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Mailgun alternatives
7 Best Mailgun Alternatives for Cold Email in 2026
Mailgun is a developer's transactional email API, it famously has no send button, and it is the wrong tool for cold outreach. The right alternative gives you real, warmed mailboxes built for outbound.
The InboxKit Alternative
TL;DR
Mailgun is a developer's transactional email API, it famously has no send button, and it is the wrong tool for cold outreach. You will fight shared-IP reputation, have no inbox or reply workflow, and risk compliance issues. Mailgun is excellent for application email; for cold campaigns you want real-mailbox infrastructure. The strongest alternative is InboxKit (real Google, Microsoft, and Azure accounts with monitoring); for the lowest cost, Maildoso or Mailforge; for dedicated IPs, InfraForge.
How We Selected These Alternatives
- Infrastructure quality: real Google/Microsoft accounts vs shared IPs, US IP verification, dedicated vs pooled resources
- Deliverability tools: warmup isolation, inbox placement testing, blacklist monitoring, DNS automation
- Pricing transparency: no hidden costs, clear per-mailbox rates, honest total cost of ownership
- Feature completeness: sequencer integrations, API access, bulk management, admin controls
- User reputation: G2 and TrustPilot reviews, community feedback, support responsiveness
Why people switch from Mailgun
It is transactional infrastructure, not outreach
Mailgun has no inbox, no composing interface, and no 1:1 reply handling, the no send button point. Cold email is a conversation from a real inbox; an API relay is not.
Shared-IP reputation by default
Standard sending uses shared IP pools, mixing your reputation with other senders. Dedicated IPs are a $59/IP/month add-on that still need volume to warm and do not turn a transactional relay into a cold-email product.
Compliance and shutdown risk
The cold email community is consistent: do not use Mailgun or SendGrid for cold outreach. You risk compliance issues or account shutdowns, and deliverability suffers because the mail does not come from a real, warmed inbox.
The fix is purpose-built cold infrastructure
Real mailbox accounts on dedicated IPs, warmed and monitored, connected to a sequencer, while you keep Mailgun for your app's transactional mail.
Quick Comparison
| Platform | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
 InboxKit | Teams wanting real Google/Microsoft accounts with US IPs, built-in monitoring, and the lowest price for official workspace accounts | Google & Microsoft 365 from $2 |
 Maildoso | Budget SMTP for cold at volume | From ~$1 |
 InfraForge | Dedicated IPs for high-volume cold | $3/mailbox/mo + $99/dedicated IP/mo |
 PrimeForge | Real Google and Microsoft mailboxes | $4 |
 Zapmail | Pre-warmed real accounts | $39/$99/$299 for 10/30/100 mailboxes, $2 |
 Mailforge | Rock-bottom shared-IP pricing | $3/mailbox monthly, $2 annually (~$2 |
 Mailbloom | Private dedicated servers | Flat per-server price (quote) |
Switch to InboxKit
Plans from $39/mo with 10 mailboxes included. InfraGuard monitoring and 24+ sequencer integrations.
The 7 Best Mailgun Alternatives
InboxKit
inboxkit.comBest for: Teams wanting real Google/Microsoft accounts with US IPs, built-in monitoring, and the lowest price for official workspace accounts
InboxKit provisions real Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Azure accounts with dedicated US IPs. Every mailbox is a genuine account with full admin access, automated SPF/DKIM/DMARC via Cloudflare in under 60 seconds. Pre-warmed accounts are available ready to buy and send.
Pricing: Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 both starting from $2.50/mailbox/month on Enterprise annual billing. Azure at $30/tenant (up to 100 mailboxes). Plans: Professional $39/mo (10 slots), Agency $99/mo (30 slots), Enterprise $299/mo (100 slots). Annual billing saves up to 20%.
Includes InfraGuard monitoring (blacklist checks every 6h, DNS watching, bounce tracking), unlimited inbox placement testing, email insights, and 24+ native sequencer integrations. Isolated Warmup add-on at $3/mb/mo warms accounts independently (not shared pool). Full API access and webhooks on all plans.
Strengths
- Google Workspace & Microsoft 365 both from $2.50/mo (Enterprise annual)
- Pre-warmed accounts available ready to send
- Dedicated US-IP addresses on every account
- InfraGuard monitoring (blacklist every 6h) + unlimited placement testing
- 24+ native sequencer integrations + full API on all plans
- Azure mailboxes at $30/tenant + email insights
Limitations
- –No built-in sequencing, infrastructure-focused only
- –Newer platform compared to Instantly or SmartLead ecosystems
Google & Microsoft 365 from $2
Maildoso
maildoso.comBest for: Budget SMTP for cold at volume
For developers who liked Mailgun's cheap, scalable infrastructure feel, Maildoso is the cold-email equivalent: SMTP-first with a floor as low as $0.80/mailbox at scale and a hero rate near $1.80. Combo plans add official Google Workspace, three-day placement testing, self-healing mailboxes, and one-click export to Instantly, Smartlead, and Apollo.
It is built for cold, with API and MCP access for automation. There is no Microsoft 365, Google is only in Combo bundles, and there is no managed warmup product, but it is the value pick for high-volume cold senders who want infrastructure-style control.
