Amazon SES vs SendGrid (Twilio) comes down to free tier, price and what you optimize for. Amazon SES has the more generous free tier, and the cheaper paid entry point is $19.95/mo. Amazon SES stands out for cheapest at scale ($0.10/1,000), while SendGrid (Twilio) stands out for mature feature breadth and scale.
- Amazon SES free tier: 3,000 message charges/mo for the first 12 months only (not permanent).
- SendGrid (Twilio) free tier: Permanent free tier discontinued on 2025-05-27. New accounts get a 60-day trial (100 emails/day) only.
- Amazon SES from usage-based ($0.10/1k); SendGrid (Twilio) from $19.95/mo.
- Amazon SES for cheapest at scale ($0.10/1,000); SendGrid (Twilio) for mature feature breadth and scale.
Amazon SES vs SendGrid (Twilio): side by side
| Amazon SES | SendGrid (Twilio) | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 3,000 message charges/mo for the first 12 months only (not permanent). | Permanent free tier discontinued on 2025-05-27. New accounts get a 60-day trial (100 emails/day) only. |
| Entry paid | usage-based | $19.95/mo |
| Entry detail | Usage-based $0.10/1,000 emails. Attachments $0.12/GB. Dedicated IP $24.95/mo (Standard) / $15/mo base (Managed). | Email API Essentials from $19.95/mo (50,000 emails). Pro adds a dedicated IP at a higher tier. |
| Dedicated IP | $24.95/mo (Standard) | Included on Pro and above |
| Best for | Cheapest at scale ($0.10/1,000) | Mature feature breadth and scale |
| Watch out | Heavier setup (IAM, verification, warnings) | Removing the permanent free tier triggered a wave of switchers |
Amazon SES and SendGrid (Twilio) take different approaches to transactional email. Amazon SES is free only for the first 12 months (3,000/mo), then bills usage at $0.10 per 1,000 emails, with a dedicated IP at $24.95/mo.
SendGrid (Twilio) no longer has a permanent free tier (new accounts get a 60-day trial at 100/day), then paid plans run $19.95/mo for 50,000 and $89.95/mo for 100,000; dedicated IP: Included on Pro and above. SendGrid (Twilio) is known for mature feature breadth and scale and tight Twilio ecosystem integration.
For a Next.js codebase, the choice usually comes down to free-tier headroom and developer experience versus deliverability guarantees. Best when cost is paramount and you are AWS-native. In Next.js, use @aws-sdk/client-ses from a Route Handler. If a handful of emails absolutely must reach the inbox, weight deliverability more heavily; if you want the fastest start, favor the larger free tier and the better SDK. Pricing was verified on 2026-06-04.
// app/api/send/route.ts
import { Resend } from "resend";
const resend = new Resend(process.env.RESEND_API_KEY!);
export async function POST(req: Request) {
const { to, subject, html } = await req.json();
// was: ses.send(new SendEmailCommand({ ... }))
const { data, error } = await resend.emails.send({
from: "noreply@yourdomain.com", to, subject, html,
});
return error
? Response.json({ error }, { status: 500 })
: Response.json({ id: data?.id });
}FAQ
- Which is cheaper, Amazon SES or SendGrid (Twilio)?
- At the entry tier, Amazon SES is usage-based ($0.10/1k) and SendGrid (Twilio) is $19.95/mo; for low volume the one with the larger free tier (Amazon SES) is effectively cheaper.
- Which has the bigger free tier, Amazon SES or SendGrid (Twilio)?
- Amazon SES. Amazon SES: 3,000 message charges/mo for the first 12 months only (not permanent). SendGrid (Twilio): Permanent free tier discontinued on 2025-05-27. New accounts get a 60-day trial (100 emails/day) only.