Site icon Mailtrap

I Tested 5 Email Service Providers & 5 Email Providers: Find Out The Difference, Which Provider Your Business Needs, and Personal Insights

You start looking for the best email service provider (ESP)—and suddenly you’re reading a list with Gmail, Yahoo, or ProtonMail at the top. The catch? These aren’t ESPs! They’re email providers.

In this post, I’ll break it all down — what email service providers actually do, how they differ from email providers, and which one makes the most sense for your needs. The first section lays the foundation, so I’d recommend reading through it before jumping ahead. 

But if you’re looking to jump right in for a quick overview, head to:

Let’s get started!

Ready to deliver your emails?
Try Mailtrap for Free

Email service providers vs email providers

These terms get mixed up all the time, and it’s easy to see why. Both let you send emails and both are essential for communication. However, they serve entirely different purposes. 

Email service provider (ESP)Email provider
PurposeSending transactional, marketing, and bulk emails Sending and receiving personal or business emails
UsersBusinesses, developers, marketersIndividuals, teams, organizations
Key featuresAutomation, analytics, email testing, and deliverability toolsEmail storage, spam filtering, security
ExamplesMailtrap, SendGrid, Brevo, Mailchimp, MailjetGmail, Outlook, Hotmail, iCloud Mail, Proton Mail
Best forLarge-scale email communicationEveryday email use

Picking the right one depends on what you need—high-volume email sending with analytics or just a reliable inbox for daily communication. Let’s take a closer look.

An email service provider is a platform that allows sending large volumes of different kinds of emails:

Mailtrap, SendGrid, and Mailchimp are some examples of ESPs. You can read more about email service providers here.

Often, these platforms have separate interfaces for different teams. Developers handle transactional email setup, integrating the ESP with websites or apps, while marketers use the platform to manage email marketing campaigns and mass emailing.

For developers, ESPs offer APIs, SDKs, webhooks, and SMTP integration, which makes it easier to embed email functionality into websites and apps. They also provide detailed documentation, event tracking, and logging tools to help troubleshoot delivery issues.

For marketers, ESPs offer drag-and-drop email builders, campaign scheduling, audience segmentation, and A/B testing.

To help teams streamline email strategy and execution, ESPs have tools for automation, analytics, deliverability optimization, and compliance. 

We have a detailed explanation of email service providers, their features, and the benefits for business in this dedicated guide

An email provider (also called an inbox provider) is a service that offers email hosting and client access. It allows users to send, receive, and manage emails for personal and business communication, and provides them with email storage, spam filtering, and security features.

Gmail, Yahoo, and Proton Mail are examples of email providers.

Unlike ESPs, inbox providers don’t have analytics, email testing, automation, or advanced deliverability management features. You can find more on email providers in this section.

Best email service providers: a snapshot

Some ESPs work well for any business type and can handle all types of emails. Others are built for specific use cases or can send only one or two types of emails. We’ll take a look at both.

ESPTransactional emails
Marketing emailsBulk emailsFree plan limits (emails per month/day)Pricing (in USD $)
Mailtrap1,000 / 20015
SendGrid3,000 / 20019.95
Mailchimp1,000 / 50020
Mailgun ⛔*3,000 / 100 15
Campaign Monitor 500 emails for the 30-day free trial12

* Mailgun allows sending marketing emails via its API with very limited functionality

Email service providers comparison criteria

Apart from a clear vision of your email needs, you also need to know what features to check and compare when looking for a solid email service provider. Let’s look at the most critical aspects:

Email infrastructure

A well-built email infrastructure ensures your emails are sent, delivered, and handled efficiently, regardless of volume. When evaluating ESPs, consider their:

Pricing

When evaluating pricing, pay attention to:

Transactional email sending

Not all ESPs support transactional emails—Campaign Monitor and Benchmark Email, for example, focus solely on marketing emails. If you need to send password resets, order confirmations, or account notifications via your app or website, make sure the ESP offers transactional email capabilities and check the following:

We’ve compared the 7 best transactional email services in our detailed guide—check it out to find the right solution for your needs.

Marketing and bulk email sending

To send marketing emails effectively, you’ll need a set of tools to streamline email design, increase engagement rates, and track and optimize performance. Here are the key features to look for:

Check out our dedicated guide, where we compare email marketing platforms and break down their features, pricing, and use cases to help you choose the best provider for your needs. You can also check out our post on the best free email marketing platforms if you’re starting with a shoestring budget.

AI, email automation, and integrations

AI-driven features, automation, and integrations can help streamline email workflows, improve engagement, and connect your ESP with other tools. When comparing ESPs, consider the following aspects:

Email design

There are many tools an ESP can provide you with to help you create visually appealing emails without extra effort. Here are some of them:

User experience

An ESP should be intuitive and easy to use. Pay attention to:

Customer experience

It’s hard to identify the weaknesses of an ESP before you start using it. You can find valuable insight on forums and review websites from real users to know what to expect. Look for testimonials from users with similar needs as yours to understand how the platform performs in real-world use. Pay attention to ratings on G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot to compare overall customer satisfaction and spot recurring complaints or praise.

