Product being compared
SendMailOS
SendMailOS is a managed email workspace with hosted delivery and connected-server options.
EmailOctopus Connect
This page compares EmailOctopus Connect, the SES-connected product, rather than regular EmailOctopus.
Compare email platforms
SendMailOS vs EmailOctopus Connect: own server or SES?
Compare SendMailOS own-server delivery with EmailOctopus Connect through Amazon SES. Understand contact limits, platform fees and infrastructure costs.
SendMailOS and EmailOctopus Connect, side by side
Email delivery
SendMailOS
Your connected sending server delivers on its configured route. You operate that server and its sending identity.
EmailOctopus Connect
Connect sends through your own Amazon SES account. An AWS account and SES setup are required.
Free plan
SendMailOS
Free includes 3,000 hosted emails per billing month and 2,000 active subscribers; connected servers start on paid plans.
EmailOctopus Connect
Connect Starter lists 2,500 subscribers and unlimited emails through SES, with branding, 30-day reports, one form and one landing page.
Costs and limits
SendMailOS
Own-server volume is separate from the hosted allowance. Subscriber and server counts still determine eligible plans.
EmailOctopus Connect
Connect pricing scales with subscriber count. Add Amazon SES charges and its account limits to the platform plan.
Checked 24 October 2026 using the official sources below. This is a SendMailOS comparison, not an independent performance test.
Compare the complete sending cost
Unlimited emails with your own server, from €12/month
Starter includes 10,000 active subscribers, one connected server and 25,000 hosted emails per billing month. Emails actually sent through your connected server have no monthly platform email quota and do not use hosted credits.
Your VPS is billed separately. Warm-up, fair use, server capacity, subscriber limits and other plan limits apply. A connected server does not guarantee inbox placement.
See how own-server sending worksEmailOctopus Connect: the published cost model
Connect’s pricing page offers monthly and yearly billing and a subscriber selector. Its displayed Pro example is US$8/month billed yearly, with the selected subscriber tier determining the quote. Use the selector for your actual audience; that displayed entry example is not a 10,000-subscriber quote. SES is billed separately.
SendMailOS prices are in EUR. Competitor USD examples are labelled US$ and are not converted. Billing terms, taxes, selected features and usage can change the final invoice. Entry examples are not equal-capacity quotes.
Match the same audience and sending pattern
For 10,000 active subscribers and 100,000 monthly recipient sends, select 10,000 subscribers in Connect’s current pricing tool and add the Amazon SES estimate for the same sending pattern. Compare that with SendMailOS Starter plus a suitable VPS estimate. SES fees and VPS capacity are different cost inputs; neither establishes inbox placement.
A transparent SendMailOS example
10,000 active subscribers, 100,000 own-server recipient sends per month and one suitable server: Starter €12 + an illustrative €8 monthly VPS estimate = €20/month. This assumes the server can handle that volume under warm-up and sending safeguards. It is not a VPS quote, a capacity promise or a hosted-send quote. The separate Starter hosted allowance remains 25,000 emails.
Which model fits your team?
Consider SendMailOS
Consider SendMailOS when you specifically want delivery through a connected sending server, alongside campaigns, workflows, application email and captured replies in one workspace.
Evaluate EmailOctopus Connect
Evaluate EmailOctopus Connect when using your own Amazon SES account is a requirement. Compare your existing AWS setup, application workflow and operational responsibilities before changing routes.
Test before switching
Record the current behavior
List required integrations, audience fields, message types, exclusions, schedules and reports. Preserve consent records and suppression states separately from active subscribers.
Rebuild a representative example
Verify the current SES production-access status and sending quota if using Connect. For a VPS route, verify outbound SMTP permission, DNS and reverse DNS. On either route, test the same campaign, exclusion list, unsubscribe link and report definitions.
Compare observed outcomes
Check the received message, delivery events, links, personalization, unsubscribe and any reply path using mailboxes you control. A recorded open is not proof that a person read the email; an accepted message is not an inbox-placement guarantee.
Move only after the test passes
Verify your domain and selected route, reconcile audience counts and pause the previous workflow before enabling its replacement. Plan a gradual sending transition and retain the source export for recovery.
Choose the plan that fits your limits
Starter · €12/month
25,000 hosted emails per billing month.
10,000 active subscribers.
1 connected sending server.
Growth · €39/month
100,000 hosted emails per billing month.
50,000 active subscribers.
3 connected sending servers.
Pro · €99/month
250,000 hosted emails per billing month.
250,000 active subscribers.
10 connected sending servers.
Every paid plan includes own-server access. More than 10,000 active subscribers or more than one connected server does not fit Starter. Domain, team, automation, API and other limits also apply.
Check every plan limitQuestions before you choose
Is EmailOctopus Connect the same as regular EmailOctopus?
No. Connect uses your own Amazon SES account; regular EmailOctopus handles sending through its main hosted product. Choose the correct product before comparing pricing.
Does unlimited Connect email mean AWS sends are free?
No. A platform email limit and the delivery provider’s charges are separate. Include current Amazon SES charges and account quotas in the estimate.
Can I use the €12 SendMailOS plan for any contact count?
No. Starter includes up to 10,000 active subscribers and one connected server. Larger audiences, more servers or other feature needs can require Growth or Pro; use the current pricing limits.
Official sources and comparison notes
Reviewed by SendMailOS on 24 October 2026. Product documentation supports the scoped facts above; live behavior and suitability still need testing with your setup. Recheck current prices and limits before purchase.
- EmailOctopus Connect pricing and plan limits
- Regular EmailOctopus versus Connect
- Current Amazon SES pricing
- SendMailOS plans and limits
- SendMailOS own-server route and VPS requirements
Competitor names identify the compared products. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Keep comparing
Test your next email workflow
Start with 3,000 free hosted emails per billing month and up to 2,000 active subscribers. Own-server delivery starts on Starter from €12/month, with VPS costs and plan limits.