15+ Best SaaS Email Services in 2026
I have been building SaaS products for years and tried most of these email services firsthand. Here is my honest take on what works, what does not, and what I actually recommend.
TL;DR - My Recommendations
- Best Overall: Sequenzy - Native billing integrations (Stripe, Polar, Creem, Dodo), revenue attribution, unified transactional + marketing. The best choice for most SaaS founders.
- For B2B SaaS: Customer.io or Userlist - Powerful automation, but expensive. Consider Sequenzy if budget matters.
- For transactional-only: Resend or Postmark - Best DX and deliverability for password resets, receipts, and alerts.
- For E-commerce crossover: Klaviyo or Drip - Strong revenue tracking, but designed for stores more than SaaS.
- Budget-friendly: Brevo or Mailchimp - Affordable, but limited SaaS-specific features.
Quick Comparison
| Service | Best For | Starting Price | API | Automation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sequenzy | SaaS billing integration | $19/mo (1k subs) | Excellent | Advanced |
| Customer.io | Complex flows | $100+/mo | Excellent | Advanced |
| Userlist | B2B SaaS | $100+/mo | Good | Advanced |
| Drip | Event-based marketing | $39/mo | Good | Advanced |
| Encharge | Behavior automation | $79+/mo | Good | Advanced |
| Loops | Simplicity | $49/mo | Great | Moderate |
| Resend | Transactional / React | $20/mo (vol) | Excellent | Basic |
| Postmark | Deliverability | $15/mo (vol) | Excellent | Basic |
| ActiveCampaign | CRM + Email | $29+/mo | Good | Advanced |
| HubSpot | Enterprise marketing | Free-$800+/mo | Good | Advanced |
| Intercom | Multi-channel comms | $74+/mo | Good | Advanced |
| SendGrid | Enterprise scale | $20-90/mo | Good | Moderate |
| Mailchimp | Small business | Free-$13+/mo | Moderate | Moderate |
| Brevo | Budget-friendly | Free-$25+/mo | Good | Moderate |
| Klaviyo | Revenue focus | $45+/mo | Good | Advanced |
| Vero | Developer-friendly | $54+/mo | Excellent | Advanced |
The Full Breakdown
If you use a modern payment provider like Stripe, Polar, Creem, or Dodo, Sequenzy should be at the top of your list. It is one of the few email services with native billing integrations for these platforms.
The existing options have gaps. Customer.io is powerful but expensive and complex. Mailchimp does not understand SaaS. ConvertKit is for creators, not product companies. None of them have native support for newer payment providers like Polar or Creem.
Sequenzy handles both transactional emails (password resets, receipts) and marketing automation in one system. One sender reputation, one dashboard, one API. Native OAuth integrations sync MRR, LTV, plan data, and payment status automatically. You can segment by "Pro users with MRR > $100" without writing code.
The revenue attribution is particularly useful. You can see exactly which emails generate revenue, not just opens and clicks. When you run a trial conversion sequence, you see the actual MRR it drives.
Pros:
- Native Stripe, Polar, Creem, and Dodo integrations
- Revenue attribution built-in
- Unified transactional + marketing
- Affordable pricing at $19/mo
- Clean API and documentation
Cons:
- No SMS or push notifications
- No landing page builder
- Newer than established players
- Smaller community and documentation
Pricing: Starts at $19/mo for up to 1,000 subscribers and 20,000 emails. Scales reasonably as you grow.
Best for: SaaS founders using Stripe, Polar, Creem, Dodo, or other modern billing providers who want revenue-attributed email without enterprise complexity.
Customer.io is what you graduate to when your lifecycle marketing gets complex. Multi-step workflows with branches, A/B tests within sequences, and multi-channel messaging (email, push, SMS, in-app). If you can imagine a customer journey, Customer.io can probably automate it.
The event API is powerful. Track any user action and trigger messaging accordingly. For products with sophisticated onboarding funnels or usage-based pricing, this flexibility matters.
Pros:
- Most powerful automation builder
- Multi-channel (email, SMS, push, in-app)
- Excellent event tracking
- Strong API and integrations
Cons:
- Expensive starting at $100/mo
- Steep learning curve
- Transactional email requires separate product
- Can be overkill for simple needs
Pricing: Starts at $100/mo for 5,000 profiles. Gets expensive quickly as you scale.
