SMTP2GO alternatives: Which transactional email provider is right for you?

However, as your sending needs grow or technical requirements change, you might consider SMTP2GO alternatives. Common triggers include scaling costs, free-plan caps, limited integrations, or a need for advanced deliverability and analytics. Larger organizations may seek more customizable APIs, dedicated IP pools, or compliance for specific regions. 

This guide compares the top SMTP2GO alternatives for 2026 including Mailgun, Amazon SES, SMTP.com, MailerSend, Brevo, and SendLayer to help developers, product managers, and agencies find the best fit. 

We evaluated each provider on critical criteria for transactional email users.  

Our focus: 

• Deliverability and reliability 
• Pricing and scalability 
• Ease of integration and API documentation 
• Feature set (analytics, IPs, compliance, etc.) 
• Customer support and onboarding experience 

The transactional email landscape blends developer-first APIs, budget SMTP relays, and all-in-one suites. Below are the top picks for deliverability, transparent pricing, and user satisfaction. 

Mailgun is a developer-first email platform trusted by global brands for reliable inbox delivery, precision APIs, and advanced analytics. As an SMTP2GO alternative, Mailgun offers regional data residency (US/EU), dedicated IP pools, and deliverability tools with scalable usage-based pricing. 

Best for: 

Developers and enterprises needing reliable transactional and marketing email sending, regional data processing, strong security/compliance,  and advanced deliverability controls. 

Pricing overview: 

• Free plan available for 100 emails/day 
• Paid plans start at $15/month for 10,000 emails 
• Usage-based pricing that scales up or down based on send volume and advanced email features 
• Dedicated IP pools and deliverability add-ons available 

Features: 

• RESTful API and SMTP with official SDKs 
• EU and US regional data processing 
• Deliverability tools: dedicated IPs, validations, Optimize 
• Analytics and webhooks with suppression management 
• 24/7 support (varies by plan) 
• Advanced documentation and developer resources 

Pros: 

• Modern, well-documented APIs for fast implementation 
• Regional compliance and data residency options 
• Strong compliance posture (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA support) 
• Advanced deliverability features 

Cons: 

• Built for developers, the platform may require technical resources for initial setup 
• Focused exclusively on email delivery to ensure optimial performance and reliability – no SMS tools. This allows teams to integrate preferred tools via integrations 

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) provides ultra-low usage pricing and integrates with AWS. It requires more manual setup for monitoring compared to SMTP2GO, but SES adds advanced IP management and a broad selection of global regions. 

Best for: 

Engineering teams already on AWS or those needing flexible scaling and the lowest per-message cost. 

Pricing overview: 

• From $0.10 per 1,000 emails outbound 
• Additional costs for dedicated IPs, support services, email validations, email processing, and other add-ons make total cost higher than email volume prices 

Features: 

• SMTP and REST API across 25+ AWS regions 
• Advanced IP management: standard, managed, BYOIP 
• Account-level suppression lists 
• Integrations with CloudWatch, EventBridge, S3 
• Pay-as-you-go billing 
• High scalability for large sending volumes 

Pros: 

• Lowest commodity pricing for high volume 
• Global regional coverage 
• Tight AWS ecosystem integration 

Cons: 

• Steep learning curve for non-AWS users 
• Manual configuration for logs and events 
• Support is a separate add-on through AWS Premium Support and can be expensive 

SMTP.com is a high-volume SMTP relay and API with a long history. As an SMTP2GO alternative, it stands out by offering dedicated IPs at mid-tier plans and a Reputation Defender add-on for list hygiene and deliverability management. 

Best for: 

Established businesses and high-volume senders needing dedicated IPs and deliverability management. 

Pricing overview: 

• Plans start at $25/month  
• Dedicated IPs included at mid-tier (~$80/mo+) 
• No free plan; higher entry cost for small senders 
• SMTP Insight Engine available as an optional add-on at 20% of plan cost.  
• Reputation Defender proactively monitors email list health is available as an add-on for 20% of the cost of your plan 

Features: 

• SMTP and REST API access 
• Dedicated IPs from Starter tier upwards 
• Reputation Defender for real-time list hygiene 
• 24/7 phone support (quality varies) 
• Standard analytics and bounce handling 
• List management tools 

Pros: 

• Dedicated IP included sooner than many competitors 
• Deliverability add-on for list management 
• Suited for high-volume use 

Cons: 

• No free tier 
• Mixed reviews on billing and support 
• Fewer low/no-code integrations 

MailerSend is a modern transactional email API with a user-friendly UI, swift onboarding, and optional SMS (US/CA). As an SMTP2GO alternative, it offers trial domains, A/B testing, and affordable starter plans for teams wanting simplicity and speed. 

