Resend vs SendGrid vs Dreamlit (2026)

If you're shopping for a transactional email API, Resend and SendGrid are probably the two names on your list. SendGrid's been around since 2009 but feels its age. Resend is the modern alternative, but it's still a developer tool: API keys, React templates, code in your app.

Then there's a third option that works differently from both: no API, no code, and anyone on your team can use it.

Last updated: February 20, 2026 Data points in this comparison were last verified: February 19, 2026

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Quick comparison

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SendGrid

SendGrid has been a default transactional email API service since Twilio acquired it in 2019. It handles both transactional and marketing email, offers SMTP relay and a REST API, and has the enterprise features (sub-user management, dedicated IPs, ISP outreach) that come with 15+ years in the space.

SendGrid pricing

Dedicated IPs start at the Pro tier ($89.95/mo). The permanent free plan was retired on May 27, 2025. New accounts get a 60-day trial, then you're on a paid plan.

Where SendGrid wins

• Scale and reliability: SendGrid processes billions of emails. If you're sending 500K+/month, the infrastructure is proven.
• Marketing and transactional in one: One of the few platforms that handles both under one roof. No second tool needed.
• Enterprise features: Sub-user management, IP warmup tools, ISP outreach, and dedicated IPs on Pro.
• SMTP relay: If you just need to swap SMTP credentials, SendGrid makes it simple.

Where SendGrid falls short

• No more free tier: The permanent free plan is gone. You get 60 days, then it's $19.95/mo minimum.
• The whole experience feels antiquated: The dashboard, the docs, the SDK patterns. Compared to Resend or Dreamlit, using SendGrid is like stepping back in time.
• Shared IP deliverability issues: Lower-tier plans share IPs with other senders. If your neighbors spam, your deliverability suffers.
• Twilio ownership concerns: Since the acquisition, the product has shifted toward enterprise pricing. Smaller senders have felt the squeeze.

For a deeper look at SendGrid's pricing changes and how other providers stack up, see our full SendGrid alternatives breakdown.

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Resend

Resend is a modern email sending API built by the team behind React Email. If you're building with React or Next.js, Resend lets you write email templates as JSX components instead of wrestling with table-based HTML. It's quickly become the go-to for developers who want a clean API and fast integration.

Resend pricing

Dedicated IPs are available on Scale ($30/mo, requires 500+ daily sends).

Where Resend wins

• Developer experience: The cleanest email API on the market. Great docs, intuitive SDK, fast integration.
• React Email ecosystem: Write templates as JSX components. The react-email package has ~1.35M weekly npm downloads as of February 2026. If you're in the React ecosystem, this is a real advantage.
• Modern API design: Resend's API feels like it was built in 2024, because it was. SendGrid's feels like it was built in 2012, because it was.
• Generous free tier: 3,000 emails/month permanently, capped at 100/day (not a trial). Enough to get a side project into production.

Where Resend falls short

• Short data retention: 1 day on Free, 3 days on Pro, 7 days on Scale. If you need to debug a delivery issue from last week on the free plan, that data is gone.
• Marketing email is a separate product: Resend now offers broadcast marketing emails, but it's a separate add-on starting at $40/mo for 5K contacts. SendGrid bundles marketing and transactional together.
• Overage adds up fast: $0.90 per 1,000 emails is 9x more than Amazon SES ($0.10/1K). At high volume, this matters.
• Built for developers, not everyone: Resend is a great developer tool, but that's exactly what it is: a developer tool. You're still managing API keys, writing send logic in code, and building templates in JSX. If you're not a developer (or don't want to spend your time on email plumbing), there's a learning curve.

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What if you didn't need an email API at all?

Your database already knows when a user signed up, when they made a purchase, and when they haven't logged in for a week. Why write code to tell an external service what your database already knows?

That's the question we started with when we built Dreamlit.

Dreamlit

Dreamlit connects directly to your Postgres database and watches for changes. When something happens (a new row, an updated field, a status change), Dreamlit triggers workflows automatically. Describe what you want in plain English, and the Workflow Agent generates the trigger logic, email template, and copy.

No API keys. No webhooks. No email code in your app.

Dreamlit pricing

Where Dreamlit wins

• Anyone can use it: You don't need to be a developer. Describe what you want in plain English, and the Workflow Agent handles the rest. No API keys, no React, no code.
• Database-driven architecture: Your Postgres database is the source of truth. Data changes are the triggers. No syncing, no webhooks, no keeping two systems in agreement.
• AI does the work: Tell the Workflow Agent "send a welcome email when someone signs up" and it generates the trigger logic, email template, and copy. Iterate by chatting, not by writing code.
• Non-engineers can own email: Your marketing person, your ops lead, your co-founder who doesn't code. They can build and manage entire email workflows themselves. On a lean team, that means email doesn't sit in the engineering backlog.
• Price at low volume: Pro starts at $16/mo for 30K emails. That's less than both SendGrid Essentials ($19.95) and Resend Pro ($20).

