emails | Starting from $15/mo for up to 10K emails |
| Support | Email, chat, Ticket, Live Call Support | Email, chat, and phone support | Email & chat, phone support | Ticket, chat, and phone support |
| G2 rating | 4.8 ⭐ | 4.3⭐ | 4.6⭐ | 4.7⭐ |
Before diving into the main discussion, let’s have a brief overview of Mailgun for ease of comparison.
Mailgun
What is Mailgun?
Mailgun is an email service provider for sending, receiving, and managing emails. It allows sending both transactional and promotional or marketing emails. Its powerful API and Mailgun SMTP service make it well-suited for high-volume email marketing campaigns.
Key Mailgun features:
- SMTP relay
- Email routing
- Email sending API
- Message streams
- Email validation
- Email validation API
- Mailing list
- Email list validation
- A/B testing
- Basic email template builder
- Support
Mailgun Pricing
Mailgun pricing provides four plans. Each plan is set with a specific number of emails at a specific monthly cost.
The 4 pricing plans are:
- Free: $0/month for 100 emails per day.
- Basic: $15/month for 10,000 emails.
- Foundation: $35/month for 50,000 emails.
- Scale: $90/month for 100,000 emails.
Also, each plan includes specific charges for extra emails.
4 Mailgun Alternatives
Let’s dive into the main discussion. Learn about the three best Mailgun alternatives:
MailBluster
Check out MailBluster SMTP as an alternative to Mailgun:
What is MailBluster?
MailBluster is an email marketing platform where you can send cost-effective emails with features including managed SMTP and third-party providers, drag-and-drop email creation, automation, templates, analytics. As you explore, you can see many other features in the app.
How does MailBluster stand out?
MailBluster’s biggest advantage is its low-cost email delivery. The cost-effective option and scalable solution across different pricing tiers, with self-hosted SMTP, also including third-party SMTP providers.
Read: MailBluster and its features
MailBluster review from a client-
‘’MailBluster only charges for what you use, and that is extremely affordable at scale.’’
Justin T.
Essential MailBluster features
- Automation
- Multi SMTP providers
- Drag & drop email composer
- Double opt-in
- Email templates
- A/B testing
- Real-time tracking & reporting
- List segmentation
MailBluster pricing
Pricing approach: Like Mailgun, each plan comes with different features and offers straightforward, simple pricing. See the pricing plans –
| Pricing Plans | Pricing | Trial/limit |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | Always Free | Up to 3000 email sending then UPGRADE for more! |
| Pro Tier | $5 per month (billed yearly) + $0.60 per 1000 emails | Pro support |
| Executive Tier | $10 per month (billed yearly) + $0.60 per 1000 emails | 1-on-1 setup and support |
| Managed SMTP | $17 per month depending on email package | 14-day free trial |
Pros of MailBluster
- Affordable and cost-effective
- Managed SMTP
- Third-party SMTP providers
- Pro email templates
- Ease of use
- High deliverability
- Multiple integrations
- Support
Cons of MailBluster
- Some features need access approval
Learn more about MailBluster SMTP and pricing.
Amazon SES
Check out Amazon SES as an alternative to Mailgun:
What is Amazon SES?
Amazon SES, short for Amazon Simple Email Service, is a cloud-based email service provider. It allows sending both transactional and marketing emails. It can be used together with a variety of programs and features to help you get things done faster, such as email authentication, content filtering, and email delivery verification.
How does Amazon SES stand out?
The key difference between Mailgun and Amazon SES is that it offers a super cost-effective and scalable solution, especially within the AWS ecosystem. Amazon SES is best for its cheap pricing. Hence, if you want the cheapest SMTP provider, undoubtedly choose Amazon SES as your Mailgun alternative.
Read: AWS Email Service: Configure, Types & Pricing
Amazon SES review from client-
“Using external service as Amazon, is the best solution. You need to apply some more efforts compared with other companies, but have the best prices.”
Sergio A.
Essential Amazon SES features
- SMTP
- API
- Analyze email deliverability
- Virtual deliverability manager
- Integration
- Mail manager
- Sender identity management and security
- Reputation dashboard, etc.
Amazon SES Pricing
Pricing approach: Follows a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) approach.
Types of Amazon SES pricing plans: 2 types of pricing plans.
The 2 types of plans are:
- Free tier: $0 for the initial 3,000 emails sent every month. Limited only to the first 12 months.
- Paid plan: $0.1 for 1,000 emails ($0.0001 each email).
Read a detailed idea on Amazon SES pricing:
Amazon SES Pricing: The Unbelievably Cheapest Email Marketing Ever!
Get ideas on MailBluster and Amazon SES combo pricing:
MailBluster and Amazon SES Pricing: Underpriced Combo Ever!
