The Nodemailer Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Nodemailer in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Nodemailer
The Insider’s Guide
Free Node.js library for sending email over SMTP and other transports
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email sending services, read from Nodemailer’s own pages.
Made by Andris Reinman · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Nodemailer’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Nodemailer’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 34 of the 50 other email sending services we grade
Nodemailer is a free module for sending email from Node.js applications, with no runtime dependencies. It sends over SMTP, Sendmail, Amazon SES or streams, and supports attachments, HTML and plain-text bodies, DKIM signing and OAuth2. It is a code library, not a hosted sending service.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Nodemailer, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's a code library, not a service, so you bring the mail server and it adds no deliverability tools or analytics.
- 1
Best for sending email from Node.js code
Nodemailer is a free module for sending email from Node.js, with no dependencies.
- 2
It is free
Nodemailer has no paid plan at all.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Zero runtime dependencies
Installs with npm install nodemailer and includes TypeScript definitions, with both ES module and CommonJS builds.
- 5
Multiple transports
Sends through SMTP, Sendmail, Amazon SES or streams, using a reusable transporter object.
- 6
Messages and attachments
Builds multipart messages from HTML and plain-text bodies, with attachments, embedded images and full Unicode support.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 34 of 50
That is against the other email sending services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Nodemailer is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Nodemailer at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- It is free
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Andris Reinman
- Category
- Email Sending Services
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for sending email from Node.js code
Nodemailer is a free module for sending email from Node.js, with no dependencies. It's a code library, not a service, so you bring the mail server and it adds no deliverability tools or analytics.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free under the MIT-0 license, including for commercial use. Anyone can download it, so it earns the top mark. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Everything is free with no limits, no account and no trial to run out. |
| Features | C | Sends over SMTP, Sendmail, SES or streams, with attachments, DKIM, OAuth2 and test accounts. It does that job fully, but it's a small job: no analytics, no deliverability tools. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record. It's a code library, so you write the code and supply the transport. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | A Node.js library only, with Amazon SES and Ethereal listed. No app, no dashboard. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Nodemailer is for
- Fits if you write Node.js and want to send mail from your own code
- Works for apps that already have an SMTP server and need a way to talk to it
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you don't write code, since it's a library with no screen
- Too light for deliverability, tracking or analytics, none of which it includes
- Not for you if you're on an older Node.js: version 10 needs Node.js 20 or later
- Watch out: you supply the SMTP server or other transport yourself
Good to know
Good for
- Node.js developers who send email through an SMTP server they already have
- Projects that want no hosted vendor in the sending path
Worth knowing
- It is a library only: you supply the SMTP server or other transport, and it adds no deliverability tooling or analytics.
- Nodemailer 10 requires Node.js 20 or later; older Node.js versions stay on the 9.x line.
- The site says development is sustained by EmailEngine licenses, and the library itself is MIT-0 licensed.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Nodemailer is free to use.
Anyone can download it, so it earns the top mark.
Nodemailer
$0
Free under the MIT-0 license, including commercial use, with no attribution required.
Read from nodemailer.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Free Node.js library for sending email over SMTP and other transports. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, public API, transactional email.
It does that job fully, but it's a small job: no analytics, no deliverability tools.
- Zero runtime dependencies
- Installs with npm install nodemailer and includes TypeScript definitions, with both ES module and CommonJS builds.
- Multiple transports
- Sends through SMTP, Sendmail, Amazon SES or streams, using a reusable transporter object.
- Messages and attachments
- Builds multipart messages from HTML and plain-text bodies, with attachments, embedded images and full Unicode support.
- Security options
- TLS and STARTTLS are handled automatically, and DKIM signing, OAuth2 authentication and proxy support are included.
- Test accounts
- Integrates with Ethereal, a fake SMTP service, to generate test accounts for local development.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Amazon SES
- Ethereal
Nodemailer is made by Andris Reinman.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
34/50
Other email sending services it is graded above
Nodemailer's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 34 of the 50 other email sending services we grade, and level with 11.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 49 of 50) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Nodemailer has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 51 email sending services we grade, cut by the letter each got. Nodemailer’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 44 of 50
- AFree plan and trialAbove 49 of 50
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 50
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 50
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 50
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 44 email sending services. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Nodemailer is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Nodemailer is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 34 of the 50 other email sending services we grade.
What you could not
- Mail servers with a good name among inbox providers.
- It plugs into other products, Amazon SES and Ethereal among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Nodemailer’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
EmailEngine, Resend, Postmark, Twilio SendGrid and Mailgun
The 5 tools Nodemailer is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.6GPA
EmailEngine
Free trial · from $199/mo
Self-hosted REST API for Gmail, Microsoft 365 and IMAP mailboxes.
- Nodemailer has a free plan. EmailEngine does not, though it has a free trial.
- Nodemailer is open source, according to its own site.
- EmailEngine is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Resend
Free plan · from $20/mo
Developer email API with React Email templates and a free tier.
- Nodemailer is open source, according to its own site.
- Resend also covers email campaigns.
- 2.2GPA
Postmark
Free plan · from $15/mo
Transactional email API and SMTP, with broadcasts on a separate stream.
- Nodemailer is open source, according to its own site.
- Postmark also covers dMARC.
- 2.6GPA
Twilio SendGrid
Free trial · from $19.95/mo
Twilio's email API and SMTP service, priced by monthly email volume.
- Nodemailer has a free plan. Twilio SendGrid does not, though it has a free trial.
- Nodemailer is open source, according to its own site.
- Twilio SendGrid also covers email verification.
- 2.4GPA
Mailgun
Free plan · from $15/mo
Email API and SMTP relay for developers, with list validation.
- Nodemailer is open source, according to its own site.
- Mailgun also covers email verification.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Nodemailer free?
Yes. Nodemailer is free to use.
How much does Nodemailer cost?
Nodemailer lists one plan. Nodemailer: $0.
What platforms does Nodemailer work on?
Nodemailer is available on Web.
Does Nodemailer have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Nodemailer is listed for Web.
Does Nodemailer have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Nodemailer is listed for Web.
Is Nodemailer open source?
Yes. Nodemailer is open source, according to its own site.
Does Nodemailer have an API?
Yes. Nodemailer offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Nodemailer integrate with?
Nodemailer's listing names Amazon SES and Ethereal. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Nodemailer?
Nodemailer is made by Andris Reinman.
What are the alternatives to Nodemailer?
The closest alternatives to Nodemailer in our directory are EmailEngine, Resend, Postmark, Twilio SendGrid and Mailgun.
How does Nodemailer compare with other email sending services?
Nodemailer's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 34 of the 50 other email sending services we grade, and level with 11.
Is Nodemailer good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Nodemailer A for value for money. Nodemailer has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Nodemailer?
Nodemailer is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Nodemailer’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Nodemailer's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Andris Reinman. Prices change, so check nodemailer.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Nodemailer, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/nodemailer
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Nodemailer: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/nodemailer
Know someone choosing between email sending services?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/nodemailer/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email sending services after Nodemailer, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Sending Services Insider's GuideEvery one of the 51 email sending services we grade, compared
- FluentSMTP Insider's GuideFree WordPress plugin for sending site email through your provider3.2 GPA
- Amazon SES Insider's GuideAWS email sending and receiving, paid per 1,000 emails2.8 GPA
- Forward Email Insider's GuideOpen-source email forwarding and hosting for custom domains2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Nodemailer’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Nodemailer is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Andris Reinman. Prices and plans change: check nodemailer.com before you buy.