SendGrid Review 2025: Features, Pricing and Alternatives
SendGrid is a powerful cloud-based platform that caters to email marketing professionals.
On SendGrid, marketers can run email campaigns plus work on email lead generation. The platform is owned by Twilio, which helps businesses run marketing on channels like SMS, voice calls, chat, and video.
SendGrid offers “Email API” plans and “Marketing Campaigns” plans.
Email API plans are for those planning to integrate SendGrid into a martech stack. For those seeking email marketing features, a SendGrid Marketing Campaigns plan would be a better fit. The two packages are priced differently.
But the key questions here are: Who is SendGrid for? What are its strengths and weaknesses? We look to SendGrid reviews online and study its features to better understand whether you should sign up for it or consider an alternative.
SendGrid: Feature-Packed Email Marketing Platform
Twilio SendGrid offers a range of features to help businesses with marketing tasks.
SendGrid tools help with:
- Email campaign management,
- Marketing automation,
- Analytics,
- Email A/B testing,
- Compliance.
A comprehensive table of its features:
| Feature | What is this feature for? |
|---|---|
| Email marketing | Create and manage email marketing campaigns, including scheduling and tracking performance metrics. |
| Autoresponders | Send automatic email responses based on predefined triggers or actions. |
| A/B testing | Test different email variations such as subject lines, content, or CTAs to determine which performs better. |
| Spam testing | Analyze email content to identify potential spam triggers. |
| Signup forms | Create customizable forms to embed on websites to capture email addresses. |
| Personalization | Insert recipient-specific information, such as name, location, or custom data to make emails more appealing. |
| Template library | Access pre-designed email templates to customize and use for email campaigns. |
| Email validation | Validate email addresses on the contacts list. The feature is only available on the top paid plans. |
| Analytics | Track performance metrics, such as delivery rates, open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. |
| Third-party integration | Integrate with third-party platforms and services, such as CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, and analytics tools. |
| Webhook | Utilize real-time communication between the ESP and external systems, allowing users to trigger actions. |
| Two-factor authentication | Enhance account security by requiring users to provide two forms of identification when accessing their account. |
SendGrid is feature-packed. Email marketers have everything they need to run different types of email campaigns.
But just how good is it? Let’s look for answers in SendGrid testimonials written by current and ex-customers.
Customer Feedback About SendGrid
Studying verified reviews online is the best way to assess how good a service is. We turned to sites like G2 and GetApp to find authentic reviews. Our goal was to get a clear idea of how customers really felt about SendGrid.
For a balanced view of things, we studied positive and negative reviews equally. We kept an eye out for recurring problems as they are typically highlighted in online reviews.
Positive Reviews of SendGrid
This happy customer has words of praise for SendGrid’s simplicity and praises the email campaign templates for marketing. The email editor gets brownie points for being user-friendly.
This long-term user uses SendGrid on a basic level. They send reminder emails and use it to manage their clinic’s customers. They’re happy with the templates and write that SendGrid is simple to use.
This customer has positive things to say about SendGrid’s email editor and the template library gets a mention as well. The client is also happy with the insight offered by email campaign metrics.
In this review, the user talks about how they use SendGrid forms to collect feedback from current customers and also grow their email list. They include points about ease of use for features like email personalization and integration.
Negative Reviews of SendGrid
In the critical reviews, we looked for recurring themes. Below, we compiled reviews with issues that were mentioned more than once.
This was the most recent review for SendGrid at the time of writing this article and it’s not a good look for SendGrid. This customer’s account was deactivated without explanation after an email blast; this made the included links fail, which made their brand look extremely unprofessional. They claim customer care did nothing to help them.
Here’s another negative review that is fairly recent and sounds similar to the previous example. This customer sent a broadcast email to 90,000 customers before their account was suddenly suspended. The user then reached out to customer service, only to be met with apathy. The user states people should stay away from SendGrid and consider an alternative.
This user thinks SendGrid sucks; they feel the platform has problems with basic functions, especially email marketing automation. Other reviews mentioned SendGrid’s automation capabilities are basic at best, but this review gives us details. The user also talks about how features like email list management, email authoring, and analytics, are rudimentary, at best.
This customer leaves negative feedback about SendGrid’s user interface. They claim there are bugs and features don’t work as intended. They also claim emails were being sent to the wrong contacts, despite them double-checking everything.
From 500 ratings, SendGrid scored a single star. As TrustPilot is a top-tier review site, this is a bad look for the email platform.
SendGrid: A Double-Edged Sword?
Let’s summarize what the reviews have told us so far:
| SendGrid: Selling Points | SendGrid: Limitations |
|---|---|
| Good email templates | Customer service |
| Simple UI | Account suspension is common |
| Friendly email editor | Customer onboarding is terrible |
| Good deliverability | Automation is basic |
Analysis of SendGrid Reviews
Online reviews of Twilio SendGrid are balanced; there are plenty of happy customers and some disgruntled ones. Here’s what we concluded from all the comments we read.
