AWS SES vs Mailgun(2026)
AWS SES is better for teams that need cheapest at scale. Mailgun is the stronger choice if powerful inbound routing. AWS SES is paid (from $0.10/1,000 emails) and Mailgun is freemium (from $15/month).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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AWS SES
Amazon Simple Email Service is the cheapest bulk email sending service at $0.10 per 1,000 emails.
Starting at $0.10/1,000 emails
Visit AWS SESMailgun
Mailgun is a developer-focused email API service for sending transactional and marketing emails with robust tracking.
Starting at $15/month
Visit MailgunHow Do AWS SES and Mailgun Compare on Features?
| Feature | AWS SES | Mailgun |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | paid | freemium |
| Starting price | $0.10/1,000 emails | $15/month |
| Bulk sending | ✓ | — |
| SMTP + API | ✓ | — |
| Suppression list | ✓ | — |
| Event publishing | ✓ | — |
| Dedicated IPs | ✓ | — |
| Configuration sets | ✓ | — |
| Transactional API | — | ✓ |
| Email validation | — | ✓ |
| Email routing | — | ✓ |
| Inbound parsing | — | ✓ |
| Analytics | — | ✓ |
| Suppressions | — | ✓ |
AWS SES Pros and Cons vs Mailgun
A
AWS SES
+Cheapest at scale
+AWS ecosystem integration
+Dedicated IPs available
+High sending limits
−Complex setup
−No built-in templates
−AWS ecosystem required
−Poor developer experience
M
Mailgun
+Powerful inbound routing
+Email validation API
+Good deliverability
+SMTP + API
−Less polished DX than Resend
−No React template support
−UI feels dated
Should You Use AWS SES or Mailgun?
Choose AWS SES if…
- •Cheapest at scale
- •AWS ecosystem integration
- •Dedicated IPs available
Choose Mailgun if…
- •Powerful inbound routing
- •Email validation API
- •Good deliverability