How it works
SendGrid started in 2009 and Twilio has owned it since 2019. It offers an Email API and SMTP relay for app email, dynamic templates, event webhooks, Inbound Parse (which turns received email into webhook calls), suppression management and deliverability tools, plus a separate Marketing Campaigns product with contact lists, a visual editor, sign-up forms and automations.
Its size is both the appeal and the catch. It handles very large volumes and integrates with most platforms, but new accounts go through checks meant to keep spammers out, and on shared IP addresses your delivery depends partly on how other senders behave unless you pay for a dedicated IP. The permanent free plan ended in 2025 and was replaced by a 60-day trial.
SendGrid pros and cons
Pros
- Handles very large volumes, for app and marketing email alike
- Mature tooling: templates, Inbound Parse, webhooks and suppressions
- Integrations with most CRMs, shop platforms and frameworks
Cons
- No permanent free plan, only a 60-day trial
- More setup and a busier dashboard than newer services
- On shared IP addresses, delivery depends partly on other senders
When to use SendGrid
Pick it when
- One account must cover app email and marketing campaigns
- Large or growing volume that needs dedicated IPs and subuser accounts
Skip it when
- A small app that only sends password resets and receipts
SendGrid pricing
Paid
A 60-day free trial allows 100 emails a day. Essentials starts at $19.95 a month and Pro, which includes a dedicated IP, at $89.95; prices rise with volume. Marketing Campaigns is billed separately.
SendGrid pricing page (opens in a new tab)Approximate, checked September 2026.What the other tools cost