SendGrid is a good choice if:
- You want a simple email editor with lots of templates.
- You plan to grow your list using its signup forms feature.
- You want good email deliverability.
SendGrid is wrong for you if:
- You want advanced automation.
- You aren’t a very technical person.
- Customer support is critical for you.
To simplify your decision-making process, we’ll expand on the pros and cons of joining SendGrid. We also have a few alternatives you should consider, plus we’ll share reasons why.
SendGrid Strengths
SendGrid has a set of features it’s good at: a sturdy email builder, list management tools, email deliverability tests, spam filter checks, and more.
Drag-and-Drop Editor
Customers like SendGrid’s email editor as they can design visually appealing emails without coding knowledge. While it’s not exactly an uncommon feature among ESPs, SendGrid’s WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) editor works well.
As a bonus, SendGrid email testing helps detect spam and rendering issues with emails. This ensures emails are in sync with email accessibility best practices.
Template Library and Signup Forms
Another feature that is popular with SendGrid users is its template library. Having a range of options to choose from is something any email sender can appreciate, as there are always new email design requirements for new campaigns.
However, users weren’t happy about the lack of customization options. On the plus side, the templates are mobile-responsive and suitable for mobile email marketing.
Similarly, you can capture new signups with customizable, branded signup forms on your website. You can also implement a double opt-in method to confirm signups before adding them to your email list.
Deliverability
Twilio SendGrid is committed to good email deliverability and has guidelines for customers to follow. This includes instructions to warm up email domains.
Users must also implement email authentication protocols such as:
In case of issues with inbox placement, email senders can reach out to SendGrid consultants to analyze and resolve them.
SendGrid transactional email reviews are generally positive, indicating SendGrid monitors activities on its platform.
User Interface
SendGrid’s user interface is simple; there is no steep learning curve thanks to the simple layout. While it may not be apt for a complete newbie, you can figure out how to execute common tasks on this platform within a short period.
SendGrid Weaknesses
On to the bad stuff. Are there any glaring issues with SendGrid you should be aware of?
SendGrid Customer Support
SendGrid phone support is available for both tech and billing issues; but both departments have a bad reputation, going by the reviews. This, combined with users getting their accounts suspended, is giving SendGrid a bad reputation as an ESP.
The onboarding process for new users isn’t great either, which further complicates things for new signups as they attempt to set up operations and get things going.
It’s not a good look that customers are facing such problems; doubly so due to the service called SendGrid Expert Services, which charges extra to get rid of your technical issues.
Automation
SendGrid gets a lot of criticism for its automation; some users feel the controls are basic and you can’t design complex campaigns as there is no option to set up advanced conditional flows. The automation designer gets flak for having an unfriendly user interface, too.
Cost
SendGrid pricing plans can get expensive depending on the number of emails you send per month. Businesses with small email lists may like it, but it gets expensive once sending volumes get higher. There are more affordable email deliverability services available if budget is a major concern.
Analytics are Basic
SendGrid provides essential metrics such as:
However, users may find the depth of analysis could be improved. They might want more granular insights into subscriber behavior.
Is SendGrid a Good Choice or Not?
SendGrid’s poor customer service can be a dealbreaker for both its current customers and prospects. Nobody wants to go through a traumatic technical issue with no help whatsoever from their ESP.
That said, SendGrid also gets a few things right.
This table compiles everything we’ve deduced from user reviews:
| SendGrid: Pros ✅ | SendGrid: Cons ❌ |
|---|---|
| The template library is excellent. | Customer care is apathetic. |
| Deliverability rates are good. | SendGrid gets expensive at high email volume. |
| The user interface is simple and intuitive. | Automation isn’t great. |
| If you’re technically sound, Email API is simple to code and integrate | Set up of Marketing Campaigns is challenging; you may have to pay for expert assistance. |
Additional Topics for Research
If you’re considering joining SendGrid, here are relevant comparisons and guides from our blog to offer you a different perspective:
Next, we examine SendGrid pricing to see what users get for their money.
SendGrid Pricing Plans Are Complicated and Confusing
You will need to invest a fair amount of time to make sense of Twilio SendGrid pricing plans. Like most ESPs, SendGrid charges you for the size of your contacts list. The starting plans look inexpensive enough, but once you sign up and your email list grows, expect to shell out a lot more.
