Quick answer
It depends - Mailerjet wins for most builders because its free tier is larger, requires no credit card, and includes more of the everyday sending stack before you pay.
How the free tiers compare
MailerSend and Mailjet are both email platforms, but they optimize for different starting points. MailerSend’s free tier is very small: 500 emails and 10 verification credits, with a focus on developer sending plus a drag-and-drop builder. It is better if you want to test a narrow transactional workflow and later move into a simple flat paid plan. Mailjet starts with a much roomier free tier at 6,000 emails per month, 1,000 contacts, APIs, SMTP Relay, webhooks, editor, stats, and form builder, and it does not require a credit card. For most builders, that means more room to ship before paying, and less risk of hitting the ceiling immediately. MailerSend has stronger verification and inbox-style support details in the free tier, but Mailjet offers the broader free foundation and the clearer path for teams that want both marketing and transactional email.
MailerSend vs Mailjet free tier, side by side
| MailerSendFTV 37 | MailjetFTV 53 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free emails per monthMailjet also adds a 200 emails/day cap on free; MailerSend does not list a daily limit here. | 500 | 6,000 |
| Free email verification creditsMailjet’s paid plans include validations, but the free tier items do not list them. | 10 | Not included in free tier |
| Free contactsMailjet explicitly includes contacts in free; MailerSend’s free plan does not list contact management quotas. | Not listed | 1,000 |
| Free API accessBoth support developer sending, but Mailjet’s free tier also lists webhooks. | Email API and SMTP relay | APIs, SMTP Relay, and Webhooks |
| Free editor/building toolsMailjet lists more front-end email tooling in the free tier. | Drag & Drop email builder | Advanced Email Editor, Form Builder |
| No credit card required at signupOnly state this for Mailjet because the field is present. | Not stated | Yes |
After you outgrow the free tier
MailerSend uses flat paid plans starting at $5.60/month, then $28/month and $88/month. Mailjet also uses flat pricing at the low end, starting at $9/month, then $17/month and $27/month, with a custom enterprise tier above that. For small teams, MailerSend is cheaper at the first paid step. Mailjet costs more at entry but gives more free runway and more built-in collaboration and marketing features as you move up. No usage-based rates were provided, so there are no request-by-request cost curves to calculate.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | MailerSend | Mailjet |
|---|---|---|
| 500 emails/moMailjet is still within free allowance; MailerSend is also within free allowance. | Free (within tier) | Free (within tier) |
| 6,000 emails/moMailjet free allows 6,000/month, though it also has a 200 emails/day limit. | Would require a paid plan; free tier caps at 500 emails | Free (within tier) |
| 8,000 emails/moMailjet’s Starter plan covers 8,000 emails/month. | Would require a paid plan; free tier caps at 500 emails | $9/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick MailerSend when…
- You only need a small-volume email API test environment and can live with 500 emails per month.
- You want the drag-and-drop builder plus email threads support on a very small free allowance.
- You expect to move quickly to a simple flat paid tier with a low entry point at $5.60/month.
- You care more about verification credits than contact list size in the free tier.
Pick Mailjet when…
- You want the biggest free sending allowance before paying, especially around 6,000 emails per month.
- You need APIs, SMTP Relay, webhooks, an editor, basic stats, and a form builder in the free tier.
- You want to start without a credit card requirement.
- You are building both marketing and transactional email workflows and want room to add contacts and team features later.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, Mailjet is the better free-tier pick because it lets you do more before paying: more emails, contacts, APIs, webhooks, and basic email ops without a credit card. MailerSend is the tighter, more limited option, but its first paid step is cheaper and its plan structure is straightforward. If you are trying to delay spend while validating a product, Mailjet wins. If you already know you need a small, developer-first sending setup and expect to pay soon, MailerSend is fine.
Read the full listings: MailerSend and Mailjet. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.