When you manage millions of transactional emails or orchestrate extensive marketing campaigns, the nuances of data protection, privacy, and regulatory adherence can make or break your operations.
This is precisely why you need to hawk over compliance, and set a goal to find a provider that:
- Safeguards your data
- Respects user privacy
- Helps you navigate the labyrinth of GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA
To help you make an informed decision, I’ll peel back the layers of documentation, from privacy policies and Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) to providers’ infrastructure disclosures and feature sets. My SMTP providers compliance comparison also incorporates:
- Insights from practical testing
- The visibility of audit logs
- The flexibility of account roles
- The accessibility of DPAs and
- The robustness of data deletion options
SMTP providers compliance comparison: a snapshot
The snapshot gives you an immediate overview of where each provider typically shines and how they initially position themselves regarding compliance.
Truth be told, all the providers listed here are compliant, so it’s not like you’ll make a mistake and choose a service that would somehow jeopardize the legality of your campaigns. But the serve slightly different businesses needs, and Amazon SES, for example, requires expertise to set up.
Anyway, the table below provides a high-level overview. Click on the detailed comparison below for the full analysis.
| Mailtrap | Mailgun | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Postmark | |
| Regulations Compliance | High | High | High | Configuration Dependent | High |
| Data Residency | EU/US | EU/US | Global | Multiple Regions | US |
| Auditing & Accountability | Excellent | Good | Very Good | Detailed | Good |
| Access & User Controls | Granular | Good | Very Good | Extensive | Good |
| Data Control & Retention | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible | Configurable | Flexible |
| Legal Compliance | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong |
| Certifications | ISO 27001 | SOC 2 | SOC 2, ISO | Many (AWS) | SOC 2 |
Methodology
My analysis is built on a two-pronged methodology:
- Rigorous documentation review
- Practical, hands-on testing
I aimed to make the insights theoretically sound and reflective of real-world functionality for high-volume senders. So, here’s the gist of it.
Documentation research:
- Privacy policies: To understand how each provider collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data.
- Data Processing Agreements (DPAs): Crucial for GDPR and other privacy regulations, I examined the terms and responsibilities outlined for them as data processors. This included looking for clear commitments on data security, incident response, and sub-processor management.
- Infrastructure disclosures: Understanding where and how their data centers operate, their network security, and redundancy measures.
- Feature documentation: Specifically looking for features designed to aid customer compliance, such as data retention controls, audit logs, and access management capabilities.
Hands-on testing:
Beyond what’s written, I explored the practical implementation of compliance features within the platforms. This involved:
- Audit log visibility: Assessing the detail and accessibility of logs that track user activities and system changes, which are vital for accountability and incident investigation.
- Account roles and permissions: Examining the granularity of user roles and how platforms (and users) control access to sensitive data and features. This is essential for adhering to the principle of least privilege.
- DPA access and signing process: Evaluating how easily a customer can access and execute a DPA with the provider.
- Data deletion options: Testing the mechanisms for customers to permanently delete their data (e.g., email logs, recipient lists) and understanding the retention policies in practice.
With all that, I could present a balanced view, distinguishing between stated policies and their functional implementation. In turn, you get the most relevant insights for your compliance strategy.
SMTP providers compliance detailed comparison
Here, I’ll break down each compliance category, comparing Mailtrap, Mailgun, SendGrid, Amazon SES, and Postmark based on my research and hands-on observations.
Regulations compliance: the global maze 🌎
Before the deep-dive, I’d like to give you the exact context since it’s easy to get lost in all the abbreviations and standards.
When I talk about “regulations compliance”, I’m referring to SMTP providers’ inherent ability and demonstrable commitment to operate within the frameworks of major data protection and privacy laws worldwide.
In my assessment, this means looking at their official stance, available documentation (like DPAs), and features that support your own compliance efforts regarding laws like GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and, where applicable, HIPAA.
