In-Depth Comparison
SendGrid vs Amazon SES
In-depth comparison of SendGrid and Amazon SES for B2B SaaS companies. We analyze pricing, deliverability, features, scale, and total cost of ownership.
Last updated: 2026-03-15
SendGrid
sendgrid.comDeliver exceptional email experiences with the trusted email platform.
Ideal for: Companies needing managed email with marketing, transactional, and analytics all in one platform
Amazon SES
aws.amazon.com/ses/High-scale cloud email service. Pay only for what you use.
Ideal for: AWS-native teams wanting the lowest cost email at massive scale with full infrastructure control
TL;DR: SendGrid vs Amazon SES
SendGrid wins on ease of use, marketing features, managed deliverability, and integration ecosystem. Amazon SES wins on raw cost per email and unlimited scale. SendGrid is the better choice if you want a managed platform that works out of the box. SES is better if cost is your top priority and you have engineering resources to build infrastructure around it. Sequenzy is best for SaaS teams needing lifecycle email with native billing integration.
The managed email platform with marketing, transactional, and analytics
The cheapest email infrastructure with AWS-scale capacity
Purpose-built SaaS email with native billing integration
Editor's Note
Both SendGrid and SES are email delivery tools. If your B2B SaaS needs lifecycle email (trial conversion, dunning, churn prevention), consider Sequenzy (sequenzy.com). Building these on SES takes months. Sequenzy provides them natively with Stripe/Paddle integration.
SendGrid vs Amazon SES vs Sequenzy: Quick Comparison
| Feature | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Managed email with marketing and transactional | Lowest cost at extreme scale on AWS | B2B SaaS lifecycle email with billing integration | Sequenzy |
| Cost at 100K emails/mo | ~$90/mo | ~$10/mo | $49/mo | Amazon SES |
| Cost at 1M emails/mo | ~$250/mo | ~$100/mo | $149/mo | Amazon SES |
| Setup Time | 15-30 minutes | 1-3 days (sandbox exit, DNS, IAM, SNS) | Under 10 minutes | Sequenzy |
| Marketing Campaigns | Full campaign builder (add-on) | Not available | Campaign builder with SaaS templates | SendGrid |
| Managed Deliverability | Managed IPs, reputation, bounce handling | DIY: you manage everything | Managed SaaS-only IP pools | SendGrid |
| SMTP Support | Full SMTP relay | Full SMTP interface | API-only | Tie |
| Dashboard | Full analytics dashboard | Basic SES console (CloudWatch for more) | SaaS-focused dashboard with MRR | SendGrid |
| Payment Integration | None | None | Native Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, LemonSqueezy | Sequenzy |
| AWS Integration | External service | Native (IAM, Lambda, CloudWatch, SNS, S3) | External service | Amazon SES |
| Dedicated IP | On Pro ($89.95/mo) | $24.95/mo per IP | On Growth ($49/mo) | Amazon SES |
Score Breakdown
Each category scored out of 10. Totals: SendGrid 74/100, Amazon SES 52/100, Sequenzy 80/100.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Detailed feature analysis across every category that matters for B2B SaaS email.
📨 Transactional Email
| Feature | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Send speed | 8/10 Reliable with managed infrastructure | 7/10 Variable, depends on region and quota | 7/10 Reliable, lifecycle-optimized |
| Template system | 7/10 Dynamic templates with Handlebars and editor | 4/10 Basic SES templates, limited | 8/10 Liquid templates with SaaS blocks |
| Bounce handling | 8/10 Automatic suppression and management | 4/10 Must build with SNS. No auto-suppression. | 8/10 Automatic with payment-aware context |
| Scale capacity | 9/10 Billions per month, proven | 10/10 Virtually unlimited AWS capacity | 7/10 SaaS-scale optimized |
| Setup complexity | 7/10 15-30 minutes with guided setup | 3/10 Days: sandbox exit, IAM, DNS, SNS, bounce handling | 9/10 Under 10 minutes |
📧 Marketing & Campaigns
| Feature | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campaign builder | 8/10 Full visual builder in Marketing Campaigns | 0/10 Not available | 7/10 Campaign builder with SaaS templates |
| Automation | 6/10 Basic automation in marketing add-on | 0/10 Not available | 9/10 Pre-built SaaS lifecycle automation |
