SMTP Relay Services vs SendGrid

Developers should use SMTP Relay Services when building applications that send automated emails, such as password resets, notifications, or newsletters, to improve deliverability and avoid email blacklisting meets developers should use sendgrid when building applications that require automated email sending, such as user registration confirmations, password resets, newsletters, or marketing campaigns. Here's our take.

SMTP Relay Services

Nice Pick

Developers should use SMTP Relay Services when building applications that send automated emails, such as password resets, notifications, or newsletters, to improve deliverability and avoid email blacklisting

Pros

• They are crucial for handling high-volume email sending, managing bounce rates, and ensuring compliance with email service provider policies like those from Gmail or Outlook
• Related to: smtp-protocol, email-authentication

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

SendGrid

Developers should use SendGrid when building applications that require automated email sending, such as user registration confirmations, password resets, newsletters, or marketing campaigns

Pros

• It is particularly valuable for handling high-volume email traffic, improving deliverability through dedicated IPs and reputation management, and simplifying compliance with regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM
• Related to: email-api, transactional-email

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. SMTP Relay Services is a tool while SendGrid is a platform. We picked SMTP Relay Services based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

SMTP Relay Services wins

Based on overall popularity. SMTP Relay Services is more widely used, but SendGrid excels in its own space.