Best email service provider: Mailtrap Email Delivery Platform

G2: 4.8, Capterra: 4.8 

Mailtrap is an email delivery platform designed to drive your revenue. Great for dev and marketing teams to send campaigns, mass, and transactional emails with focus on high email deliverability and industry-best analytics. 

On top of email sending, Mailtrap allows you to thoroughly test your emails before they’re sent to ensure they display exactly as you want them across all email clients and browsers, without triggering spam filters.

Mailtrap is GDPR compliant and ISO 27001 certified, meaning your email data is handled with the highest standards of security and privacy.

Our team ran an email deliverability test for the most popular ESPs listed, using GlockApps, a reliable email deliverability tool.

To maintain objectivity, we used free-tier accounts, which rely on shared IP pools. As a result, the findings may differ for users with dedicated IPs, as reputation and authentication settings play a significant role in deliverability.

The results showed that 93.2% of emails sent via Mailtrap’s SMTP reached the inbox, with only 5.8% going to secondary tabs. For the full methodology and results, check out our email deliverability comparison overview.

Pros

Cons

Pricing

Mailtrap offers a free plan to explore the platform’s capabilities. Paid plans start at $15 per month for 10K emails, the Business plan costs $85 per month for 100K emails, and the Enterprise plan is $750 per month for 1.5M emails. For detailed pricing and feature breakdowns, visit Mailtrap’s official pricing page.

Source

SendGrid

G2: 4.0​, Capterra: 4.2​

Twilio SendGrid is an ESP built for developers, marketers, and product teams that need a reliable platform for both transactional and marketing emails. 

It offers flexible APIs and tools designed to help businesses streamline email sending at scale. 

For marketing teams, SendGrid provides an email marketing suite with automation, segmentation, and other campaign management features.

Pros:

Cons:

Pricing

SendGrid offers:

For detailed information on each plan, visit SendGrid’s official pricing page.​

Source

Mailchimp

G2: 4.4, Capterra: 4.5 

Mailchimp is an ESP designed for small to medium-sized businesses that need an all-in-one platform for email marketing. It includes email automation, customizable templates, and detailed analytics to help teams create and manage campaigns efficiently.

Pros:

Cons:

Pricing

Mailchimp offers a free plan and a range of paid options:

For a detailed breakdown of each plan and its features, visit Mailchimp’s official pricing page.

Source

Mailgun

G2: 4.2, Capterra: 4.3

Mailgun is an ESP designed for developers who need a reliable way to send, receive, and track emails through APIs. It’s designed for businesses that want to integrate email functionality directly into their applications without relying on pre-built marketing tools.

Pros:

Cons:

Pricing

Mailgun offers a free plan and a range of paid options:

For a detailed breakdown of each plan and its features, visit Mailgun’s official pricing page.

Source

​​Campaign Monitor

G2: 4.1, Capterra: 4.5

Campaign Monitor is an ESP built for businesses that need an easy way to create and manage email campaigns. It offers automation tools, pre-designed templates, and analytics to help teams send targeted emails and track performance without a complicated setup. 

It does not support transactional emails, as it is designed solely for marketing campaigns.

Pros:

Cons:

Pricing

Campaign Monitor doesn’t have a free plan but offers a 30-day free trial. For paid plans, the platform includes:

For a detailed breakdown of each plan and its features, visit Campaign Monitor’s official pricing page.

Source

Best email providers: a snapshot

It may appear that you don’t need an ESP at all and can simply go with an email provider. Let’s take a look at the most well-known inbox providers and compare them.

Email ProviderStorageCustom DomainsSecurity & EncryptionBusiness FeaturesSpam FilteringPremium Plans
Gmail15GB⛔*TLS, 2FAGoogle Workspace IntegrationAdvanced AI FilteringFrom $6.30/month
Outlook15GB⛔*TLS, 2FAMicrosoft 365 IntegrationAdvanced AI FilteringFrom $6/month
Yahoo Mail1TBTLS, 2FABasicFrom $5/month
Proton Mail500MB (Free)⛔*End-to-End Encryption, Zero-KnowledgeAdvanced (Privacy-Focused)From €3.99/month
Zoho Mail5GBTLS, 2FAZoho WorkplaceAdvancedFrom €0.90 /month

* the feature is available in a paid plan

Email providers comparison criteria

When choosing an email provider, there are several aspects to consider to make the right choice for your needs:

Email hosting

Check where and how emails are stored. Most providers use cloud-based servers, while some, like Zoho Mail, offer custom domain hosting. Look at storage limits, reliability, and security.

Read more about email hosting services in our dedicated comparison guide.

Custom domain support

Check if the provider offers custom domain support for professional email addresses:

Some providers require a paid plan for this feature, while Zoho Mail includes it in free and low-cost plans.

