These Are Different Approaches to Email
Let's be clear upfront: Sendy and Sequenzy solve email marketing with different philosophies.
Sendy is $69 one-time, self-hosted, locked to Amazon SES. Extremely cheap at scale.
Sequenzy is managed SaaS. We handle infrastructure, you focus on marketing.
Neither is "better" - they serve different priorities and team capabilities.
When should you choose Sequenzy?
1. You Don't Want to Manage Infrastructure
Sendy requires PHP, MySQL, web server setup, and Amazon SES configuration including domain verification and sending limit increases. If you'd rather focus on building your SaaS than managing email infrastructure, Sequenzy is fully managed.
2. You Need SaaS-Specific Features
Sequenzy is purpose-built for SaaS with Stripe integration, trial expiry sequences, churn prevention, and MRR tracking. Sendy is a general newsletter tool - you'd need custom development for SaaS-specific functionality.
3. You Want AI-Generated Content
Describe what you want ("a 5-email onboarding sequence for a project management SaaS") and our AI generates the emails. Sendy has no content creation features - it efficiently sends what you write.
4. You Want Unified Transactional + Marketing
Sequenzy handles both transactional emails (password resets, receipts) and marketing campaigns in one platform. Sendy is primarily newsletter-focused - transactional typically uses SES directly.
5. You Don't Want Amazon SES Lock-in
Sendy only works with Amazon SES. If you want flexibility to switch email providers or don't want to manage AWS accounts, Sequenzy handles delivery without provider lock-in.
When should you stick with Sendy?
1. Cost Is Your Top Priority
Sendy is genuinely the cheapest option for high-volume email. After the $69 one-time payment, you pay only Amazon SES costs: $0.10 per 1,000 emails. Send 100,000 emails monthly for ~$10. That's unbeatable at scale.
2. You Prefer One-Time Payment
No monthly subscription eating into your budget. Pay once, use forever. Your only ongoing costs are hosting (~$5-20/mo) and SES usage. For cost-conscious founders, this model is compelling.
3. You Want Self-Hosted Data Control
Your data stays on your servers. No third-party has access. For privacy-conscious companies or those with strict compliance requirements, self-hosting offers peace of mind that SaaS can't match.
4. You Run Multiple Brands or Clients
Sendy handles unlimited brands with a single installation. Good for agencies or portfolios. Each brand has separate lists, campaigns, and reporting. One $69 license covers everything.
5. You're Comfortable with PHP/MySQL
If you're technical and already run web applications, Sendy setup is straightforward. The stack (PHP + MySQL) is familiar and well-documented.
Honest Limitations of Sequenzy
- More expensive at scale: $49/mo vs Sendy's ~$10-15/month after one-time cost.
- Subscription model: Monthly payment vs one-time purchase.
- No self-hosting: Managed SaaS only.
- You don't own infrastructure: Your data is on our servers.
- No SMS or push: Email-only platform.
- Newer platform: Less history than Sendy's 10+ years.
Honest Limitations of Sendy
- Requires DevOps: PHP, MySQL, web server, Amazon SES setup and maintenance.
- Amazon SES lock-in: Cannot use Mailgun, SendGrid, or other providers.
- No AI features: No content generation or AI assistance.
- Basic automation: Autoresponders only, no visual workflow builder.
- Dated interface: Functional but not modern.
- Solo developer support: Response times vary, no enterprise support.
- No native integrations: No Stripe, Zapier, or pre-built connectors without third-party help.
The Real Cost Comparison
At 10,000 subscribers, sending 100,000 emails/month:
Sendy self-hosted:
- One-time: $69
- VPS hosting: ~$10/month
- Amazon SES (100k emails): ~$10/month
- Total year 1: $69 + $240 = $309
- Total year 2+: ~$240/year
Sequenzy managed:
- Everything included: $49/mo
- Total year 1: $588
- Total year 2: $588
Sendy is significantly cheaper at scale. The question is whether AI content generation, Stripe integration, and zero DevOps are worth the premium.
A Note on Amazon SES Setup
If you go with Sendy, you'll need to:
- Create AWS account and set up Amazon SES
- Verify your domain with DNS records
- Request production access (SES starts in sandbox mode with limited sending)
- Set up bounce/complaint handling (Sendy configures SNS for this)
- Monitor sending reputation - SES can suspend accounts for poor reputation
This is straightforward for developers but represents overhead compared to managed platforms.
Sendy's Sweet Spot
Sendy is ideal for:
- Agencies managing multiple client brands
- High-volume senders where per-email cost matters
- Developers comfortable with self-hosting
- Budget-conscious founders who prioritize cost over features
- Newsletter publishers with straightforward needs
If you're sending 500k+ emails monthly, the cost difference becomes substantial. Sendy + SES at that volume is ~$50/month. Managed platforms charge significantly more.
Self-Hosting Considerations
If you go with Sendy, you'll need:
- Server: $5-20/mo VPS from DigitalOcean, Hetzner, or similar
- PHP: 7.4+ with required extensions
- MySQL/MariaDB: Database for subscriber storage
- Web Server: Apache or Nginx
- Cron Job: For scheduled campaigns and autoresponders
- SSL Certificate: Required for secure signup forms
Most developers can set this up in 2-4 hours. Docker setups exist to simplify deployment.
Use our email warmup calculator when setting up, and check our SPF checker and DKIM checker to ensure your authentication is configured correctly.