The best Mailgun alternative depends on what you need. For no-subscription, pay-as-you-go sending over SMTP, Bulko is the strongest pick ($5 for 5,000 emails, no monthly fee, crypto accepted). For the lowest per-email price at high volume, Amazon SES wins. For a permanent free tier, Brevo and SMTP2GO lead. For fast transactional delivery, Postmark is the mature choice. If you specifically need a rich developer HTTP API, SendGrid is the closest like-for-like. All of them also send over standard SMTP, so switching is usually just changing host, port and credentials.
Mailgun is a developer-focused service, but people look for alternatives over pricing that scales up quickly, minimum monthly commitments, and features they do not use. This guide lists the best Mailgun alternatives in 2026 by use case, with the trade-offs stated plainly.
Details were checked against public plans in 2026. Providers change plans often, so confirm current pricing and limits on each provider's site before switching.
Mailgun alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Best for | Entry | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulko | No subscription, pay-as-you-go | $5 (5,000 emails, one-time) | No monthly fee, credits never expire, crypto accepted |
| Amazon SES | Lowest price at scale | ~$0.10 / 1,000 | Cheapest unit price, deep AWS integration |
| Brevo | Permanent free tier | Free 300/day | Free plan plus marketing tools |
| SMTP2GO | Simple managed relay | Free 1,000/mo | Easy setup, solid reporting |
| Postmark | Fast transactional delivery | from ~$15/mo | Speed and strong transactional reputation |
| SendGrid | Rich developer HTTP API | from ~$19.95/mo | Full platform, analytics, support |
Best cheap Mailgun alternative: Bulko
If you are leaving Mailgun because of the monthly bill or rising per-email cost, Bulko is the closest fit for smaller and irregular senders. You buy a block of emails once, the credits do not expire, and there is nothing to cancel. It works over standard SMTP on port 587 (TLS / STARTTLS) or 465 (SSL), so migrating means swapping the host and credentials in your existing mailer. Pricing is $5 for 5,000 emails, $15 for 20,000, $30 for 50,000 and $60 for 150,000, pay-as-you-go, and it accepts crypto. If your integration relies heavily on Mailgun's HTTP API for routing and inbound parsing, note that Bulko's own HTTP API covers campaign automation rather than a full Mailgun-style feature set, so SMTP is the direct migration path.
Best for lowest price at scale: Amazon SES
At high, steady volume Amazon SES has the lowest per-email price, around $0.10 per 1,000. The trade-off is setup: you manage reputation, pass a sandbox review, and pay for AWS support. It is the cheapest at scale but the most hands-on, and like Mailgun it offers both SMTP and an API.
Best free Mailgun alternative: Brevo and SMTP2GO
For very low volume, Brevo (300 emails/day) and SMTP2GO (1,000/month) offer permanent free tiers. Brevo adds marketing features; SMTP2GO is a clean relay with good reporting and an easy switch from Mailgun's SMTP.
Best for transactional delivery: Postmark
If deliverability and speed on transactional mail are why you are leaving, Postmark is purpose-built for it, with fast delivery and a strong sending reputation. It is a subscription product aimed at teams that value tooling.
Best developer-API replacement: SendGrid
If you rely on Mailgun mainly for its HTTP API and want the closest like-for-like, SendGrid offers a comparable full platform with a mature REST API, analytics and support, on a subscription.
How to switch from Mailgun
- Pick the alternative that matches your volume, billing and API needs from the table above.
- Authenticate your sending domain on the new provider: SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
- Update the SMTP host, port (587 or 465) and credentials, or the API integration.
- Send a small test batch and confirm inbox placement before cutting over.
- Warm up if you are also moving to a new domain or dedicated IP.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Mailgun alternative?
It depends on your priority. For no-subscription pay-as-you-go sending, Bulko; for the lowest price at scale, Amazon SES; for a free tier, Brevo or SMTP2GO; for transactional delivery, Postmark; for a rich developer API, SendGrid.
What is the cheapest Mailgun alternative?
For low or irregular volume, a pay-as-you-go relay with no monthly minimum such as Bulko ($5 for 5,000 emails) is usually cheapest. For very high steady volume, Amazon SES has the lowest per-email price.
Is there a Mailgun alternative with no subscription?
Yes. Bulko sells one-time email blocks with no subscription and credits that do not expire. Amazon SES also has no fixed monthly fee but bills per use.
Is there a free alternative to Mailgun?
Brevo (300 emails/day) and SMTP2GO (1,000/month) have permanent free tiers suitable for small senders migrating from Mailgun.
Does Bulko have an HTTP API like Mailgun?
Bulko has an HTTP API for campaign automation, but it is not a full Mailgun-style transactional API with routing and inbound parsing. For transactional sending, migrate over SMTP on port 587 or 465.
See Bulko SMTP Access, or read the cheapest SMTP relay comparison and the transactional email API guide.
