Amazon SES
AWS's bulk and transactional email service with the lowest per-email cost: $0.10 per 1,000 emails pay-as-you-go.
- Pay as you go
- Per email
- Cloud (AWS)
- Email infrastructure
- Independent sources
- Verified 11 Nov 2026Sources are dated on this profile
- 1 sourceLinked, typed and dated
- Independent third-party sourcesHow this profile was compiled
- Not an endorsementStack18 has not tested this product
What is Amazon SES?
Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is AWS's email sending and receiving infrastructure, billed per email with optional managed tiers.
- Best forEngineering teams wanting the lowest per-email cost
- Team size fitSmall teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- PricingPay-as-you-go $0.10 per 1,000; Essentials $0.16 per 1,000 (default for new accounts); Pro $105/mo base; Enterprise $500/mo base; up to $200 AWS credits for new customers.
- Main limitationBare infrastructure.
- AlternativesSendGrid, Mailgun, Resend · compare all
Amazon SES overview: who it is for and what it does.
SES provides raw email sending and receiving on AWS at very low cost.
An October 2026 guide lists pay-as-you-go at $0.10 per 1,000 emails, Essentials at $0.16 per 1,000 (the default for new accounts), Pro at a $105 monthly base and Enterprise at $500, with up to $200 AWS credits for new customers.
It notes SES is bare infrastructure: you build templates, monitoring and reputation management.
Main problem it solves
Sends huge volumes cheaply.
Typical customer segment
AWS users of all sizes.
Target users
- Developers
- DevOps
- Platform teams
Primary use cases
- Transactional email
- Bulk email
- Inbound email
- AWS workloads
What makes it distinct
- Lowest cost.
- AWS-native.
- DIY tooling.
Amazon SES features explained.
Pricing
- Pay-as-you-go
- $0.10 per 1,000.
- Essentials
- $0.16 per 1,000 (default).
- Credits
- Up to $200 for new customers.
Managed tiers
- Pro
- $105 a month base.
- Enterprise
- $500 a month base.
- Free plan
- None.
DIY
- Templates
- Build your own.
- Monitoring
- Build your own.
- Reputation
- Manage yourself.
Amazon SES pricing and plans.
Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 11 Nov 2026 against Dupple.
Pricing model
Usage per 1,000 emails plus optional base fees.
Free plan
Credits only
Free trial
Not documented
Amazon SES plans and prices (USD)
Pay-as-you-go
$0.10 per 1,000 emails
Usage
Raw sending.
Essentials
$0.16 per 1,000 emails
Usage
Default for new accounts.
Pro
$105 per month base
Monthly
Managed features.
Enterprise
$500 per month base
Monthly
Large senders.
Dupple (October 2026).
Prices change. Confirm current plans and terms on the vendor's site before you decide.
Visit official website (external) ↗See alternativesAmazon SES integrations, API and platforms.
Important integrations
- AWS Lambda
- Amazon SNS
- CloudWatch
- Amazon S3
Supported platforms
- API
- Web
API
Core product is an API.
Data import and export
Not reviewed for this profile.
Integration coverage was not assessed in full. Check Amazon SES's integrations directory and documentation for your tools.
Amazon SES pros and cons.
Strengths, limitations and best fit. Each point cites a source; editorial summaries are not customer reviews.
Best for
- Engineering teams wanting the lowest per-email cost
- High-volume senders on AWS
- Platform builders
May be less suited to
- Non-technical teams
- Teams wanting templates and dashboards
Top Amazon SES alternatives and competitors.
SendGrid
Twilio's email platform for transactional and marketing email, from $19.95 a month (Essentials) after a…
Explore →Related productMailgun
A developer email API with analytics, validation and inbound routing, free for 100 emails a day and from…
Explore →Related productResend
A modern developer email API with React Email support, free for 3,000 emails a month and Pro at $20 for…
Explore →Amazon SES compared with similar transactional email and SMS API services.
Summaries come from each profile. This is a side-by-side aid, not a ranking.
| Product | Pricing model | Starting price | Free tier | Channel | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon SES | Per 1,000 emails | $0.10/1,000 | Credits only | Lowest cost | |
| MailerSend | Volume tiers | Free; $7/mo | Yes (500/mo) | Email + SMS | Templates + SMS |
| Mailgun | Volume tiers | Free; $15/mo | Yes (100/day) | Developer control | |
| Mailtrap | Volume tiers | Free; $30/mo | Yes (4,000/mo) | Testing + sending | |
| Plivo | Per message | $0.0077/SMS (US) | No | SMS + voice | Low rates |
| Postmark | Volume tiers | $15/mo | Yes (100/mo) | Deliverability |
Amazon SES vs competitors: head-to-head comparisons.
Each comparison has a feature table, pricing side by side, strengths and limits, and best-fit scenarios.
Amazon SES discussions and buying questions.
No published discussions mention this product yet.
Amazon SES questions and answers
What is Amazon SES used for?
Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is AWS's email sending and receiving infrastructure, billed per email with optional managed tiers. Typical uses include transactional email, bulk email, inbound email, aWS workloads.
How much does Amazon SES cost?
$0.10 per 1,000 emails pay-as-you-go; Essentials is $0.16 per 1,000 and the default for new accounts.
Does SES have a free tier?
No permanent free tier; new customers can get up to $200 in AWS credits.
Does SES include templates and dashboards?
It is bare infrastructure; you build those.
How does Amazon SES compare with its competitors?
Stack18 publishes head-to-head comparisons of Amazon SES vs SendGrid, each with a feature table, pricing and best-fit scenarios.
What are the main alternatives to Amazon SES?
The main alternatives to Amazon SES covered on Stack18 are SendGrid, Mailgun and Resend. SendGrid may suit teams wanting one vendor for transactional and marketing email. Mailgun may suit developers needing analytics, validation and inbound email. Resend may suit developers building modern apps with React. See the Amazon SES alternatives guide for a side-by-side table.
What are the pros and cons of Amazon SES?
Strengths: Lowest per-email cost. AWS-native. Limitations: Bare infrastructure. No permanent free tier.
Who is Amazon SES best for?
Amazon SES may suit engineering teams wanting the lowest per-email cost; high-volume senders on AWS; platform builders. It may be less suited to non-technical teams; teams wanting templates and dashboards.
What integrations does Amazon SES support?
Documented integrations and ecosystem items include AWS Lambda, Amazon SNS, CloudWatch, Amazon S3. API: Core product is an API.
When was the Amazon SES profile last verified?
Sources for this profile were last reviewed on 11 Nov 2026. 1 source is listed under Sources, and prices and plans can change, so confirm with the vendor.
Where this information comes from.
- The Best Transactional Email Services in 2026 (updated 14 October 2026) Dupple Third-party Accessed 11 Nov 2026
Secondary-source profile. Vendor pages were not reviewed directly for this profile. Facts and prices are taken from independent third-party sources and may differ from the vendor's current pages. Confirm with the vendor before buying.
Pricing comes from dated 2026 guides; usage-based bills depend on volume, carrier fees and add-ons. Confirm with the vendor before buying. Capabilities were not tested.
Stack18 has not tested this product or received anything from the vendor for this profile. Editorial summaries of vendor information are not endorsements. Confirm details with the vendor before buying.
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