Here’s a direct comparison of how each provider approaches key regulations:
| Regulation | Mailtrap (Email Delivery Platform) | Mailgun | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Postmark |
| GDPR | Dedicated DPA, Data Minimization, EU hosting, processing transparency. Supports data subject rights. | Dedicated DPA, EU hosting options, transparent sub-processors. | Standard DPA, robust security, data breach notification, data management tools. | Inherits AWS GDPR compliance; DPA available. User config dependent. | Dedicated DPA, data handling transparency, data retention controls. |
| CCPA/CPRA | Privacy policy aligns with consumer rights; transparent data practices. | Privacy policy addresses consumer rights; data management features assist. | Privacy policy details consumer rights; data access/deletion support. | AWS provides guidance and tools for customer compliance; user config dependent. | Privacy policy aligns with consumer rights; data control options. |
| HIPAA | No, only review existing BAA | Offers BAA; specific configurations for PHI. | Offers BAA; specific configurations for PHI. | Offers BAA; extensive tools for PHI environments; user config dependent. | May support specific use cases with BAA; direct consultation recommended. |
| CAN-SPAM | Built-in email authentication (DKIM, SPF, DMARC), robust unsubscribe management, clear anti-spam policy. | Comprehensive authentication, unsubscribe management, anti-spam policies. | Strong deliverability features, compliance with opt-out mechanisms. | Supports authentication, user responsibility for list hygiene. | Focus on transactional email, strong deliverability; opt-out managed by user. |
Interpretation:
Here’s my take on what these comparisons mean for you:
- GDPR: I look for a clear DPA, transparency about data processing, and features that help me uphold data subject rights (like easy data deletion or access logs).
- Mailtrap, Mailgun, SendGrid, and Postmark all offer dedicated DPAs and clear policies, making them solid choices. They provide the necessary contractual framework. Mailtrap’s focus on secure email delivery naturally integrates these principles. For more in-depth info on the subject check: A deeper dive into GDPR and Emails: How to Stay Compliant.
- Amazon SES inherits AWS’s compliance. While the underlying infrastructure is compliant, it places more responsibility on you to configure your services correctly for full GDPR adherence. This is suitable for those with strong DevOps teams who want ultimate control, but it might be a steeper learning curve for others.
- CCPA/CPRA: If you handle personal information of California residents, these acts are paramount. The focus here is on consumer rights: knowing what data is collected, opting out of its sale, and requesting deletion.
- All five providers demonstrate alignment with these principles in their privacy policies and offer features that support your obligations. My review confirms that they understand the need for transparency and control. Again if you need more, check out how CCPA impacts your email strategy at CCPA Email Best Practices.
- HIPAA: This one is highly specialized. If your business deals with Protected Health Information (PHI), a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is a essential.
- Mailgun, SendGrid, and Amazon SES explicitly offer BAAs and have well-documented capabilities for handling PHI environments. Amazon SES, being part of AWS, offers an extensive toolkit for building HIPAA-compliant architectures.
- Mailtrap doesn’t directy support HIPAA, but we’re ready to review existing BAA of a client.
- Postmark doesn’t support HIPAA.
Note: The topic has it’s fair share of intricacies. Therefore, it wouldn’t hurt to check our post on How to Ensure Your Email is HIPAA Compliant?
- CAN-SPAM Act: Its core tenets involve clear identification, opt-out mechanisms, and valid sender information. And keep in mind that, while often associated with marketing, CAN-SPAM also applies to transactional emails in certain contexts.
- All providers facilitate compliance here by supporting essential email authentication standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, which are critical for sender reputation and deliverability. They also handle aspects like unsubscribe links. Ultimately, ensuring your email content and sending practices adhere to CAN-SPAM is largely your responsibility, but the providers give you the necessary tools.
Further reading:
- A Quick Guide to Sending CAN-SPAM Compliant Cold Emails
- Legal Aspects of Email Marketing: Laws, Compliance, and Penalties
In essence, while all providers strive for general compliance, the depth of their support and the ease with which you can achieve compliance vary. For high-volume senders, the ability to easily sign a DPA, leverage granular controls, and have transparent data handling practices is a must-have.
Data residency and processing
Data residency refers to the physical or geographical location where an organization’s data is stored and processed.
For high-volume email senders, particularly those operating across different continents or in highly regulated industries, the ability to choose data residency (or at least have transparency about it) could be critical. Why? Data residency may dictate the compliance with local laws and internal policies within a particular region.
