Amazon SES vs SendGrid
Want SES prices with a real UI? One-click sendbunny in your AWS. Pay $0 when idle.
One-time license · one-click AWS install · yours forever
You are in the right place
- Raw SES is cheap and bare: APIs without a campaign product.
- SendGrid gives a UI, but you rent their platform and accept their review.
- You want SES economics without building the ESP yourself.
What it costs at real volume
Approximate monthly send cost. sendbunny sending is raw Amazon SES. Competitor figures use publicly listed plans (verify before you buy).
| Platform | 10k emails | 50k emails | 1M emails |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw SES | ~$1 | ~$5 | ~$100 |
| SendGrid (approx.) | ~$20/mo (Essentials) | ~$20/mo (Essentials to 50k) | ~$400+/mo (Pro tier) |
| sendbunny on SES | ~$1 + $99 once | ~$5 + license | ~$100 + license |
Side by side
| Capability | sendbunny | Them |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign / list UI | sendbunny on SES: full platform | Raw SES: none · SendGrid: full hosted UI |
| Who can suspend sending | sendbunny on SES: you + AWS policy | Raw SES: AWS policy · SendGrid: their review |
| Pricing | sendbunny on SES: $99 once + SES | Raw SES: send only · SendGrid: monthly tiers |
| Idle month | sendbunny on SES: ~$0 platform | Raw SES: ~$0 · SendGrid: plan floor |
| Install | sendbunny on SES: one Create stack click | Raw SES: build it · SendGrid: signup |
What you get
- One Create stack click installs sendbunny on your SES.
- Basic is $99 once. Premium is $199. Use forever.
- Keep Amazon SES send prices. Pay $0 when idle.
- Serverless platform in your AWS instead of shared SendGrid tenancy.
Best for
- Teams who want SES prices with a real product UI
- Operators leaving SendGrid for ownership
- Builders who refuse to assemble a DIY ESP on raw SES
Not for
- People happy writing only SES SDK calls with no UI
- Teams that will not use AWS
How to switch
- Export contacts from SendGrid if you use their marketing tools.
- Install sendbunny in your AWS with one click.
- Verify domains on SES and import the list.
- Repoint transactional traffic, then cancel SendGrid.
FAQ
- Is raw SES enough?
- For pure API sending, sometimes. If you want campaigns, lists, and a UI on those SES prices, sendbunny is the one-click layer from $99.
- How is this different from SendGrid?
- SendGrid is hosted SaaS. sendbunny runs in your AWS on SES. Idle platform cost is about $0, and we do not hold a suspend button on your stack.
- What about the SES sandbox?
- New accounts start sandboxed. The app surfaces status and links the AWS production-access request so you are not guessing.
Keep reading
Own your email platform today
One click into your AWS. From $99 once. Pay $0 when idle. Scales when you send.