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What is SendGrid?
SendGrid is a cloud-based SMTP provider and email delivery platform owned by Twilio. It delivers over 200 billion emails every month and serves as part of Twilio's broader customer engagement platform with enterprise-grade reliability.
SendGrid news
Retirement of SendGrid Free Plans Announced
Twilio announced the retirement of free Email API and Marketing Campaigns plans, effective 60 days later. Existing free accounts received 60 days notice.
SendGrid Free Plan Access Ended
Email sending was paused for all free plan accounts. Users unable to upgrade were locked out of sending.
2026 Pricing Data Verified
Pricing verified against live Twilio calculator showing Email API Essentials at $19.95 (50K) and $34.95 (100K), and Pro plans ranging $89.95-$1,099.
SendGrid Pricing Current as of Q4 2026
Pricing structure confirmed stable with no changes from August 2026 snapshot. 60-day free trial remains standard for new accounts.
Key features
Email API
Scalable transactional email delivery via API or SMTP with world-class infrastructure
Marketing Campaigns
Separate product for email newsletters with visual campaign editor, automation, drip campaigns, and sign-up forms
Email Templates
Pre-built templates and design tools with Handlebars conditional support for dynamic content
Email Validation
Email verification service to maintain list quality and improve deliverability
Dedicated IP Options
Pro plans and Marketing Campaigns Advanced include one dedicated IP; additional IPs available at $30/month each
Analytics & Reporting
Real-time analytics, activity history, and engagement tracking
Automation
Email automation and drip campaigns available in Marketing Campaigns Advanced tier and higher
SendGrid pricing
SendGrid offers no annual discount; billing is monthly only. Free plan was retired July 26, 2025; new accounts start with a 60-day free trial. Email API and Marketing Campaigns are separate products requiring separate purchases.
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Email API - Free Trial | $0 for 60 days | 100 emails per day, 100 contacts |
| Email API - Essentials 50K | $19.95/month | 50,000 emails/month, overage at $1.33 per 1,000 |
| Email API - Essentials 100K | $34.95/month | 100,000 emails/month, overage at reduced rate |
| Email API - Pro 100K | $89.95/month | 100,000 emails/month, dedicated IP, up to 1,000 teammates, 2,500 email validations/month |
| Email API - Pro (higher volumes) | $249-$1,099/month | Pro plans scale from 100K to 2.5M emails/month with dedicated IP included |
| Email API - Premier | Custom pricing | Enterprise-level support and customization |
| Marketing Campaigns - Free Trial | $0 for 60 days | 100 contacts, 100 emails/day |
| Marketing Campaigns - Basic 5K | $15/month | 5,000 contacts, 15,000 emails/month, overage at $0.004 per email or contact |
| Marketing Campaigns - Basic 10K | $25/month | 10,000 contacts, 30,000 emails/month |
| Marketing Campaigns - Advanced | $60/month | 200,000 contacts, 1,000,000 emails/month, automation, dedicated IP access |
| Marketing Campaigns - Higher tiers | Up to $900/month | Pricing scales by contact volume; includes automation and dedicated IP for Advanced tiers |
Pros & cons
Pros
- + Proven deliverability at massive scale (200+ billion emails monthly)
- + Enterprise-grade reliability and uptime
- + Separate Email API and Marketing Campaigns products provide flexibility for different use cases
- + Pro tiers include dedicated IP for improved sender reputation
- + SMTP and API options provide multiple integration paths
- + Email validation service helps maintain list quality
- + Reasonable overage rates prevent surprise costs
- + No annual commitment; 60-day free trial requires no credit card
Cons
- − Free plan retired in 2025; all new accounts start with limited trial
- − Email API and Marketing Campaigns require separate subscriptions and billing
- − No annual discount or multi-year pricing available
- − Marketing Campaigns bills on all stored contacts including unsubscribed users
- − Overage rates not clearly published for all tiers; requires inquiry
- − Smallest Email API tier is 50,000 emails/month ($19.95); no plan for smaller volumes
- − Minimum Marketing Campaigns tier requires 5,000 contacts ($15/month)
Who is SendGrid best for?
- • Transactional email at scale (receipts, password resets, alerts, notifications)
- • Product teams sending both transactional and marketing email from one vendor
- • Businesses requiring enterprise-grade deliverability and reliability
- • Teams prioritizing sender reputation management via dedicated IPs
- • Companies scaling from mid-volume to enterprise email volumes
- • Organizations needing SMTP and API flexibility for different applications
