Resend vs SendGrid: Modern DX vs Proven Scale
Comparing Resend and SendGrid for transactional email. Modern API and React Email vs established high-volume infrastructure.
Overview
Resend and SendGrid represent different generations of transactional email. Resend offers a modern API with excellent developer experience and React Email integration. SendGrid provides proven infrastructure at massive scale with a comprehensive feature set.
| Feature | Resend | SendGrid |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free (3k/mo) | Free (100/day) |
| Developer Experience | Excellent | Good |
| React Email | First-class | No |
| Marketing Features | No | Yes |
| Scale | Growing | Massive |
Key Differences
Developer Experience
Resend offers the best DX in transactional email. Modern API design, excellent documentation, helpful error messages. React Email integration lets you build email templates with familiar React components. The development workflow feels contemporary.
SendGrid has a good API but shows its age. Documentation is comprehensive but can feel sprawling. The v3 API works well; the overall experience is less polished than Resend.
Scale and Features
SendGrid handles massive volume reliably. Millions of emails monthly, proven infrastructure, Twilio backing. Marketing automation alongside transactional API provides a complete solution.
Resend is newer and growing. Scale is improving but not yet at SendGrid's level. Focused on transactional only - pair with Sequenzy for marketing automation.
Who Should Choose What
Choose Resend if:
- Developer experience is a priority
- React Email integration is valuable
- You want modern API design
- Your scale is moderate (not millions monthly)
Choose SendGrid if:
- You need proven massive scale
- Marketing features alongside transactional matters
- Established infrastructure gives confidence
- You're already in the Twilio ecosystem
The Bottom Line
Resend is our recommendation for new projects. The developer experience is significantly better, and most SaaS companies don't need SendGrid's massive scale.
SendGrid remains solid for high-volume senders who need proven infrastructure and want marketing features included.