Softwr

Marketing · head to head

Mailgun vs Postmark

Mailgun logo

Mailgun

Marketing

Email delivery built for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Postmark logo

Postmark

Marketing

No hidden fees, no guesswork. Just the features you need, at a price that makes sense

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mailgun has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mailgun free tier limited to 100 emails per day, restricting high-volume use cases; Postmark free tier caps at 100 emails per month with no overages allowed
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mailgun and Postmark actually diverge.

Attributes where Mailgun and Postmark differ
AttributeMailgunPostmark
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo

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

What people use each for

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

Mailgun

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

Postmark

  • Sending password reset emails with industry-leading delivery speednot Mailgun
  • Processing inbound email replies into JSON objects for applicationsnot Mailgun
  • Tracking failed email deliveries and suppressing invalid addressesnot Mailgun
  • Separating transactional emails from marketing emails with message streamsnot 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

Postmark

  • Free tier caps at 100 emails per month with no overages allowed
  • Basic plan ($15/mo) includes 10,000 emails then charges $1.80 per 1,000 extra; Pro and Platform tiers have their own lower per-1,000 overage rates ($1.30 and $1.20), so cost scales per email beyond the included volume
  • Custom high-volume pricing above the published tiers requires contacting sales

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

Postmark

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Postmark review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Mailgun if

  • You want to start without paying.
Mailgun review

Choose Postmark if

Nothing in the data separates Postmark from Mailgun on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Postmark review

Questions people ask

Is Mailgun or Postmark better?
Neither clearly leads. Mailgun starts at Free and Postmark at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mailgun or Postmark?
Mailgun has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mailgun and On request for Postmark.
Does Mailgun or Postmark run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mailgun for free?
Yes. Mailgun has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Postmark starts at On request.
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 Postmark 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.

Source
Postmark: What is the cheapest paid plan for Postmark email sending?

Postmark Basic plan is $15/month for 10,000 emails, with overages at $1.80 per 1,000 additional emails. Free tier limited to 100/month. No annual billing discount available. Source: https://www.postmarkapp.com/pricing

Source
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
Postmark: How are Postmark email overages calculated?

Overages are calculated at month-end and billed with your next plan cost. Basic tier overages: $1.80 per 1,000; Pro: $1.30 per 1,000; Platform: $1.20 per 1,000. Unused monthly emails do not carry over. Source: https://www.postmarkapp.com/pricing

Source
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
Postmark: What payment methods does Postmark accept?

Postmark accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, and JCB. No PayPal or purchase orders accepted. Bootstrapped startups can request a $75 account credit. Source: https://www.postmarkapp.com/pricing

Source
Postmark: Can I get a dedicated IP on Postmark without high volume?

No. Postmark dedicated IPs require minimum 300,000 emails per month and start at $50/month. Alternative: use Postmark's shared infrastructure included in all tiers. Source: https://www.postmarkapp.com/pricing

Source
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