Where Dreamlit falls short

• Requires Postgres: Dreamlit connects to Postgres databases (including Supabase). If you're on MySQL, MongoDB, or Firebase, Resend or SendGrid are better options today.
• No standalone API: If you need to call an email endpoint from code (like sending a receipt triggered by a Stripe webhook that doesn't touch your database), a traditional email API is a better fit for that flow.
• Younger ecosystem: Resend has React Email with 1.35M weekly downloads. SendGrid has 15 years of integrations and community resources. Dreamlit is newer, and we're earlier in that journey.
• Supabase/Postgres-centric: Our deepest integration is with Supabase. If you're not in the Postgres ecosystem, you won't get the full benefit.

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Pricing comparison at different volumes

What you'd pay per month at each sending volume:

*SendGrid's free trial lasts 60 days (100 emails/day), then the minimum paid plan is $19.95/mo.

Where each provider wins on price:

• Dreamlit is cheapest up to 30K emails/month ($16 vs $19.95-$20 for the other two).
• SendGrid and Resend are cheaper between 30K and 50K, where Dreamlit jumps to the Scale plan at $79.
• Dreamlit is cheaper than Resend at 100K ($79 vs $90), though SendGrid Essentials still undercuts both at $34.95.

The pricing crossover point matters. If you're sending under 30K emails/month, Dreamlit's Pro plan is the most affordable paid option. Above that, it depends on your volume tier.

For raw cost per email at high volume, Amazon SES ($0.10/1K) beats all three.

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How to choose the best email API for your project

Pick SendGrid if:

• You're sending at high volume (500K+/month) and need proven infrastructure
• You need marketing email and transactional email in one platform
• You need enterprise features like sub-user management and dedicated IPs
• You're migrating from another SMTP provider and want a simple relay swap

Pick Resend if:

• You're building with React or Next.js and want JSX email templates
• Developer experience is your top priority
• You want a clean, modern API (marketing emails available as a separate add-on)
• You're comfortable writing email code in your app and want the control that comes with it

Pick Dreamlit if:

• You're on Supabase or Postgres and want email workflows without writing email code
• You'd rather describe what you want in plain English than integrate an API
• You want your database to be the source of truth for when emails get sent
• You're a solo founder or small team that wants production-ready emails running in minutes, not hours

You don't have to pick just one. Keep your existing email provider for flows that already work. Use Dreamlit for new workflows where your database already has the data. They don't conflict because they operate at different layers.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Resend better than SendGrid?

For most developers building new projects, yes. Resend's API is cleaner, the docs are better, React Email is a genuine innovation for template development, and the free tier is permanent (SendGrid's isn't). SendGrid still wins for high-volume enterprise use cases where marketing and transactional email are tightly integrated.

Is SendGrid still worth using in 2026?

It depends on your tier. SendGrid Pro ($89.95/mo) with dedicated IPs is still solid for high-volume transactional email. But the Essentials plan ($19.95) uses shared IPs, and many developers report deliverability issues on lower tiers since Twilio's acquisition. If you were on the free plan or you're on Essentials, there are better options now.

How does Resend pricing compare to SendGrid pricing?

At low volume, Resend is cheaper: a permanent free tier vs. SendGrid's 60-day trial. At mid volume (up to 50K), both are around $20/mo. At 100K, SendGrid Essentials ($34.95) is cheaper than Resend Scale ($90). See the pricing table above for a full breakdown.

What's the cheapest transactional email API?

For raw cost per email, Amazon SES ($0.10/1K) is the cheapest by far, but you'll build everything else yourself. Among the three compared here: Dreamlit Pro ($16/mo for 30K) is the cheapest paid tier at low volume. Resend's free tier (3,000/mo, permanent) is the best for getting started without paying. SendGrid Essentials is cost-effective at higher volumes ($34.95/mo for 100K).

Can I use Dreamlit without Supabase?

Yes. Dreamlit works with any Postgres database. Supabase is the deepest integration (one-click connection), but you can connect any Postgres instance directly. If you're not on Postgres at all, Resend or SendGrid would be a better fit.

What's the difference between an email API and database-driven email?

With an email API (Resend, SendGrid), you write code in your application to call the API when something happens. Your app decides when to send and what to include.

With database-driven email (Dreamlit), your database triggers the email automatically. When a row changes, Dreamlit detects it and runs the workflow. Your app doesn't contain any email code at all. It's a fundamentally different architecture, not just a different vendor.

Do I need to choose one provider?

No. Many teams use multiple email tools. You can keep SendGrid or Resend for existing flows and add Dreamlit for new database-triggered workflows. They operate at different layers, so there's no conflict.

Which has the best email deliverability?

Deliverability depends more on your sending patterns, domain reputation, and authentication setup (DKIM, SPF, DMARC) than which provider you use. All three support custom domain authentication. SendGrid offers dedicated IPs on Pro. Resend offers them on Scale. Dreamlit handles deliverability infrastructure so you don't manage it directly. No single provider guarantees better inbox placement.

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Want more options? See our complete SendGrid alternatives comparison with 7 providers, pricing tables, and migration difficulty ratings.

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