The Test Parameters
We ran all three platforms simultaneously for 60 days, routing identical email segments through each. Same content, same lists, same sending patterns. 2 million emails total across all three platforms. Here's what we found.
Price: The Biggest Differentiator
| Service | Per 1K Emails | 100K/mo | 1M/mo | Setup Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS SES | $0.10 | $10 | $100 | High (dev hours) |
| LoomiMail (SES wrapper) | $0.11 | $11 | $110 | Low (one-time fee) |
| Mailgun Flex | $0.80 | $80 | $800 | Medium |
| SendGrid Essentials | $0.90 | $89 | $890 | Low |
| Brevo | $0.95 | $95 | $950 | Low |
💡Key insight: AWS SES is the cheapest by far, but requires developer expertise to set up DKIM, manage bounces, handle suppression lists, and build a dashboard. LoomiMail gives you all of that for just $0.01 extra per 1K emails.
Deliverability: Inbox Placement Rates
We measured inbox placement (not just delivery) across Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail using the same sender domain and warmed-up IP across all three platforms.
| Service | Gmail Inbox % | Outlook Inbox % | Yahoo Inbox % | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS SES / LoomiMail | 96.2% | 94.8% | 95.1% | 95.4% |
| SendGrid | 94.1% | 93.2% | 92.8% | 93.4% |
| Mailgun | 93.8% | 91.4% | 90.2% | 91.8% |
API Quality: Developer Experience
AWS SES / LoomiMail
- ✅ Industry-standard REST API with SDK support for Node, Python, Go, Ruby
- ✅ Generous rate limits (14 sends/second sandbox, unlimited production)
- ✅ SNS webhooks for bounces and complaints
- ⚠️ Raw SES requires manual bounce/complaint handling
- ✅ LoomiMail adds dashboard + automated suppression list management
SendGrid
- ✅ Excellent documentation and developer experience
- ✅ Event webhooks are comprehensive and reliable
- ✅ Good dashboard out of the box
- ❌ 8x- more expensive than AWS SES
- ⚠️ IP reputation varies on shared plans
Mailgun
- ✅ Strong inbound email processing features
- ✅ Good for transactional email with routing rules
- ❌ 15x- more expensive than AWS SES
- ❌ Deliverability slightly lower on shared IPs
- ⚠️ EU data residency add-on costs extra
The Decision Framework
| Use Case | Best Choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| High-volume bulk email | LoomiMail | SES prices + dashboard |
| Developer-only API project | Raw AWS SES | Cheapest if you build the tools yourself |
| Needs rich template engine | SendGrid | Best template features |
| Inbound email routing | Mailgun | Best inbound processing |
| EU data residency required | Brevo | EU-based |
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Get Started FreeThe Verdict
AWS SES wins on price and deliverability but loses on usability. SendGrid wins on developer experience but loses on price. LoomiMail sits in the perfect middle - AWS SES delivery engine with a complete campaign management dashboard for just $0.01 more per 1,000 emails. For any business sending bulk email, LoomiMail is objectively the best value in the market.