Quick answer
SendPulse - SendPulse wins for most builders because its free tier is bigger, cardless, and includes broader marketing tools, while Resend is the better fit only if you want a developer-first email API and can live with a much tighter free quota.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers are aimed at different jobs. Resend is an API-first email product: you get sending and receiving, REST and SMTP access, SDKs, React Email, webhooks, and a small but legit developer workflow. The tradeoff is a tight cap: 3,000 emails per month and 100 per day, plus only 1 custom domain and 30 days of data retention. SendPulse is more of a marketing hub. Its free plan is larger on volume, with 15,000 emails per month, and includes templates, a drag-and-drop builder, basic automation, forms, analytics, a CRM, and 24/7 support. It also does not require a credit card. If you are building an app that sends transactional email, Resend feels cleaner. If you want to start marketing to subscribers without paying upfront, SendPulse is the easier free tier.
Resend vs SendPulse free tier, side by side
| ResendFTV 30 | SendPulseFTV 51 | |
|---|---|---|
| Email sending capResend also has a 100 emails/day limit on free; SendPulse does not list a daily cap here. | 3,000 emails/month | 15,000 emails/month |
| Daily sending capOnly Resend lists a daily limit in the provided data. | 100 emails/day | Not specified |
| Custom domainsSendPulse free tier items provided here do not list a custom-domain quota. | 1 custom domain | Not specified |
| Data retentionResend free tier includes 30 days of data retention. | 30 days | Not specified |
| Automation runs / flowsThe products measure automation differently, so this is not a direct apples-to-apples quota. | 10,000 automation runs | Up to 5 automated flows, 50 elements per flow, 1 event |
| AI / verification extrasThese are different features, not direct substitutes. | 5 AI credits/month | 100 email verifications |
| Credit card required for free tierOnly SendPulse explicitly says no credit card is required. | Yes | No |
After you outgrow the free tier
Resend’s paid pricing starts with a flat $20/mo Pro plan, but the plan itself is usage-based around email volume, with 50,000 emails/month included and $0.90 per 1,000 extra emails. SendPulse uses tiered pricing by subscriber or email-volume bands. Its first meaningful paid email plan starts at $9.60/mo billed every 6 months for up to 500 subscribers, or $48 for up to 10,000 emails, depending on which pricing table you use. For small teams, SendPulse is cheaper to start. Resend becomes the cleaner choice if your priority is developer email infrastructure rather than marketing tooling.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Resend | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| 3,000 emails/moBoth free plans cover this volume based on the provided caps. | Free (within tier) | Free (within tier) |
| 10,000 emails/moResend’s free cap is exceeded; SendPulse free still covers this volume. | $20/mo (Pro) | Free (within 15,000/month free cap) |
| 20,000 emails/moSendPulse’s provided paid tables show up to 10,000 emails or subscriber-based tiers, but not a 20,000-email scenario. | ~$20.90/mo est. (Pro + $0.90 per 1,000 extra emails) | Pricing varies by plan; no exact 20,000-email price was provided |
| 50,000 emails/moResend’s Pro tier includes 50,000 emails/month. | $20/mo (Pro includes 50,000 emails) | Pricing not provided for this volume |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Resend when…
- You are wiring transactional email into an app and want REST, SMTP, and official SDKs from day one.
- You care about React Email and a developer workflow more than a full marketing suite.
- You only need a small sending volume, around 3,000 emails per month or less.
- You want scheduled sends, batch sending, webhooks, and deliverability basics in a focused tool.
- You are okay with just one custom domain and limited retention on the free plan.
Pick SendPulse when…
- You want a free plan that does not require a credit card.
- You need higher free volume, with 15,000 emails per month instead of 3,000.
- You want templates, a drag-and-drop builder, subscription forms, and basic automation in one place.
- You need built-in CRM features alongside email marketing.
- You are starting a newsletter or simple marketing program and want support included at the free tier.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, SendPulse is the safer free-tier pick because it gives you more sending volume, no card requirement, and a broader set of marketing tools before you pay. Resend is better when email is part of your product stack and you want a developer-first API with SMTP, SDKs, webhooks, and React Email. If you are choosing a free tier to get started fast, SendPulse wins. If you are choosing infrastructure for app email, Resend is the more focused tool.
Read the full listings: Resend and SendPulse. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.