The Resend Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Resend 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.
Resend
The Insider’s Guide
Developer email API with React Email templates and a free tier
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email sending services, read from Resend’s own pages.
Made by Resend · checked Oct 18, 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 Resend’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Resend’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 6 of the 11 other email sending services we grade
Resend is an email platform for developers that sends transactional email through a REST API, SMTP or SDKs in more than ten languages, with email templates written in React through its open-source React Email library. It also receives email, offers inboxes that AI agents can use, and sells broadcast and automation plans for marketing email. A free plan sends 3,000 emails a month.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Resend, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for developers building with React and Next.js
Resend is made for developers building web apps: an API and SMTP with official SDKs from Node.js to Rust, templates you write as React components, and a free plan of 3,000 emails a month.
- 2
Paid plans start at $20 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $20 per month for 50,000 emails, billed monthly.
- 3
There is a free plan
3,000 transactional emails a month, limited to 100 a day, 3 domains, 3 inboxes, 1 webhook endpoint and 30 days of logs. Marketing email free up to 1,000 contacts.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
API, SMTP and SDKs
Send through a REST API or SMTP relay, with official SDKs for Node.js, Python, Ruby, PHP, Go, Rust, Java, Elixir and .NET, plus batch sending and scheduling.
- 6
React Email templates
Build email templates as React components with TypeScript and Tailwind through the open-source React Email library, instead of hand-written HTML tables.
- 7
Inbound email and inboxes
Receive email through webhooks, parse content and attachments, and give your team or AI agents inboxes reachable by API and MCP; 3 are included.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 6 of 11
That is against the other email sending services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Resend you would be making mail servers with a good name among inbox providers. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Resend at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $20 per month for 50,000 emails, billed monthly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Resend, since 2023
- Category
- Email Sending Services
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for developers building with React and Next.js
Resend is made for developers building web apps: an API and SMTP with official SDKs from Node.js to Rust, templates you write as React components, and a free plan of 3,000 emails a month. 50,000 emails is $20 a month on Pro, among the cheapest at that volume. It's monthly only, though, and a dedicated IP needs the $90 Scale plan plus a $30 add-on.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Graded on 50,000 emails a month: Pro is $20 for exactly that, in the cheaper quarter of this category at that volume, with 10 domains and no daily limit. There's no yearly discount, and extra emails are $0.90 per 1,000. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free for good: 3,000 emails a month, but only 100 a day, with 3 domains, 1 webhook and 30 days of logs. Marketing email is free up to 1,000 contacts too. A busy launch day will hit that daily cap. |
| Features | B | API, SMTP, SDKs, React Email templates, inbound email and inboxes for AI agents, signed webhooks, a test mode and broadcasts. It covers the whole job. No address validation is on record, and dedicated IPs need Scale. |
| Ease of use | C | Judged on how fast a developer sends a first email: SDKs for most languages and React templates make it quick for web developers, and test mode fakes events safely. You still verify a domain first. No rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with an API, SMTP, SDKs and MCP, and it slots into Next.js, Remix, Nuxt, Express, Hono and Astro. No desktop or phone app, so B is the top. |
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 Resend is for
- Great if you build in React or Next.js and want emails written as components
- Handy when your app or AI agent needs inboxes that send and receive by API
- Good for side projects sending fewer than 100 emails a day, which is free
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you need a dedicated IP, at $30 a month on top of the $90 Scale plan
- Tight if you need SSO, which is a $150 a month add-on on Scale
- Skip it if you want to pay yearly for a discount, since billing is monthly only
Good to know
Good for
- Developers building with Node.js, Next.js or React
- Startups that want a free tier of 3,000 emails a month
- Teams sending both app email and newsletters from one account
Worth knowing
- Billing is monthly only; there are no annual plans or yearly discounts.
- There is no plan between Free and the $20 Pro plan, and the free plan caps sending at 100 emails a day.
- Dedicated IPs cost $30 a month and need the Scale plan and more than 3,000 emails a day; SSO is a $150 a month add-on on Scale.
- Marketing email is priced separately by contacts, from $40 a month for 5,000; broadcasts do not use the transactional quota.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$20
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Resend has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per month for 50,000 emails, billed monthly.
A busy launch day will hit that daily cap.
Free
$0
3,000 emails a month and 100 a day, 3 domains, 1 webhook endpoint, ticket support.
Pro
$20
per month for 50,000 emails, billed monthly
No daily limit, 10 domains, 5 webhook endpoints, 100 AI credits. $35 a month at 100,000 emails; overage $0.90 per 1,000.
Scale
$90
per month for 100,000 emails, billed monthly
1,000 domains, Slack support, urgent response SLA; dedicated IP and SSO as add-ons. $160 a month at 200,000 emails. Overage $0.90 per 1,000, less at higher tiers.
Enterprise
Custom
For 1 million or more emails a month: volume pricing, dedicated IPs, SSO, 99.99% uptime SLA and a dedicated success manager.