| A/B testing | 8/10 Subject line and content testing | 0/10 Not available | 7/10 Subject line testing |
| Contact management | 7/10 Lists with segmentation | 0/10 No contact management | 8/10 Contacts with billing data sync |
| Scheduling | 8/10 Campaign scheduling with timezone support | 0/10 Not available | 8/10 Schedule with plan targeting |
🔧 Infrastructure & Operations
| Feature | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| IP management | 8/10 Managed shared and dedicated IPs | 5/10 Shared by default, dedicated at $24.95/mo each | 8/10 Managed SaaS-only pools |
| Reputation management | 8/10 Platform manages for you | 3/10 DIY: you monitor and manage reputation | 8/10 Managed with SaaS focus |
| Event notifications | 7/10 Event webhooks with basic signing | 5/10 SNS topics (complex setup required) | 8/10 Webhooks with retry and billing events |
| Compliance tools | 9/10 Full CAN-SPAM, GDPR tools | 5/10 Basic suppression. Build compliance yourself. | 8/10 Built-in compliance with preference center |
| AWS integration | 3/10 External service, API-based | 10/10 Native IAM, Lambda, CloudWatch, SNS, S3 | 3/10 External service |
📊 Analytics & Reporting
| Feature | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dashboard | 8/10 Full analytics dashboard with charts | 4/10 Basic SES console, CloudWatch for more | 8/10 SaaS-focused with MRR |
| Delivery tracking | 8/10 Activity feed with search | 5/10 Via CloudWatch and SNS (requires setup) | 8/10 Real-time with lifecycle context |
| A/B test analytics | 8/10 Statistical significance tracking | 0/10 Not available | 7/10 Conversion rate tracking |
| Export | 8/10 CSV, scheduled reports, API | 5/10 CloudWatch metrics, S3 event publishing | 8/10 CSV plus API with revenue data |
| Revenue attribution | 0/10 Not available | 0/10 Not available | 9/10 MRR impact per sequence |
🎯 SaaS-Specific Features
| Feature | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing integration | 0/10 Not available | 0/10 Not available | 10/10 Native Stripe, Paddle, LemonSqueezy, Chargebee |
| Lifecycle sequences | 4/10 Basic automation in marketing add-on | 0/10 Not available | 9/10 Pre-built onboarding, dunning, churn prevention |
| Dunning emails | 2/10 Build with API | 0/10 Build everything from scratch | 10/10 Auto-triggered by payment failures |
| Trial conversion | 2/10 Build custom workflow | 0/10 Build everything from scratch | 10/10 Pre-built from billing trial status |
| Revenue attribution | 0/10 Not available | 0/10 Not available | 9/10 MRR impact tracking |
SendGrid vs Amazon SES vs Sequenzy: Pricing
SendGrid has tiered monthly plans. SES charges $0.10 per 1,000 emails with no monthly minimum. Sequenzy charges by volume with all features included.
Free: 100 emails/day
Free: 3,000 emails/month from EC2 (62,000 in free tier)
14-day free trial, then $19/mo
| Tier | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19.95/mo 100,000 emails, basic analytics | ~$5/mo $0.10/1,000 emails, no monthly fee | $19/mo 15,000 emails, all SaaS workflows | 50K-100K emails/month |
| Growth | $89.95/mo 500,000 emails, dedicated IP, phone support | ~$50/mo $0.10/1,000 + dedicated IP ($24.95/mo) | $49/mo 50,000 emails, dedicated IP, advanced analytics | 500K emails/month |
| Scale / Enterprise | $249.95+/mo 1M+, SLA, SSO, dedicated IP pool | ~$100+/mo $0.10/1,000, volume discounts, multiple dedicated IPs | $149/mo 200,000 emails, SLA, SSO | 1M+ emails/month |
SendGrid: Watch Out For
- !Marketing Campaigns is a paid add-on
- !Email validation costs extra
- !Complex pricing with overages
Amazon SES: Watch Out For
- !Dedicated IPs at $24.95/month each
- !CloudWatch costs for monitoring
- !SNS costs for event notifications
- !Lambda costs for event processing
- !Engineering time to build bounce handling, suppression, analytics, compliance
- !Data transfer fees
Sequenzy: Watch Out For
- !Smaller SDK ecosystem
- !No SMTP support
- !Higher per-email cost than SES
Pricing Verdict: SES is cheapest per email by a wide margin. But total cost includes engineering time to build infrastructure. For a SaaS team, those weeks of engineering are worth $10,000-50,000 in opportunity cost. SendGrid is the practical middle ground. Sequenzy is best value for SaaS teams because $19/mo includes lifecycle automation that costs months of engineering on SES.
