Postmark vs Mailgun
Two developer-focused email platforms with different philosophies. Postmark is built around deliverability and simplicity, while Mailgun offers routing flexibility, validation, and EU data hosting.
Not sure about either? Try Nuntly. No credit card required.
Postmark and Mailgun are both popular choices among developers for transactional email. Postmark has built its reputation on fast delivery and high inbox placement rates. Mailgun offers a broader feature set with routing, validation, and flexible infrastructure options. This comparison helps you evaluate which platform matches your requirements.
Postmark
Postmark is a transactional email service that prioritizes deliverability above all else. It publishes real-time delivery speed metrics, enforces message stream separation, and provides 45-day log retention. Postmark is known for consistent inbox placement and an opinionated approach to keeping transactional and marketing email separate.
Mailgun
Mailgun is a developer-focused email platform that has been operating since 2010. Now owned by Sinch, it provides powerful email routing, built-in address validation, flexible API options, and an EU data hosting option. Mailgun targets developers who need fine-grained control over email processing.
What sets them apart
- Postmark retains logs for 45 days. Mailgun offers 5 days on Foundation and 30 days on Scale plans.
- Mailgun includes built-in email validation. Postmark does not offer address validation.
- Mailgun provides powerful inbound routing rules with pattern matching. Postmark has simpler inbound webhook support.
- Mailgun offers EU data hosting as an option. Postmark does not offer EU data residency.
- Postmark enforces message stream separation to protect transactional deliverability. Mailgun does not enforce this separation.
Feature by feature
A side-by-side look at what each platform offers.
Postmark
Mailgun
Email Sending
Email Receiving
Observability
Security & Compliance
Developer Experience
Deliverability
Pricing Model
Last verified: 2026-03-24
Pricing comparison
What each platform costs at different volumes.
Mailgun is cheaper at 50k/mo ($35 vs $50) and 100k/mo ($90 vs $100). However, Postmark includes 125k emails in its $100 plan. Postmark has a permanent free tier (small at 100 emails/mo), while Mailgun trial expires after one month. Both move to custom pricing at higher volumes. Postmark focuses on delivery quality. Mailgun includes validation and routing in its pricing.
Prices as of 2026-03-24. Check each provider's website for the latest pricing.
Strengths and weaknesses
An honest look at what each platform does well and where it falls short.
Postmark
- Best-in-class transactional email deliverability
- 45-day log retention for comprehensive email history
- Message streams enforce clean separation of email types
- Published delivery speed metrics and SLA
- Simple, focused feature set with fast setup
- Very small free tier (100 emails/mo)
- No email validation API
- No EU data hosting option
- No scheduled sending feature
Mailgun
- Built-in email validation reduces bounces
- Powerful inbound routing rules for complex email processing
- EU data hosting option for GDPR compliance
- IP warming and inbox placement testing on higher plans
- Flexible pay-as-you-go billing
- Free trial expires after one month
- Log retention is only 5 days on Foundation (30 on Scale)
- No message stream separation for email types
- Pricing complexity with multiple tiers and add-ons
Which platform fits your needs?
Different teams have different requirements.
Choose Postmark if you need
- Teams where inbox delivery speed and placement are the top priorities
- Applications that need 45-day log retention for debugging and compliance
- Teams that want enforced separation between transactional and marketing email
- Companies that value simplicity and a fast path to first email
Choose Mailgun if you need
- Teams that need built-in email validation to maintain list hygiene
- Applications with complex inbound email routing requirements
- Organizations that need EU data hosting for GDPR compliance
- Developers who want IP warming and inbox placement testing
- Teams that prefer pay-as-you-go billing for unpredictable volumes
Consider Nuntly if you need
- 30-day log retention with unified observability. Combines the retention strength of Postmark with the feature breadth of Mailgun in a single view.
- A complete inbound email stack with inbox management, threading, and Reply API that goes beyond both platforms.
- Predictable pricing from a bootstrap company. No expiring free trials, no complex tier add-ons.
- EU data hosting by default without choosing a region or paying extra. Mailgun offers it as an option. Postmark does not offer it at all.
3,000 emails/mo. No credit card required.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Postmark vs Mailgun.
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