Mailtrap Email API/SMTP vs Amazon SES: which is better? Comparison 2026

By our public methodology Mailtrap Email API/SMTP scores 74 out of 100 and Amazon SES scores 68. Below: the factors and facts where they differ, each fact with its source.

Best Transactional Email Services 2026: Email APIs and SMTP Relays Compared How we rank

2

Mailtrap Email API/SMTP

74/100
4

Amazon SES

68/100

Score breakdown

Mailtrap Email API/SMTPAmazon SES
Price7264
Sending features9283
Data protection and reliability5065
Track record8350

Pros and cons

Mailtrap Email API/SMTP

  • Permanent free plan
  • Generous free allowance
  • SMTP relay
  • Documented sending API
  • No EU data storage found

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

FactMailtrap Email API/SMTPAmazon SES
Price per 1,000 extra emails$1.00 mailtrap.io$0.16 aws.amazon.com
Cheapest paid plan, per month$15.00 mailtrap.io$0.00 aws.amazon.com
Emails included in the cheapest paid plan10,000 mailtrap.ioNot verified
Permanent free planYes mailtrap.ioNo aws.amazon.com
Free emails per month4,000 mailtrap.io0 aws.amazon.com
SMTP relayYes mailtrap.ioYes aws.amazon.com
Sending APIYes mailtrap.ioYes aws.amazon.com
Event webhooksYes mailtrap.ioYes docs.aws.amazon.com
Dedicated IPYes mailtrap.ioYes aws.amazon.com
Inbound emailYes mailtrap.ioYes aws.amazon.com
Log retention on the cheapest paid plan5 days mailtrap.ioNot verified
Data kept in the EUNo mailtrap.ioYes docs.aws.amazon.com
GDPR data processing agreementYes mailtrap.ioYes aws.amazon.com
SOC 2 reportYes mailtrap.ioNot verified
ISO/IEC 27001Yes mailtrap.ioNot verified
Uptime in a published SLANot verified99.9% aws.amazon.com
Founded2011 mailtrap.io2011 aws.amazon.com
Public status pageYes status.mailtrap.infoNot verified

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