We Tried 7 Sendgrid Alternatives For 30 Days: Here's our analysis

Here's what happened.

We were sending transactional emails, nothing shady, nothing spammy. Our sender score? 99%.

And yet, our emails kept bouncing.

Spamhaus had blacklisted our IP. Why? 

Because we were stuck on a shared pool… with a bunch of bad actors. And we couldn't get out—unless we paid for a dedicated IP.

So I reached out to support.

Crickets.

Twelve tickets. Four days. No human.

Then came the kicker — they wanted $5,000 just to “help us onboard” to a service we were already paying for.

At that point, I realized something: SendGrid wasn't built for businesses like ours anymore.

So I pulled the plug.

And for the next 30 days, I tested 7 alternatives to see which one could actually deliver to the inbox and on support.

What I found might save you a month of headaches (and a lot of wasted emails).

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⚡ TL;DR (Too Long, Don’t Let Deliverability Sink Revenue)

• We tested 7 SendGrid alternatives over 30 days:
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  Infraforge, Mailgun, Mailtrap, Amazon SES, SparkPost, Mailjet, MailerLite.
  
  
• SendGrid struggled with inboxing, required paid add-ons for core features, and had the worst support experience of the lot.
  
  

What stood out?

• Infraforge – Solid deliverability, fast setup, and clear control over infrastructure.
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  No warm-up hacks, no hidden fees — just worked out of the box.
  
  
• Mailtrap – Excellent for transactional. Fast and reliable.
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  Not meant for cold outreach or campaigns.
  
  
• Amazon SES – Super cheap, but brutally technical.
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  Worth it only if you’ve got a dev team on standby.
  
  
• Mailgun – Clean API, but support is hit or miss.
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  Good for developers, less so for sales teams.
  
  
• SparkPost – Nice analytics layer.
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  Reliability and IP issues made it tough to trust at scale.
  
  
• Mailjet – Easy to use. Ideal for small lists and early-stage teams.
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  Limited depth once you try to grow.
  
  
• MailerLite – Budget-friendly and intuitive, but not built for B2B infrastructure.

Now let’s dig into the details 👇

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Why More Teams Are Searching for SendGrid Alternatives in 2025

Here’s what’s pushing people to switch:

Many small businesses and smaller businesses are seeking alternatives because SendGrid's pricing and support are not well-suited for their needs.

1. Shared IPs = Shared Spam Problems

SendGrid puts you in a shared IP pool.

So when one bad sender gets flagged, you get punished.

Blacklists like Spamhaus don’t care if your sender score is 99% — you're still going to spam.

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2. Support That Goes Silent When You Need It Most

We opened 12 tickets. Got no human response for 4 days.

SendGrid's free plan only offers ticket support, so users must submit issues through a ticketing system and wait for a response.

Multiple reviews mention that unless you pay $5,000 for “onboarding,” you're on your own.

This isn’t support — it's upsell-driven silence.

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3. Sudden Account Suspensions

Mid-campaign. Sometimes before your first send.

Zero explanation. No escalation path. Just “account closed.”

This isn’t a bug — it’s a pattern showing up in dozens of SendGrid reviews.

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4. No Insight Into Why Emails Are Failing

One of the biggest SendGrid API problems:

Bounces, blocks, spam flags — and no real insight why.

You’re left flying blind, refreshing a dashboard that tells you nothing useful. Some SendGrid alternatives provide deep customer insights, helping users understand and optimize their email performance.

5. Price Jumps With Zero Transparency

• Pro plan? Starts at $89.95/mo (SendGrid's paid plan structure can be restrictive)
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• Want a dedicated IP? Add $80/mo
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• Hit your limit? Prepare for surprise overages
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• Want help fixing issues? $5K.
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• No pay as you go option, so you can't just pay for what you use.

You’re not scaling — you’re being squeezed.

If any of this sounds familiar, that’s why “SendGrid alternatives” is trending in every founder’s Slack, Reddit thread, and SaaS team you talk to.

Let’s talk about what you should be looking for instead 👇

✅ What We Looked for in the Best SendGrid Alternative?

I wasn’t looking for fancy dashboards. I was looking for results.

Because if your emails don’t land, nothing else matters.

After using SendGrid long enough to see its cracks, here’s what became non-negotiable for us when evaluating the best SendGrid alternative:

In addition to these, we also prioritized platforms with robust email marketing features, comprehensive email marketing services, and reliable bulk sending capabilities to ensure scalability, automation, and effective campaign management.

That was the bar.

And honestly? Most platforms didn’t clear it.