Pros of Amazon SES
- Super affordable
- Ensure ease of use
- Very scalable
- Highly stable
- High deliverability
- Multiple integrations
- Email authentication
Cons of Amazon SES
- Difficult to set up
- Learning curve
- Amazon SES Sandbox limitation
Learn about creating an AWS account and connecting with MailBluster in detail:
How to Create an AWS Account and Connect with MailBluster
See how to connect Amazon SES with MailBluster:
Postmark
Check out Postmark as an alternative to Mailgun:
What is Postmark?
ActiveCampaign’s Postmark is a reliable email delivery and management platform. They initially started with transactional emails only. However, they have expanded their sending infrastructure since 2009, and now it also allows sending marketing emails. It ensures high deliverability due to the excellence of Postmark SMTP and API services. Plus, its essential features are great in simplifying bulk email sending. This one is quite similar to Mailgun, so if you want a very similar SMTP like Mailgun, then consider Postmark as one of the Mailgun alternatives.
How does Postmark stand out?
Postmark is best known for high email deliverability. It stands out for its continuous delivery of both transactional and marketing emails through two different message broadcast streams. It’s highly popular for its commitment to reliability and speed.
Postmark review from client-
“I’ve started recommending my clients Postmark after trying a lot of email providers. Postmark is a small company yet one of the best in the transactional email world! The setup process, stats for emails and user interface are minimal yet do a great job”
Vikas V.
Essential Postmark features
- SMTP service
- Email API
- Message streams
- Email delivery
- Inbound email
- Rebound
- Basic pre-built email templates
- Analytics and retention
- Intregations
- Email experts
Postmark pricing
Pricing approach: Like Mailgun, each pricing plan comes with a set number of emails at a fixed monthly cost.
Types of Postmark pricing plans: 3 types of paid pricing plans, along with 1 free plan.
Postmark free plan
- Free Developer tier: $0 for 100 emails per month. Consists of very limited features and is suitable for testing purposes
The 3 types of paid plans are:
- Basic: $15 per month for 10,000 emails. And $1.80 for each extra 1,000 emails.
- Pro: $60.50/month for 50,000 emails. Plus $1.30 per extra 1,000 emails.
- Platform: $138 per month for 125,000 emails, and $1.20 per extra 1,000 emails.
Find out combo pricing for MailBluster and Postmark:
MailBluster and Postmark Pricing Combo: Taking a Close Look
Pros of Postmark
- Ease of use
- Ease of setup
- Fast email delivery
- High deliverability
- Excellent SMTP service
- Clear pricing structure
- Free tier for testing purposes
- Separate message streams
- Good documentation
- Essential analytical insights
- 45 days of data retention for delivery events, bounces, opens, and clicks.
- Reliable customer support through email, 1-on-1 calls, and live chat with no extra charge.
- Good partner in doing business: scored highest- 9.7
- Has a high customer happiness rate of 86%
Cons of Postmark
- Very expensive
- Limited developer free tier
- Limited features, such as no marketing automation
- Focuses mainly on email delivery and not management
- Keeps data only for 45 days
- No SMS or digital marketing add-ons
- Not email template-builder friendly
See how to connect MailBluster with Postmark SMTP:
SMTP2GO
Check out SMTP2GO as a Mailgun alternative:
What is SMTP2GO?
SMTP2GO is an email delivery service provider that enables large-scale email sending, tracking, and management via the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). Like Mailgun, it is renowned for sending and handling transactional and promotional emails. It provides tools for monitoring email deliverability, measuring performance, and guaranteeing that your emails reach their intended recipients swiftly.
How does SMTP2GO stand out?
SMTP2GO is best known for its SMTP relay service. It distinguishes itself through high email deliverability rates, a user-friendly interface, and robust tracking and reporting features. Additionally, SMTP2GO emphasizes its focus on customer-centric features and cost-effective solutions. It comes very close to Mailgun and offers reasonable pricing structures, making SMTP2GO a viable alternative to Mailgun.
SMTP2GO review from client-
“As an developer for a plansystem for service companies we are sending 10k e-mails each month. Delivery succes is extremely high.”
Ivo K.
Essential SMTP2GO features
- SMTP relay
- Powerful deliverability
- Integrations
- Automatic DKIM/SPF
- Reporting
- Customer support
SMTP2GO Pricing
Pricing approach: Like Mailgun, each pricing plan of this one also comes with a set number of emails at a specific monthly cost.
Types of SMTP2GO pricing plans: 3 types of paid pricing plans, along with 1 free plan.
The 3 types of pricing plans are:
- Free plan: $0/month for 1000 emails per month. Allows sending 200 emails per day, and offers limited features.
- Starter plan: $15/month for 10,000 emails. Plus, $1.20 per extra 1,000 emails.