Best for: 

Startups, product teams, and small businesses needing easy setup, a built-in editor, and optional SMS. 

Pricing overview: 

• Free plan: 500 emails/month 
• Hobby plan: $7/month for 5,000 emails; annual discounts on paid plans 
• Professional plans start at $110/month for 50,000 emails/month  
• 20% savings on annual plans vs. monthly plans  
• API logs data retention available in Professional and Enterprise plans only  

Features: 

• REST API and SMTP relay 
• Drag-and-drop templates + transactional A/B testing 
• Optional SMS (US/CA) with credits on paid plans 
• Trial domain for testing without DNS changes 
• Clear docs and responsive support 
• Visual template editor 

Pros: 

• Fast onboarding 
• Visual template editor 
• Free/low-cost plans available with 500 emails/month limit 

Cons: 

• Dedicated IPs available in Professional plans only 
• SMS limited to US/CA 
• Shorter log retention on free plans 
• Good for startups, but businesses that need to scale will require a more robust solution long-term 

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is an all-in-one marketing suite with email, SMS, WhatsApp, push, chat, and a basic CRM. As an SMTP2GO alternative, Brevo is designed for businesses wanting a unified platform for campaigns and transactional messages over deep technical features. 

Best for: 

SMBs seeking a single vendor for campaigns, transactional email, SMS, and CRM. 

Pricing overview: 

• Free plan: 300 emails/day (~9,000/month) 
• Paid plans start at $8.08 per month; dedicated IP add-on (Professional+) 
• “Sent with Brevo” branding removed in Standard plans starting at $16.17/month 
• Pay as you go pricing for email, SMS, & WhatsApp 

Features: 

• Omnichannel messaging: email, SMS, WhatsApp, push, chat 
• Automation and campaign builders 
• Analytics with flexible log retention 
• Plugins for CMS/e-commerce 
• Basic CRM and segmentation 
• Transactional and marketing email in one platform 

Pros: 

• All-in-one platform 
• Generous free tier 
• Wide range of channels and integrations 

Cons: 

• Dedicated IPs require higher tiers + fees 
• Reports of lagging speed when loading contact lists from users on third-party listings  
• If primary use case is transactional email, you may be paying for tools you won’t use 
• Feature access varies by plan 

SendLayer is a lightweight transactional email service built for simplicity, WordPress compatibility, and low annual pricing. As an SMTP2GO alternative, it shines for those needing easy setup and dependable delivery for small sites or agencies. 

Best for: 

WordPress implementers, small teams, and websites needing dependable delivery with minimal setup. 

Pricing overview: 

• 14 day free trial (200 emails); no permanent free plan available 
• Start plans start at $5/month (1,000 emails), $15/month (5,000 emails) 
• If you reach plan limits, users are automatically upgraded to make sure emails do not fail; this may result in unplanned charges 

Features: 

• REST API and SMTP relay 
• WordPress-focused guides and integration 
• Clear analytics and event webhooks 
• Responsive support 
• Simple onboarding for non-technical users 
• Focused on transactional email only 

Pros: 

• Very easy setup 
• Affordable for small senders 
• WordPress-friendly documentation 

Cons: 

• No dedicated IP option 
• Email-only (no SMS/multichannel) 
• New domains may face temporary holds for anti-abuse checks 

Moving from SMTP2GO to another transactional email provider is straightforward when you follow best practices. Use these steps to reduce downtime and protect deliverability. 

Export your data — Download activity logs, suppression lists, and bounce/unsubscribe records. Export any custom reports needed for audits. 

Set up domains and authentication. Add and verify sending domains in the new platform. Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Choose regional hosting if available. 

Move templates and contacts. Recreate transactional templates using the new platform’s editor or API. Import suppressions, bounces, and unsubscribes for compliance. 

Test and validate deliverability. Send test emails to confirm rendering and authentication. Monitor logs, bounces, and spam reports for any issues. 

Switch credentials and verify. Update SMTP credentials or API keys in your applications. Update DNS if necessary and monitor live sends. Confirm everything works before deactivating SMTP2GO. 

Start your free trial with Mailgun today and experience enterprise-grade deliverability built for developers.  

This guide was created by the team at Mailgun by Sinch. While we’ve aimed for a fair comparison of popular email services, products make updates to pricing and packaging regularly. Notify us if changes are required or information is out of date. Last updated January 2026.