AWS SES vs SendGrid - Choosing the Right Email Service Provider
Email marketing is a vital tool in today's digitalized world. As a business owner, you might face the dilemma of choosing the right email service provider (ESP) for your company. The battle of which ESP stands out amongst the others is an ongoing one. Two of the most popular and reliable email service providers in the market are Amazon Web Services' (AWS) Simple Email Service (SES) and SendGrid. In this article, we will be comparing the two email service providers, weighing all the pros, and cons of each platform to help you make the right decision.
AWS SES and SendGrid - A Quick Overview
Amazon Web Services' (AWS) Simple Email Service (SES)
Amazon SES stands for AWS Simple Email Service, which enables businesses of all sizes to deliver email capabilities to their customers in a cost-effective manner. Amazon SES makes the process of sending emails simple and scalable, providing an easy-to-use email sending platform that is built on AWS infrastructure.
AWS SES offers transactional email, mass email, and email analytics to help businesses create personalized and dynamic emails for their customers.
SendGrid
SendGrid is a cloud-based email delivery platform that assists businesses with marketing campaigns, transactional messaging, and email API support. It has an email marketing platform that offers tools such as A/B testing, campaign reports, and email templates for businesses.
SendGrid provides developers with tools and options to add email features to their apps through their API. It also offers email marketing features such as landing pages, email templates, and scheduled sending.
1. Deliverability
Deliverability is a crucial factor when choosing an ESP. AWS SES and SendGrid both have their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to email deliverability.
According to the 2021 Email Benchmark and Engagement Study by Validity, AWS SES had a higher deliverability rate of 96%, while SendGrid's deliverability rate was 93.7%.
Verdict: AWS SES wins.
2. Spam Filters
Both AWS SES and SendGrid use spam filters to keep their customer's emails from being labeled as spam. AWS SES uses Amazon SNS for content filtering, message filtering, and IP blacklisting. SendGrid has a proprietary system that they use to filter spam.
Again, Amazon SES is better when it comes to spam filters, as it provides transparent information on how to maintain your sender reputation.
Verdict: AWS SES wins.
3. Pricing
Pricing is a crucial element for small businesses when it comes to choosing an ESP. AWS SES offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model, while SendGrid has a freemium pricing model and a pay-as-you-go model as well. SendGrid's free plan allows for up to 100 emails per day, while AWS SES allows for up to 62,000 emails per month.
Verdict: SendGrid wins in terms of providing a free plan. But if your business needs more than a 100 emails per day, AWS SES becomes more cost-effective.
4. Support
Both AWS SES and SendGrid offer reliable customer support via email, phone, and incident tickets. However, AWS SES has better documentation and an online community of developers, which makes it easier for newcomers to troubleshoot issues on their own.
Verdict: AWS SES wins.
5. Compliance
When it comes to compliance, both AWS SES and SendGrid are up to standards. They both have compliance with GDPR and other international privacy laws. However, AWS SES has been certified with more regulatory compliances like SOC 1, SOC 2, and ISO 27001.
Verdict: AWS SES wins.
Conclusion
Both AWS SES and SendGrid are reliable email service providers with their unique features. AWS SES emerges victorious when it comes to deliverability, spam filters, and support. While SendGrid shines when it comes to pricing and providing a free plan. Compliance-wise, AWS SES has more certifications than SendGrid.
When it comes to choosing the right email service provider, it is crucial to consider multiple factors that align with your business needs, rather than relying on just one factor. However, we hope that this comparison has provided enough insight to make an informed decision.