Twilio Email API vs Twilio SendGrid
Twilio Email API
twilio.comTwilio SendGrid
twilio.comSide by side
| Figure | Twilio Email API | Twilio SendGrid |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $19.95/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 5 |
| Spec score · Transactional email services | 7.4 (#34) | 9.1 (#2) |
| Spec score · Transactional Email Software | 7.4 (#36) | 8.2 (#19) |
| Founded | 2008 | 2008 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States | San Francisco, CA |
| Purpose | Twilio Email lets teams add transactional email to applications and existing cross-channel workflows through the Twilio Console. | Twilio SendGrid is a cloud-based SMTP provider and email delivery engine that sends email without customers maintaining their own email servers. |
| Support | Twilio SendGrid says its email experts can help with setup, troubleshooting, deliverability, and open rates. | Twilio offers professional services from email experts to help configure email, troubleshoot issues, and improve deliverability and open rates. |
Plans
Twilio Email API
- Twilio Email free trialFree
- Twilio Email pay-as-you-goFree
Twilio SendGrid
- Free TrialFree
- Pay as you goFree
- Essentials$19.95 a month
- Pro$89.95 a month
- PremierPriced on request
In their own words
Twilio Email API
Twilio Email API lets teams add transactional and marketing email to applications and cross-channel workflows through the Twilio Console. Requests use JSON and can address one or multiple recipients; emails can be scheduled up to seven days ahead. LiquidJS templates can personalize subject, text and HTML fields, while status reporting covers sent, delivered, undelivered, opened and failed messages. Real-time email logs and deliverability tools are included. Requests with attachments have a 10 MB limit and can include no more than 10,000 recipients. The listed pay-as-you-go plan costs nothing, billed per email sent at $0.0013 per email, with no monthly base fee, feature tiers or overage charges. A 30-day free trial offers 100 free emails per day. The API is listed for web and API use, with delivery by API; templates are listed as both and delivery logs are retained for 7 days. Twilio says Email and SendGrid are separate products built on the same email infrastructure, with SendGrid intended for high-volume transactional and marketing email.
Twilio SendGrid
Twilio SendGrid Email API sends email through a cloud-based delivery service, so customers do not need to maintain their own email servers. Messages can be sent through its RESTful Web API, SMTP relay, or SMTP API, with open-source client libraries for C#, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python, and Ruby. Tools include dynamic templates, an Email Validation API, deliverability insights, and email testing. The Email Activity API, Event Webhook, and Activity dashboard track deliveries, opens, clicks, bounces, unsubscribes, and spam reports. Security features listed include SPF, DKIM, DMARC, TLS encryption, and API keys that can be limited or revoked. Twilio states a 99% deliverability rate. A 60-day free trial is listed at free, with limits of 100 emails per day and 100 contacts. Pay as you go is free; Essentials starts at $19.95 a month and Pro at $89.95 a month. Each email to one recipient uses a credit, even if deferred or sent to spam. Twilio says SendGrid does not natively support HIPAA-compliant data transmission.