Mailgun is a popular service that helps businesses send emails, whether they’re for transactions or marketing campaigns. It’s known for its reliable tools and the ability to integrate with applications through its API.

However, it isn’t the perfect choice for everyone. Some users find it too expensive for sending large volumes of emails, while others think the interface could be easier to use or wish for better customer support.

Moreover, some businesses need extra tools like email validation, automation for marketing, or detailed analytics, which Mailgun might not fully provide. This guide will walk you through some great alternatives to Mailgun. We’ll highlight their features, advantages, and drawbacks. This is to help you decide which one suits your business needs best.

Before diving into alternatives, let's first examine what Mailgun offers.

Key Features

Mailgun helps businesses handle email tasks like sending messages for promotions or transactions and tracking their progress.

It stands out for its analytics tools, which provide insights about how many emails were delivered, opened, or interacted with. Developers also love Mailgun’s API, which makes it easy to add email functions to apps.

For companies aiming to ensure their emails reach inboxes, Mailgun offers features like dedicated IP addresses. Other helpful tools include customizable templates for branding, security compliance features, A/B testing to improve content, and fast email delivery to make sure messages go out quickly.

Why Mailgun Could Be a Good Fit

Mailgun works for businesses of all sizes because it can grow with you. For small companies or startups, there’s a free plan to try things out without paying right away.

Larger businesses benefit from features like dedicated IPs to make sure important emails aren’t lost. The analytics features help businesses monitor how their emails perform and tweak strategies for better results. Plus, Mailgun offers customer support to help users solve any problems they encounter.

Why It Might Not Be for Everyone

Mailgun isn’t perfect. Its costs can climb if you’re sending tons of emails, and some advanced tools might feel tricky for non-technical users.

It’s also not ideal for businesses looking for built-in marketing automation, and you might need to invest extra effort in managing deliverability or resolving occasional technical issues.

Best Alternatives to Mailgun

If Mailgun doesn't align with your specific requirements, the market offers numerous solid alternatives tailored to different business needs.

Here are those:

1. Maileroo: All-in-One Solution with Superior Support

Core Capabilities:

• 99.9% deliverability rate with proprietary anti-spam technology
• Intuitive drag-and-drop email builder with 150+ responsive templates
• Developer-friendly RESTful API with comprehensive documentation
• Real-time analytics dashboard with conversion tracking

Pricing Structure:

• Free tier: 1,000 emails/month
• Growth tier: $15/month for 10,000 emails
• Business tier: $45/month for 50,000 emails
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with dedicated support

Ideal For: Businesses seeking an affordable email platform with exceptional customer service and transparent pricing.

Competitive Advantages:

• 24/7 live chat support with average response time under 3 minutes
• Simple API implementation requiring 60% less code than Mailgun
• No hidden fees or surprise charges for exceeded limits
• Unified platform for both marketing and transactional emails

Limitations:

• Newer to the market with fewer third-party integrations than established competitors
• Advanced segmentation features are still in development

2. SMTP2Go: Global Email Delivery Specialist

Core Capabilities:

• 24 redundant SMTP servers across 8 global regions
• Advanced deliverability monitoring with automatic ISP throttling
• DKIM, SPF, and DMARC authentication management
• Comprehensive delivery analytics with bounce tracking

Pricing Structure:

• Free tier: 1,000 emails/month
• Basic: $10/month for 10,000 emails
• Pro: $35/month for 40,000 emails
• Business: $80/month for 100,000 emails

Ideal For: International businesses requiring consistent email delivery across diverse geographic regions.

Competitive Advantages:

• 99.6% proven uptime record over the past five years
• Automatic IP rotation to prevent blacklisting
• Compatible with any email client or application
• Dedicated IP addresses are available on all paid plans

Limitations:

• Marketing automation capabilities are basic compared to specialized platforms
• User interface feels dated compared to newer competitors

3. Mailtrap: Developer-Focused Testing Environment

Core Capabilities:

• Secure testing environment that captures all outbound emails
• HTML/CSS validation with rendering previews across 90+ email clients
• Advanced spam analysis based on SpamAssassin rules
• API integration with major development frameworks

Pricing Structure:

• Free tier: 500 test emails/month
• Individual: $9.99/month for 5,000 test emails
• Team: $24.99/month for 10,000 test emails
• Business: $49.99/month for 20,000 test emails

Ideal For: Development teams requiring comprehensive email testing before production deployment.