Best for: Funded startups with dedicated marketing resources who need enterprise-grade automation. If budget matters, consider Sequenzy which offers similar automation at a fraction of the cost.
Related: Sequenzy vs Customer.io
Userlist understands that B2B SaaS is different. Your customers are companies, not individuals. You need to track company-level engagement, segment by team size or MRR, and message based on collective behavior.
Built by SaaS founders (Jane and Benedikt), so the features reflect real SaaS workflows. Company tracking, user roles, lifecycle stages. If you sell to businesses, this specificity matters.
Pros:
- Purpose-built for B2B SaaS
- Company-level tracking and segmentation
- User roles and lifecycle stages
- Built by SaaS founders
Cons:
- Expensive starting at $100+/mo
- B2B features wasted if you sell to individuals
- Smaller user base and community
Pricing: Starts at $109/mo for 5,000 users. Higher tiers available for larger teams.
Best for: B2B SaaS products selling to companies who need company-level tracking and segmentation. For B2C or simpler B2B, Sequenzy is more cost-effective.
Related: Sequenzy vs Userlist
Drip was originally built for e-commerce but works well for SaaS needing event-based automation. The custom events API lets you trigger workflows based on product behavior. Revenue attribution is included.
Visual workflow builder is solid. Integration ecosystem is mature. Pricing is reasonable compared to Customer.io.
Pros:
- Strong event-based automation
- Revenue tracking included
- Visual workflow builder
- Reasonable pricing
Cons:
- E-commerce heritage shows in the interface
- Not as SaaS-focused as alternatives
- Some features feel bolted on
Pricing: Starts at $39/mo for 2,500 contacts. Scales based on list size.
Best for: Products needing solid event-based automation at a reasonable price. For native billing integration, Sequenzy is a better fit.
Related: Sequenzy vs Drip
Encharge focuses on behavior-based automation for SaaS. Track what users do in your product, segment by engagement, and trigger messages based on actions. They have been adding AI features for content optimization.
Good integration with product analytics tools. Visual flow builder. Reasonable pricing for what you get.
Pros:
- Built for SaaS behavioral marketing
- Good product analytics integrations
- Visual flow builder
- AI content features
Cons:
- Less established than Customer.io
- Learning curve exists
- Some features feel early-stage
Pricing: Starts at $79/mo for 2,000 subscribers. Mid-tier pricing compared to competitors.
Best for: SaaS wanting sophisticated behavioral automation without Customer.io pricing. Sequenzy offers similar capabilities at a lower price point.
Loops is what happens when you strip email marketing down to essentials. Beautiful interface, fast setup, and it combines transactional and marketing. If you are allergic to complexity, Loops is refreshing.
The team is clearly product-focused. Every feature feels intentional. Good API, solid documentation, responsive support. For many SaaS products, Loops is genuinely enough.
Pros:
- Beautiful, minimal interface
- Fast setup and onboarding
- Combines transactional + marketing
- Developer-friendly API
Cons:
- Basic automation compared to alternatives
- No billing integrations
- Limited segmentation options
- No revenue tracking
Pricing: Starts at $49/mo for 5,000 contacts and 10,000 emails.
Best for: Founders who prioritize clean UX over feature depth. If you need billing integration or revenue tracking, Sequenzy is a better choice.
Related: Sequenzy vs Loops
If you only need transactional email, Resend is probably the best choice. The developer experience is exceptional. Clean API, excellent docs, and predictable behavior. Their React Email library lets you build templates in JSX, which is genuinely useful if your app is React-based.
The team (Zeno Rocha and co.) clearly understands developers. Everything from the dashboard to the error messages feels thoughtfully designed. It is the Stripe of email sending.
Pros:
- Best-in-class developer experience
- React Email for JSX templates
- Free tier available
- Excellent documentation
Cons:
- No marketing automation
- No sequences or campaigns
- Need a second tool for lifecycle email
Pricing: Free for 3,000 emails/mo, then $20/mo for 50,000 emails.
Best for: Developers who need excellent transactional email and will pair it with a marketing tool like Sequenzy for lifecycle campaigns.
Postmark has been around since 2010 and built its entire reputation on deliverability. If your emails absolutely must arrive (auth codes, payment receipts, security alerts), Postmark is the safest choice.
