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Mailgun

Ackuna vs Mailgun

Ackuna vs Mailgun side by side - monthly price at 10,000 to 300,000 emails, newsletters, SMTP relay, log history, inbound routing and dedicated IPs.

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Price at the same volume

Ackuna vs Mailgun: monthly price

The cheapest plan on each side that covers the volume, billed monthly, in US dollars before tax. Ackuna's allowance is shared by newsletters, the SMTP relay and Agent Mail.

Emails a monthAckunaMailgun
10,000$19Builder, 60,000 included$15Basic, 10,000 included
50,000$19Builder, 60,000 included$35Foundation, 50,000 included
100,000$59Scale, 200,000 included$90Scale, 100,000 included
300,000$149Startup, 500,000 includedabout $310Scale, 100,000 included

Mailgun prices from Mailgun's pricing page, checked on 12 November 2026. Prices change: check the vendor's page before you decide. The lower price in each row is highlighted. At 300,000 emails the Mailgun figure is an estimate: Scale ($90) plus 200,000 emails at $1.10 per 1,000.

Feature by feature

What each plan includes

FeatureAckunaMailgun
Free plan3,000 relay, 3,000 Agent Mail and 2,500 newsletter emails a month100 emails a day
Over the monthly allowanceNo overage charges: move to the next planFrom $1.80 per 1,000 on Basic, $1.30 on Foundation, $1.10 on Scale
Newsletters (campaigns, lists, analytics)Included on every plan, from the same allowanceNot part of the Send plans
Receiving emailAgent Mail inboxes receive mail on every planInbound routes: 5 on Basic, full routing on Foundation
Inboxes with an API (apps, AI agents)Agent Mail: 3 inboxes on Free, 25 on Builder, 100 on ScaleNot offered
SMTP relayYes, credentials per verified domainYes
Sending domains1 on Free, 10 on Builder, 50 on Scale, 250 on Startup1 on Basic, 1,000 on Foundation and Scale
Message log history30 days on Builder, 90 on Scale, 180 on Startup (3 on Free)1 day on Basic, 5 days on Foundation, 30 days on Scale
Dedicated IPNot offeredIncluded on Scale; extra IPs $59 a month

The short answer

Mailgun is an email API with sending plans priced by volume (Basic, Foundation, Scale). Ackuna puts newsletters, an SMTP relay and inboxes for AI agents on one plan, with one monthly email allowance shared between them.

At 10,000 emails a month Mailgun Basic is cheaper ($15 against Ackuna Builder at $19). From 50,000 up, Ackuna costs less: $19 against $35 at 50,000, $59 against $90 at 100,000, and $149 against about $310 at 300,000, where Mailgun Scale needs overage on top of its 100,000 emails.

Where Ackuna costs less

  • From 50,000 emails a month. Ackuna Builder includes 60,000 emails for $19; Mailgun Foundation is $35 for 50,000.
  • Message history on small plans. Ackuna Builder keeps the relay message log for 30 days. Mailgun keeps logs for 1 day on Basic and 5 days on Foundation; 30 days needs Scale at $90.
  • Newsletters are included. Every Ackuna plan has campaigns, contact lists and delivery analytics. Mailgun's sending plans do not include a newsletter tool.
  • Domains on the entry plan. Ackuna Builder includes 10 sending domains; Mailgun Basic includes 1.

Where Mailgun is the better fit

  • About 10,000 transactional emails a month. Mailgun Basic at $15 is the cheaper of the two.
  • A dedicated IP and email validation. Mailgun Scale includes a dedicated IP and 5,000 address validations. Ackuna does not offer dedicated IPs.
  • Many domains and phone support. Mailgun Foundation and Scale include 1,000 domains, and Scale has phone and chat support.

One plan for three kinds of email

The mail your product sends goes through the SMTP relay, newsletters go through Newsletters, and AI agents get their own inboxes with a REST API and webhooks in Agent Mail. All three share one verified domain and one suppression list. Paid plans share one monthly allowance, so you do not pay for splitting your volume the wrong way.

Moving from Mailgun

  1. Add your sending domain in Ackuna and publish the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records it gives you. Remove the Mailgun include from your SPF record once you stop sending through it; the SPF record generator rebuilds the record for you. Check everything with the free email DNS check.
  2. Create SMTP credentials and point your app at the relay. The SMTP setup guides cover common apps.
  3. Keep both running for a few days and compare delivery before you switch fully.

New accounts start on lower daily limits until Ackuna has reviewed them, so plan a short overlap for a large volume.

Free tools

Check your domain's email DNS

Moving off Mailgun? Check the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records of the domain you send from before the switch: a record that still points at the old provider is the most common reason mail lands in spam after a move. Free, no account needed.

Email DNS CheckSPF, DMARC, MX and DKIM for one domain in one run, graded A to F, with the first thing to fix at the top.Run the check ->SPF Record CheckerLook up a domain's SPF record, count its DNS lookups against the limit of 10, and see every include it pulls in.Run the check ->DKIM Record CheckerLook up a domain's DKIM key by selector, or try the common selectors, and see the key size, revoked keys and testing flags.Run the check ->DMARC Record CheckerLook up a domain's DMARC policy, see whether it only monitors or really protects, and where the reports go.Run the check ->SPF Record GeneratorSwap Mailgun's include for your new provider's and get one valid SPF record, merged with the one you have.Open the generator ->

All free email tools ->

SMTP setup guides

Point your app at the relay

Step-by-step SMTP settings for the apps people most often move: the host, port 587 with STARTTLS, where the settings go, and how to send a test email.

SMTP for SupabaseHosted Auth SMTP settings and the self-hosted GOTRUE_SMTP_* variables, for sign-up, magic link and reset emails.Open the guide ->SMTP for WordPressThe Other SMTP mailer in WP Mail SMTP or FluentSMTP, so wp_mail() sends through an authenticated relay.Open the guide ->SMTP for n8nAn SMTP credential for the Send Email node, and the N8N_SMTP_* variables for invitations and password resets.Open the guide ->SMTP for GhostThe mail block in config.production.json, or the same settings as environment variables, for staff and member emails.Open the guide ->

All SMTP setup guides ->

Related pages
Mailgun Pricing AlternativeRead more ->Mailgun Flex PricingRead more ->Ackuna vs ResendRead more ->Ackuna vs PostmarkRead more ->Ackuna vs SendGridRead more ->
FAQ

Questions teams ask before switching

Is Ackuna affiliated with Mailgun?

No. This is an independent comparison. Mailgun and its product names belong to their owner.

Are the Mailgun prices current?

They come from Mailgun's public pricing page on the date shown under the price table, billed monthly in US dollars before tax. The 300,000 figure is an estimate: Scale's price plus Mailgun's stated overage rate, because no self-serve plan of that size is listed. Check Mailgun's page before you decide.

Does Ackuna charge for emails over the plan?

No. Ackuna has no overage charges. When the monthly allowance is used, you upgrade to the next plan. Mailgun bills extra emails from $1.10 to $1.80 per 1,000, depending on the plan.

Does Ackuna check addresses before sending?

Every import is checked for syntax, duplicates, role addresses and addresses already on your suppression list, and every address that hard-bounces is suppressed automatically. Ackuna does not sell a separate validation API like Mailgun's.

Why does a new Ackuna account have lower limits?

To protect the shared sending reputation, a new account can send at most 20 Agent Mail, 200 relay and 500 newsletter emails a day until Ackuna has reviewed it. After the review the plan limits apply.

Start sending in minutes

All three services free every month: 2,500 newsletter, 3,000 relay and 3,000 Agent Mail emails. No credit card required - upgrade only when your volume does.

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