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Marketing · head to head

Insider vs Mailgun

Insider logo

Insider

Marketing

Omnichannel personalisation platform with web experimentation and WhatsApp as first-class channels

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mailgun logo

Mailgun

Marketing

Email delivery built for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mailgun has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Insider delivery depends heavily on the assigned account team, so results vary by region and a team change mid-contract can be felt immediately in campaign output.; Mailgun free tier limited to 100 emails per day, restricting high-volume use cases
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Insider and Mailgun actually diverge.

Attributes where Insider and Mailgun differ
AttributeInsiderMailgun
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, REST APIWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Marketing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Insider

  • Architect journeys
  • Web and app personalisation
  • WhatsApp commerce
  • Predictive segments
  • InStory and InMobile
  • Experimentation

Only in Mailgun

Nothing recorded that Insider does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Insider

  • A retailer in a WhatsApp-first market that needs conversational commerce rather than more email volumenot Mailgun
  • Personalising category and product pages by segment without waiting for engineering release cyclesnot Mailgun
  • A marketing team without in-house campaign operations that needs the vendor to build and run journeysnot Mailgun
  • Unifying web, app and messaging targeting on one profile store after outgrowing separate point toolsnot Mailgun

Mailgun

  • Transactional email delivery and SMTP relaynot Insider
  • Email marketing at scale for developers and enterprisesnot Insider

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Insider

  • Delivery depends heavily on the assigned account team, so results vary by region and a team change mid-contract can be felt immediately in campaign output.
  • The suite is licensed by module, so the platform fee quoted at the start typically excludes the channels and predictive features that make the business case work.
  • Template-driven web personalisation targets the rendered DOM, which breaks on single-page applications that re-render after the template applies unless a developer wires in the framework hooks.
  • Reporting exports are limited compared with warehouse-native tools, so teams that want campaign data alongside finance data end up pulling it through the API on a schedule.
  • Contracts are annual and negotiated per traffic band, so a seasonal spike in visitors can push you into a renegotiation rather than a metered overage.

Mailgun

  • Free tier limited to 100 emails per day, restricting high-volume use cases
  • Log retention minimal on lower tiers (1 day on Free and Basic plans)
  • Add-on pricing for email validations and extra emails can accumulate quickly for high-traffic users

Pricing, plan by plan

Insider

On request
  • Insider Growth Management Platform$undefined/year
    • Licensed by module and by monthly traffic or user volume
    • Channels such as WhatsApp, SMS and email priced separately
    • Annual contract with an assigned delivery team

Mailgun

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100 emails per day
    • Basic APIs
    • SMTP relay
  • Basic$15/monthly
    • 10,000 emails per month
    • No daily limits
    • Monthly overage options
  • Foundation$35/monthly
    • 50,000 emails per month
    • 1,000 custom domains
    • Email template builder
  • Scale$90/monthly
    • 100,000 emails per month
    • SAML SSO
    • 5,000 email validations

Which should you pick?

Choose Insider if

  • You need architect journeys.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, REST API.
  • You also want web and app personalisation.
Insider review

Choose Mailgun if

  • You want to start without paying.
Mailgun review

Questions people ask

Is Insider or Mailgun better?
Neither clearly leads. Insider starts at On request and Mailgun at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Insider or Mailgun?
Mailgun has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Insider and Free for Mailgun.
Does Insider or Mailgun run on more platforms?
Insider runs on Web, iOS, Android, REST API. Mailgun runs on Web.
Can I use Mailgun for free?
Yes. Mailgun has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Insider starts at On request.
What is Insider best used for?
Insider is most often used for a retailer in a whatsapp-first market that needs conversational commerce rather than more email volume, personalising category and product pages by segment without waiting for engineering release cycles, a marketing team without in-house campaign operations that needs the vendor to build and run journeys, unifying web, app and messaging targeting on one profile store after outgrowing separate point tools. Of those, a retailer in a whatsapp-first market that needs conversational commerce rather than more email volume and personalising category and product pages by segment without waiting for engineering release cycles are not what Mailgun is typically brought in for.
What can Insider do that Mailgun cannot?
Insider covers Architect journeys, Web and app personalisation, WhatsApp commerce, Predictive segments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Insider: Is WhatsApp actually usable at scale here?

Yes. It is a supported primary channel with catalogue and template message support, though WhatsApp conversation fees from Meta are passed through and are separate from the licence.

Mailgun: What happens when I exceed my monthly email quota?

Mailgun allows monthly overage options on paid plans. Extra emails are charged from $1.30 to $1.10 per 1,000 emails depending on plan tier. Enterprise customers negotiate custom rates.

Source
Insider: Can we run it without vendor help?

You can, but the pricing assumes a managed relationship. Teams with strong in-house campaign operations often find they are paying for services they do not use.

Mailgun: Can I upgrade from Free to a paid plan and when does billing begin?

Yes, you can upgrade to paid plans anytime. The first month is free on Foundation ($35/month) and Scale ($90/month) plans, with billing starting on month two.

Source
Insider: Does it work for B2B?

Rarely a good fit. The segmentation, recommendations and channel mix are built around high-frequency consumer behaviour.

Mailgun: What currencies and billing periods does Mailgun support?

Mailgun supports monthly billing in USD, EUR, and GBP. Charges are prorated for mid-month signups. Annual billing options are not explicitly listed on the pricing page.

Source
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