The free plan
3,000 transactional emails a month, limited to 100 a day, 3 domains, 3 inboxes, 1 webhook endpoint and 30 days of logs. Marketing email free up to 1,000 contacts.
Read from resend.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Nonprofit
50% off for nonprofits
Registered nonprofits can apply for 50% off paid plans. Resend says it does not offer education pricing.
Stated on resend.com
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
Developer email API with React Email templates and a free tier. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, email campaigns, transactional email.
API, SMTP, SDKs, React Email templates, inbound email and inboxes for AI agents, signed webhooks, a test mode and broadcasts.
- API, SMTP and SDKs
- Send through a REST API or SMTP relay, with official SDKs for Node.js, Python, Ruby, PHP, Go, Rust, Java, Elixir and .NET, plus batch sending and scheduling.
- React Email templates
- Build email templates as React components with TypeScript and Tailwind through the open-source React Email library, instead of hand-written HTML tables.
- Inbound email and inboxes
- Receive email through webhooks, parse content and attachments, and give your team or AI agents inboxes reachable by API and MCP; 3 are included.
- Webhooks and test mode
- Signed webhooks report deliveries, opens, clicks, bounces and complaints, and a test mode simulates events without emailing real people.
- Broadcasts and automations
- A visual editor, contact lists, segments and broadcast analytics for marketing email, sold as separate plans priced by contacts.
- Deliverability tools
- DKIM, SPF and DMARC setup, automatic suppression lists, bounce details, region choice and managed dedicated IPs on Scale.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Next.js
- Remix
- Nuxt
- Express
- Hono
- Astro
Resend is made by Resend, and has been around since 2023.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/11
Other email sending services it is graded above
Resend's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 11 other email sending services we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 6 of 11) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $15 for the category: 9 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 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 12 email sending services we grade, cut by the letter each got. Resend’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 6 of 11
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 11
- BFeaturesAbove 2 of 11
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 11
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 11
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 11 email sending services. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Resend 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
To replace Resend you would be making mail servers with a good name among inbox providers. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $240 a year.
What you could not
- Mail servers with a good name among inbox providers.
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- It plugs into other products, Next.js, Remix and Nuxt among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Resend’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
Postmark, Twilio SendGrid, Mailgun, Amazon SES and MailerSend
The 5 tools Resend is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Postmark
Free plan · from $15/mo
Transactional email API and SMTP, with broadcasts on a separate stream.
- Resend also covers email campaigns.
- 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.
- Resend has a free plan. Twilio SendGrid does not, though it has a free trial.
- Resend also covers email campaigns.
- Twilio SendGrid also covers email verification.
- 2.4GPA
Mailgun
Free plan · from $15/mo
Email API and SMTP relay for developers, with list validation.
- Resend also covers email campaigns.
- Mailgun also covers email verification.
- 2.8GPA
Amazon SES
Free trial
AWS email sending and receiving, paid per 1,000 emails.
- Resend has a free plan. Amazon SES does not, though it has a free trial.
- Resend also covers email campaigns.
- Amazon SES also covers email verification.
- 2.4GPA
MailerSend
Free plan · from $6.30/mo
Transactional email and SMS API from the team behind MailerLite.
- Resend also covers email campaigns.
- MailerSend also covers business texting, whatsApp messaging, email verification and dMARC.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
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 Resend free?
Resend has a free plan. 3,000 transactional emails a month, limited to 100 a day, 3 domains, 3 inboxes, 1 webhook endpoint and 30 days of logs.
How much does Resend cost?
Resend lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Resend work on?
Resend is available on Web.
Does Resend offer any discounts?
Resend publicly lists the following: 50% off for nonprofits.
Does Resend have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Resend is listed for Web.
Does Resend have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Resend is listed for Web.
Is Resend open source?
Resend is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Resend have an API?
Yes. Resend offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Resend integrate with?
Resend's listing names Next.js, Remix, Nuxt, Express, Hono and Astro. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Resend?
Resend is made by Resend. It dates from 2023.
What are the alternatives to Resend?
The closest alternatives to Resend in our directory are Postmark, Twilio SendGrid, Mailgun, Amazon SES and MailerSend.
How does Resend compare with other email sending services?
Resend's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 11 other email sending services we grade, and level with 4.
Is Resend good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Resend B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $15 for the category: 9 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Resend?
To replace Resend you would be making mail servers with a good name among inbox providers.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Resend’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Resend's own pages on 18 October 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 Resend. Prices change, so check resend.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 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.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Resend, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/resend
- 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, "Resend: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/resend
Know someone choosing between email sending services?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/resend/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email sending services after Resend, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Sending Services Insider's GuideEvery one of the 12 email sending services we grade, compared
- Amazon SES Insider's GuideAWS email sending and receiving, paid per 1,000 emails2.8 GPA
- Bird Email Insider's GuideSparkPost's successor: Bird's email API, paid from a prepaid balance2.6 GPA
- Elastic Email Insider's GuideLow-cost email API and SMTP relay priced by monthly email volume2.6 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 Resend’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. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Resend is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Resend. Prices and plans change: check resend.com before you buy.