For new Next.js projects, Resend usually wins on free tier and developer experience: 3,000 emails/mo free and a type-safe SDK, versus SendGrid, which removed its permanent free tier in 2025 and starts at $19.95/mo. SendGrid still leads on enterprise breadth and very large-scale deliverability tooling.
- Resend: 3,000/mo free; SendGrid: 60-day trial then $19.95/mo.
- Resend has the better Next.js DX (type-safe SDK, React Email).
- SendGrid has broader enterprise features and scale.
- For most indie and startup apps in 2026, Resend is the faster start.
Resend vs SendGrid (Twilio): side by side
| Resend | SendGrid (Twilio) | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 3,000 emails/mo (100/day). | Permanent free tier discontinued on 2025-05-27. New accounts get a 60-day trial (100 emails/day) only. |
| Entry paid | $20/mo | $19.95/mo |
| Entry detail | Pro $20/mo (50,000), $35/mo (100,000). Scale from $90/mo. Overage $0.90/1k. | Email API Essentials from $19.95/mo (50,000 emails). Pro adds a dedicated IP at a higher tier. |
| Dedicated IP | $30/mo (Scale) | Included on Pro and above |
| Best for | Best-in-class developer experience (React Email, type-safe) | Mature feature breadth and scale |
| Watch out | Newer at very large scale | Removing the permanent free tier triggered a wave of switchers |
The headline difference in 2026 is the free tier. Resend keeps a usable 3,000 emails per month at no cost, while SendGrid discontinued its permanent free plan on 2025-05-27, leaving a 60-day trial and then a $19.95/mo Essentials plan for 50,000 emails. For a product that sends transactional email in low volume — sign-up confirmations, password resets — that difference decides the matchup for many teams.
On developer experience, Resend is purpose-built for modern JavaScript: a type-safe SDK, React Email for templating, and documentation oriented around frameworks like Next.js. SendGrid is older and broader; it covers marketing campaigns, advanced suppression management, and deep analytics, which matter more to larger senders than to a small engineering team shipping a SaaS.
At scale the comparison narrows. SendGrid's Pro tier ($89.95/mo for 100,000 with a dedicated IP) brings mature deliverability controls and a long operational track record, while Resend's Scale plans ($90/mo and up, dedicated IP $30/mo) are newer but improving quickly. If you are starting today on Next.js and want the lowest-friction path from zero to production, Resend is the default; if you need enterprise marketing features alongside transactional email, SendGrid still earns its place.
// 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();
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
- Is Resend cheaper than SendGrid?
- For low volume, yes: Resend's 3,000/mo free tier beats SendGrid, which now starts at $19.95/mo after a 60-day trial. At high volume the two converge around $90/mo for ~100,000 emails.
- Which is better for a Next.js app, Resend or SendGrid?
- Resend, because of its type-safe SDK and React Email integration designed for modern JavaScript frameworks like Next.js.