Dedicated IP and Email Infrastructure: Why It Matters for Deliverability

If you care about your emails actually landing in the inbox—and not vanishing into the spam abyss—then dedicated IP addresses and a rock-solid email infrastructure aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re non-negotiable.

Here’s why:

When you send email marketing campaigns or transactional emails from a shared IP, you’re rolling the dice with your sender reputation. One bad actor in the pool can tank deliverability for everyone, no matter how squeaky clean your own campaigns are. That’s why so many ecommerce businesses and marketing teams run into sudden blacklists, blocked password reset emails, or marketing messages that never see the light of day.

A dedicated IP address changes the game. It means your entire business’s emails are sent from your own unique IP—no more getting punished for someone else’s mistakes. You control your sender reputation, and you can monitor deliverability metrics with confidence. This is especially critical for high-volume senders, transactional email service providers, and anyone who wants to scale without risking inbox placement.

But it’s not just about the IP. Your email infrastructure—the behind-the-scenes tech that powers your email delivery service—matters just as much. The best SendGrid alternatives (think: Mailgun, Amazon SES, Postmark) offer advanced features like:

• Spam filtering and virus scanning to keep your lists clean and your emails trusted by major email clients.
• Authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) set up with just a click, so your emails pass the toughest inbox checks.
• Email verification tools to weed out invalid email addresses before you hit send.
• Virtual deliverability manager and in-depth analytics, so you can track every bounce, block, and open in real time.

Take Amazon SES, for example: with dedicated IP addresses, a virtual deliverability manager, and granular deliverability insights, you get enterprise-grade control at a fraction of the cost. Mailgun and Postmark also shine here, offering dedicated IPs, robust deliverability tools, and advanced reporting—making them some of the best SendGrid alternatives for anyone serious about reliable email delivery.

Bottom line: If you want your email marketing, transactional messages, and bulk emails to actually reach the inbox, you need more than just a basic SMTP relay. You need a dedicated IP address and a modern email infrastructure that puts you in control of your sender reputation and deliverability metrics.

Pro tip: Combine a dedicated IP with best practices—like clear subject lines, plain text versions, and a consistent sending schedule—and you’ll see your open rates (and revenue) climb.

Don’t let your emails get lost in the crowd. Choose an email service provider that gives you the infrastructure, advanced features, and dedicated support you need to scale with confidence. That’s what separates the best SendGrid alternatives from the rest—and why your next campaign deserves more than a shared IP.

Up next: Here’s how the 7 tools we tested actually stacked up.

The 7 SendGrid Alternatives We Actually Used

• Infraforge
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• Mailgun
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• Mailtrap
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• Amazon SES
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• SparkPost
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• Mailjet
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• MailerLite

1. Infraforge vs SendGrid: A Real Alternative Built for Cold Email

SendGrid isn’t made for cold email. If you’re sending transactional messages, fine. But the moment you try scaling outreach, things break.

Infraforge is a transactional email service provider, offering a platform designed for sending automated, individualized emails like order confirmations, password resets, and notifications.

Here’s what I ran into:

• Emails are going to spam, even with a clean domain
• Shared IPs causing deliverability issues
• $80/month just for a dedicated IP
• Support? Only if you pay extra
• DNS setup? Fully manual unless you spend thousands on onboarding

I needed something better. So I switched to Infraforge.

Why Infraforge is a better Sendgrid Alternative?

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Unlike SendGrid, Infraforge is a cold email infrastructure, not a general-purpose email API.

Everything about it is designed to help your emails land in the inbox.

• ✅ Dedicated IPs included (no hidden charges)
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• ✅ Automated DNS setup for SPF, DKIM, DMARC
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• ✅ Smart warm-up and sender rotation built-in
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• ✅ Unlimited domains and mailboxes
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• ✅ Bulk sending capabilities for high-volume campaigns, with reliable delivery and analytics

• ✅ 5-minute setup with no technical work

• ✅ Real-time deliverability monitoring

With SendGrid, you’re constantly reacting. With Infraforge, you're in control before problems even happen.

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Pricing: What You Really Pay

Let’s compare cost at scale — say you’re running 200 mailboxes.

SendGrid's pricing may look lower at first. But once you add the extras — dedicated IPs, warm-up tools, tech setup — it quickly adds up. 

And you're still stuck with shared pool problems unless you go fully custom.

In short, 

Infraforge isn't just cheaper — it's purpose-built.

If you're sending cold emails, want control over deliverability, and don't want to spend hours on setup or support tickets, this is the real alternative.

