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Amazon SES

UnclaimedEditor reviewed

Transactional email service from AWS

API ToolsEmailCloud & Infrastructure
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Reviews onG2Capterra
323 reviews tracked·3 press mentions

The Bottom Line

Entry price

Paid plans only

Biggest pro

Cheapest email sending

Biggest con

Basic features only

TL;DR - Amazon SES

  • Amazon SES is a cloud email service for sending transactional and marketing emails at scale
  • It provides high deliverability, email authentication, and detailed analytics for sent messages
  • First 62,000 emails/month free from EC2, then $0.10 per 1,000 emails
Pricing: Paid only
Best for: Enterprises & pros
4.5/5 across review platforms

What is Amazon SES?

Editorial review
Amazon SES sends transactional email at scale without running email infrastructure. Password resets, order confirmations, notifications-any email your application needs to send. The service handles deliverability reputation, bounce processing, and compliance requirements. Pay only for what you send. Integration with AWS makes it a natural choice for applications already on Amazon. Transactional email seems simple until you try to build it yourself. SES handles the complexity of reliable delivery so you can focus on your application.

Available on: Web

how we evaluateSourceaws.amazon.com ↗

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Cheapest email sending
  • High deliverability
  • Pay per email
  • Integrates with AWS
  • No monthly minimum

Cons

  • Basic features only
  • Not for marketing emails
  • Setup can be complex
  • UI minimal
  • Reputation management manual

Ratings Across the Web

4.5(323 reviews)
G2200 reviews
4.3/5
Capterra123 reviews
4.7/5

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

Email sending APIHigh deliverabilityBounce handlingReputation dashboardEmail receivingPay-per-use pricing

Pricing Plans

Pay-as-you-go

$0.10 / 1000 emails

  • Outbound emails
  • $0.12/GB for attachments
  • Email templates
  • SMTP interface
  • API access

Inbound Email

$0.10 / 1000 emails

  • Receive emails
  • $0.09/1000 email chunks
  • Route to S3, Lambda, SNS

Dedicated IP (Standard)

$24.95 / IP

  • Static IP address
  • Build your own reputation
  • Full control over sending

Dedicated IP (Managed)

$15 / account + usage

  • Auto-scaling IPs
  • Managed reputation
  • Volume-based pricing
Calculate your costView full pricing

How Amazon SES's pricing compares

At $15/mo, Amazon SES is the most affordable of its 3 direct competitors.

Amazon SES
$15
SendGrid
$19.95
Sparkpost
$20
Mailgun
$90

Entry paid plan, monthly.

Reviews

4.5/5

Across 323 verified user reviews on G2, Capterra

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Best Amazon SES Alternatives

Top alternatives based on features, pricing, and user needs.

Sendinblue logo
SendinblueFreemium

One AI-powered customer platform for all your marketing and sales needs.

4.5
SendGrid logo
SendGridFreemium

Deliver transactional and marketing emails with powerful APIs

4.1
Mailgun logo
MailgunFreemium

Send, parse, and validate emails with a reliable developer API

4.2
Postmark logo
PostmarkFreemium

Reliable, fast transactional email delivery for developers

4.5
Sparkpost logo
SparkpostFreemium

High-volume email sending with expert deliverability

3.9
See all API Tools tools →

Still deciding?

Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.

Amazon SES vs SendinblueHead-to-head: features, pricing, who winsAmazon SES vs SendGridHead-to-head: features, pricing, who winsAmazon SES vs MailgunHead-to-head: features, pricing, who wins

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Amazon SES FAQ

Is Amazon SES free?

Very affordable - first 62,000 emails/month are free when sent from EC2. After that, $0.10 per 1,000 emails. One of the cheapest email options at scale.

What does Amazon SES cost?

$0.10 per 1,000 emails sent. Plus $0.12 per GB of attachments. Incoming email is $0.10 per 1,000 emails received. Incredibly cheap for high-volume sending.

What is Amazon SES?

Simple Email Service is AWS's email sending and receiving service. Used for transactional emails, marketing campaigns, and notifications. High deliverability, low cost.

SES vs SendGrid?

SES is cheaper at scale but more DIY. SendGrid has better UI, analytics, and templates. SES for developers comfortable with AWS; SendGrid for marketing teams.

How do you improve SES deliverability?

Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Warm up new sending domains gradually. Monitor bounces and complaints. Use dedicated IPs for high volume. Follow AWS best practices.

Source: aws.amazon.com

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