Honest take: Is Postmark worth it?
Postmark's deliverability is exceptional. They achieve this by being strict about who they let on the platform - if your use case seems questionable, they'll reject you. This keeps their IP reputation clean and ensures emails arrive.
But strict policies and transactional-only focus aren't for everyone. Here's when alternatives make sense:
If you want better DX: Resend
Resend has the best developer experience in email. React Email for templates, modern SDKs, clean API design. If developer experience matters more than Postmark's deliverability focus, Resend is the choice.
Deliverability is good at both - but Postmark's strict vetting gives them an edge on pure inbox placement.
If you need marketing too: Sequenzy
Postmark is transactional only. If you need marketing campaigns, you'll need a second tool. Sequenzy combines both with AI content generation. One platform, one bill, no syncing subscriber data between tools.
If cost is everything: Amazon SES
At $0.10 per 1,000 emails, nothing beats SES on price at scale. But you're on your own - no templates, no dashboard, no deliverability help. Only choose this if you have engineering resources.
If you need scale: SendGrid
SendGrid handles massive volume reliably. The DX feels dated compared to modern options, but it works. Twilio backing means it's stable long-term.
The pricing comparison
For 50,000 emails/month:
- Postmark: $50+ (tiered pricing)
- Resend: $20
- SendGrid: $19.95
- Amazon SES: $5
- Mailgun: $50
- Sequenzy: $49 for 10k subscribers (includes marketing)
When Postmark is still the right choice
Stick with Postmark if:
- Deliverability is absolutely critical (password resets, 2FA codes)
- You value their strict customer vetting
- You only need transactional email
- Human support matters to you
Postmark's strict policies are a feature, not a bug. If inbox placement is everything, their approach works.