Mailgun alternatives: top competitors compared
Named alongside Mailgun
MailchimpBest forGrowing businesses, including small businesses, retailers, nonprofits and creators that want email, SMS and automation in one platform100% of Mailgun answersSenderBest forSmall businesses, growing teams, creators and ecommerce brands100% of Mailgun answersTwilio SendGrid100% of Mailgun answersAmazon SESBest forTeams comfortable with AWS that want low-cost, scalable email sending integrated with AWS services100% of Mailgun answers
Data from SlateIndex weekly runs
Mailgun has a visibility score of 0.9 in Email Marketing, #36 of 55. AI answers that name Mailgun most often also name these 4.
Quick reference
| Alternative | Best for | Starting price | Visibility | Key differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Growing businesses, including small businesses, retailers, nonprofits and creators that want email, SMS and automation in one platform | Free; paid from $13 / mo | 45.4% | Email, SMS and marketing automation in one platform, with AI-driven recommendations based on real-time customer behavior |
| Sender | Small businesses, growing teams, creators and ecommerce brands | Free; paid from $9 / mo | 13.9% | A Free Forever plan with automation, templates and forms included, with no usage limits on core features |
| Twilio SendGrid | — | — | 4.9% | — |
| Amazon SES | Teams comfortable with AWS that want low-cost, scalable email sending integrated with AWS services | — | 2.6% | Built on the infrastructure Amazon.com developed for its own customer base |
Alternative 1
Mailchimp vs Mailgun →Mailchimp
Mailchimp suits growing businesses, including small businesses, retailers, nonprofits and creators that want email, SMS and automation in one platform.
Quick facts
- Free; paid from $13 / mo · usage-based
- Free plan available
- 45.4% visibility score · #1 in Email Marketing
- 300+ native integrations
Key features
- Email marketing — Create, send and track email campaigns, with plan-based limits on contacts and monthly sends.
- Marketing automation flows — Automated email and SMS sequences, including pre-built SMS automations such as abandoned cart messages.
- SMS and MMS marketing — Add-on to paid plans in select countries, available after application and approval.
- Forms and landing pages — Popup forms and landing pages for growing an email list from website visitors.
Mailchimp vs Mailgun
| Dimension | Mailchimp | Mailgun |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 45.4% | 0.9% |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Entry price | Free; paid from $13 / mo | Free; paid from $15 / mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | Free plan available | Free plan available |
Pros
- Easy to use, beginner-friendly
- Drag-and-drop email design and templates
- Most popular, widely recognised market leader
- Strongest overall general-purpose choice
- Free tier and broad integrations
Cons
- Tight free plan limits
- No standard annual billing discount
- Penalises cold lists
Alternative 2
Sender vs Mailgun →Sender
Sender suits small businesses, growing teams, creators and ecommerce brands.
Quick facts
- Free; paid from $9 / mo · flat tiers
- Free plan available
- 13.9% visibility score · #9 in Email Marketing
- 100+ native integrations
Key features
- Email marketing — Drag-and-drop email builder, templates, newsletters, A/B testing and analytics.
- Marketing automation — Visual workflows with triggers, delays and behavioral conditions.
- SMS marketing — One-off SMS campaigns and automated text sequences.
- Transactional emails — Email delivery for confirmations, receipts, password resets and system notifications, via SMTP and API.
Sender vs Mailgun
| Dimension | Sender | Mailgun |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 13.9% | 0.9% |
| Pricing model | Flat tiers | Usage-based |
| Entry price | Free; paid from $9 / mo | Free; paid from $15 / mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | Free plan available | Free plan available |
Pros
- Generous free plan limits
- High-value feature set for budget campaigns
- Lowest cost option
- Email automation with segmentation, landing pages and forms
Cons
Alternative 3
Twilio SendGrid vs Mailgun →Twilio SendGrid
Twilio SendGrid is ranked #17 in Email Marketing.
Quick facts
- Pricing not available
- 4.9% visibility score · #17 in Email Marketing
Key features
- Twilio SendGrid Email API — Email API and SMTP service for email delivery.
- Twilio SendGrid Email Marketing Campaigns — Tools to create and manage email marketing campaigns.
Twilio SendGrid vs Mailgun
| Dimension | Twilio SendGrid | Mailgun |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 4.9% | 0.9% |
| Pricing model | — | Usage-based |
| Entry price | — | Free; paid from $15 / mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Trial | — | Free plan available |
Pros
- Cuts overall costs by 10% to 20% with a yearly commitment
- Reliable for transactional email
- Suited to sending large email volumes programmatically
Cons
Alternative 4
Amazon SES vs Mailgun →Amazon SES
Amazon SES suits teams comfortable with AWS that want low-cost, scalable email sending integrated with AWS services.
Quick facts
- Pricing not available
- 2.6% visibility score · #26 in Email Marketing
Key features
- Amazon SES — Cloud email service for sending marketing, notification, and transactional email, with console, SMTP, and API access. Pricing plans Essentials, Pro, and Enterprise launched July 21, 2026.
- Amazon SES Mail Manager — Inbound email routing capability related to Amazon SES.
Amazon SES vs Mailgun
| Dimension | Amazon SES | Mailgun |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 2.6% | 0.9% |
| Pricing model | — | Usage-based |
| Entry price | — | Free; paid from $15 / mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Trial | — | Free plan available |
Pros
- low-cost email sending
Cons
How to choose
Match the pricing model to your cost driver: headcount, usage or features.
| Platform | Pricing model | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Mailgun | Usage-based | Free; paid from $15 / mo |
| Mailchimp | Usage-based | Free; paid from $13 / mo |
| Sender | Flat tiers | Free; paid from $9 / mo |
| Twilio SendGrid | — | — |
| Amazon SES | — | — |
Ranked by how often AI answers name them alongside Mailgun in the latest weekly run.