Data processing, on the other hand, describes how that data is handled, transformed, and managed throughout its lifecycle. And, just to stress, it’s as important as the residency.
Here’s my comparison of how each SMTP provider addresses data residency and processing:
| Mailtrap | Mailgun | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Postmark | |
| Primary Data Centers | EU & US | EU & US | Global | Global | US |
| Data Residency Choice | Yes (EU or US) | Yes (EU or US) | Mainly US/EU | Extensive (AWS region) | No (US only) |
| Data Flow Transparency | High | High | High | High | High |
| Data Encryption | At rest (AES-256) In transit (TLS 1.2+). | At rest (AES-256) In transit (TLS 1.2+). | At rest (AES-256) In transit (TLS 1.2+). | At rest (KMS) In transit (TLS 1.2+). | At rest (AES-256) In transit (TLS 1.2+). |
Interpretation:
- Data residency choice:
- Mailtrap offers clear choices between EU and US data centers, which is a significant advantage for businesses needing to ensure their email data doesn’t leave a specific jurisdiction.
- Mailgun also provides EU and US options, giving similar flexibility.
- Amazon SES stands out with the vast number of AWS regions available globally. If you’re already operating within a specific AWS region, keeping your email data there simplifies your compliance landscape considerably.
- SendGrid operates globally, meaning the data might traverse or be processed in different regions for optimal deliverability. While they are compliant, explicit regional data residency choice for all data at rest could be less straightforward than with Mailtrap or Amazon SES.
- Postmark primarily processes data in the US. This is perfectly fine for US-centric businesses.
- Data flow transparency:
- All providers generally offer good transparency in their documentation regarding data flow. I pay close attention to DPAs and privacy policies to ensure no hidden routes or unexpected data transfers.
- Data Encryption:
- I expected, and confirmed, that all these providers implement robust encryption at rest (when data is stored on servers) and in transit (when it’s moving across networks).
- All five providers utilize industry-standard encryption protocols (AES-256 for data at rest, TLS 1.2+ for in transit). This ensures that even if data were intercepted or accessed without authorization, it would be unreadable.
Further reading:
In essence, if data residency is a hard requirement for your business (e.g., due to government contracts or specific industry regulations), providers offering explicit regional choices like Mailtrap, Mailgun, and Amazon SES should be at the top of your list.
For others, understanding the transparent data flow and robust encryption practices of all providers gives confidence in their security posture.
Auditing and accountability
Being able to prove WHAT happened WHEN is as vital as sending the email itself. Auditing and accountability refer to the mechanisms an SMTP provider puts in place to log activities, track changes, and ensure transparency in their operations and your usage of their platform.
For me, this means:
- Readily available audit logs
- Clear incident response protocols
- Transparent sub-processor management
These features are indispensable for internal governance, external audits, and forensic investigations in case of a security incident or compliance query.
Here’s my analysis of how each provider handles auditing and accountability:
| Mailtrap | Mailgun | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Postmark | |
| Audit Logs | Detailed | Detailed | Extensive | Detailed | Good |
| Log Retention | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Incident Response Transparency | Transparent | Transparent | Transparent | Robust AWS-wide framework | Transparent |
| Sub-processor Transparency | Publicly listed and updated | Publicly listed and updated | Publicly listed and updated | Documented AWS sub processors | Publicly listed and updated. |
| Compliance Reports/Certifications | ISO 27001, SOC 2 (in progress) | SOC 2 Type 2 | SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, CSA STAR | SOC 1, 2, 3, ISO, PCI DSS, HIPAA | SOC 2 Type 2 |
Interpretation
For high-volume senders, robust auditing and a transparent accountability framework from your SMTP provider are non-negotiable. This enables you to maintain internal oversight, respond effectively to incidents, and confidently demonstrate your compliance posture to regulators and customers alike.
- Audit logs: These are your digital breadcrumbs. I rely on them to understand who did what, when, and from where. They’re crucial for security investigations, troubleshooting, and demonstrating due diligence to auditors.
- All providers offer some form of audit logging. Amazon SES, benefiting from the entire AWS ecosystem, offers incredibly granular logging via services like CloudTrail, allowing for highly detailed activity tracking across your entire AWS infrastructure.