Competitive Advantages:

• Prevents accidental emails to real users during development
• Real-time spam score analysis with specific improvement recommendations
• Collaborative inbox allowing team access to test results
• Instant HTML/CSS issue detection with fix suggestions

Limitations:

• Not designed for production email sending
• Limited marketing capabilities beyond testing environment

4. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): Integrated Marketing Suite

Core Capabilities:

• Unified platform for email, SMS, and chat marketing
• Advanced workflow automation with visual journey builder
• Built-in CRM with contact scoring and segmentation
• A/B testing and heat map analytics

Pricing Structure:

• Free tier: 300 emails/day
• Lite: $25/month for 20,000 emails
• Premium: $65/month for 60,000 emails
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with priority support

Ideal For: Marketing-focused businesses requiring a comprehensive communication platform beyond basic email delivery.

Competitive Advantages:

• All-in-one marketing platform reducing the need for multiple tools
• Advanced segmentation based on user behavior and engagement metrics
• Built-in landing page builder with conversion tracking
• WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger integration

Limitations:

• API documentation is less comprehensive than developer-focused alternatives
• Advanced features have steeper learning curve for technical teams

5. Amazon SES: Cost-Effective Enterprise Solution

Core Capabilities:

• Pay-as-you-go pricing model with no minimum commitments
• Seamless integration with AWS ecosystem
• Dedicated IP pool management
• SMTP interface and comprehensive API

Pricing Structure:

• $0.10 per 1,000 emails (first 62,000 emails free with EC2)
• Additional $0.12 per GB for attachments
• Dedicated IPs are available for $24.95/month each

Ideal For: High-volume senders requiring cost-effective delivery and AWS infrastructure integration.

Competitive Advantages:

• Unmatched cost-efficiency for large-volume senders
• 99.9% guaranteed delivery SLA for business users
• Automatic scaling with no preset sending limits
• Reputation dashboard with deliverability metrics by ISP

Limitations:

• Complex setup process requiring technical expertise
• Limited customer support without premium AWS plans
• No built-in email design or template management tools

6. Postmark: Transactional Email Specialist

Core Capabilities:

• Industry-leading delivery speeds (average 2.5 seconds to inbox)
• Specialized SMTP and API for transactional emails
• Link and open tracking with geolocation data
• Bounce webhook API with detailed diagnostic information

Pricing Structure:

• $15/month for 10,000 emails
• $50/month for 50,000 emails
• $100/month for 125,000 emails
• Volume discounts are available for larger senders

Ideal For: Applications requiring reliable, time-sensitive transactional email delivery with detailed tracking.

Competitive Advantages:

• Fastest average delivery speeds in the industry
• 45-day content and metadata retention for troubleshooting
• Server-level organization of sending sources
• Best-in-class deliverability with proprietary reputation monitoring

Limitations:

• Higher cost per email than volume-focused competitors
• Limited marketing campaign features
• No built-in subscription management

7. MailerSend: Developer-Friendly Solution with Intuitive Interface

Core Capabilities:

• RESTful API with comprehensive SDK support
• Drag-and-drop email builder with dynamic personalization
• Advanced analytics with click and engagement heat maps
• Email verification and list cleaning tools

Pricing Structure:

• Free tier: 12,000 emails/month
• Basic: $25/month for 50,000 emails
• Pro: $75/month for 150,000 emails
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Ideal For: Development teams requiring strong technical capabilities with user-friendly management interfaces.