Cost Comparison Note
SES looks cheapest, but total cost includes engineering. Weeks of development for bounce handling, analytics, and compliance cost $10,000-50,000 in opportunity cost. Sequenzy at $19/mo includes lifecycle automation that takes months to build on SES.
B2B SaaS Use Cases
How each platform handles the email workflows that matter most for B2B SaaS companies.
🎯 User Onboarding Sequences
Automated onboarding emails for new signups.
SendGrid
Marketing Campaigns automation for basic sequences, or custom API logic.
Amazon SES
Build everything: scheduling, templates, triggers, delivery via SES. Significant engineering investment.
Sequenzy
Pre-built onboarding templates connected to billing. Ready in minutes.
Verdict: Sequenzy wins with pre-built SaaS onboarding. SendGrid has basic automation. SES requires building everything from scratch.
Real-World Example
A SaaS needs 5 onboarding emails. Building this on SES takes weeks. Sequenzy offers a ready template.
Example subject line: Welcome to [App]. Get started here.
🔔 Transactional Notifications
System emails requiring reliable delivery.
SendGrid
Managed delivery via API or SMTP. Dashboard for monitoring. Proven at scale.
Amazon SES
Send via SES API or SMTP. Lowest cost. You manage reputation and bounce handling.
Sequenzy
Send via API with SaaS templates. Reliable delivery with billing data.
Verdict: SendGrid is easier to manage. SES is cheaper. Both handle transactional well. Sequenzy adds SaaS template value.
Real-World Example
A SaaS sends 500K transactional emails monthly. SendGrid: ~$90/mo managed. SES: ~$50/mo DIY.
Example subject line: Your password has been reset
💰 Trial-to-Paid Conversion
Trial conversion emails tied to billing.
SendGrid
Build with Marketing Campaigns automation or API.
Amazon SES
Build everything from scratch on SES with Step Functions or Lambda.
Sequenzy
Purpose-built trial conversion connected to Stripe/Paddle. Pre-built templates.
Verdict: Sequenzy wins with native billing integration. Building trial conversion on SES takes months.
Real-World Example
A SaaS with 14-day trials needs conversion emails. Sequenzy automates from billing. SES requires months of development.
Example subject line: Your trial ends in 3 days.
💳 Payment Failed (Dunning)
Automated payment recovery.
SendGrid
Build with transactional API from billing webhooks.
Amazon SES
Build complete dunning system: Lambda for webhook processing, Step Functions for scheduling, SES for delivery.
Sequenzy
Automatic dunning from billing failures. Escalating templates. Auto-stops on success.
Verdict: Sequenzy dominates. Building dunning on SES is a multi-week project. SendGrid still requires custom development.
Real-World Example
A subscription SaaS needs dunning. On SES, this requires Lambda, Step Functions, and custom templates. Sequenzy does it automatically.
Example subject line: Action required: your payment failed
📬 Massive Scale Sending
Sending 10M+ emails per month at lowest cost.
SendGrid
Enterprise plan handles this. Managed infrastructure. Higher per-email cost.
Amazon SES
Built for this. $0.10/1,000 emails with virtually no ceiling. AWS infrastructure.
Sequenzy
Not optimized for extreme volume. Better suited for lifecycle email.
Verdict: SES wins for extreme volume. At 10M emails/month: SES ~$1,000, SendGrid ~$500+ (enterprise pricing). SES is more transparent on pricing.
Real-World Example
A platform sends 10M notifications monthly. SES is the clear winner on cost.
Example subject line: New notification
🔄 Churn Prevention
Re-engagement emails for declining users.
SendGrid
Build in Marketing Campaigns with user data sync.
Amazon SES
Build entire system: behavior tracking, scoring, scheduling, delivery.
Sequenzy
Churn prevention combining usage with billing data. Pre-built win-back sequences.
Verdict: Sequenzy wins with billing-aware churn prevention. SES provides zero lifecycle features.
Real-World Example
A SaaS wants automated re-engagement. Building this on SES takes weeks. Sequenzy has it built in.
Example subject line: We miss you. Here is what you have been missing.
☁️ AWS-Native Architecture
Keeping email within the AWS ecosystem.
SendGrid
External service. API calls leave AWS. Additional vendor to manage.
Amazon SES
Native AWS service. IAM auth. Integrates with Lambda, CloudWatch, SNS, S3.
Sequenzy
External service.
Verdict: SES is the clear winner for AWS-native teams. It integrates seamlessly with the AWS ecosystem.