It's not just an email tool. It's your cold email infrastructure.

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2. Mailgun vs SendGrid: Developer-Friendly, but Poor Customer Support

Mailgun is built for developers, not marketers. As a leading SMTP service and one of the top SMTP providers, Mailgun offers robust infrastructure for reliable email delivery.

If you want clean APIs, logs, and a system that “just works” when it’s working, Mailgun feels great.

But the second something breaks?

You’re on your own. ‍ The docs are solid. The support? Not so much.

Here’s what happened to us (and many others, based on G2 reviews):

• Shared IP suddenly got blacklisted — 40% bounce rate overnight
• Opened a ticket… waited 36 hours for a reply
• Response? “Maybe upgrade your plan.”
• Lost email logs because they only store them for 5–30 days
• One review even lost 60% of their transactional emails due to a broken redirect link on Mailgun’s end

The theme? When it works, it’s great. When it doesn’t, good luck.

What Mailgun Does Well?

✅ Clean developer experience ‍

‍✅ Simple SMTP and RESTful API integration ‍ (Mailgun supports the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, enabling reliable and scalable email delivery for transactional and high-volume sending.)

✅ Decent analytics and webhook support ‍

‍✅ Free plan to test with 100 emails/day

For technical teams that want to build their own email system on top of an API, Mailgun checks many boxes.

But Here's Where It Falls Short

❌ Support is slow unless you pay $350/month

❌ Shared IP issues can tank your deliverability
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❌ Dedicated IPs not included unless you’re on higher plans
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❌ Logs and bounce data disappear after 1–5 days unless you upgrade
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❌ Too many users report being ignored, blocked, or billed incorrectly

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Pricing Breakdown: Mailgun vs SendGrid

At first glance, Mailgun looks cheaper than most alternatives. 

But if you want actual support or control over deliverability, you're forced into higher plans — and even then, responses can be delayed or vague.

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Final Take

Mailgun works well for coders. But it's not for you if you’re not technical or need support that responds fast.

It’s like renting a car with a manual transmission: great if you know how to drive it, painful if you don’t.

If your team has engineers and time to tinker, Mailgun can work.

3. Mailtrap vs SendGrid: High Email Deliverability, Not for Cold Outreach

Mailtrap is an email delivery platform for developers and product teams that stands out with a focus on high deliverability rates and industry-best analytics. 

Mailtrap also supports high-quality email templates, allowing you to use the same template across different campaigns for consistency and easier optimization.

One thing to keep in mind:

You’re getting reliable delivery and great analytics — not a full-blown marketing suite.

What Mailtrap Does Well?

✅Ready-to-use integrations for major programming languages

✅Flexible and customizable email API

✅Designed for high-volume senders, its dedicated streams ensure consistent performance as your business scales.

✅24/7 customer support from email experts

To our surprise, most people praise Mailtrap’s customer support for responsiveness and reliability, as one SMB owner from G2 says:

“What impressed me most was that the support team proactively identified issues with my account and reached out to help. They assisted me in resolving several priority questions, including a problem with my domain that I wouldn’t have noticed without their help. The support was responsive, professional, and genuinely caring, which made the whole process much easier. Thank you so much!”

But here’s where it falls short 

❌ Limited marketing automation features

❌ Only a few integrations

❌ Dedicated IP available only on high-tier plans

Pricing Breakdown: Mailtrap vs SendGrid

4. Amazon SES vs SendGrid: Cheap, Powerful, Requires Dev Hours

‍Amazon SES is the cheapest email service on this list.

Amazon SES is a transactional email service provider, offering a platform for sending automated, individualized emails like order confirmations, password resets, and notifications.

You can send 1,000 emails for $0.10 — and that’s not a typo.

It’s designed for developers who want full control, no fluff, and are already deep in the AWS ecosystem.

But here’s the tradeoff:

You’re getting raw infrastructure, not a polished email product.

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What Amazon SES Does Well

✅ Unbeatable pricing — seriously, it’s pennies
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✅ Deep integration with AWS stack (EC2, S3, IAM, CloudWatch, etc.)
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✅ High deliverability if you configure everything right
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✅ Scalable for millions of emails/month
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✅ Supports custom IPs, DKIM, and full domain control

If you’re technical and comfortable with code, SES gives you all the power, without the platform tax.

