Skip to content
ToolGPA

Alternatives · Email Sending

Smtp.dev alternatives

As of Nov 13, 2026, the highest-graded Smtp.dev alternative is Mailtrap (2.6 GPA). It's also the best free one.

Smtp.dev compared with 4 alternatives: Mailtrap, MailPace, EmailEngine and Nodemailer.

Smtp.dev has a free plan. Paid plans start at $7 per month for Pro. 2 of the 4 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 2 more offer a free trial.

Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from

Black Friday: is there a Smtp.dev sale?

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
Smtp.devThis toolFree plan · from $7/moYesWeb
MailtrapFree plan · from $15/moYesWeb
MailPaceFree trial · from $10/moTrial onlyWeb
EmailEngineFree trial · from $199/moTrial onlyWeb
NodemailerFreeFreeWeb

Price against what you get

Smtp.dev starts at $7 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 4 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.

Mailtrap scores higher without starting lower. Nodemailer starts lower without scoring higher.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessSmtp.devMailtrapMailPaceEmailEngineNodemailer

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of email sending services, and the best at every price

How each one differs from Smtp.dev

  1. Mailtrap

    Email API and SMTP for sending, with a sandbox for testing emails

    • Mailtrap starts at $15 per month for 10,000 emails.
    • Mailtrap also covers email campaigns and transactional email.
    • Mailtrap does not cover dMARC, which Smtp.dev does.

    Suits: Developers who want testing and sending from one provider

    Mailtrap vs Smtp.devMailtrap pricing and details

  2. MailPace

    EU-hosted transactional email API and SMTP, without open tracking

    • MailPace starts at $10 per month for the first 10,000 emails.
    • MailPace has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Smtp.dev.
    • MailPace also covers transactional email.
    • MailPace does not cover dMARC, which Smtp.dev does.

    Suits: Developers who want a plain API and SMTP service hosted in the EU

    MailPace vs Smtp.devMailPace pricing and details

  3. EmailEngine

    Self-hosted REST API for Gmail, Microsoft 365 and IMAP mailboxes

    • EmailEngine starts at $199 per month, or $1,450 per year (€169 or €1,200).
    • EmailEngine has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Smtp.dev.
    • EmailEngine is self-hostable, according to its own site.
    • EmailEngine also covers transactional email.
    • EmailEngine does not cover dMARC, which Smtp.dev does.

    Suits: SaaS products and CRMs that sync or send from their users' own mailboxes

    EmailEngine vs Smtp.devEmailEngine pricing and details

  4. Nodemailer

    Free Node.js library for sending email over SMTP and other transports

    • Nodemailer is free.
    • Nodemailer is open source, according to its own site.
    • Nodemailer also covers transactional email.
    • Nodemailer does not cover dMARC, which Smtp.dev does.

    Suits: Node.js developers who send email through an SMTP server they already have

    Nodemailer vs Smtp.devNodemailer pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Smtp.dev

  • It is a testing sandbox: on every plan, outbound mail is delivered only to accounts inside the sandbox, not to real inboxes.
  • Lite keeps messages for 7 days and allows 1 domain and 50 accounts; catch-all accounts need Pro or Max.
  • Messages are deleted automatically at the end of the plan's retention window of 7, 30 or 90 days.
  • The pricing page shows monthly prices only and does not mention annual billing.
Smtp.dev pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Smtp.dev?

The alternatives to Smtp.dev in this directory are Mailtrap, MailPace, EmailEngine and Nodemailer. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Smtp.dev.

Is there a free alternative to Smtp.dev?

Yes. Nodemailer is free to use. Mailtrap has a free plan alongside paid ones.

Is there an open-source alternative to Smtp.dev?

Nodemailer is described as open source on its own site.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 18, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.