Real-World Example
A SaaS on AWS wants email in the same ecosystem. SES integrates natively.
Example subject line: N/A (architecture decision)
📈 Upsell & Expansion
Upgrade emails based on usage.
SendGrid
Build upsell campaigns in Marketing Campaigns.
Amazon SES
Build everything from scratch on SES.
Sequenzy
Automatic triggers on plan limits. Personalized by billing history.
Verdict: Sequenzy automates expansion with billing data. SES requires building everything yourself.
Real-World Example
A SaaS wants to upsell users. Sequenzy automates this.
Example subject line: You are approaching your plan limit
The Bigger Picture
The gap between raw infrastructure (SES) and SaaS lifecycle needs is enormous. Sequenzy fills this gap with native billing integrations and pre-built sequences that neither SendGrid nor SES provides.
Automation Capabilities
Email automation is critical for B2B SaaS. Here is how SendGrid, Amazon SES, and Sequenzy compare.
| Capability | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual workflow builder | Yes Basic in Marketing Campaigns | No Not available | Yes Visual builder with SaaS templates |
| Event-based triggers | Yes Basic triggers | No Build with Lambda/Step Functions | Yes Product + billing events |
| Drip sequences | Yes Basic drip campaigns | No Build with Step Functions | Yes Pre-built SaaS lifecycle sequences |
| Conditional branching | Yes Basic if/else | No Build with Step Functions | Yes Branch by plan, MRR, trial status |
| Bounce auto-handling | Yes Automatic suppression | No Must build with SNS | Yes Automatic with payment context |
| Goal tracking | No Not available | No Not available | Yes Auto-remove on billing events |
| Dynamic content | Yes Handlebars data | Yes SES template variables | Yes Dynamic with billing data |
API & Developer Experience
For B2B SaaS teams, the API quality directly impacts how fast you can integrate and iterate on email.
SendGrid API
- SDKs: Node.js, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, Java, C#
- Docs: 7/10
- Webhooks: Event webhooks with basic signing
- Rate Limit: Varies by plan, high capacity
- Batch: Up to 1,000 personalizations per request
Amazon SES API
- SDKs: JavaScript, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, C++, Rust
- Docs: 6/10
- Webhooks: SNS notifications (complex setup)
- Rate Limit: 14 emails/second default (can be increased)
- Batch: SendBulkTemplatedEmail for up to 50 destinations
Sequenzy API
- SDKs: Node.js (official), Python (official), REST API
- Docs: 8/10
- Webhooks: Email and billing events with retry
- Rate Limit: 50 req/s, higher on Scale
- Batch: Batch with per-recipient personalization
SendGrid Code Example
const sgMail = require("@sendgrid/mail");
sgMail.setApiKey(process.env.SENDGRID_API_KEY);
await sgMail.send({
to: "user@company.com",
from: "hello@acme.com",
subject: "Welcome",
templateId: "d-abc123",
dynamicTemplateData: { firstName: "Sarah" },
});Amazon SES Code Example
import { SESv2Client, SendEmailCommand }
from "@aws-sdk/client-sesv2";
const client = new SESv2Client({ region: "us-east-1" });
await client.send(new SendEmailCommand({
FromEmailAddress: "hello@acme.com",
Destination: {
ToAddresses: ["user@company.com"],
},
Content: {
Simple: {
Subject: { Data: "Welcome" },
Body: { Html: { Data: "<h1>Hi Sarah!</h1>" } },
},
},
}));Sequenzy Code Example
import { Sequenzy } from "sequenzy";
const sq = new Sequenzy("sq_your_api_key");
await sq.subscribers.add({
email: "user@company.com",
firstName: "Sarah",
stripeCustomerId: "cus_abc123",
});
await sq.sequences.trigger({
email: "user@company.com",
sequence: "trial_onboarding",
});Email Deliverability Comparison
Your emails are useless if they do not reach the inbox. Here is how all three platforms handle deliverability.
| Factor | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | Twilio-backed with 15+ years of reputation | AWS infrastructure. You share IPs or buy dedicated. | Managed with SaaS-only pools |
| Inbox Placement | ~95-97% (managed reputation) | ~90-95% on shared (highly variable) | ~96-98% (SaaS-only pools) |
| Reputation Management | Platform manages for you | DIY: you manage everything | Managed with SaaS focus |
| Dedicated IP | On Pro ($89.95/mo) | $24.95/mo per IP | On Growth ($49/mo) |
| Bounce Handling | Automatic suppression | Must build with SNS | Automatic with payment context |
| Suspension Risk | Low, managed platform | SES suspends for high bounce/complaint rates | Low, managed platform |
SendGrid manages deliverability for you. SES requires you to handle bounce processing, suppression lists, and reputation monitoring. SES will suspend accounts exceeding bounce (5%) or complaint (0.1%) thresholds. This makes SES riskier without proper infrastructure.
