Honest side-by-side
ComparisonResend vs AWS SES Cost
Compare Resend’s Free cap and Pro $20 floor with Amazon SES a-la-carte at the same monthly volume — why 10k is not $0 on Resend.
TL;DR
Resend Free is a cap, not a cheap production SKU. At 10k and 50k the modeled row is Pro 50k — $20.
Amazon SES a-la-carte is $1.00 at 10k and $5.00 at 50k in the same card (free allowance off).
At a glance (card 2026-08-18)
| Volume | Resend | SES a-la-carte |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 (≤100/day) | Free $0 | $0.25 |
| 10,000 | Pro 50k $20 | $1.00 |
| 50,000 | Pro 50k $20 | $5.00 |
The 2,500 line is the only volume in the fixtures where Resend Free still works. That is fixture A in the engine tests — not a promise that your traffic is that smooth.
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Resend Free enough for 10k emails?
No. Free is 3,000/month with a 100/day hard cap. 10k/month averages ~333/day. The engine picks Pro 50k at $20.
When is Resend cheaper than SES?
Almost never on unit rate in this a-la-carte SES model. You pick Resend for DX, React email, and a hosted API — and you should price the $20 floor, not $0.90/1k, at 10k–50k.
Are rates live?
No. Card as of 2026-08-18. resend.com/pricing and aws.amazon.com/ses/pricing win.