We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
It's a split decision.
Choose Resend for an email API with SDKs across nine languages, a CLI and a free plan that continues beyond a trial. Choose Twilio SendGrid if you need published monthly volume tiers, an SMTP service or campaign tools for marketers. Both are hosted email services; SendGrid lists prices for plans from 50,000 emails per month, while Resend’s Pro and Scale prices are not published. Check expected volume and migration requirements before committing.
01Side by side
| Resend | Twilio SendGrid | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Monthly plans; Pro and Scale rates unpublished | Monthly volume tiers from $19.95 |
| Free tier | Ongoing Free plan; 100 emails daily | 60-day trial; 100 emails daily |
| API and SDKs | Email API; SDKs for nine languages | Email API and SMTP service |
| CLI and docs | CLI, REST, SMTP and language SDKs | API documentation hosted on Twilio.com |
| Integrations | SDKs and API options for applications | Partner help for integrations and custom solutions |
| Deployment model | Hosted email API and tools | Hosted Email API and SMTP |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Limits and scaling | Paid plans have no daily sending limit | Monthly tiers listed up to 2.5 million emails |
Resend Choose Resend if
- Choose Resend if you want SDKs across nine listed languages.
- Choose Resend if an ongoing free plan fits your sending volume.
- Choose Resend if you need a CLI or REST and SMTP options.
Twilio SendGrid Choose Twilio SendGrid if
- Choose Twilio SendGrid if you want published monthly volume tiers.
- Choose Twilio SendGrid if your app sends through SMTP.
- Choose Twilio SendGrid if you need email campaign tools for marketers.
02Pricing at real usage
Resend’s Free plan costs $0 per month and includes 100 emails daily, three inboxes, three custom domains and 30-day data retention. The vendor lists monthly billing, but no Pro or Scale price. Pro adds no daily sending limit; Scale lists up to 1,000 custom domains. Paid add-ons include 100 extra domains for $20/month on Pro and Scale, and dedicated IPs for $30/month on Scale, available above 3,000 emails/day.
Twilio SendGrid’s 60-day free trial also allows 100 emails/day. Essentials costs $19.95/month for 50,000 emails or $34.95 for 100,000. Pro starts at $89.95/month for 100,000 emails and includes a dedicated IP. Higher-volume Pro tiers reach $1,099/month for 2.5 million emails. The pricing page does not list overage prices; secondary documentation gives per-email rates for some tiers.
03API, SDKs and integration
Resend provides an email API and lists SDKs for Node.js, Ruby, Python, PHP, Go, Rust, Java, Elixir and .NET. Its integration options also include a CLI, REST and SMTP. The API supports transactional and marketing email; the product includes contact management, analytics and webhooks for delivery, opens, bounces and clicks. Test mode simulates events without sending real email.
Twilio SendGrid offers an Email API and SMTP service, plus campaign tools for marketers. Its documentation is now on Twilio.com, where Twilio says the SendGrid email products and documentation remain supported. The homepage describes partner help with Email API integrations, deliverability optimization and custom solutions. The listed materials do not name SendGrid language SDKs or a CLI, so confirm the SDK and workflow you plan to use in its current documentation before choosing. Both products are web-based services, not libraries to deploy as part of your application.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Resend and Twilio SendGrid do not publish an open-source licence or self-hosting option in their product details, and they do not state data-export terms there. Treat both as hosted services, and ask each vendor about export formats, retention after cancellation and how to retrieve contacts, event history and templates before you commit.
Plan for some migration work if you switch providers. Resend’s API, SDKs, CLI, SMTP options and modular webhooks form one integration surface; SendGrid offers its Email API and SMTP service. Your team should inventory application calls, sending configuration and webhook consumers, then map them to the destination provider. The two services expose different integration options, so avoid assuming an API or event handler can move unchanged.
Questions people ask
Is Resend cheaper than Twilio SendGrid?
Resend has a $0 Free plan with 100 emails daily, but its Pro and Scale rates are not published. Twilio SendGrid lists Essentials at $19.95/month for 50,000 emails and $34.95 for 100,000. Compare those published SendGrid tiers with a Resend quote for your expected volume.
Does Resend have a free plan?
Yes. Resend’s Free plan is $0 per month and includes 100 emails daily, three inboxes, three custom domains and 30-day data retention. Twilio SendGrid instead lists a 60-day free trial with 100 emails/day, one additional teammate and one event webhook.
Can I use Twilio SendGrid with SMTP?
Yes. Twilio SendGrid offers an SMTP service as well as its Email API. Resend also lists SMTP as an integration option, alongside its API, CLI and language SDKs. Check each provider’s current documentation for the implementation details that fit your application.
Which languages does Resend support?
Resend lists SDKs for Node.js, Ruby, Python, PHP, Go, Rust, Java, Elixir and .NET. It also lists a CLI, REST and SMTP options. Twilio SendGrid’s product details describe its Email API and SMTP service but do not name specific language SDKs.