Strengths
- Cheapest bulk pricing
- Combo adds real Google Workspace
- Frequent placement testing, self-healing mailboxes
Limitations
- –No Microsoft 365
- –Google only in Combo bundles
- –No managed warmup product
From ~$1.80/mailbox, as low as $0.80/mailbox at scale
InfraForge
infraforge.aiBest for: Dedicated IPs for high-volume cold
If you were considering Mailgun's dedicated-IP add-on, InfraForge is purpose-built dedicated-IP cold infrastructure at $3/mailbox/mo plus $99 per dedicated IP per month, part of the Salesforge stack, with API access. Cold outreach is the point, not a policy violation.
It scales cleanly to high volume, but the $99/IP fee is steep at small scale, and real Google mailboxes live in the sibling Primeforge product. It is the dedicated-IP alternative for technical, high-volume cold senders.
Strengths
- True dedicated IPs
- Scales to high volume
- Cold-friendly with developer/API access
Limitations
- –$99/IP fee is steep at small scale
- –Real Google mailboxes live in a separate product (Primeforge)
- –Not a fit below sustained high volume
$3/mailbox/mo + $99/dedicated IP/mo
PrimeForge
primeforge.aiBest for: Real Google and Microsoft mailboxes
PrimeForge sells real Google and Microsoft mailboxes self-serve at $4.50/mailbox monthly or $3.50 annually with a 10-slot minimum. Mailboxes are pre-warmed with automated DNS, US IPs, ESP matching, and API access.
It is a clean way to get real cold-sending inboxes for both Google and Microsoft providers, making it the best pick when you specifically need both ecosystems with real accounts.
Strengths
- Real Google and Microsoft accounts
- Pre-warmed with automated DNS and US IPs
- ESP matching and API access
Limitations
- –10-slot minimum
- –Higher per-mailbox cost than bulk SMTP
- –Annual commitment for the best rate
$4.50/mailbox monthly, $3.50 annually (10-slot minimum)
Switch to InboxKit
Plans from $39/mo with 10 mailboxes included. InfraGuard monitoring and 24+ integrations.
Zapmail
zapmail.aiBest for: Pre-warmed real accounts
Zapmail's pre-warmed Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 mailboxes come with 12 weeks of warmup done before delivery, ZapShield monitoring, placement testing credits, and OAuth setup in about 10 minutes. Plans run $39/$99/$299 for 10/30/100 mailboxes from a $2.50/mailbox floor.
It is the fastest way to start sending cold from warmed accounts, though API access is locked to the Pro tier.
Strengths
- Pre-warmed real Google/Microsoft accounts
- ZapShield monitoring and placement credits
- Fastest setup (OAuth, ~10 minutes)
Limitations
- –API locked to the Pro tier
- –Shared IPs
- –Placement credits capped per plan
$39/$99/$299 for 10/30/100 mailboxes, $2.50/mailbox floor
Mailforge
mailforge.aiBest for: Rock-bottom shared-IP pricing
Mailforge offers shared-IP mailboxes at $3/mailbox monthly or $2 annually, with an effective floor around $2.42 at 200+ mailboxes. It includes free automated DNS and works-with-any-sending-software positioning.
It is the cheapest dedicated cold infrastructure if you accept shared IPs and add your own monitoring, making it the rock-bottom option for cost-sensitive senders.
Strengths
- Cheapest dedicated cold infrastructure
- Free automated DNS
- Works with any sending software
Limitations
- –Shared IPs only
- –Bring your own monitoring
- –No real provider accounts
$3/mailbox monthly, $2 annually (~$2.42 floor at 200+)
Mailbloom
mailbloom.ioBest for: Private dedicated servers
Mailbloom, the evolution of Mailscale, gives you your own dedicated private server with fresh, isolated IPs and up to 200 mailboxes for a flat per-server price. It includes developer API access and 24/7 monitoring.
It is the maximum-control alternative for technical teams that want their own isolated infrastructure rather than a shared relay.
Strengths
- Your own dedicated private server
- Fresh, isolated IPs, up to 200 mailboxes
- Developer API and 24/7 monitoring
Limitations
- –Per-server quote pricing, not per-mailbox
- –Private SMTP, not real Google/Microsoft accounts
- –Best suited to technical teams
Flat per-server price (quote)
Our Verdict
Bottom Line
For cold email this is not a real contest: Mailgun is transactional infrastructure with no real inboxes and real compliance risk. The alternatives that work are purpose-built cold infrastructure, and for most teams InboxKit is the strongest: real Google, Microsoft, and Azure mailboxes on dedicated IPs, isolated warmup, two-way replies, InfraGuard monitoring, and API access, from $39/mo.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should not. Mailgun is a transactional email API on shared IPs with no inbox or reply workflow; you risk compliance issues, shutdowns, and poor deliverability. Use cold-email infrastructure like InboxKit instead.
InboxKit, for real Google/Microsoft/Azure mailboxes on dedicated IPs with warmup, monitoring, and API access. For the lowest cost, Maildoso or Mailforge; for dedicated IPs, InfraForge.
It is API/SMTP infrastructure for application email, with no inbox or 1:1 reply workflow, shared-IP reputation by default, and content that does not read as a real person. The cold email community consistently advises against it.
Yes, for transactional email at scale, with a strong API, webhooks, and EU/US regions. It is just the wrong tool for cold email.
Yes. Run Mailgun for your application's transactional email and InboxKit for cold sales outreach, different jobs, different tools.
Ready to switch?
Plans from $39/mo with 10 mailboxes included.