Marketing · head to head
Mailgun vs Paperform
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Mailgun free tier limited to 100 emails per day, restricting high-volume use cases; Paperform free plan limited to 30 submissions per month
- Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mailgun and Paperform actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mailgun
- Transactional email delivery and SMTP relaynot Paperform
- Email marketing at scale for developers and enterprisesnot Paperform
Paperform
- Creating multi-step application forms with conditional field displaynot Mailgun
- Building payment collection forms for online invoicingnot Mailgun
- Setting up appointment scheduling with calendar integrationnot Mailgun
- Collecting customer signatures on contracts and agreementsnot Mailgun
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Paperform
- Free plan limited to 30 submissions per month
- Additional submissions beyond plan limits incur overage fees
- Custom domains require additional $20 per month fee on Pro plan
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Paperform
Free- FreeFree
- 1 user
- 30 submissions per month
- 5 payment submissions per month
- Essentials$24/month
- 1 user
- 1,200 submissions per year
- 240 payment submissions per year
- Pro$49/month
- 3 users
- 12,000 submissions per year
- 3,000 payment submissions per year
- Business$99/month
- 5 users plus $9 per additional user (up to 25)
- 120,000 submissions per year
- 30,000 payment submissions per year
Which should you pick?
Questions people ask
- Is Mailgun or Paperform better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mailgun starts at Free and Paperform at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mailgun or Paperform?
- Mailgun starts at Free and Paperform at Free.
- Does Mailgun or Paperform run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Mailgun for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Mailgun best used for?
- Mailgun is most often used for transactional email delivery and smtp relay, email marketing at scale for developers and enterprises. Of those, transactional email delivery and smtp relay and email marketing at scale for developers and enterprises are not what Paperform is typically brought in for.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourcePaperform: Is there a free version of Paperform?
Yes, Paperform offers a free plan with 1 user, 30 submissions per month, and 100 MB storage at no cost.
SourceMailgun: 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.
SourcePaperform: Does Paperform offer a free trial for paid plans?
Paperform offers a 7-day unrestricted trial for all paid plans without requiring a credit card.
SourceMailgun: 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.
SourcePaperform: What payment processing options does Paperform support?
All Paperform plans include payment processing via Stripe, Square, Braintree, or PayPal.
SourcePaperform: When does Paperform charge for custom domains?
Custom domains are available on the Pro and Business plans, with an additional $20 per month fee for this feature.
SourceRelated pages
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