Provider comparison
Resend vs SendGrid: Pricing and Features Compared
Resend vs SendGrid compared on free tier, price, domains, SDKs, inbound email and dedicated IPs, with figures checked on each vendor's own pages in October 2026.
Resend and SendGrid both send transactional email by API, but they price differently. Resend has a free-forever plan with 3,000 emails a month, then $20 a month for 50,000 emails. SendGrid offers a 60-day trial, then Essentials from $19.95 a month, with a dedicated IP bundled into Pro from $89.95. Resend adds SDKs in nine languages and React Email. Figures were checked on each vendor's own pages in October 2026, and a third option, SendHQ, closes the page.
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Key takeaways
- Free tier: Resend has a free-forever plan with 3,000 emails a month (100 a day) and 3 domains. SendGrid offers a 60-day trial at 100 emails a day.
- Entry price: Resend Pro is $20 a month for 50,000 emails with 10 domains. SendGrid Essentials starts at $19.95 a month.
- At the top self-serve tier, Resend Scale is $90 a month for 100,000 emails and 1,000 domains. SendGrid Pro starts at $89.95 a month and includes a dedicated IP.
- Resend is monthly-only and takes major credit cards. SendGrid sells on volume and features, with Premier on custom pricing that sits above Pro and above every SendHQ plan.
- SendHQ is a third option if you want sending and inbound inboxes for agents in one workspace at a lower starting price.
How we compared
We compared Resend and SendGrid on free tier, price at the entry and top self-serve tiers, domains, inbound email, dedicated IPs, billing terms and agent support. Everything is taken from each vendor's own pricing page or documentation. As of October 2026. Prices are in US dollars and change; confirm on the vendor page before you buy.
- Free tier and entry price
- Domains and webhook limits
- Inbound email and SMTP
- Dedicated IPs and security
- Billing terms and agent support
Pricing and free tier
Resend's Free plan is $0 a month with 3,000 emails a month, a 100-emails-a-day cap, 3 domains and 30-day data retention. Resend says plainly that it offers no free trial, only the free-forever plan, and that it sells monthly plans only. SendGrid does the reverse: a free trial for 60 days at 100 emails a day, then a paid plan.
| Plan tier | Resend | SendGrid |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free: $0 a month, 3,000 emails a month, 100 a day, 3 domains | Free trial: $0 a month for 60 days, 100 emails a day |
| Entry paid | Pro: $20 a month, 50,000 emails, 10 domains, 5 webhook endpoints; extra emails $0.90 per 1,000 | Essentials: starts at $19.95 a month; the page lists 50,000 to 100,000 emails a month, 2 event webhooks |
| Top self-serve | Scale: $90 a month, 100,000 emails, 1,000 domains, 10 webhook endpoints | Pro: starts at $89.95 a month for 100,000 to 2,500,000 emails, 5 event webhooks, dedicated IP included |
| Enterprise | Enterprise: contact sales, priced above Scale and higher than any SendHQ plan; 99.99% uptime SLA, dedicated CSM | Premier: custom pricing, above Pro and higher than any SendHQ plan |
| Dedicated IP | Add-on at $30 a month, available to customers exceeding 3,000 emails a day on Scale | Included on Pro and Premier; more IPs can be purchased as an add-on |
Developer experience and agents
Resend documents official SDKs for Node.js, PHP, Ruby, Python, Go, Rust, Elixir, Java and .NET, an SMTP relay, React Email, batch sending and scheduled sends. It also runs a hosted MCP server that lets an agent send email, manage contacts and handle inbound messages. SendGrid lists SMTP and API access and client libraries across its plans, with an Editor for dynamic templates (plus testing on Pro).
Inbound email
Resend supports receiving email, and each received email counts toward your plan's email quota (Resend docs). SendGrid supports receiving through the Inbound Parse webhook (SendGrid docs). Both deliver parsed messages to your application by webhook.
Teams, security and scale
SendGrid Pro lists subuser management, single sign-on, 1,000 additional teammates and 2,500 email validations. Resend sells single sign-on as a $150 a month add-on on Scale and includes it on Enterprise. If you run many customer accounts under one SendGrid login, subusers are a real advantage. If you run many sending domains, Resend Scale at 1,000 domains is a strong fit, and extra domain packs of 100 are $20 a month on Pro and Scale.
Which one fits your use case
| If you need | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A free plan with no end date | Resend | Free-forever plan with 3,000 emails a month |
| SDKs in many languages and React Email | Resend | Nine documented SDK languages plus React Email |
| A dedicated IP bundled into the plan | SendGrid | Pro and Premier include one; Resend charges $30 a month as an add-on |
| Subusers and a very large team | SendGrid | Pro lists subuser management and 1,000 additional teammates |
| Many domains at the top self-serve tier | Resend | Scale includes 1,000 domains |
A third option: SendHQ
SendHQ gives every product, service and AI agent its own inbox and sending identity, with inbound mail, threads and labels available through the API, MCP and CLI. Its Starter plan is $9 a month for 50,000 emails and 25 verified domains, against $20 for 50,000 emails and 10 domains on Resend Pro. Scale is $39 a month for 200,000 emails and 100 domains.
SendHQ accepts the common Resend-style JSON fields for direct HTTP sends, but it is not a drop-in replacement for the Resend SDK, and it has no SMTP relay. If you rely on Resend's SDKs, React Email or scheduled sends, stay on Resend. If you want a lower price, more domains per dollar and inboxes for agents, read the migration notes, our Resend alternative guide, the post on Resend-compatible email APIs and our SendGrid alternative guide.
Sources and dates
Competitor prices and limits were read on these pages on . SendHQ details come from its own live site.
Questions teams ask
Is Resend cheaper than SendGrid?
At the entry tier they are close: Resend Pro is $20 a month for 50,000 emails, and SendGrid Essentials starts at $19.95 a month. Resend also has a free-forever plan, while SendGrid has a 60-day trial.
Does Resend have a free plan?
Yes. Resend's Free plan is $0 a month with 3,000 emails a month, a 100-a-day cap and 3 domains. Resend says it offers no free trial, only the free-forever plan.
Does Resend include a dedicated IP?
No. Resend sells a dedicated IP as a $30 a month add-on, available to customers exceeding 3,000 emails a day on Scale. SendGrid Pro and Premier include one.
Can Resend and SendGrid receive email?
Yes. Resend supports receiving email and counts each received email toward your quota. SendGrid receives mail through the Inbound Parse webhook.
Does Resend support SMTP?
Yes. Resend documents an SMTP interface alongside its API. SendGrid also supports SMTP and API sending.
How does SendHQ compare with Resend and SendGrid?
SendHQ is $9 a month for 50,000 emails and 25 domains, and gives each agent or product its own inbox. It accepts common Resend-style JSON fields but is not a drop-in for the Resend SDK, and it has no SMTP relay.