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SendGrid

Ackuna vs SendGrid

Ackuna vs Twilio SendGrid side by side - monthly price at 10,000 to 300,000 emails, newsletters, SMTP relay, log history, dedicated IPs and free plans.

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Price at the same volume

Ackuna vs SendGrid: 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 monthAckunaSendGrid
10,000$19Builder, 60,000 included$19.95Essentials 50k, 50,000 included
50,000$19Builder, 60,000 included$19.95Essentials 50k, 50,000 included
100,000$59Scale, 200,000 included$34.95Essentials 100k, 100,000 included
300,000$149Startup, 500,000 included$249Pro 300k, 300,000 included

SendGrid prices from SendGrid'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.

Feature by feature

What each plan includes

FeatureAckunaSendGrid
Free plan3,000 relay, 3,000 Agent Mail and 2,500 newsletter emails a monthFree trial: 100 emails a day for 60 days
Over the monthly allowanceNo overage charges: move to the next planCharged per email over the plan; the rate is not listed on the pricing page
Newsletters (campaigns, lists, analytics)Included on every plan, from the same allowanceMarketing Campaigns, a separate plan from $15 a month
Receiving emailAgent Mail inboxes receive mail on every planInbound Parse webhook
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 StartupNot listed on the pricing page
Message log history30 days on Builder, 90 on Scale, 180 on Startup (3 on Free)3 days on Essentials, 7 days on Pro
Dedicated IPNot offeredIncluded on Pro and Premier

The short answer

Twilio SendGrid sells its Email API and its Marketing Campaigns as two separate plans. Ackuna puts newsletters, an SMTP relay and inboxes for AI agents on one plan, with one monthly email allowance shared between them.

For up to 50,000 emails the price is about the same: Ackuna Builder is $19 for 60,000 emails, SendGrid Essentials is $19.95 for 50,000. At 100,000 SendGrid Essentials ($34.95) is cheaper than Ackuna Scale ($59). At 300,000 Ackuna Startup ($149) costs less than SendGrid Pro ($249). If you also send newsletters, Ackuna includes them; SendGrid Marketing Campaigns starts at $15 a month on top.

Where Ackuna costs less

  • Newsletters are included. Every Ackuna plan has campaigns, contact lists and delivery analytics, drawn from the same allowance as your product email.
  • High volume. At 300,000 emails a month, Ackuna Startup covers 500,000 for $149; SendGrid Pro 300k is $249.
  • Message history. Ackuna keeps the relay message log for 30 days on Builder, 90 on Scale and 180 on Startup. SendGrid keeps email activity for 3 days on Essentials and 7 days on Pro.
  • A free plan that does not end. Ackuna Free has no time limit. SendGrid's free trial sends 100 emails a day for 60 days.

Where SendGrid is the better fit

  • Only transactional mail at around 100,000 a month. SendGrid Essentials 100k at $34.95 is cheaper than Ackuna Scale at $59.
  • A dedicated IP. SendGrid includes one on Pro and Premier. Ackuna does not offer dedicated IPs.
  • Large teams and subaccounts. SendGrid Pro includes up to 1,000 teammates and subusers. Ackuna Builder has 3 team seats, Scale 10 and Startup 25.

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, so an address that bounced or complained in one is not mailed from another.

Moving from SendGrid

  1. Add your sending domain in Ackuna and publish the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records it gives you. Remove the SendGrid 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. Import your contacts into Newsletters as a CSV file, leaving out the addresses that unsubscribed or bounced on SendGrid, then send a small campaign before the full list.

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 SendGrid? 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 SendGrid'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
SendGrid Pricing AlternativeRead more ->Twilio SendGrid PricingRead more ->Ackuna vs ResendRead more ->Ackuna vs PostmarkRead more ->Ackuna vs MailgunRead more ->
FAQ

Questions teams ask before switching

Is Ackuna affiliated with SendGrid or Twilio?

No. This is an independent comparison. SendGrid and Twilio and their product names belong to their owner.

Are the SendGrid prices current?

They come from Twilio's public Email API pricing page on the date shown under the price table, billed monthly in US dollars before tax. SendGrid has no paid plan below 50,000 emails, so the 10,000 row shows Essentials 50k. Check Twilio'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. SendGrid charges for each email over the plan.

Can I keep my sending domain and addresses?

Yes. You verify the same domain in Ackuna and keep sending from the same addresses. Only the DNS records change: Ackuna gives you its own DKIM records and an SPF include to publish.

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.

Create free account ->Talk to sales