Mailgun vs Mailjet: Which is Better in 2026?
Mailgun and Mailjet are siblings (both owned by Sinch) with different personalities. Mailgun is the developer's choice for transactional email with powerful APIs. Mailjet balances transactional and marketing with a user-friendly interface. Having integrated both, I choose based on one question: who's sending the emails, developers or marketers?
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Mailgun
Send, parse, and validate emails with a reliable developer API
Best for you if:
- • You need email features specifically
- • Mailgun is an email API service for developers sending transactional email
- • It handles email delivery, validation, and tracking at scale
Mailjet
Email marketing and transactional email
Best for you if:
- • You need email marketing features specifically
- • Mailjet is an email delivery platform for transactional and marketing emails
- • It provides email API, campaign builder, and real-time analytics
| At a Glance |  Mailgun |  Mailjet |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | FreeFree tier available | FreeFree tier available |
Best For | Email Marketing | |
Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.1/5 |
Choose Mailgun or Mailjet?
Choose Mailgun if
Send, parse, and validate emails with a reliable developer API
- Powerful API
- Email validation
- Good logs
- Your work is email-shaped, not email marketing-shaped
Choose Mailjet if
Email marketing and transactional email
- Good email delivery
- Fair pricing
- Good API
- Budget matters (Free vs Free)
- Your work is email marketing-shaped, not email-shaped
| Feature | Mailgun | Mailjet |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.2/5 518 reviews | ★4.1/5 621 reviews |
| Categories | EmailDeveloper Tools | Email MarketingTransactional Email |
In-Depth Analysis
Mailgun
Strengths
- +Superior API design and developer documentation
- +Powerful email validation and verification
- +Detailed analytics and deliverability tools
- +Flexible pay-as-you-go pricing (Flex plan)
- +Better for high-volume transactional email
Weaknesses
- -Marketing email features are basic
- -Email editor is rudimentary
- -No marketing automation
- -Support can be slow on lower tiers
Best For
Developers building transactional email systems, SaaS applications sending notifications, and high-volume senders who need deliverability tools.
Mailgun is the developer's email service. The API is excellent, documentation is comprehensive, and the focus on transactional email shows. If you're building email into your product, Mailgun should be your first consideration.
Mailjet
Strengths
- +Excellent drag-and-drop email editor
- +Marketing automation included in Premium
- +Better for mixed transactional + marketing
- +Collaborative features (20 users on Premium)
- +A/B testing built-in
Weaknesses
- -API is less sophisticated than Mailgun
- -Pricing scales quickly at higher volumes
- -No credit rollover (unused emails lost)
- -Deliverability tools not as advanced
Best For
Marketing teams sending campaigns, businesses needing both transactional and marketing email, and teams who want email design without coding.
Mailjet is the balanced choice. It handles transactional email well AND provides marketing features that marketers can actually use. The email editor and automation make it accessible to non-developers.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Developer Experience
Mailgun winsMailgun's API is cleaner, documentation is better, and SDKs are more comprehensive. Developers will prefer Mailgun.
Email Editor
Mailjet winsMailjet's Passport editor is excellent for creating marketing emails without code. Mailgun's editor is basic at best.
Marketing Features
Mailjet winsMailjet includes automation, A/B testing, and campaign management. Mailgun focuses on transactional, marketing is an afterthought.
Pricing Flexibility
Mailgun winsMailgun's Flex plan (pay-as-you-go) is better for variable volume. Mailjet's plans have fixed monthly allocations with no rollover.
Deliverability Tools
Mailgun winsMailgun offers better email validation, analytics, and deliverability features. Both have good inbox placement, but Mailgun provides more tools to optimize it.
Team Collaboration
Mailjet winsMailjet Premium includes 20 user accounts. Mailgun doesn't emphasize team features, it's developer-focused, not team-focused.
Migration Considerations
APIs are different, so plan for code changes. Both support SMTP as a fallback if you need quick migration. DNS records (SPF, DKIM) will need updating. Consider running both in parallel during transition to verify deliverability.
Pricing: Mailgun vs Mailjet
| Plan | Mailgun | Mailjet |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free Free | Free Free |
| Tier 2 | $35 Foundation | $17 month Essential |
| Tier 3 | $90 Scale | N/A |
| Tier 4 | Custom Enterprise | N/A |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Mailgun pricing and Mailjet pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Mailgun
Want the highest-rated option?
Mailgun: 4.2/5 (518 reviews). Mailjet: 4.1/5 (621 reviews).
Go with: Mailgun
Value user reviews?
Mailgun: 518 reviews (4.2/5). Mailjet: 621 reviews (4.1/5).
Go with: Mailjet
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are freemium. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Mailgun is a email tool. Mailjet is in email marketing. Pick the category that matches your needs.
How important are ratings?
Mailgun is rated higher: 4.2/5 vs 4.1/5.
Key Takeaways
Mailgun
- Higher user rating: 4.2/5 vs 4.1/5
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Mailjet
- Larger review base (621 reviews)
- Better fit for email marketing
The Bottom Line
Use Mailgun if developers own the email system and you're primarily sending transactional messages (receipts, notifications, password resets). Use Mailjet if marketers need to send campaigns without developer help, or if you need both transactional and marketing from one platform. For pure transactional at scale, Mailgun. For marketing-heavy or mixed use, Mailjet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mailgun or Mailjet cheaper?
For transactional email, Mailgun's Flex plan is often cheaper due to pay-as-you-go pricing. For marketing campaigns with fixed monthly volume, Mailjet may be better value with included features.
Can I use Mailgun for marketing emails?
Technically yes, but it's not optimized for it. No good email editor, no automation, no A/B testing. Use Mailjet or a dedicated marketing tool instead.
Which has better deliverability?
Both have good deliverability, they're owned by the same company. Mailgun offers more tools to optimize and monitor deliverability, but actual inbox rates are similar.
Should I use both Mailgun and Mailjet?
Possible but usually unnecessary. Pick based on your primary use case. If you truly need best-in-class for both, consider Mailgun for transactional + a dedicated marketing tool like Brevo or Klaviyo.