# SendGrid vs Mailgun

Source: https://nachonacho.com/compare/sendgrid-vs-mailgun

Choose SendGrid if you want a visual marketing-campaign product alongside an email API; choose Mailgun if your priority is application email with a free sending tier and published inbound-routing allowances. Both support API and SMTP sending, but SendGrid prices its Email API and Marketing Campaigns separately.

## At a glance

| | SendGrid | Mailgun |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Campaign workflow | Visual Marketing Campaigns product | Mailing lists; template builder on Foundation |
| Free sending | 100 emails/day for 60 days | 100 emails/day on Free |
| Email API entry price | Essentials from $19.95/month | Basic from $15/month |
| Entry paid sending allowance | Essentials 50K: 50,000 emails/month | Basic: 10,000 emails/month |
| Marketing plan price | Basic from $15/month; billed separately | Not published |
| Inbound email | Inbound Parse Webhook | 1 route on Free; 5 on Basic |
| Sending integrations | REST API, SMTP and official libraries | REST API, SMTP and SDKs |
| Dedicated IP | Included with Email API Pro | Included with Scale |
| Email validation allowance | 2,500 included with Email API Pro | 5,000 included with Scale |
| Log or activity history | 3 days on Email API Essentials | 1 day of logs on Basic |
| Published support channels | Ticket, chat and phone on Marketing Campaigns Basic | Ticket on Free; phone and chat on Scale |

## Which to choose

### Choose SendGrid if

- Teams that want a visual campaign editor and segmentation
- Marketers who need automation on the Advanced plan
- Developers who also want a separately priced campaign product
- Senders who need a dedicated IP included with Email API Pro

### Choose Mailgun if

- Developers who want a continuing 100-emails-per-day free tier
- Apps that need inbound email routing with published route limits
- Teams starting paid API sending at 10,000 emails per month
- Senders who need 1,000 custom sending domains on Foundation

## Verdict

SendGrid is the better fit when marketers need campaign design, segmentation and automation as well as developer-led sending. Mailgun is the better fit when developers want to start with a continuing free sending tier or need inbound routes with stated plan limits. The deciding factor is whether your workflow centers on a visual campaign product or an API-led email service; compare the relevant paid tier before committing.

## Questions

### Does SendGrid still have a permanent free Email API plan?

No. SendGrid advertises a 60-day Email API trial with a limit of 100 emails per day; sending after the trial requires a paid plan. Mailgun publishes a Free plan with 100 emails per day.

### Which costs less to start paid API sending?

Mailgun Basic starts at $15 per month for 10,000 emails. SendGrid Email API Essentials starts at $19.95 per month; its Essentials 50K allowance is 50,000 emails per month. The starting prices cover different volumes.

### Can I buy SendGrid's marketing tools with its Email API plan?

SendGrid sells Marketing Campaigns and the Email API as separate plans. Marketing Campaigns Basic starts at $15 per month; Email API Essentials starts at $19.95 per month.

### Can both services send through SMTP or an API?

Yes. SendGrid publishes REST API and SMTP sending with official client libraries. Mailgun publishes RESTful email APIs and SMTP relay, including on its Free plan.

### Which has tools for receiving email?

Both do. SendGrid offers an Inbound Parse Webhook that posts parsed incoming email to an application. Mailgun includes one inbound route on Free, five on Basic and full inbound routing on Foundation.

### When do dedicated IPs become available?

SendGrid includes a dedicated IP with Email API Pro, which starts at $89.95 per month. Mailgun lists dedicated-IP access at qualifying Foundation volumes and one dedicated IP included with Scale, which starts at $90 per month after its one-month trial.

### Which offers visual campaign automation?

SendGrid Marketing Campaigns publishes a visual editor, segmentation and automation; its Advanced plan starts at $60 per month. Mailgun publishes mailing lists and a template builder on Foundation, but does not publish an equivalent visual campaign-automation plan on its Send pricing page.

### What support is published for entry and higher tiers?

SendGrid Marketing Campaigns lists ticket, chat and phone support on Basic, while its Advanced tier lists guaranteed response times. Mailgun lists ticket support on Free and live phone and chat support on Scale. Support depends on the product and plan selected.

## Product pages

- SendGrid: https://nachonacho.com/product/SendGrid
- Mailgun: https://nachonacho.com/product/MAILGUN_TECHNOLOGIES