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But here’s where it falls short

❌ Zero hand-holding — setup, warm-up, monitoring? That’s all on you
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❌ Support is minimal unless you pay AWS Enterprise rates
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❌ Shared IP pool can be risky if you don’t bring your own
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❌ Deliverability can tank if you mess up DNS or get flagged
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❌ UI is non-existent. It’s all CLI, API, or third-party dashboards

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Pricing Breakdown: Amazon SES vs SendGrid

Want add-ons like Virtual Deliverability Manager or Dedicated IP Pools? You’ll need to manage those yourself, or pay extra.

So yes, SES is insanely cheap.
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But it assumes you’ll bring the technical muscle to make it work.

Final Take

Amazon SES is a blank canvas. If you’ve got devs who know DNS, email warm-up, IP management, and AWS workflows — it’s gold.

If not? It’s a trap.

It’s not a SendGrid replacement for marketers or growth teams.

But for high-volume apps, engineering-led startups, or cost-conscious operations?

It’s the most affordable email API — if you can handle it.

5. SparkPost vs SendGrid: Better Analytics, Same Support Struggles

SparkPost has a reputation problem.

On paper, it looks great — solid deliverability tools, live metrics, and enterprise integrations. SparkPost supports both marketing and transactional emails, making it a comprehensive solution for businesses needing to send campaigns and automated messages from a single platform.

But in real life? Too many users get banned, ghosted, or left in the dark.

It’s like dating someone who looks great on LinkedIn but doesn’t text back.

What SparkPost Does Well?

✅ Live deliverability metrics every 5 minutes ‍
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✅ Strong sender reputation controls ‍
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✅ Separation between transactional and bulk email ‍
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✅ Templates, APIs, and reporting all in one place ‍
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✅ Robust email marketing features for managing and optimizing email campaigns
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✅ Enterprise-ready (if you survive onboarding)

It’s got some real tech under the hood.

And when it works, it really works.

But…

Here's Where It Falls Apart

❌ Account suspensions with no warning or explanation ‍
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❌ Horrible support — even paid users report being ignored ‍
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❌ Zero grace period for accidental violations ‍
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❌ “Marked delivered” but never shows up (especially Outlook/Hotmail) ‍
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❌ UI is okay, but mobile editing is painful

Even if the platform is solid, trust and transparency are everything when you run mission-critical email.

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Pricing Breakdown: SparkPost vs SendGrid

SparkPost is priced to compete, but reliability costs more than a cheap plan.

You might get great deliverability and data, but only if your account survives setup.

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Final Take

SparkPost is a technical marketer’s tool, with a trust issue.

If you want data-rich insights, subaccount management, and fast delivery tracking, it checks the boxes.

But one slip-up, one flagged link, one suspicious spike — and you might wake up locked out.

So unless you're sending at enterprise volume with a clean slate and a compliance team…
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You’re better off elsewhere.

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6. Mailjet vs SendGrid: Easy UI, Not Built for Scale

On paper, Mailjet looks like a great deal.

Low pricing. GDPR-ready. Fancy AI email generator.

Mailjet positions itself as an all-in-one marketing platform, offering features like a user-friendly drag and drop editor for designing professional emails, and integrated social media marketing tools to automate campaigns and boost customer engagement.

But behind the scenes?

It’s a customer support horror story with delayed refunds, account bans, and emails that go nowhere.

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What Mailjet Claims to Offer?

✅ GDPR-compliant email infrastructure
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✅ Drag-and-drop email builder
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✅ Free tier for 6,000 emails/month
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✅ Affordable entry pricing
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✅ AI content tools + multi-user access

Not bad, right?

The interface is clean. The features are there.

It should be a solid pick for small teams.

But… reality hits different.

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Where Mailjet Falls Flat?

❌ Bans users without warning
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❌ Refuses refunds even after service issues
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❌ Support takes days, or never responds
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❌ Emails silently fail to deliver
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❌ “Unlimited contacts” doesn’t mean much if your account’s blocked

That’s not just one person.

 It’s dozens of users across years of reviews.

Mailjet might save you a few bucks — until it nukes your campaigns and ghosts you.

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Pricing Comparison: Mailjet vs SendGrid

Final Word

Mailjet is for bargain hunters who don’t mind gambling with their inbox.

Sure, it’s one of the cheapest tools on this list.
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But the cost of lost emails, blocked accounts, and zero support?
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That’s a price you won’t see on the pricing page.

If you care about deliverability and control, this isn’t the hill to die on.

Use it for hobby projects or test runs. But for serious cold outreach or transactional email? Look elsewhere.

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7. MailerLite vs SendGrid: Great for Simplicity, Not for Power

MailerLite positions itself as the underdog.

Simple. Affordable. Great for growing businesses. It's also a good fit for users running an online store.

