Enter a monthly email volume and this page ranks SMTP and email-API providers by the cheapest published plan that covers it. Every row links to the nanoPost review; where a provider has an affiliate URL on file, the CTA carries that link with utm_source=nanopost, utm_medium=tool, utm_campaign=cost-calculator appended.
| Provider | Plan | Plan cost / mo | Included | Overage / 1K | Effective total | CTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon SES | Pay-as-you-go | $1.00 | 10,000 | $0.10 | $1.00 | Read review → |
| Zeptomail (by Zoho) | Credit-based (10K) | $2.50 | 10,000 | $0.25 | $2.50 | Read review → |
| SMTP2GO | Starter | $10.00 | 10,000 | $1.00 | $10.00 | Read review → |
| Mailgun | Basic | $15.00 | 10,000 | $1.80 | $15.00 | Read review → |
| Postmark | Starter | $15.00 | 10,000 | — | $15.00 | Read review → |
| Elastic Email | Email API Starter | $19.00 | 50,000 | — | $19.00 | Read review → |
| SendGrid | Essentials 50K | $19.95 | 50,000 | — | $19.95 | Read review → |
| Resend | Pro | $20.00 | 50,000 | — | $20.00 | Read review → |
| SMTP.com | Essential | $25.00 | 50,000 | — | $25.00 | Read review → |
| Mailchimp Transactional Email (formerly Mandrill) | Standard + 25K email block | $40.00 | 25,000 | — | $40.00 | Read review → |
Cost = a provider’s cheapest published plan that covers your volume (or plan + published overage rate, if the “Include overage” mode is on).
All prices in USD. Where a provider has an affiliate link, the CTA carries that link with UTM tags (utm_source=nanopost, utm_medium=tool, utm_campaign=cost-calculator); otherwise it links to the nanoPost review.
How the ranking is built
- Data source. A nanoPost-maintained dataset of provider pricing: the entry-tier monthly price, the volume that tier includes, and a plan name (e.g. Essentials 50K). Every entry is spot-checked against the provider’s own pricing page and dated.
- Cheapest plan that covers the volume. For each provider, the calculator picks the lowest-cost plan whose included volume is at least what you asked for. If no plan covers the volume, the provider is skipped under strict tier match, or its published overage rate is added under the include-overage mode.
- Volume type. Transactional shows transactional-focused providers plus platforms that serve both. Marketing does the mirror. Mixed shows only providers positioned for both use cases at the same price. Mailbox providers (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail) are always excluded — they charge per user, not per message.
- Currency. All prices are USD, taken from the provider’s US pricing page. Non-USD billing regions may see different totals; check the provider’s currency selector.
- Overage rates. Only shown for providers whose pricing page publishes an explicit per-1K overage number for the entry tier. Providers without a published overage rate are excluded from the include-overage mode above their tier ceiling — the tool won’t invent numbers.
What this tool is not
Not a price comparison for dedicated IPs, inbound email add-ons, subaccount fees, or platform surcharges. Not a decision tool for compliance (HIPAA, SOC 2, EU data residency) — that lives in each provider’s nanoPost review. The cost-per-K figure is a starting point; the review is the “should I actually pick this one” filter.
Related
- Best SMTP services for WordPress — the editorial roundup with verdicts, not just prices.
- Best free WordPress SMTP plugins and services — where cost is not the constraint.
- Every provider row links to its nanoPost review for the full write-up.