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Amazon SES

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Transactional email service from AWS

Paid plans only
Paid API Tools Email Cloud & Infrastructure
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Reviews on G2 Capterra
326 reviews tracked 3 press mentions

The Bottom Line

Price
Paid plans only. Compare plans

Key facts

  • 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

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

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 evaluate Source aws.amazon.com ↗

Ratings Across the Web

4.5 (326 reviews)

Amazon SES holds an aggregate rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 326 reviews across G2 and Capterra, last checked September 17, 2026.

G2 203 reviews
4.3/5
Capterra 123 reviews
4.7/5

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

  • Email sending API
  • High deliverability
  • Bounce handling
  • Reputation dashboard
  • Email receiving
  • Pay-per-use pricing

Pricing Plans

Pricing checked Sep 28, 2026

Amazon SES plans and prices, checked September 2026
PlanPriceDetails
Pay-as-you-go

$0.10 / 1000 emails

  • Outbound emails
  • $0.12/GB for attachments
  • Email templates
+2 more
  • 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 cost View full pricing

Is Amazon SES worth the price?

Great value

Amazon SES offers a highly competitive and generally fair pricing model, especially for its pay-as-you-go outbound and inbound email services at $0.10/1000 emails.

The dedicated IP options, particularly the Standard at $24.95/IP/month, provide flexibility for those needing strict control. This pricing is best for businesses of all sizes looking for a scalable and cost-effective email infrastructure.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Attachments at $0.12/GB add up.

Inbound email chunks are $0.09/1000.

Full Amazon SES pricing: every plan, hidden costs and alternatives

How Amazon SES's pricing compares

At $0.10/mo, billing unit not specified, Amazon SES is the most affordable of its 3 comparable direct competitors.

Amazon SES
$0.10
SendGrid
$19.95
Sparkpost
$20
Mailgun
$90

Entry paid plan, monthly. Pricing checked Sep 28, 2026.

Reviews

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4.5/5

Across 326 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
Sendinblue Freemium

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

4.5
Mailgun logo
Mailgun Freemium

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

4.1
SendGrid logo
SendGrid Freemium

Deliver transactional and marketing emails with powerful APIs

4.1
Postmark logo
Postmark Freemium

Reliable, fast transactional email delivery for developers

4.7
Sparkpost logo
Sparkpost Freemium

High-volume email sending with expert deliverability

3.9
See all API 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 Sendinblue Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins Amazon SES vs Mailgun Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins Amazon SES vs SendGrid Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins

Explore More

Amazon SES FAQ

How does Amazon SES support transactional email for applications?

Amazon SES is designed to send transactional emails like password resets, order confirmations, and notifications at scale. It handles the underlying email infrastructure, allowing applications to reliably send necessary communications without managing servers.

What kind of user or team benefits most from Amazon SES?

Teams that need to send transactional emails reliably and at scale, especially those already using AWS for their applications, will find Amazon SES beneficial. It suits developers and operations teams focused on application functionality rather than email infrastructure.

How is Amazon SES priced?

Amazon SES operates on a pay-per-email model, meaning users only incur costs for the emails they send. There is no monthly minimum charge, making it a cost-effective option for varying email volumes.

Can Amazon SES be used for marketing campaigns?

No, Amazon SES is specifically designed for transactional emails and is not intended for marketing email campaigns. Its feature set is basic, focusing on reliable delivery for application-generated messages.

How does Amazon SES compare to SendGrid for email sending?

Amazon SES is generally considered a more cost-effective option for sending transactional emails, especially for users already within the AWS ecosystem, and offers high deliverability. SendGrid, while also providing transactional email, may offer a different feature set or pricing structure.

What are the main trade-offs when choosing Amazon SES?

The main trade-offs include a more complex setup process and a minimal user interface, which may require more technical expertise. Additionally, reputation management is a manual process, and the service offers only basic features, not suitable for marketing emails.

Source: aws.amazon.com

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