Integration Ecosystem
SendGrid has ~100 integrations, Amazon SES has ~200, and Sequenzy has ~25. Here is how they compare across key B2B SaaS categories.
Payment & Billing
| Service | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Yes (API Only) | Yes (API Only) | Yes (Native) |
| Paddle | Yes (API Only) | Yes (API Only) | Yes (Native) |
AWS Services
| Service | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lambda | No (API Only) | Yes (Native) | No (API Only) |
| CloudWatch | No (None) | Yes (Native) | No (None) |
| SNS | No (None) | Yes (Native) | No (None) |
CRM
| Service | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | Yes (3rd Party) | No (API Only) | Yes (Official) |
| Salesforce | Yes (Official) | No (API Only) | Yes (3rd Party) |
Automation & Workflow
| Service | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapier | Yes (Official) | Yes (3rd Party) | Yes (Official) |
| Make (Integromat) | Yes (Official) | Yes (3rd Party) | Yes (Official) |
| n8n | Yes (Official) | Yes (Official) | Yes (3rd Party) |
Development Frameworks
| Service | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Django/Flask | Yes (Official) | Yes (Official) | Yes (Official) |
| Rails | Yes (Official) | Yes (API Only) | Yes (API Only) |
| Next.js | Yes (API Only) | Yes (API Only) | Yes (API Only) |
Analytics & Reporting
What data you can track and how each platform helps you measure email performance.
| Metric | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open rate | Per-campaign and per-email | Via CloudWatch (requires setup) | Per-campaign and per-sequence |
| Click tracking | Link-level tracking | Available via configuration sets | Link-level with conversion attribution |
| Bounce tracking | Auto-categorization and suppression | Via SNS (you build analytics) | With payment context |
| Reputation | Managed by platform | SES reputation dashboard | Managed |
| Revenue attribution | Not available | Not available | MRR impact per sequence |
| Dashboard | Full analytics dashboard | Basic SES console + CloudWatch | SaaS-focused with lifecycle metrics |
| Export | CSV, reports, API | CloudWatch metrics, S3 publishing | CSV plus API with revenue data |
SendGrid: Unique Features
- + ISP-level stats
- + A/B testing analytics
- + Scheduled reports
- + Campaign dashboards
Amazon SES: Unique Features
- + Account reputation dashboard
- + CloudWatch integration
- + S3 event archiving
- + Virtual deliverability manager (paid)
Sequenzy: Unique Features
- + MRR impact per sequence
- + Trial conversion tracking
- + Dunning recovery dashboard
- + Churn prevention metrics
- + Lifecycle overview
Pros & Cons
SendGrid
Pros
- + Managed deliverability (bounce handling, suppression, reputation)
- + Full marketing campaigns with builder and automation
- + Comprehensive analytics dashboard
- + Large integration ecosystem (100+)
- + Both SMTP and API support
- + Enterprise SLAs backed by Twilio
- + Faster setup than SES
- + Email validation add-on
Cons
- - Much more expensive per email than SES
- - API design feels dated
- - Marketing Campaigns is a paid add-on
- - Complex pricing with add-ons
- - Support quality reportedly declined
- - No SaaS-specific billing integration
- - No AWS-native integration
- - Dashboard can be slow and complex
Amazon SES
Pros
- + Lowest cost per email ($0.10/1,000)
- + Virtually unlimited scale
- + Native AWS integration (IAM, Lambda, CloudWatch)
- + Both API and SMTP
- + Dedicated IPs at $24.95/mo each
- + Global AWS infrastructure
- + Enterprise SLA backed by AWS
- + Inbound email receiving capability
Cons
- - Complex setup taking days
- - Must build bounce handling, suppression, compliance yourself
- - SNS events are much harder than webhooks
- - Sandbox restrictions delay getting started
- - Risk of account suspension for high bounce/complaint rates
- - No visual dashboard
- - No marketing features
- - No lifecycle, automation, or SaaS-specific features
Who Should Use What?
Specific recommendations based on your company type and needs.