Email client

Look at the interface, accessibility, and platform compatibility. Some email providers have dedicated desktop and mobile apps (Outlook, Proton Mail), while others primarily operate through a web-based interface. 

Check if the provider supports IMAP, which allows syncing emails across multiple devices and third-party email clients. Also, find out if the provider offers offline access to read and compose emails without an internet connection.

Security and privacy

Compare encryption levels, authentication protocols, and data protection policies. Services like Proton Mail offer end-to-end encryption, while Gmail and Outlook rely on TLS encryption, phishing protection, and two-factor authentication.

Business suite

If you need an email provider that integrates with a productivity suite, check what ecosystem it belongs to. Gmail works with Google Workspace, Outlook with Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail with Zoho Workplace, and iCloud Mail with Apple’s ecosystem.

Pricing

Check the free and paid plans of different platforms. Consider their storage limits and premium features. Some providers, like Yahoo Mail, offer substantial free storage but lack advanced business tools.

User experience

Evaluate the ease of use, interface design, and mobile app functionality. Some providers, like Outlook, offer a structured and professional layout, while others, like Proton Mail, focus more on security features, which may be difficult to use without experience.

The most popular email provider: Gmail

Gmail is one of the most widely used email services, with around 2.5 billion users worldwide, covering nearly 31% of the global population. It stands out for its AI-powered inbox organization, deep integration with Google Workspace, and strong security features. The service offers a reliable, user-friendly email experience with smart tools to manage communication efficiently for both personal use and businesses.

Pros:

Cons:

Pricing:

Gmail is free for personal use with 15GB of shared storage. Paid plans start at $6.30 per user/month, which includes custom domains, increased storage, and business tools. Business Standard plan costs $12,60, and Business Plus costs $22 per month.

Outlook

​As of February 2025, Outlook holds approximately 8.10% of the global email client market share. It’s a widely used email provider, especially among businesses and professionals. Outlook integrates with Microsoft 365 and offers secure email sending, structured email organization, and advanced productivity tools for managing communication, scheduling, and collaboration.

Pros:

Cons:

Pricing:

Outlook offers a free email account and paid plans for individuals and businesses. Individual plans start at $9.99/month, with a family plan available for $12.99/month.

For businesses, the Microsoft 365 Basic plan costs $6 per user/month and includes custom domains, increased storage, and premium security features. Higher-tier plans, such as Microsoft 365 Standard ($12.50/month) and Microsoft 365 Premium ($22/month), provide additional business tools and compliance features.

Yahoo Mail

Yahoo Mail is a long-standing email provider that offers 1TB of free storage, far more than most competitors. It has a simple, easy-to-use interface and provides basic spam filtering and mobile access for everyday email needs. While it lacks advanced business tools, it remains a solid choice for personal use.

Pros:

Cons:

Pricing:

Yahoo Mail is free for personal use. A paid plan, Yahoo Mail Plus, starts at $5 per month and removes ads while adding premium support, disposable email addresses, and enhanced security features.

Proton Mail

Proton Mail is designed for users who prioritize confidentiality and control over their email data. Based in Switzerland, it operates under strict privacy laws and uses end-to-end encryption to ensure that only the sender and recipient can access messages. Unlike mainstream email services, Proton Mail doesn’t collect user data or scan emails, which makes it a strong option for individuals and businesses looking for maximum security.

Pros:

Cons:

Pricing:

Proton Mail is free for personal use but has a daily sending limit of 150 messages. Paid plans start at €3.99/month, offering 15GB of storage, one custom domain, and additional features for security.

The Proton Unlimited plan costs €9.99/month. It includes 500GB of storage, three custom email domains, and access to other Proton services like VPN, Calendar, Drive, an encrypted password manager, and encrypted cloud storage.

Zoho Mail

Zoho Mail is designed for professionals and businesses that need a secure, ad-free email service with custom domain support. As part of the Zoho Workplace ecosystem, it allows teams to manage emails, documents, and calendars in one place. Zoho Mail offers cost-effective plans and a strong focus on business users. It’s a practical alternative to Gmail and Outlook, especially for startups and small businesses.

Pros:

Cons:

Pricing:

Zoho Mail has a Forever Free plan with 5GB of storage and a 25MB attachment limit. Paid plans start at €0.90 with increased storage, attachment size, and calendar access. The Mail Premium plan costs €3.60 and includes 50GB of storage, a 1GB attachment size, email backup, and enhanced security features like S/MIME encryption.

For businesses, there’s a full productivity suite. Zoho Workplace starts at €2.70 per user/month and combines email hosting with online collaboration tools like Docs, Sheets, and Meetings.

Wrapping up

Choosing between an email service provider (ESP) and an email provider depends on how you plan to use email.

If you need to send large volumes of marketing emails, as well as bulk and transactional messages, an ESP is the right choice. ESPs provide automation, analytics, and deliverability tools to help ensure your emails reach recipients.

If you primarily need an inbox for receiving and managing emails, an email provider is the better option. Email providers offer email hosting, security features, and spam filtering, enough for personal and business communication.

Exit mobile version