- Mailtrap, Mailgun, SendGrid, and Postmark also provide strong audit logging capabilities. They typically track user logins, API calls, setting changes, and other critical account activities.
- Log retention: How long are those logs kept? This is vital for meeting regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR mandates records of processing activities).
- Most providers offer configurable log retention periods, from a few days up to several months or even years, depending on the service tier and specific log type. For instance, Mailtrap allows for configurable retention, which is essential for aligning with various compliance policies. Amazon SES gives you the most flexibility, allowing you to store logs in S3 for virtually as long as you need. This flexibility is key for organizations with long-term audit requirements.
- Incident response transparency: How quickly and clearly does the provider communicate in the event of an outage or security breach?
- I look for publicly available status pages and documented incident response plans. All providers maintain status pages and have internal protocols. SendGrid and AWS (for SES) often publish more detailed transparency reports or security bulletins, reflecting their scale and commitment to a wide user base.
- Sub-processor Transparency: All five providers maintain publicly accessible lists of their sub-processors. This transparency demonstrates their commitment to accountability and allows you to perform your own due diligence on their supply chain.
- Compliance Reports/Certifications: These third-party attestations (like SOC 2, ISO 27001) are independent validations of a provider’s security and compliance posture.
- Amazon SES, as part of AWS, benefits from the broadest range of certifications, covering virtually every major compliance framework.
- Mailgun, SendGrid, and Postmark all hold SOC 2 Type 2 reports, which is a strong indicator of their robust internal controls over security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
- Mailtrap has ISO 27001 and is pursuing SOC 2, showcasing its commitment to these rigorous standards as its platform scales. These certifications aren’t just badges; they represent a deep commitment to maintaining high security and operational standards.
If you’d like to learn more about this security aspect check our blog posts: Understanding Secure Email Server: A Comprehensive Guide and SMTP Security Best Practices: A Comprehensive Guide.
In summary, for large-scale email senders, robust auditing and a transparent accountability framework from your SMTP provider are the key. This enables you to maintain internal oversight, respond effectively to incidents, and confidently demonstrate your compliance posture to regulators and customers alike.
Access and user controls
In large organizations, managing WHO has access to WHAT and ensuring that access is secure and appropriate is a fundamental pillar of compliance and security. To that, access and user controls refers to the features an SMTP provider offers to manage user accounts, define roles and permissions, secure logins, and control API access.
In turn, you get to:
- Prevent unauthorized actions
- Limit potential damage from compromised credentials
- Help adhere to the principle of least privilege.
Here’s my comparison of how each provider handles access and user controls:
| Mailtrap | Mailgun | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Postmark | |
| Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) | Yes granular | Yes custom roles | Yes granular | Highly extensive via AWS IAM. | Yes standard roles |
| Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) | Yes (TOTP) | Yes (TOTP) | Yes (TOTP, Security Key) | Yes (Multiple options via AWS IAM) | Yes (TOTP) |
| Single Sign-On (SSO) | SAML SSO available | SAML SSO available | SAML SSO available | Extensive via AWS IAM and other IdPs. | SAML SSO available |
| API Key Management | Granular | Granular | Granular | Granular | Granular |
| Password Policies | Strong defaults | Strong defaults | Strong defaults | Highly configurable via AWS IAM. | Strong defaults |
Interpretation
Check the more granular comparisons based on the security subcategory.
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): It allows you to define specific roles with tailored permissions, ensuring that, for example, a developer can access sending logs but not delete an entire domain, or a marketing user can view campaign metrics but not modify critical API settings.
- Amazon SES, through AWS IAM (Identity and Access Management), offers arguably the most extensive and granular RBAC system. You can define highly specific policies that control virtually every action within SES.
- Mailtrap, Mailgun, SendGrid, and Postmark all provide robust RBAC capabilities, allowing for custom roles or the use of predefined ones. This is crucial for SMEs and larger teams to enforce the principle of least privilege, minimizing the attack surface. Mailtrap, for instance, offers clear roles like Owner, Admin, and Viewer, which map well to typical team structures.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): A non-negotiable security layer. MFA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access even if a password is compromised.
- All five providers support MFA, typically via time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) or security keys. I strongly advise enabling MFA for every user account to enhance security posture.
