Resend vs Postmark in 2026
Resend vs Postmark is a modern email API with a big free tier against a transactional specialist that charges from the first email. Resend's free plan sends 3,000 emails a month (100 a day) on 3 domains, and Pro costs $20 a month for 50,000. Postmark's free developer plan sends 100 emails a month, and paid plans start at $15 a month for 10,000 emails.
Facts and prices checked on against the sources listed below.
Quick verdict
Pick Resend if you want a free tier you can launch on, SDKs for nine languages, and marketing email to contacts from the same account.
Postmark
Starts atBasic $15/mo
Pick Postmark if you send mostly transactional mail, want separate message streams, long retention of up to 365 days, or a dedicated IP at volume.
Resend vs Postmark at a glance
| Feature |  Resend | Postmark |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 3,000 emails a month, 100 a day, 3 domains | 100 emails a month |
| Entry paid plan | Pro, $20 a month for 50,000 emails | Basic, $15 a month for 10,000 emails |
| Message streams | Not covered on the pricing page | Up to 15 on Basic, 30 on Pro, unlimited on Platform |
| Overage | $0.90 per 1,000 on Pro, down to $0.46 on Scale | $1.80 per 1,000 on Basic, $1.30 on Pro, $1.20 on Platform |
| Log retention | 30 days on free | 45 days; up to 365 days on Pro and Platform |
| Marketing email | Free up to 1,000 contacts; paid from $40 a month | Not covered on the pricing page |
| Dedicated IP | Not checked | From $50 a month, Pro or higher at 300,000+ emails a month |
| SMTP and SDKs | SMTP plus SDKs for Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, PHP, Ruby, Java, .NET, Elixir | SMTP plus libraries for Node.js, Python, Ruby, .NET, Java, PHP and a CLI |
Pricing and free tier (checked Nov 2026)
Resend's free plan sends 3,000 emails a month, up to 100 a day, from 3 domains, with 30 days of log retention. Pro costs $20 a month for 50,000 emails or $35 a month for 100,000, with 10 domains, and extra email costs $0.90 per 1,000. Scale runs from $90 a month for 100,000 emails to $1,150 a month for 2,500,000, with overage from $0.90 down to $0.46 per 1,000. Marketing email is free up to 1,000 contacts, and paid marketing plans run from $40 a month for 5,000 contacts.
Postmark's free developer plan sends 100 emails a month. At 10,000 emails a month, Basic costs $15, Pro $16.50 and Platform $18, and extra email costs $1.80, $1.30 and $1.20 per 1,000. Basic keeps 45 days of history, and Pro and Platform can keep up to 365 days. A dedicated IP starts at $50 a month per IP, for Pro or higher at 300,000 or more emails a month.
Free tiers compared
Resend's free plan is enough to launch a small app: 3,000 emails covers sign-ups, password resets and receipts for a while. Postmark's 100 emails a month is a test allowance, so plan on $15 a month from day one.
Message streams and retention
Postmark organises sending into message streams, up to 15 on Basic, 30 on Pro and unlimited on Platform, and its long retention helps when support needs to look up an email from months ago. Resend keeps 30 days of logs on the free plan.
Developer experience
Both offer SMTP and a REST API. Resend's quickstarts cover Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby, Go, Rust, Elixir, Java and .NET, and its SMTP server listens on ports 25, 465, 587, 2465 and 2587. Postmark's official libraries cover Node.js and TypeScript, Python, Ruby and Rails, .NET, Java and PHP, plus a CLI. Its libraries live under the ActiveCampaign organisation on GitHub.
When to pick Resend
- You want to start free and stay free for a while.
- You want transactional and marketing email in one account.
- You send 50,000 to 100,000 emails a month on a budget.
When to pick Postmark
- You send mostly transactional email and want streams kept apart.
- You need long history for support or audits.
- You expect to need a dedicated IP at volume.
See also Resend vs SendGrid and Resend alternatives.
FAQ
Is Resend cheaper than Postmark?
At low and mid volume, yes. Resend is free up to 3,000 emails a month and $20 a month for 50,000, while Postmark starts at $15 a month for 10,000. Resend's overage on Pro is $0.90 per 1,000 against $1.20 to $1.80 at Postmark.
Does Postmark have a free plan?
Yes, a free developer plan with 100 emails a month. It is meant for testing, not for running a live app.
Which has better deliverability?
We have not run our own deliverability test, and results depend on your domain setup, content and list. Send real traffic from your own domain through both for a week and compare inbox placement before you commit.
Can I switch from Postmark to Resend?
Yes. Both support SMTP, so the quickest move is to change SMTP settings, then move to the API later. Verify your domain on the new service and update DNS records before you switch traffic.
Sources, checked November 1, 2026
Prices and plans change often. If something here is out of date, tell us through the contact page.