Competitive Advantages:

• One of the most generous free tiers in the industry
• API-first architecture with comprehensive language support
• Built-in email verification to improve deliverability
• Scheduled delivery with time zone optimization

Limitations:

• Newer service with fewer third-party integrations
• Limited advanced automation workflows compared to marketing platforms

8. SendGrid: Enterprise-Grade Reliability and Scale

Core Capabilities:

• High-volume sending capabilities (billions per month)
• Advanced deliverability tools with IP warmup automation
• Comprehensive compliance and security features
• Marketing campaigns with behavioral targeting

Pricing Structure:

• Free tier: 100 emails/day
• Essentials: $19.95/month for 50,000 emails
• Pro: $89.95/month for 100,000 emails
• Premier: Custom pricing with dedicated support

Ideal For: Large enterprises requiring industrial-strength email infrastructure with comprehensive security features.

Competitive Advantages:

• Used by 80,000+ paying customers, including industry leaders
• Dedicated deliverability consultants for enterprise clients
• 99.99% uptime guarantee with financial SLA
• Compliance with SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, and Privacy Shield

Limitations:

• Pricing premium compared to smaller competitors
• Complex interface with steep learning curve for new users
• Customer support response times can be lengthy on lower tiers

9. Postfix: Self-Hosted Open Source Solution

Core Capabilities:

• Complete control over email server infrastructure
• Customizable routing and delivery rules
• Integration with spam filtering tools like SpamAssassin
• Support for virtual domains and users

Pricing Structure:

• Free open-source software
• Server hosting costs vary by provider
• Optional commercial support is available from third parties

Ideal For: Organizations with strong technical teams requiring complete control over email infrastructure.

Competitive Advantages:

• No per-email or monthly subscription costs
• Complete customization potential for specialized needs
• No vendor lock-in or dependency
• Privacy-focused with no third-party data access

Limitations:

• Requires significant technical expertise to configure and maintain
• No built-in analytics or tracking tools
• Responsibility for deliverability and reputation management
• Time-intensive setup and ongoing maintenance

10. Bouncer: Specialized Email Validation Service

Core Capabilities:

• List verification with 99.5% accuracy guarantee
• Real-time API for point-of-collection verification
• Catch-all domain detection
• Syntax and domain verification

Pricing Structure:

• Pay-as-you-go: $0.008 per verification
• Monthly credits: Starting at $24 for 5,000 verifications
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with dedicated support

Ideal For: Organizations focused on improving deliverability through list hygiene rather than sending platform changes.

Competitive Advantages:

• Money-back guarantee for accuracy rates
• Specialized expertise in email verification
• Seamless integration with major ESPs
• Risk-scoring for potentially problematic emails

Limitations:

• Not a complete email-sending solution
• Requires integration with separate email delivery platform
• Limited features beyond verification functionality

11. Moosend: Affordable Marketing Automation Platform

Core Capabilities:

• Intuitive drag-and-drop email editor
• Advanced automation workflows with visual builder
• Segmentation based on user behavior
• Landing page and form builder

Pricing Structure:

• Pro: $9/month for unlimited emails (up to 500 subscribers)
• Pro+: Custom pricing for enterprise features
• Pay-as-you-go option available

Ideal For: Small businesses and startups requiring sophisticated marketing capabilities on a limited budget.

Competitive Advantages:

• Most affordable complete marketing solution
• Unlimited emails even on entry-level plans
• AI-powered product recommendations for e-commerce
• GDPR compliance tools built-in

Limitations:

• Less scalable for very large sending volumes
• API capabilities are less solid than developer-focused alternatives
• Limited third-party integrations compared to established platforms

Final Thoughts

After exploring Mailgun alternatives, we've found options for every business need. Maileroo offers the best balance of features, with responsive customer support and transparent pricing that works for most businesses. For specific needs, consider SMTP2Go for global delivery, Mailtrap for development testing, or Brevo for marketing capabilities.

Budget-conscious senders will appreciate Amazon SES's low cost, while Postmark delivers the fastest transactional emails. MailerSend provides a developer-friendly experience, SendGrid handles enterprise security requirements, and Postfix gives complete control to technical teams.

For most businesses looking to replace Mailgun, Maileroo provides the optimal combination of value, ease of use, and reliability. Try the free plan today to experience better email delivery, or explore our other recommendations based on your specific requirements.