- Professional plan: $75/month for 100,000 emails. And $0.85 per extra 1,000 emails.
Note: SMTP2GO provides a custom service called the Premier plan for sending 3,000,000+ emails.
Find out combo pricing for MailBluster and SMTP2GO:
MailBluster and SMTP2GO Pricing Combo
Pros of SMTP2GO
- Ease of use: scored highest- 9.4
- Ease of setup: scored the highest in quality- 9.3
- Fast email delivery
- Provides high deliverability
- Excellent SMTP service
- Affordable pricing plans
- Offers a free plan
- Fantastic customer support: scored highest- 9.2
Cons of SMTP2GO
- Limited features
- Limited automation capabilities
- Restrictions in the free plan
See how to connect SMTP2GO with MailBluster:
Features: Amazon SES vs Postmark vs SMTP2GO
Here’s a comparison of Amazon SES, Postmark, and SMTP2GO’s key features for email senders. Take a look at it and see which one meets the most of your needs.
| Feature | MailBluster | Amazon SES | Postmark | SMTP2GO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMTP support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| API support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deliverability | High | Good | Top priority | High |
| Analytics and reporting | Detailed | Minimal | Detailed | Detailed |
| User interface | User-friendly | Basic | Yes | User-friendly |
Costing Examples: Amazon SES vs Mailgun vs SMTP2GO Pricing
Let’s have a look at the costing examples; pricing chart depending on email sending volume with the suitable paid plans of:
MailBluster: Monthly plan
Amazon SES: PAYG plan
Postmark: Suitable monthly plan
SMTP2GO: Suitable monthly plan
| Email sending/month | MailBluster | Amazon SES | Postmark | SMTP2GO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | Bring own = $6 Managed = $17 | $1 (with PAYG plan) | $15 (with Basic plan) | $15 (with Basic plan) |
| 50,000 | Bring own = $30 Managed = $59 | $5 (with PAYG plan) | $55 (with Basic plan) | $30 (with Starter plan) |
| 100,000 | Bring own = $60 Managed = $110 | $10 (with PAYG plan) | $115 (with Basic plan) | $75 (with Professional plan) |
| 250,000 | Bring own = $150 Managed = $272 | $25 (with PAYG plan) | $245 (with Basic plan) | $170 (with Professional plan) |
| 500,000 | Bring own = $539 Managed = $300 | $50 (with PAYG plan) | $455 (with Basic plan) | $280 (with Professional plan) |
| 1000,000 | Bring own = $600 Managed = $1073 | $100 (with PAYG plan) | $775 (with Basic plan) | $520(with Professional plan) |
Note: MailBluster SMTP has two varieties. Connect or bring your own, and another is MailBluster Managed SMTP. Bring own is calculated here with $0.60 per 1000 emails. Also, you can get 10% off when paying yearly for Managed SMTP.
So, which Mailgun alternative to choose?
The pricing chart illustrates the varying costs associated with email sending volumes from these four Mailgun alternatives. As you can see:
- Want hassle-free and low-cost email sending with tons of email-related features? Then MailBluster SMTP should be your first choice!
- Amazon SES is the most affordable one. If you are looking for the cheapest pricing option, then consider Amazon SES.
- If you want a cost-effective, more standard option with a better user interface and want to avoid hassles like AWS Sandbox, then consider SMTP2GO as an alternative to Mailgun.
- If you don’t have any budget issues and like the Postmark service quality, then opt for the Postmark SMTP.
Learn how to connect Postmark and SMTP2GO with MailBluster:
How to Connect MailBluster with Postmark & SMTP2GO
Wrap Up
All of the Mailgun alternatives listed here are proficient SMTP providers. This blog provides essential descriptions of the MailBluster SMTP, Amazon SES, Postmark, and SMTP2GO services. Choose the one that best meets your needs and integrate the SMTP with MailBluster for an effective emailing experience.
FAQ on Mailgun Alternatives
There could be any reason for someone to switch. However, users often seek alternatives to Mailgun due to issues with deliverability and customer support.
Postmark and SMTP2GO offer a free plan, specifically designed for developers for testing purposes. On the other hand, Amazon SES provides a free pricing plan that can be used for testing purposes.
The less pricey Mailgun alternatives can be Amazon SES and SMTP2GO. Amazon SES is the cheapest option with minimal features. And SMTP2GO pricing is a reasonable one with more advanced features.
Both email services are good. Mailgun is quite similar to Postmark, except for some slight differences in features and pricing. However, Mailgun can be a less pricey option for you than Postmark.
Amazon SES differs from Mailgun immensely in terms of pricing and features. Compared to Mailgun, Amazon SES is a highly affordable SMTP provider with minimal features.
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