Comparison · InboxRatio Editorial
SendGrid vs Mailgun
This comparison is built from three datasets we maintain for every catalog service: documented pricing captured from the vendors' own configurators, the documented-feature matrix compiled from vendor documentation, and user ratings from G2, Capterra and Trustpilot — each value dated at its capture. Neither service has a measured deliverability score yet; we compare only what the data supports.
Editorial verdict — who fits whom
Two transactional-email APIs with opposite scopes. SendGrid enters cheaper at volume: $19.95/mo for 50,000 emails against Mailgun's $35/mo Foundation (checked 2026-08-19); around 500,000 emails/mo the order flips — Mailgun's Scale covers it at $400/mo while SendGrid's Pro band is $499/mo at the nearest covering step (checked 2026-08-21). Their feature datasets diverge just as clearly: 34 of the 60 cells we track differ. SendGrid documents 32 capabilities as included — among them a drag-and-drop editor, sequences and forms — where Mailgun documents 17 yes and an unusually explicit 23 no (checked 2026-08-21).
SendGrid fits teams that want campaign tooling and transactional sending under one roof at low starting cost. Mailgun fits developer teams that prefer a deliberately API-focused scope, cheaper high-volume steps, and the stronger user rating — 4.14/5 across 2,040 reviews versus 3.09/5 across 1,729 (checked 2026-08-22). Neither has a measured InboxRatio deliverability score yet.
Measured deliverability
Inbox placement: not yet tested
Neither SendGrid nor Mailgun carries a measured InboxRatio Deliverability Score yet — measured scores publish as test cycles complete, and we never infer a deliverability comparison from pricing, features or user ratings. When both services have completed a seed-list cycle, this section will show their measured inbox-placement results side by side.
From our pricing dataset
Pricing side by side
Cheapest paid tier covering each volume, and the functional tier — the cheapest tier with automation, API access and vendor-branding removal all included — captured from the vendors' own pricing configurators on monthly billing.
| Volume | SendGrid | Mailgun |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000 emails/mocheapest paid tier | $19.95/mo | $35/mo |
| 50,000 emails/mofunctional tier | $19.95/mo(Essentials) | $35/mo(Foundation) |
| 500,000 emails/mocheapest paid tier | $499/mo | $400/mo |
| 500,000 emails/mofunctional tier | $499/mo(Pro) | $400/mo(Scale) |
Pricing checked 21 August 2026 · monthly billing, prices as shown by the vendor. Where a vendor has no exact step at a volume, the nearest covering step was captured (noted in the dataset).
From our feature dataset
Features side by side
What each vendor documents, category by category: ✓ documented, ◐ partial or tier-gated, × documented as not offered, — not documented by the vendor. All marks reflect vendor documentation, not our testing.
| Category | SendGrid | Mailgun |
|---|---|---|
| 6✓ | 4✓1◐1— | |
| Automation | 2✓2◐2— | 0✓2◐4× |
| AI | 0✓6— | 0✓1◐5× |
| Personalization | 3✓1— | 0✓2◐1×1— |
| Analytics | 3✓1— | 1✓2◐1× |
| Developer features | 5✓ | 5✓ |
| Marketing platform | 1✓1◐4×1— | 0✓7× |
| E-commerce | 0✓3×2— | 0✓5× |
| Deliverability | 12✓4◐1— | 7✓7◐3— |
Where they differ most
34 of the tracked capabilities are documented differently; the sharpest contrasts — computed from the dataset, never hand-picked:
| Capability | SendGrid | Mailgun |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop editorEmail | Documented | Not documented |
| Email sequencesAutomation | Documented | Documented as not offered |
| Drip campaignsAutomation | Documented | Documented as not offered |
| SegmentationPersonalization | Documented | Not documented |
| Signup formsMarketing platform | Documented | Documented as not offered |
| IP warmingDeliverability | Documented | Not documented |
| Automated warmupDeliverability | Documented | Not documented |
| Feedback loop handlingDeliverability | Documented | Not documented |
| Marketing campaignsEmail | Documented | Partial / tier-gated |
| Behavioral automationAutomation | Not documented | Documented as not offered |
Features checked 21 August 2026 · from vendor documentation and official feature pages.
Independent review platforms — shown as context; never part of our measured Deliverability Score
What users say
SendGrid
3.1/5
1,729 reviews, weightedSubstantial review base
- G24.0/5 · 368 reviews
- Capterra4.2/5 · 753 reviews
- Trustpilot1.2/5 · 608 reviews
Checked 22 August 2026
Mailgun
4.1/5
2,040 reviews, weightedSubstantial review base
- G24.2/5 · 321 reviews
- Capterra4.3/5 · 197 reviews
- Trustpilot4.1/5 · 1,522 reviews
Checked 22 August 2026
Aggregator scores diverge across platforms by design — read each platform's number with its review count; the weighted average is never shown without them.
Generated from our datasets — every value verified and dated
Frequently asked questions
Is SendGrid or Mailgun cheaper at 500,000 emails/mo?
At 500,000 emails/mo, the cheapest paid SendGrid tier covering that volume is $499/mo and the cheapest paid Mailgun tier is $400/mo — vendor-page prices on monthly billing, last checked 21 August 2026. Which works out cheaper for you also depends on which tier carries the features you need; the side-by-side tables above show both services' entry and functional tiers at each volume.
Do users rate SendGrid or Mailgun higher?
SendGrid averages 3.1/5 across 1,729 reviews and Mailgun averages 4.1/5 across 2,040 reviews on G2, Capterra and Trustpilot (review-count-weighted, checked 22 August 2026). Review-base sizes differ, so read the averages together with the counts. User ratings are context only — never part of our measured Deliverability Score.
What are the main feature differences between SendGrid and Mailgun?
Of the 60 capabilities we track per vendor, SendGrid and Mailgun document 34 of them differently. The comparison table above lists the headline contrasts — cells where one vendor documents a capability the other documents as absent or does not document at all. All marks reflect vendor documentation, not our testing.
Has InboxRatio tested SendGrid and Mailgun's deliverability?
Not yet — both services are in the queue for Cycle 0, our first seed-list test cycle across the whole catalog. Measured inbox-placement scores publish only as test cycles complete, so this comparison deliberately carries no deliverability numbers for either service until then. How we test.
Keep reading