Softwr

Email Marketing · head to head

Flodesk vs Sendy

Flodesk logo

Flodesk

Email Marketing

Email marketing built for creators and small business

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sendy logo

Sendy

Email Marketing

Self-hosted newsletter app bought once for $69 that sends through your own Amazon SES account

From
$69/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Flodesk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Flodesk variable pricing per subscriber with no clear rate card; Sendy free updates run only to the next major version, so the one-time purchase is really one purchase per major release and the long-term cost is not zero.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flodesk and Sendy actually diverge.

Attributes where Flodesk and Sendy differ
AttributeFlodeskSendy
Starting priceFree$69/one-time
Pricing modelfreemiumOne-time purchase
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Linux

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Email 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 Flodesk

Nothing recorded that Sendy does not also cover.

Only in Sendy

  • One-time licence
  • Amazon SES delivery
  • Multiple brands
  • Autoresponders
  • Segmentation
  • Bounce and complaint handling
  • Reporting
  • Client access

What people use each for

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

Flodesk

  • Designers creating branded emails without external design softwarenot Sendy
  • Content creators building automations with high form conversionnot Sendy
  • Small entrepreneurs consolidating multiple email tool costsnot Sendy
  • Membership businesses processing recurring payments through checkoutnot Sendy

Sendy

  • A publisher with a large list sending frequently, where a hosted platform bills by subscriber count month after monthnot Flodesk
  • An agency managing newsletters for several clients who each get their own brand and login under one licencenot Flodesk
  • A business that must keep subscriber data on its own infrastructure for privacy or contractual reasonsnot Flodesk
  • A developer wiring signups from a custom application into a mailing list without paying platform API feesnot Flodesk

Where each one falls short

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

Flodesk

  • Variable pricing per subscriber with no clear rate card
  • Prices scale based on subscriber count and can vary significantly within each tier

Sendy

  • Free updates run only to the next major version, so the one-time purchase is really one purchase per major release and the long-term cost is not zero.
  • Deliverability becomes entirely your problem: SES gives you a raw sending pipe and no warm-up guidance, reputation dashboards or deliverability consultants when a campaign starts landing in spam.
  • Amazon SES requires production access approval and will suspend accounts on high bounce or complaint rates, which can take a list offline mid-campaign with little warning.
  • The template editor and design tooling are basic next to Mailchimp or Klaviyo, so anything visually ambitious means hand-written HTML email.
  • You own the server: PHP upgrades, database backups and patching are yours, and an unmaintained Sendy install holding a subscriber list is a data breach waiting to happen.

Pricing, plan by plan

Flodesk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited active subscribers
    • Forms, landing pages, audience segmentation
    • Email sending with analytics
  • Lite$0.25/month
    • Up to 25,000 subscribers
    • Unlimited email sends
    • Email analytics
  • Pro$0.28/month
    • Up to 255,000 subscribers
    • Unlimited workflows
    • Advanced analytics
  • Everything$0.54/month
    • Up to 255,000 subscribers
    • Unlimited integrated checkouts
    • Sales pages, subscriptions, payment plans

Sendy

$69/one-time
  • Sendy licence$69/one-time
    • One-time purchase, no subscription
    • Free updates only up to the next major version
    • Unlimited lists, subscribers and campaigns
  • AI Assistant bundle$39/one-time
    • Optional add-on, listed at a discount from $49
    • AI writing assistance inside the campaign editor
  • Installation service$79/one-time
    • Optional one-off setup by the vendor
    • For buyers who do not want to configure hosting and SES themselves

Which should you pick?

Choose Flodesk if

  • You want to start without paying.
Flodesk review

Choose Sendy if

  • You need one-time licence.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want amazon ses delivery.
Sendy review

Questions people ask

Is Flodesk or Sendy better?
Neither clearly leads. Flodesk starts at Free and Sendy at $69/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flodesk or Sendy?
Flodesk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Flodesk and $69/one-time for Sendy.
Does Flodesk or Sendy run on more platforms?
Flodesk runs on Web. Sendy runs on Web, Linux.
Can I use Flodesk for free?
Yes. Flodesk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sendy starts at $69/one-time.
What is Flodesk best used for?
Flodesk is most often used for designers creating branded emails without external design software, content creators building automations with high form conversion, small entrepreneurs consolidating multiple email tool costs, membership businesses processing recurring payments through checkout. Of those, designers creating branded emails without external design software and content creators building automations with high form conversion are not what Sendy is typically brought in for.
What can Flodesk do that Sendy cannot?
Sendy covers One-time licence, Amazon SES delivery, Multiple brands, Autoresponders.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flodesk: How much does Flodesk cost?

Flodesk offers a free plan and four paid plans with variable pricing based on subscriber count. Lite ranges from $0.25 to $25 per month, Pro from $0.28 to $1,457 per month, and Everything from $0.54 to $1,766 per month for up to 255,000 subscribers.

Source
Sendy: What does it actually cost to send?

The licence is $69 once. Delivery is Amazon SES at roughly $1 per 10,000 emails, plus your own hosting, so a 50,000-contact weekly newsletter costs a few dollars a month to send.

Flodesk: Is there a free version of Flodesk?

Yes, Flodesk offers a free plan that includes forms, landing pages, audience segmentation, and unlimited email sending to unlimited active subscribers.

Source
Sendy: Are updates free forever?

No. Updates are free up to the next major version, for example within 7.x. Moving from 7.x to 8.x is a paid upgrade.

Flodesk: Does Flodesk offer annual billing discounts?

Annual plans offer 1 month free compared to monthly billing, providing a discount for customers who commit to annual subscriptions.

Source
Sendy: Do I need to know how to set up a server?

Standard PHP and MySQL hosting is enough and the vendor compares it to installing WordPress, but the SES side needs AWS configuration. An $79 installation service is offered if you would rather not.

Sendy: What happens if Amazon suspends my SES account?

Your sending stops until you resolve it with AWS. There is no alternative delivery route built in, and this is the single biggest operational risk of the model.

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