CouriervsMailgun

Courier vs Mailgun

Multi-channel notification orchestration vs developer email API

TL;DR

Courier orchestrates notifications across channels through providers like Mailgun. Mailgun sends emails directly with powerful APIs. Mailgun wins for email-only needs. Courier wins when you need multi-channel notification routing.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Direct vs Orchestrated
Mailgun wins

Mailgun sends emails directly with a developer-friendly API. Courier can use Mailgun as one of its providers, adding a routing layer on top. For email, Mailgun is simpler and cheaper.

Multi-channel
Courier wins

Courier handles push, SMS, Slack, and in-app alongside email. Mailgun is email-only. For multi-channel notification needs, Courier is the only option here.

Developer API
Mailgun wins

Mailgun's API is mature and well-documented with email-specific features like validation, routing, and tagging. Courier's API is focused on routing, not email-specific tooling.

Cost
Mailgun wins

Mailgun at $35/month sends 50k emails directly. Courier plus Mailgun would cost both services combined. For email-only, Mailgun alone is cheaper.

Pricing Comparison

At 50,000 emails/month

Courier
$0-99+/month

Free up to 10k notifications/month. Business from $99/mo. Plus email provider costs.

Visit Courier
Mailgun
$35/month

Foundation plan. 50k emails/month, SMTP + API, 5-day log retention.

Visit Mailgun
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$49/month

10k subscribers, unlimited emails, transactional + marketing, Stripe integration.

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
Courier
Mailgun
Sequenzy
Email
Email Delivery
Via providers (Mailgun, SES, etc.)
Direct (powerful API)
Direct
Email Validation
Built-in (paid add-on)
Inbound Routing
Marketing Email
Basic
Built-in campaigns
Multi-channel
Push Notifications
SMS
Yes (via providers)
In-app
Notification feed
Channel Routing
Intelligent fallback
Email only
Email only
Value
Free Tier
10k notifications/month
100 emails/day (for 3 months)
100 subscribers
Total Cost (email only)
Courier + email provider
$35/mo (all-inclusive)
$49/mo
Log Retention
Provider-dependent
5 days (Foundation), 30 days (Scale)
Full history
Setup
Configure Courier + provider
Direct integration
Direct integration

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose Courier if you...
  • Apps needing multi-channel notification routing
  • Teams wanting provider abstraction
  • Products with in-app notification feeds
Choose Mailgun if you...
  • Developers wanting a powerful email API
  • Teams needing email validation
  • Apps needing inbound email routing
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS founders needing Stripe-integrated email
  • Teams wanting transactional + marketing combined

When to Consider Sequenzy Instead

SaaS-Specific

Neither Courier nor Mailgun is built for SaaS. Sequenzy combines transactional + marketing email with Stripe integration.

Try Sequenzy Free

Overview

Courier and Mailgun serve different purposes. Mailgun is a developer email API for transactional email. Courier orchestrates notifications across channels, potentially using Mailgun as one of its providers. For our take on each, see our Courier comparison.

Mailgun's Email Focus

Mailgun is a mature email API with developer-friendly features — email validation, inbound routing, detailed analytics, and powerful SMTP relay. For teams that need reliable email delivery, Mailgun delivers directly without routing layers.

When Courier's Routing Adds Value

Courier makes sense when you need to route notifications across multiple channels — try push first, fall back to email via Mailgun, then SMS. If email is your only channel, Courier adds unnecessary complexity and cost.

The Sequenzy Alternative

For SaaS founders wanting transactional email and marketing campaigns with Stripe integration, Sequenzy offers unified SaaS email at $49/month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not sure which to pick?

If you're a SaaS founder who needs Stripe integration and unified email, try Sequenzy free. No credit card required.

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Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 3k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (2,500 emails/month)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com