- Single Sign-On (SSO): SSO integration is a huge efficiency and security booster, since streamlines user management and enforces corporate identity policies. This goes double for organizations that already use Okta, Azure AD, or Google Workspace.
- All listed providers offer SAML-based SSO, enabling seamless integration with enterprise identity management systems.
- API key management: You want the ability to create separate keys for different applications or services, assign specific permissions to each key (e.g., send-only, analytics-only), and restrict them by IP address.
- All providers offer robust API key management. Amazon SES (via AWS IAM) again provides the most sophisticated control, allowing you to attach incredibly detailed policies to individual API keys.
- Mailtrap, Mailgun, SendGrid, and Postmark offer excellent features like IP whitelisting for API keys and the ability to define granular permissions, ensuring that if an API key is compromised, the blast radius is minimized.
- Password policies: Even though these are basic, it’s truly helpful to choose a provider with strong default password policies.
- All providers enforce strong password policies. For organizations with specific internal security mandates, the ability to customize these policies (e.g., minimum length, character types, rotation frequency) is a plus, which most provide.
In essence, the sophistication of access and user controls directly impacts your ability to secure your email infrastructure and comply with internal and external security mandates. For teams of any size, these controls are fundamental to preventing unauthorized access and ensuring accountability.
Data control and retention
Data control and retention refers to the features an SMTP provider offers that allow you, the customer, to manage the lifecycle of your email data (message content, metadata, logs, recipient lists). This includes setting retention periods, exercising the right to be forgotten, and ensuring data is deleted securely and permanently.
Also, these capabilities are vital for adhering to privacy regulations like GDPR’s “right to erasure.” And these features also help manage internal data governance policies effectively.
Here’s my comparison of how each provider facilitates data control and retention:
| Mailtrap | Mailgun | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Postmark | |
| Email Log Retention | Configurable | Configurable | Configurable | Highly configurable | Configurable |
| Content Logging Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | User configurable (CloudWatch, S3) | Yes |
| Recipient List Management | Yes | Yes | Yes | User manages lists external to SES. | Yes |
| Data Deletion Capabilities | Manual and automated | Deletion tools for logs and data | Deletion tools for logs, lists, and events. | User-managed deletion via AWS services. | Deletion tools for messages and suppression lists. |
| DPA/Terms on Data Ownership | Explicitly states customer owns data. | Explicitly states customer owns data. | Explicitly states customer owns data. | Explicitly states customer owns data. | Explicitly states customer owns data. |
Interpretation
The ability to control your email data’s lifecycle is a cornerstone of modern data privacy and security. Neglecting this can lead to compliance violations and expose sensitive information. So, check the comparison in greater detail.
- Email log retention: How long are your email logs (metadata, message IDs, status) kept by the provider? This is a key question for compliance. Many regulations require data to be retained only for as long as necessary.
- All providers offer configurable log retention, but the default periods and maximum extensions vary. Amazon SES, through its integration with AWS CloudWatch Logs and S3, gives you virtually infinite control and retention options, allowing you to tailor retention precisely to your legal and operational needs.
- Mailtrap, Mailgun, SendGrid, and Postmark offer flexible, user-configurable retention periods, which is crucial. I find that the ability to set and enforce these periods directly within the platform simplifies compliance with policies like GDPR’s storage limitation principle.
- Content logging control: For sensitive transactional emails, you might not want the full message body or specific attachments stored on the provider’s servers after delivery.
- It’s reassuring to see that Mailtrap, Mailgun, SendGrid, and Postmark all provide options to disable or limit the logging of email content. This is a vital feature for protecting privacy and minimizing the amount of sensitive data at rest with a third party. Amazon SES also gives you granular control over what data is logged to CloudWatch or S3. This feature helps significantly in reducing your data footprint and compliance risk.
- Recipient list management: In general, most email sending is API-driven and lists are managed on your side, but providers often store suppression lists (bounces, unsubscribes, complaints).
- All providers offer robust tools for managing these (stored) suppression lists.
- For broader recipient list management, Mailtrap, Mailgun, and SendGrid offer more comprehensive features if you choose to upload and manage lists directly on their platforms, giving you control over importing, exporting, and segmenting.