They separate transactional and broadcast into different streams, protecting your critical messages from being affected by marketing sends. Time-to-inbox is consistently under 10 seconds.
Pros:
- Industry-leading deliverability
- 14+ years of track record
- Separate message streams
- Fast time-to-inbox
Cons:
- Limited marketing features
- No free tier
- Dated UI
Pricing: Starts at $15/mo for 10,000 emails. Volume-based pricing.
Best for: Products where email delivery is mission-critical. Often paired with Sequenzy or another marketing tool for lifecycle email.
ActiveCampaign combines email marketing with CRM. If your SaaS has a sales-assisted motion, having email and CRM together can be valuable. Automations can move deals through pipelines, trigger sales tasks, and more.
Mature product with lots of features and an extensive integration ecosystem. The automation builder is powerful.
Pros:
- Built-in CRM
- Powerful automation
- Extensive integrations
- Reasonable starting price
Cons:
- Not SaaS-specific
- Interface can feel overwhelming
- Transactional email is an add-on
- Confusing pricing tiers
Pricing: Starts at $29/mo for 1,000 contacts. Pricing increases with features and contacts.
Best for: SaaS with sales teams who need integrated CRM and marketing. For product-led SaaS, Sequenzy is more focused.
Related: Sequenzy vs ActiveCampaign
HubSpot is the enterprise standard for inbound marketing. Email is just one part of a massive platform that includes CRM, landing pages, forms, analytics, and more. If you are already in the HubSpot ecosystem, their email tools are solid.
The free tier is generous for basic needs. But once you need advanced features, pricing escalates quickly.
Pros:
- All-in-one marketing platform
- Generous free tier
- Strong analytics
- Enterprise-grade features
Cons:
- Expensive for full features ($800+/mo)
- Overkill for most startups
- Not SaaS-specific
- Complex to set up
Pricing: Free tier available. Marketing Hub starts at $45/mo, Professional at $800/mo.
Best for: Enterprise marketing teams already using HubSpot CRM. Most SaaS startups should consider Sequenzy instead.
Related: Sequenzy vs HubSpot
Intercom combines email, live chat, help desk, product tours, and more. If you want one platform for all customer communication, Intercom consolidates it. The email features are solid, though not as deep as dedicated tools.
Good for product-led companies who want in-app messaging alongside email. Strong brand and mature product.
Pros:
- Unified communication platform
- In-app messaging + email
- Product tours included
- Mature, well-supported product
Cons:
- Expensive, especially as you grow
- Email features less sophisticated than dedicated tools
- Confusing pricing
- Can become costly quickly
Pricing: Starts at $74/mo. Pricing varies by features and usage.
Best for: Teams wanting unified customer communication. For email-focused needs, Sequenzy offers better value.
Related: Sequenzy vs Intercom
SendGrid (now owned by Twilio) is the enterprise standard. They handle billions of emails for companies like Airbnb and Spotify. If you are planning to send millions of emails per month, SendGrid infrastructure is battle-tested.
Both transactional API and Marketing Campaigns are included. Dedicated IPs available. Comprehensive documentation and enterprise features.
Pros:
- Battle-tested at scale
- Both transactional and marketing
- Dedicated IPs available
- Enterprise features (SSO, etc.)
Cons:
- Interface feels dated
- Marketing features lag behind specialists
- Support quality varies by plan
- No billing integrations
Pricing: Free tier for 100 emails/day. Paid plans from $20-90/mo.
Best for: Teams expecting very high volume who need proven infrastructure. For SaaS-specific features, Sequenzy is a better fit.
Mailchimp is the most recognized name in email marketing. Everyone has used it at some point. The free tier is generous, and the platform is easy to use for basic campaigns.
However, Mailchimp does not understand SaaS. No event tracking, limited automation, no billing integrations. It is designed for newsletters and small business marketing, not product-led SaaS.
Pros:
- Generous free tier
- Easy to get started
- Good template library
- Wide brand recognition
Cons:
- Not built for SaaS
- No event tracking
- Limited automation
- No billing integrations
- Pricing increases rapidly
Pricing: Free for 500 contacts. Paid plans start at $13/mo.
Best for: Newsletters and basic marketing. SaaS founders should use Sequenzy instead.
Related: Mailchimp vs Customer.io
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) offers solid email marketing at competitive prices. They also include SMS, chat, and CRM features. For teams watching every dollar, Brevo packs a lot of value.
