Both Mailgun and SendGrid are among the most trusted transactional email platforms. Each offers a robust infrastructure built for developers and enterprises that demand reliable delivery, scalability, and performance.
Yet, they differ notably in deliverability controls, analytics depth, API flexibility, and integration scope.
Here’s a comprehensive, feature-by-feature comparison of their latest offerings for 2025.
Core infrastructure & deliverability
Both platforms focus heavily on dependable delivery and infrastructure reliability.
Mailgun provides a RESTful API and SMTP relay setup with full support for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication. Advanced tiers include dedicated IPs, isolated sending domains, and aggregate DMARC reporting.
Email deliverability tools such as advanced inbox placement testing and subaccount-level control make Mailgun ideal for teams managing multiple domains or clients.
SendGrid also supports RESTful APIs, SMTP relay, and SPF/DKIM/DMARC configurations. Higher tiers offer dedicated IPs and a 99% deliverability rate backed by large-scale infrastructure, the same reliability powering Shopify-scale businesses.
Email sending & validation
Mailgun excels in bulk validation, list health checks, and send time optimization (Scale plan and above). It also provides customizable suppression rules and bounce classification using machine learning to improve deliverability insights.
SendGrid focuses on ease of onboarding and single-address validation. It includes basic suppression management, A/B testing (for email marketing campaigns), and fast email analytics.
Analytics & reporting
Mailgun uses OLAP cube analytics, offering multidimensional filters, custom segmentation, and detailed engagement tracking. Users can drill down into event logs and analyze performance across multiple domains and subaccounts.
SendGrid’s real-time analytics make it easy to track campaign-level performance, opens, clicks, and delivery rates. The platform focuses on clarity and ease of use rather than granular customization.
Integrations & APIs
Mailgun offers extensive programming language support (PHP, Ruby, JS, Java, Go) and advanced developer features such as RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) for API keys, granular domain management, and GZIP compression for improved performance.
SendGrid provides official SDKs for multiple languages (Java, Python, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, C#, Go) and ready-to-use integrations with third-party plugins and CRM systems. Its user-friendly API documentation and onboarding guides simplify setup for less technical teams.
Security & access control
Mailgun delivers enterprise-level security with role-based access controls, subaccount permissions, and domain security management. Users can configure alerts through Slack, webhook, or email notifications.
SendGrid provides standard authentication, API key management, and role-driven security features, offering reliable protection for most business use cases.
Pricing & plans
Mailgun
- Flexible monthly plans.
- No daily sending limit.
- Batch sending and API-first pricing.
- Free tier (up to 100 emails/day).
- Usage tracking included.
Click here to learn about Mailgun pricing
SendGrid
- Free tier: 40,000 emails (first 30 days) + 100/day thereafter.
- Clear overage costs.
- Onboarding support and SLAs for uptime.
Click here to know more about SendGrid’s pricing.
Mailgun vs. SendGrid: A direct comparison
| Feature | Mailgun | SendGrid |
|---|---|---|
| Send Time Optimization | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| 3rd-party plugin access | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Advanced inbox placement | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Rich onboarding tools | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Multi-dimensional analytics | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Strong campaign analytics | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Programmatic RBAC | ✔️ | ❌ |
| CRM and marketing automation integrations | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Slack alerts & GZIP API | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Extensive SDK coverage | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Exploring a simpler alternative: Icegram Express
For WordPress users or small businesses that find Mailgun and SendGrid too complex or costly, a more integrated approach might make sense.
Icegram Express provides a WordPress-native email sending solution that eliminates external dependencies and complex configurations.
You can send transactional and marketing emails directly from your website, manage subscribers in one place, and track performance, all without API rate limits or steep monthly costs.
It’s a practical choice for teams that value simplicity, control, and transparency over multi-layered infrastructure.
And if you are looking for a simpler, more integrated solution – check out Icegram Mailer!
Built to work natively within WordPress, Icegram Mailer eliminates the need for third-party SMTP services or API setups. You can send emails directly from your website, ensuring better control, faster delivery, and complete ownership of your data, without recurring monthly costs or external dependencies.
It’s designed for teams that value ease, transparency, and reliability over complex infrastructure.
If your priority is to send transactional and marketing emails efficiently, without the hassle of managing multiple platforms, Icegram Mailer provides a cost-effective, WordPress-native alternative that keeps everything under your control.
Conclusion
Both Mailgun and SendGrid stand strong as dependable email delivery platforms, each excelling in different areas.
Mailgun gives developers precision control, granular analytics, and advanced deliverability tools.
SendGrid, on the other hand, simplifies large-scale sending with rich integrations, marketing automation, and an intuitive interface.
The right choice really depends on what you value most:
- Deliverability, if you need deeper control,
- Automation, if you prioritize scalability,
- Or simplicity, if you want something that just works without constant setup.
In the end, efficient email delivery isn’t about picking the most powerful tool, it’s about choosing one that fits your workflow so seamlessly, it feels invisible.
That’s where Icegram Express bridges the gap, providing effortless email delivery, complete ownership, and zero complexity.
FAQ
Can I use Mailgun or SendGrid for both transactional and marketing emails?
Yes, both platforms support transactional and marketing emails, but their strengths differ. Mailgun is primarily built for transactional and developer-centric use cases, while SendGrid extends into marketing automation, contact segmentation, and campaign-level analytics. If you’re running a WordPress site, Icegram Express or Icegram Mailer can handle both types directly within your dashboard, without relying on third-party APIs.
What kind of analytics do these platforms provide?
Mailgun focuses on multidimensional and log-level analytics, giving developers deep visibility into message performance. SendGrid provides more visual, real-time analytics for marketers tracking campaign metrics like opens and clicks.
If you’re using Icegram Express, you can access engagement stats such as delivery, opens, and clicks directly from your WordPress admin panel, simple, clear, and actionable.
When should I consider using a WordPress-native tool like Icegram Mailer instead?
If your website already runs on WordPress and you want a lightweight, all-in-one solution for sending emails without configuring APIs or managing third-party accounts, Icegram Mailer is ideal. It ensures full ownership, faster setup, and consistent delivery, perfectly suited for small businesses and content-driven websites