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Amazon SES vs SendGrid

SendGrid focuses on email API and marketing tools but is a separate SaaS platform, not an AWS service.

Short answer: Pick Amazon SES if you want scalable email sending with pay-as-you-go pricing; pick SendGrid if you want scalable email API and marketing tools. Amazon SES is paid, with a free trial.

Which to pick

Pick Amazon SES if you want…

  • Scalable email sending with pay-as-you-go pricing
  • Integrations with API or SMTP (on Amazon SES's list, not SendGrid's)

Pick SendGrid if you want…

  • Scalable email API and marketing tools
  • Integrations with Twilio (on SendGrid's list, not Amazon SES's)

Side by side

What it is
Amazon SES:Amazon SES is a fully managed cloud service for sending and receiving high-volume transactional, marketing and bulk email via API or SMTP.
SendGrid:SendGrid provides an email API, SMTP service, and marketing campaign tools for sending transactional and bulk email at scale.
Best for
Amazon SES:Scalable email sending with pay-as-you-go pricing
SendGrid:Scalable email API and marketing tools
Who it’s for
Amazon SES:Developers and businesses needing scalable email sending and inbound processing.
SendGrid:Developers and marketers needing reliable email delivery and campaign management
Pricing
Amazon SES:Paid
SendGrid:Contact sales
Free plan or trial
Amazon SES:Free trial
SendGrid:—
Works with
Amazon SES:API, SMTP
SendGrid:Twilio

Amazon SES features

  • API & SMTP integration. Send email programmatically using the SES API, SMTP interface, or AWS SDKs.
  • Virtual Deliverability Manager. Provides deliverability insights, reputation monitoring and inbox placement recommendations.
  • Mail Manager inbound processing. Route, filter and secure incoming email with customizable traffic policies.
  • Dedicated IP options. Choose managed or standard dedicated IPs, including automatic warm-up.
  • Email validation. Validate recipient addresses to reduce bounces and protect sender reputation.
  • Global Endpoints. Multi-region endpoints automatically distribute outbound traffic for resilience.

SendGrid features

  • Email API. Send transactional and bulk email via a RESTful API with high deliverability.
  • SMTP Service. Integrate traditional SMTP for sending email from existing systems.
  • Marketing Campaigns. Create, schedule, and track email marketing campaigns with flexible tools.
  • Documentation. Comprehensive guides and reference docs for quick integration.
  • Help Center. AI-assisted support for troubleshooting and questions.
  • Partner Ecosystem. Access partners for deliverability optimization and custom solutions.

Amazon SES vs SendGrid FAQ

What is the difference between Amazon SES and SendGrid?+

SendGrid focuses on email API and marketing tools but is a separate SaaS platform, not an AWS service.

Should I use Amazon SES or SendGrid?+

Pick Amazon SES if you want scalable email sending with pay-as-you-go pricing or integrations with API or SMTP (on Amazon SES's list, not SendGrid's). Pick SendGrid if you want scalable email API and marketing tools or integrations with Twilio (on SendGrid's list, not Amazon SES's).

Is Amazon SES or SendGrid free?+

Amazon SES is paid, with a free trial.

Do Amazon SES and SendGrid integrate with the same tools?+

Their integration lists don't overlap: Amazon SES lists API and SMTP; SendGrid lists Twilio.

On DevHunt

Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.