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Software · head to head

Resend vs SendGrid

Resend logo

Resend

Software

Email API for developers to send transactional and marketing email

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

SendGrid

Software

Email at scale, proven deliverability, and so much more

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Resend free tier is capped at 100 emails per day, which is restrictive for apps with bursty transactional volume.; SendGrid free plan caps at 100 emails per day and expires after 60 days, per twilio.com/en-us/products/email-api/pricing (Aug 2026), after which sending requires a paid plan

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Resend and SendGrid actually diverge.

Attributes where Resend and SendGrid differ
AttributeResendSendGrid
Platformsweb, apiWeb

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Resend

  • Email API and SDKs
  • Domain management
  • Audience and contacts
  • Automation workflows
  • Email analytics
  • Dedicated IPs

Only in SendGrid

Nothing recorded that Resend does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Resend

  • Sending transactional emails from a web appnot SendGrid
  • Running marketing email campaigns to contact listsnot SendGrid
  • Automating onboarding or lifecycle email sequencesnot SendGrid
  • Tracking deliverability and engagement analyticsnot SendGrid

SendGrid

No use cases recorded yet. See the SendGrid review.

Where each one falls short

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

Resend

  • Free tier is capped at 100 emails per day, which is restrictive for apps with bursty transactional volume.
  • Marketing and transactional plans are billed and priced separately, so a product needing both must budget for two tiers.
  • Dedicated IPs are only available on the Scale plan and require a minimum daily send volume.

SendGrid

  • Free plan caps at 100 emails per day and expires after 60 days, per twilio.com/en-us/products/email-api/pricing (Aug 2026), after which sending requires a paid plan
  • Dedicated IP addresses are only included from the Pro plan at $89.95 per month; Essentials at $19.95 per month lacks a dedicated IP, per Twilio's own pricing page

Pricing, plan by plan

Resend

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3,000 emails/month
    • 100 emails/day
    • 3 domains
  • Pro$20/month
    • 50,000 emails/month
    • 10 domains
    • 100 AI credits/month
  • Scale$90/month
    • 100,000 emails/month
    • 1,000 domains
    • Slack and ticket support

SendGrid

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SendGrid review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Resend if

  • You need email api and sdks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want domain management.
Resend review

Choose SendGrid if

  • You want to start without paying.
SendGrid review

Questions people ask

Is Resend or SendGrid better?
Neither clearly leads. Resend starts at Free and SendGrid at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Resend or SendGrid?
Resend starts at Free and SendGrid at Free.
Does Resend or SendGrid run on more platforms?
Resend runs on web, api. SendGrid runs on Web.
Can I use Resend for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Resend best used for?
Resend is most often used for sending transactional emails from a web app, running marketing email campaigns to contact lists, automating onboarding or lifecycle email sequences, tracking deliverability and engagement analytics. Of those, sending transactional emails from a web app and running marketing email campaigns to contact lists are not what SendGrid is typically brought in for.
What can Resend do that SendGrid cannot?
Resend covers Email API and SDKs, Domain management, Audience and contacts, Automation workflows.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Resend: What does Resend cost?

Transactional email starts free for 3,000 emails/month, then Pro is $20/month for 50,000 emails and Scale ranges from $90 to $1,150/month for up to 2.5M emails. Marketing email is priced separately by contact count, starting free for 1,000 contacts.

Source
Resend: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes, the free transactional plan allows 3,000 emails per month capped at 100 per day across 3 domains, and the free marketing plan allows up to 1,000 contacts.

Source
Resend: How is usage metered?

Transactional plans are metered by number of emails sent, with overage billed per 1,000 emails. Marketing plans are metered by number of contacts rather than emails sent.

Source
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