Why people leave Mailgun
Mailgun has been a solid transactional email API for years. But recent changes have pushed many users to evaluate alternatives. To understand what modern email platforms offer, read our guide to best email marketing tools for SaaS.
The 2025 price increase
Mailgun doubled the Flex plan from $1 to $2 per 1,000 emails in late 2025. For small-volume users, this made alternatives like Postmark ($15/10k) or Resend ($20/50k) suddenly more attractive. The Foundation plan also starts at $35/mo now. Check our Mailgun comparison page for current pricing breakdown.
The Sinch question
Sinch acquired Mailgun, and now owns both Mailgun and Mailjet. Some users worry about consolidation and future pricing. When one company owns multiple competitors, the incentive to compete on price disappears.
Developer experience fell behind
When Resend launched with React Email and beautiful SDKs, it made Mailgun feel dated. The API works fine, but the developer experience isn't keeping pace with modern alternatives. If you're starting fresh, there are better options for transactional emails.
Transactional only
Mailgun doesn't do marketing. If you need campaigns, automation, or visual builders, you'll need a second tool. Platforms like Sequenzy or Brevo combine everything.
The alternatives, honestly
If you want modern DX: Resend
Resend is what Mailgun would be if built today. Beautiful API, React Email integration, modern SDKs for every language. The developer experience is unmatched. The catch: transactional only, no SMTP. But for modern apps, the API approach is usually better anyway. See our Resend comparison.
If you need marketing + transactional: Sequenzy
Sequenzy combines transactional and marketing with AI-powered sequences. Native Stripe integration syncs customer data automatically. It's $19/mo for 10k emails, including both marketing campaigns and transactional API.
No SMTP relay, but API-based integration is cleaner for most SaaS. See our Mailgun comparison for details.
If deliverability is critical: Postmark
Postmark has the best deliverability because they're strict about customers. They'll reject you if your use case seems sketchy. This keeps IP reputation pristine. If your app depends on emails arriving (password resets, 2FA), this matters. Check our Postmark comparison.
If cost is everything: Amazon SES
At $0.10 per 1,000 emails, nothing beats SES on raw cost. But you get zero help—no templates, no dashboard, no deliverability tools. Only choose this if you have engineering resources to build everything yourself. Check our Amazon SES comparison.
If you want to stay in the family: SendGrid
SendGrid and Mailgun are now siblings under Sinch. SendGrid has marketing features Mailgun lacks. Similar API maturity, similar pricing. If you're leaving Mailgun but want something familiar, SendGrid is the obvious alternative. See our SendGrid comparison.
The pricing comparison
At 50,000 emails/month:
Mailgun Scale: ~$100/month (after 2025 increase)
Resend: $20/month (transactional only, best DX)
Postmark: $50/month (best deliverability)
SendGrid Essentials: $19.95/month
Amazon SES: $5/month (DIY everything)
Sequenzy: $19/month for 10k emails (marketing + transactional)
Note: Some prices are per email (Mailgun, Postmark) while others are per subscriber (Sequenzy, Loops). Compare based on your actual usage. See our pricing page.
When Mailgun is still the right choice
Mailgun wins if:
You've already built extensively around their API
You need SMTP relay for legacy systems
Inbound email parsing is critical for your app
You prefer pay-per-email pricing
Email validation API is important to you
Don't switch just because of the price increase. Migration has costs too. But if you're frustrated with the DX, need marketing features, or the new pricing doesn't work—the alternatives are genuinely better. Use our email warmup calculator to plan your transition.