Let’s analyze the free tier before we compare it with paid plans
SendGrid Free Tier
SendGrid offers free tiers for Email API and Marketing Campaign plans:
| SendGrid plan | Features |
|---|---|
| Free SendGrid Email API plan | ‣ 1 user ‣ 100 emails/day ‣ APIs ‣ SMTP Relay ‣ 1 event webhooks ‣ Delivery optimization tools ‣ Dynamic template editor ‣ Analytics ‣ Ticket support ‣ Deliverability Insights |
| Free SendGrid Marketing Campaigns plan | ‣ 1 user ‣ Up to 2,000 contacts ‣ 6,000 emails/month ‣ Drag and drop email builder ‣ Segmentation ‣ Sendgrid A/B Testing ‣ 3 email testing credits ‣ 1 signup form ‣ Ticket support ‣ Automation |
SendGrid Email API Pricing Plans
Customers can opt for one of the plans below to access SendGrid’s Email API:
| SendGrid Email API plan | Cost | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | ‣ 1 user ‣ 100 emails/day ‣ APIs ‣ SMTP Relay ‣ 1 event webhooks ‣ Delivery optimization tools ‣ Dynamic template editor ‣ Analytics ‣ Ticket support ‣ Deliverability Insights |
| Essentials | $19.95/mo | ‣ All of the above + ‣ 50,000 emails per month ‣ 2 event webhooks ‣ Ticket and chat support with guaranteed response times |
| Pro | $89.95/mo | ‣ All of the above + ‣ 100,000 emails per month ‣ 1,000 users ‣ 5 event webhooks ‣ Dynamic templates ‣ Email testing ‣ Ticket, chat, and phone support with guaranteed response times ‣ 2,500 email validations ‣ Reverse DNS ‣ Dedicated IP ‣ Subuser management ‣ Single Sign-On (SSO) |
| Premier | Custom | ‣ All of the above + ‣ 5,000 email validations |
SendGrid Marketing Campaigns Pricing
If you aren’t a developer and want a UI with email marketing features and tools, pick one of the Marketing Campaigns plans below:
| SendGrid Marketing Campaigns plans | Cost | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | ‣ 1 user ‣ Up to 2,000 contacts ‣ 6,000 emails/month ‣ Drag and drop email builder ‣ Segmentation ‣ Sending A/B Testing ‣ 3 email testing credits ‣ 1 signup form ‣ Ticket support ‣ Automation |
| Basic | $15/mo | ‣ All of the above + ‣ Up to 5,000 contacts and 15,000 emails/month ‣ 10 email testing credits ‣ 5 signup forms ‣ Chat support ‣ NO automation |
| Advanced | $60/mo | ‣ All of the above + ‣ Up to 10,000 contacts and 50,000 emails/month ‣ 60 email testing credits ‣ 15 signup forms ‣ Ticket, chat, and phone support with guaranteed response times ‣ Automation ‣ Dedicated IP |
If you’re wondering about SendGrid cost and the value different SendGrid pricing plans offer, look at the paid plans offered by its competitors below.
Are There Better Alternatives to SendGrid?
The best SendGrid alternative depends on your specific needs and priorities. You should consider factors such as budget, technical support, monthly email volume, and any specific features you want.
In our opinion, these three options are excellent alternatives.
HubSpot
HubSpot is a great alternative because it goes beyond just email marketing; it offers a suite of marketing, sales, and customer service tools. Features include an automation builder, a CRM, a landing page builder, and email SEO tools.
On the free tier, you get basic CRM and marketing automation features. This can be a good option for email marketing for small businesses.
Mailchimp
If you’re a small business with a limited budget and a relatively low email volume, Mailchimp could be a good option, as it offers a free plan with a generous sending limit. It also has a user-friendly interface that’s easy to learn and navigate, even for users with no prior email marketing experience.
A key differentiating factor is that Mailchimp offers a more robust set of marketing automation features in its free tier. This allows you to create basic automated email sequences. As we mentioned in our Mailchimp review, you also get a good template library with lots of pre-designed email templates.
Campaign Refinery
If you want an ESP with the best deliverability rates in the industry, then Campaign Refinery is the answer. Our best practices are so efficient and our monitoring so robust that even with shared IPs, our inbox placement is off the charts. Of course, you can get a dedicated email IP address if you like, but you won’t need one on our platform.
We also offer a list-cleaning tool that automatically removes invalid emails from your email list, so your email sender reputation is always squeaky clean. And if you ever face technical issues, our customer care team reps are eager to help you resolve them — we can even walk you through email marketing API configurations!
And did we mention, we don’t charge for list size? There’s no need to deal with SendGrid costs — with Campaign Refinery pricing, you only pay for what you use!
Campaign Refinery: Industry-Topping Deliverability Rates
Campaign Refinery is a platform built for top-tier email professionals who want powerful, effective tools and elite email performance.
Discover the upper echelon of email marketing with Campaign Refinery — apply to be a customer today!
FAQ
What is SendGrid?
SendGrid is a cloud-based platform for sending transactional and marketing emails.
Is SendGrid Good?
SendGrid is regarded as reliable for email delivery and offers good features for email campaigns.
How Much Does SendGrid Cost?
SendGrid’s pricing starts with a free tier and scales based on email volume and features, ranging from $15 per month and up.
What Does SendGrid Do?
SendGrid helps businesses send emails at scale, including transactional emails, marketing campaigns, and email automation.
