MandrillvsSendGrid

Mandrill vs SendGrid

Mailchimp transactional add-on vs independent email API platform

TL;DR

Mandrill requires a Mailchimp subscription and works as a transactional email add-on. SendGrid is an independent platform with both transactional and marketing email. SendGrid wins on independence, flexibility, and marketing features. Mandrill wins on Mailchimp integration depth.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Independence
SendGrid wins

SendGrid is fully independent — no parent subscription needed. Mandrill requires a paid Mailchimp Standard or Premium plan ($20+/month). For teams not using Mailchimp, SendGrid is the obvious choice.

Free Tier
SendGrid wins

SendGrid offers 100 emails/day free forever. Mandrill offers 500 emails as a one-time trial. For testing and small projects, SendGrid's permanent free tier wins.

Mailchimp Integration
Mandrill wins

If you're already on Mailchimp, Mandrill provides seamless template sync, shared analytics, and unified billing. This integration is genuinely valuable for Mailchimp power users.

Scale & Infrastructure
SendGrid wins

SendGrid (backed by Twilio) processes billions of emails monthly with extensive global infrastructure. Mandrill is reliable but smaller in scale. For high-volume senders, SendGrid's infrastructure is more proven.

Pricing Comparison

At 50,000 emails/month

Mandrill
$30+/month

$20 for 2 blocks (50k emails) + Mailchimp Standard ($20/mo minimum). Total ~$40+/mo.

Visit Mandrill
SendGrid
$19.95/month

Essentials plan. 50k emails/month, dedicated IPs available.

Visit SendGrid
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$49/month

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

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
Mandrill
SendGrid
Sequenzy
Transactional Email
API Quality
REST API + SMTP
REST API + SMTP
REST API + SMTP
Deliverability
Good (Mailchimp infrastructure)
Excellent (Twilio infrastructure)
Good
Dedicated IPs
$29.95/mo add-on
$89.95/mo (Pro plan)
Enterprise only
Inbound Email
Yes (Inbound Parse)
Platform Independence
Standalone
No (requires Mailchimp)
Free Tier
500 emails one-time
100 emails/day forever
100 subscribers
Marketing Email
Via Mailchimp (separate)
Built-in marketing
Built-in
Documentation
Good
Excellent
Good
Developer Experience
SDKs
Multiple languages
7+ official SDKs
REST API
Webhooks
Comprehensive
Event webhooks
Delivery events
Email Validation
Via Mailchimp
Built-in validation API
Template Engine
Merge tags
Dynamic templates
Liquid syntax

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose Mandrill if you...
  • Mailchimp users wanting transactional email
  • Teams using Mailchimp templates for both marketing and transactional
  • Companies wanting affordable dedicated IPs ($29.95/mo)
Choose SendGrid if you...
  • Developers wanting independent transactional email
  • Teams needing both transactional and marketing in one platform
  • High-volume senders needing proven infrastructure
  • Projects needing a permanent free tier
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS founders needing Stripe-integrated email
  • Teams wanting AI-generated marketing sequences with transactional
  • Startups wanting simpler setup than SendGrid

When to Consider Sequenzy Instead

SaaS-Specific

Neither Mandrill nor SendGrid is built for SaaS. Sequenzy syncs with Stripe for subscription-aware automation alongside transactional email.

Simpler Than SendGrid

SendGrid is powerful but complex. Sequenzy combines transactional + marketing with AI-generated sequences. No email infrastructure expertise needed.

Try Sequenzy Free

Overview

Mandrill (Mailchimp Transactional Email) and SendGrid (part of Twilio) are both established transactional email services. The key difference: Mandrill requires Mailchimp. SendGrid is independent. For our take on each, see our Mandrill comparison and SendGrid comparison.

The Independence Question

This comparison often comes down to one question: do you use Mailchimp? If yes, Mandrill integrates seamlessly with your existing setup. If no, paying for Mailchimp just to access Mandrill makes no sense when SendGrid is independent and has a free tier.

SendGrid's Developer Experience

SendGrid has invested heavily in developer experience. 7+ official SDKs, extensive documentation, code examples, and a large community. Dynamic templates, email validation API, and event webhooks. For developers, SendGrid is the more complete platform.

Mandrill's Mailchimp Advantage

If your marketing team uses Mailchimp, Mandrill syncs templates between marketing and transactional email seamlessly. One set of designs, shared analytics, unified billing. This integration genuinely simplifies multi-channel email.

The Sequenzy Alternative

For SaaS founders wanting transactional email and marketing campaigns in one platform with Stripe integration, Sequenzy offers a simpler alternative at $49/month — no Mailchimp subscription needed.

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