# Amazon SES vs Emailit

> Amazon SES is raw email infrastructure at rock-bottom PAYG rates. Emailit is a managed email platform with PAYG credits, a full dashboard, and an owned EU data center, without assembling AWS pieces yourself.

## The core difference

- **Emailit:** Emailit gives you API, SMTP, analytics, campaigns, and credits UX out of the box, running on a fully owned Prague data center with 99.9% uptime, still pay-as-you-go, no subscription required.
- **Amazon SES:** Amazon SES is a building block inside AWS. You get extremely low sending prices and deep AWS integration, but you own warm-up, tooling, dashboards, and most operational complexity.

Amazon SES is best for: AWS-native teams and high-volume senders who want the lowest raw per-email cost and are comfortable building deliverability, dashboards, and ops themselves.

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Emailit | Amazon SES |
| --- | --- | --- |
| API | Yes: REST API + SDKs | Yes: AWS SES API + SDKs |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| Dashboard UI | Yes: domains, analytics, campaigns | Minimal. AWS Console only |
| Rate limits | 100/day free; from 5,000/day after any credit purchase or on Pro and Business | Account-specific; sandbox starts very low |
| Marketing campaigns | Yes: credit-based | No: build yourself or use another tool |
| Webhooks | Yes | Via SNS / event destinations |
| Inbound email | Yes | Yes (receipt rules) |
| Data residency / infrastructure | EU: owned DC in Prague | Choose AWS region (incl. EU) |
| Uptime | 99.9% | AWS regional SLA |
| Pricing model | Free plan, then Pro and Business with included credits; purchased credits never expire | True PAYG per email + add-ons |
| Managed product experience | Dashboard, credits, campaigns included | DIY: wire SNS, CloudWatch, your own UI |
| Owned DC (non-hyperscaler) | Fully owned Prague DC, no third-party sending stack | Runs on AWS shared infrastructure |
| AWS ecosystem | Standalone email platform | Native IAM, VPC, SNS, billing integration |
| Absolute lowest raw price | From $0.10/1k on Pro and Business | Often ~$0.10/1k (region/volume dependent) |

## Pricing comparison (as of July 2026)

| Volume | Emailit | Amazon SES |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Entry (~100k emails) | Pro: $25/mo ($20 billed yearly) with 100k included | Roughly ~$10 at ~$0.10/1k (excluding extras) |
| 1M emails | ~$115/mo on Pro (100k included, then $0.10/1k) | Roughly ~$100 at ~$0.10/1k |
| 5M emails | ~$500/mo on Business (2.5M included, then $0.10/1k) | Roughly ~$500 at ~$0.10/1k |
| Dashboard & campaigns | Included | Not included, build or buy separately |
| Subscription required | No: free Pay as you go plan | No (AWS account usage) |
| Unused prepaid volume | Purchased credits never expire | No prepaid credits, billed as you send |

SES pricing varies by region, attachments, and dedicated IPs. Figures are approximate list rates for comparison. Amazon SES pricing: https://aws.amazon.com/ses/pricing/

## When to choose Emailit

- You want SES-like economics with a real product UI, campaigns, and simpler onboarding
- You prefer EU-owned infrastructure outside a hyperscaler sending stack
- You want prepaid credits that never expire instead of pure metered AWS billing
- Your team does not want to assemble SNS, monitoring, and a custom dashboard

## When to choose Amazon SES

- You are already deep in AWS and want native IAM/SNS integration
- Absolute lowest infrastructure price matters more than product UX
- You have in-house deliverability and platform engineering capacity

## FAQ

### Is Emailit cheaper than Amazon SES?

SES often wins on raw per-email list price. Emailit is close at scale (down to ~$0.10/1k) and includes dashboard, campaigns, and a credits UX you’d otherwise build or buy.

### Does Emailit require an AWS account?

No. Emailit is a standalone platform with its own API, SMTP, and dashboard.

### How does the SES sandbox compare to Emailit?

New SES accounts often start in a sandbox with strict limits and a production access request. Emailit uses domain verification and raisable sending limits with a product dashboard.

### Where does Emailit host vs SES?

Emailit sends from its own data center in Prague. SES lets you pick an AWS region, including EU regions, on AWS infrastructure.

Alternatives to Amazon SES: https://emailit.com/alternatives/amazon-ses.md · Emailit pricing: https://emailit.com/pricing.md

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Source: https://emailit.com/vs/amazon-ses/