The email builder is decent, automation is capable, and the API is reasonable. Not as polished as premium tools, but functional.
Pros:
- Very affordable pricing
- Email + SMS + Chat included
- Built-in CRM
- Decent automation
Cons:
- Not SaaS-specific
- Limited event tracking
- No billing integrations
- Interface can be clunky
Pricing: Free for 300 emails/day. Paid plans start at $25/mo.
Best for: Budget-conscious teams with basic needs. For SaaS, Sequenzy offers better value with billing integrations.
Related: Brevo vs Customer.io
Klaviyo is the king of e-commerce email, but their features work for SaaS too. Strong revenue attribution, predictive analytics, and powerful segmentation. If you care about seeing exactly how email drives revenue, Klaviyo delivers.
The platform is designed around commerce, so some features feel e-commerce oriented. But the core email and automation capabilities are solid.
Pros:
- Excellent revenue attribution
- Predictive analytics
- Powerful segmentation
- Strong automation
Cons:
- E-commerce focused design
- No native SaaS billing integrations
- Can be expensive
- Learning curve
Pricing: Free for 250 contacts. Paid plans start at $45/mo.
Best for: Teams wanting strong revenue tracking. For native SaaS billing integrations, Sequenzy is purpose-built.
Related: Klaviyo vs Drip
Vero is a developer-friendly behavioral email platform. Track events, build segments, and trigger automated campaigns based on user actions. The API is clean and the documentation is thorough.
Popular with technical teams who want to integrate email deeply with their product. Good balance of power and usability.
Pros:
- Developer-friendly API
- Strong event tracking
- Behavioral segmentation
- Good documentation
Cons:
- Smaller user base
- Limited third-party integrations
- No billing integrations
Pricing: Starts at $54/mo for 2,000 contacts.
Best for: Developer teams wanting behavioral email. For billing integrations and revenue tracking, Sequenzy offers more SaaS-specific features.
How to Choose the Right Email Service
If you use Stripe, Polar, Creem, or Dodo
Go with Sequenzy. It is the only email service with native integrations for these payment providers. Segment by MRR, LTV, plan, and see which emails actually drive revenue without custom code.
If you only need transactional email
Resend for best DX, Postmark for best deliverability. Pair with Sequenzy for marketing automation.
If you have complex workflows
Customer.io is the power tool, but expensive. Sequenzy handles most automation needs at a fraction of the cost. Evaluate your actual complexity honestly.
If you sell to businesses (B2B)
Userlist has purpose-built company tracking. Sequenzy works well for B2B too if you use a supported billing provider.
FAQ
Which email services have native Stripe integration?
Sequenzy, Customer.io, and Drip have native Stripe integrations. However, Sequenzy is the only one with OAuth-based integration that syncs MRR, LTV, and payment status in real-time without code.
Which email services support Polar?
Sequenzy is currently the only email service with native Polar integration. Other services require custom webhooks or third-party integrations like Zapier.
Which email services support Creem?
Sequenzy is the only email service with native Creem integration. If you are using Creem for payments, Sequenzy lets you segment subscribers by their Creem billing data.
Which email services support Dodo Payments?
Sequenzy has native Dodo Payments integration. This is useful for SaaS founders who want to use Dodo as their payment processor while still getting revenue-attributed email analytics.
Should I use separate services for transactional and marketing email?
It depends. If you send high marketing volume, separating protects your transactional deliverability. Services like Sequenzy and Loops handle both in one platform, which simplifies your stack. Read our guide on transactional vs marketing email for more details.
Can I use multiple payment providers with one email service?
Yes, Sequenzy supports connecting multiple payment providers simultaneously. You can have Stripe for one product and Polar for another, with all billing data unified in your email segments.
The Bottom Line
For most SaaS founders using modern billing providers (Stripe, Polar, Creem, Dodo), Sequenzy offers the best balance: sophisticated automation, native billing integrations, revenue attribution, and reasonable pricing at $19/mo.
But context matters. If you need the most powerful automation possible, Customer.io has it. If you only need transactional, Resend is probably better. If simplicity trumps features, Loops is beautifully simple.
The worst choice is analysis paralysis. Pick something reasonable, learn what you actually need, and switch later if necessary. Email migration is not as painful as it sounds.