But behind that friendly UI?

A messy tangle of account bans, support black holes, and undelivered campaigns.

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What MailerLite Promises?

✅ Clean email builder
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✅ Automation + landing pages
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✅ AI writing tools
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✅ GDPR-compliant
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✅ Up to 12,000 emails/month on the free plan
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✅ Starting at $9/month for paid plans

Looks like a steal — until you try to send something that matters.

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Where MailerLite Fails You?

❌ Frequent account suspensions without warning
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❌ No refunds, even if the tool fails
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❌ Deliverability issues across major inbox providers
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❌ Open rates drop off a cliff after migration
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❌ Slow email sends, buggy automation, inconsistent UX

MailerLite feels like that cheap treadmill you regret the moment it starts squeaking.

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Pricing Comparison: MailerLite vs SendGrid

MailerLite is like trying to build a house with IKEA tools.
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It’s affordable and looks sleek, but it falls apart under pressure.

If you’re a blogger testing the waters? It might do.
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But if you’re running revenue-generating campaigns, beware:

• Deliverability is unreliable
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• The refund policy is practically non-existent
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• Support gives vague, delayed responses
  
  

And worst of all, you won’t know your emails are failing until it’s too late.

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Which SendGrid Alternative Should You Choose?

Choosing the right email platform comes down to one thing: what type of emails you’re sending and how much control you need.

Here’s a practical breakdown to help you decide.

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✅ If You Send Cold Emails Regularly

→ Use InfraForge

Why:

• Handles dedicated IPs, DNS setup (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
  
  
• Built-in deliverability monitoring, warmup, and inbox rotation
  
  
• Designed specifically for cold outreach at scale
  
  

Best for:
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Sales teams, agencies, ops managing 10+ domains/inboxes

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🧠 If You’re a Developer or Want Full Control

→ Use Amazon SES or Mailgun

Amazon SES:

• Cheapest at scale
  
  
• Requires manual DNS, warmup, AWS integration
  
  

Mailgun:

• Easier UI + API
  
  
• More user-friendly than SES, but limited support on basic plans
  
  

Best for:
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Tech-savvy teams building email into products

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📩 If You’re Only Sending Transactional Emails

→ Use Postmark

Why:

• Fast, reliable delivery for passwords, receipts, alerts
  
  
• Great deliverability — but no bulk or cold email allowed
  
  

Best for:
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Product teams needing dependable transactional delivery

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📊 If You Want Detailed Deliverability Metrics

→ Use SparkPost

Why:

• Advanced insights + reputation tools
  
  
• Great for teams who know what they’re doing
  
  
• ⚠️ Reports of sudden suspensions + inconsistent support
  
  

Best for:
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Experienced email ops teams needing granular data

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💡 If You Want Something Simple & Affordable

→ Use MailerLite or Mailjet

MailerLite:

• Clean design, beginner-friendly
  
  
• May struggle at high volume
  
  

Mailjet:

• More features, but mixed support history
  
  

Best for:
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Freelancers, founders, small marketing teams testing email

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When SendGrid might still be fine

To be fair, SendGrid is still a decent choice if you:

• Only send transactional or app-generated emails
  
  
• Don’t need dedicated support or high deliverability guarantees
  
  
• Are already integrated into their ecosystem
  
  

But if you’ve run into:

• Spam folder issues
  
  
• Slow or paid-only support
  
  
• DNS setup complexity
  — Then it may be time to explore alternatives.
  
  

Pick Based on Your Use Case

‍Final Verdict: It’s Not Just About Sending Emails

Every tool on this list “works” — until you need it to really work.

The truth is:
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Email infrastructure isn’t about features. It’s about control.

If you're sending newsletters or transactional messages, any decent ESP will get the job done.
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But if you're running cold email at scale, your reputation, your pipeline, and your revenue depend on whether or not you land in the inbox.

Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way:

• Shared IPs = shared problems
  
  
• Bad support = delayed revenue
  
  
• Fancy dashboards = worthless if you can’t get replies
  
  
• Cheap tools = expensive mistakes
  
  

The stack you choose decides whether your emails get opened or ignored.

That’s why we built Infraforge.

It’s not just another email tool. It’s infrastructure you can trust when it counts.
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✅ Dedicated IPs
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✅ Built-in warm-up
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✅ Automated DNS
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✅ Deliverability guardrails baked in

No more duct taping tools or guessing why your open rates dropped.

👉 If you’re serious about cold email and tired of playing delivery roulette, Infraforge is worth a look.

Set it up once. Scale with confidence.