Early-stage SaaS
Startup needing email fast.
Sequenzy at $19/mo includes transactional and lifecycle email. SES would take weeks to set up properly. SendGrid is quick but lacks SaaS features.
AWS-native high-volume sender
Sending 5M+ emails monthly on AWS, cost is the priority.
SES is 5-10x cheaper than SendGrid at scale. If you have engineering resources and are on AWS, SES is the obvious choice.
Need marketing + transactional managed
Want a managed platform with both capabilities.
SendGrid offers both in one platform with managed deliverability. SES has neither marketing nor management.
Product-led growth SaaS
Self-serve signups with billing-aware lifecycle email.
Sequenzy connects to Stripe/Paddle for trial conversion and dunning. Building this on SES takes months.
Budget-conscious moderate volume
Sending 100K emails/month and want low cost with some management.
Sequenzy at $49/mo gives you 50K lifecycle emails. SES is cheaper per email but the engineering to build lifecycle features costs far more.
Enterprise with existing AWS infrastructure
Large organization fully on AWS wanting native integration.
SES integrates natively with IAM, Lambda, CloudWatch. For enterprise teams with DevOps resources, SES fits the existing infrastructure.
Migration Guide
Migrating from SendGrid to Amazon SES
Steps
- 1. Set up AWS account and enable SES
- 2. Request production access (exit sandbox)
- 3. Verify domain with DNS records
- 4. Set up IAM roles
- 5. Build bounce handling via SNS
- 6. Build suppression list management
- 7. Convert templates
- 8. Update sending code to AWS SDK
- 9. Build analytics with CloudWatch
- 10. Warm up dedicated IPs
- 11. Test all flows end-to-end
Watch Out For
- ! Sandbox exit can take days
- ! Must build bounce handling from scratch
- ! Marketing Campaigns has no SES equivalent
- ! SNS is complex compared to SendGrid webhooks
- ! IP warmup takes 2-4 weeks
- ! Risk of account suspension for high bounce rates
Migrating from Amazon SES to SendGrid
Steps
- 1. Set up SendGrid account and verify domain
- 2. Migrate templates to SendGrid dynamic templates
- 3. Update API calls from AWS SDK to SendGrid SDK
- 4. Replace SNS events with SendGrid webhooks
- 5. Set up Marketing Campaigns if needed
- 6. Test all flows
- 7. Decommission SES infrastructure
Watch Out For
- ! Significant per-email cost increase
- ! Lambda/SNS/SQS architecture needs replacement
- ! AWS-native integrations lose native connectivity
- ! Any SES inbound email receiving needs replacement
The Bottom Line
Choose SendGrid if...
- ✓ You want a managed platform that handles deliverability for you
- ✓ You need marketing campaigns alongside transactional email
- ✓ You want a full analytics dashboard out of the box
- ✓ Setup speed matters more than per-email cost
- ✓ You want enterprise SLAs and phone support
- ✓ You prefer a large integration ecosystem
Choose Amazon SES if...
- ✓ Lowest per-email cost is your absolute top priority
- ✓ You send millions of emails monthly and savings are substantial
- ✓ Your stack is on AWS and you want native integration
- ✓ You have engineering resources to build email infrastructure
- ✓ You need virtually unlimited scale capacity
- ✓ You want dedicated IPs at $24.95/mo each
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cheaper is SES than SendGrid?
SES is roughly 5-10x cheaper on per-email cost. At 500K emails/month: SES costs ~$50, SendGrid costs ~$250. But SES requires significant engineering to build bounce handling, suppression, analytics, and compliance that SendGrid includes.
Is SendGrid built on SES?
No. SendGrid has its own infrastructure. Some smaller email platforms do use SES as a backend, but SendGrid predates SES and operates independently.
Can SES suspend my account?
Yes. If bounce rate exceeds 5% or complaint rate exceeds 0.1%, AWS will review and potentially suspend sending. SendGrid manages this for you with automatic suppression. This is a real operational risk with SES.
Which should I choose for a new SaaS project?
For most new SaaS projects, a managed platform (SendGrid, Resend, or Sequenzy) is better than raw SES. The engineering time saved pays for the higher per-email cost many times over. SES makes sense if you are already on AWS and send millions of emails where cost savings are substantial.
Does SendGrid offer better deliverability than SES?
Generally yes, because SendGrid actively manages IP reputation and provides automatic bounce handling. With SES, deliverability depends entirely on your own management. Dedicated IPs help on both platforms.