Resend vs SendGrid Comparison
Resend (modern email API) vs SendGrid (email giant). Compare their developer experience, deliverability, pricing, and which email service is right for your app.
Resend
Email for developers.
Primary Task
Transactional Email
Pricing
FreemiumKey Features
- React Email
- Simple API
- Email Analytics
SendGrid
Email delivery and marketing platform.
Primary Task
Email Platform
Pricing
FreemiumKey Features
- Transactional Email
- Marketing Campaigns
- Email Analytics
At a Glance
| Feature | Resend | SendGrid |
|---|---|---|
| Transactional Email | Yes | Yes |
| Marketing Email | No (transactional only) | Yes |
| React Email Integration | Native | No |
| SMTP Relay | Yes | Yes |
| Email Analytics | Basic | Advanced |
| Template Builder | React Email (code) | Drag-and-drop GUI |
| Free Tier | 100 emails/day | 100 emails/day |
Pros & Cons
Resend
Strengths
- Best developer experience (modern API)
- React Email integration (type-safe)
- Simple, predictable pricing
- Beautiful dashboard
- Fast onboarding (minutes)
Limitations
- Newer platform (less proven at scale)
- No marketing email features
- Fewer integrations than SendGrid
- Smaller deliverability reputation
SendGrid
Strengths
- Industry leader (proven deliverability)
- Marketing + transactional in one
- Advanced analytics and A/B testing
- Massive integration ecosystem
- Dedicated IP addresses (Enterprise)
Limitations
- Complex pricing structure
- Dated API and dashboard
- Harder to get started
- Overkill for simple transactional email
The Verdict
Choose Resend
Best for
- you're building a modern SaaS and need simple transactional email (password resets, notifications). The React Email integration and DX are unmatched.
Choose SendGrid
Best for
- you need marketing email features (newsletters, campaigns), advanced analytics, or are sending millions of emails per month and need dedicated IPs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Resend's deliverability as good as SendGrid?
SendGrid has better deliverability reputation due to longer history and larger infrastructure. Resend's deliverability is good for transactional email but SendGrid is proven at massive scale.
Can Resend send marketing emails?
Resend is focused on transactional email (password resets, notifications, receipts). For marketing email (newsletters, campaigns), use SendGrid or Loops.
Should I switch from SendGrid to Resend?
If you only use SendGrid for transactional email (not marketing), Resend offers better DX and simpler pricing. If you use SendGrid for marketing emails, stick with SendGrid.
Does Resend support custom domains?
Yes! Resend supports custom sending domains with easy DNS setup. SendGrid also supports this.