Bird Email (ex-SparkPost) vs Amazon SES: which is better? Comparison 2026
By our public methodology Bird Email (ex-SparkPost) scores 79 out of 100 and Amazon SES scores 68. Below: the factors and facts where they differ, each fact with its source.
Score breakdown
| Bird Email (ex-SparkPost) | Amazon SES | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 79 | 64 |
| Sending features | 100 | 83 |
| Data protection and reliability | 50 | 65 |
| Track record | 83 | 50 |
Pros and cons
Bird Email (ex-SparkPost)
- Low price per 1,000 emails
- Permanent free plan
- SMTP relay
- Documented sending API
Amazon SES
- Low price per 1,000 emails
- Cheap entry plan
- Data can stay in the EU
- SMTP relay
- No permanent free plan found
- Small or no free allowance
Facts side by side
| Fact | Bird Email (ex-SparkPost) | Amazon SES |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1,000 extra emails | $0.40 bird.com | $0.16 aws.amazon.com |
| Cheapest paid plan, per month | $15.00 bird.com | $0.00 aws.amazon.com |
| Permanent free plan | Yes bird.com | No aws.amazon.com |
| Free emails per month | 1,000 bird.com | 0 aws.amazon.com |
| SMTP relay | Yes bird.com | Yes aws.amazon.com |
| Sending API | Yes bird.com | Yes aws.amazon.com |
| Event webhooks | Yes bird.com | Yes docs.aws.amazon.com |
| Dedicated IP | Yes bird.com | Yes aws.amazon.com |
| Inbound email | Yes bird.com | Yes aws.amazon.com |
| Log retention on the cheapest paid plan | 30 days bird.com | Not verified |
| Data kept in the EU | Not verified | Yes docs.aws.amazon.com |
| GDPR data processing agreement | Yes bird.com | Yes aws.amazon.com |
| SOC 2 report | Yes bird.com | Not verified |
| ISO/IEC 27001 | Yes bird.com | Not verified |
| Uptime in a published SLA | Not verified | 99.9% aws.amazon.com |
| Founded | 2011 bird.com | 2011 aws.amazon.com |
| Public status page | Yes status.bird.com | Not verified |
← Transactional email services Bird Email (ex-SparkPost) alternatives Amazon SES alternatives