- Amazon SES and Postmark typically expect you to manage your primary lists externally, using their platforms for sending to those lists.
- Data deletion capabilities: As indicated, the “right to be forgotten” is a fundamental privacy right. Therefore, my main guiding question was if you can easily and permanently delete data from your provider’s systems.
- All five providers offer clear mechanisms for deleting email logs, suppression lists, and other associated data.
- I’ve found that providers like Mailtrap and SendGrid make it straightforward to initiate these deletions, either manually or through API calls, ensuring you can comply with data subject requests quickly.
- For Amazon SES, data deletion is handled through standard AWS service deletion policies (e.g., deleting S3 buckets for logs), which requires familiarity with the AWS ecosystem.
- DPA/Terms on data ownership: Crucially, all these providers explicitly state in their Data Processing Agreements or Terms of Service that you, the customer, retain ownership of your data. This is a non-negotiable point for maintaining control over your intellectual property and user data.
In summary, granular control over email data retention and robust deletion capabilities is no longer optional. It’s a fundamental requirement for meeting global privacy regulations and ensuring responsible data governance for any high-volume email sender.
Legal compliance
Beyond specific data privacy regulations, “legal compliance” for an SMTP provider encompasses their general adherence to commercial laws, the terms of service, acceptable use policies, etc.
More importantly, in my view, legal compliance dictates the reliability of the service, the protection of intellectual property, and how potential disputes or legal requests (like subpoenas) are managed.
A provider’s robust legal framework offers peace of mind and reduces the risk of operational disruptions due to unforeseen legal entanglements.
Here’s my comparison of each provider’s stance on broader legal compliance:
| Mailtrap | Mailgun | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Postmark | |
| Terms of Service (ToS) | Clear, regularly updated | Clear, regularly updated | Clear, regularly updated | AWS Service Terms | Cear, regularly updated |
| Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) | Strict anti-spam/ abuse, clear guidelines | Strict anti-spam/ abuse, clear guidelines | Strict anti-spam/ abuse, clear guidelines | Strict anti-spam/ abuse, detailed guidelines. | Strict anti-spam/ abuse. |
| Handling of Legal Requests | Transparent | Transparent | Transparent | Transparent | Transparent |
| Intellectual Property | Explicitly states customer owns their data | Explicitly states customer owns their data | Explicitly states customer owns their data | Explicitly states customer owns their data | Explicitly states customer owns their data |
| Service Level Agreements (SLA) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Interpretation
Beyond technical features, the legal backbone of your SMTP provider significantly impacts your operational stability and risk management. Check the details below.
- Terms of Service (ToS) & Acceptable Use Policy (AUP): These are the foundational contracts governing your relationship with the provider. I thoroughly review these to understand my rights, their responsibilities, and, critically, what constitutes acceptable email sending behavior. A clear and strict AUP is a good sign, as it indicates the provider is actively working to maintain a clean sending reputation, which directly benefits my deliverability.
- All five providers maintain comprehensive and regularly updated ToS and AUP documents. This transparency is crucial. Mailtrap, like the others, has a very clear anti-spam and abuse policy, which is essential for ensuring a healthy sending environment for all users.
- Handling of legal requests (e.g., subpoenas): This is a sensitive area. Should a government agency or legal entity request access to your data held by the provider, their process for handling such requests is vital. I look for providers that commit to notifying customers about such requests unless legally prohibited.
- All providers have documented processes for handling legal demands, aligning with legal requirements. SendGrid and Amazon SES (through AWS) are notable for often publishing transparency reports, detailing the number and types of legal requests they receive, which offers an additional layer of accountability for large enterprises.
- Intellectual Property (IP): It’s a fundamental principle, but one worth confirming. I mean, your data needs to remain your data. This is typically addressed in their Terms of Service and/or Data Processing Agreements.
- My review confirmed that all five providers explicitly state that the customer retains ownership of their intellectual property and data uploaded or sent through their services. This is a baseline requirement for any reputable service provider.
- Service Level Agreements (SLA): For high-volume transactional emails, uptime and performance are paramount. An SLA legally binds the provider to certain performance metrics and outlines recourse if those aren’t met.
- All providers offer clear SLAs, guaranteeing specific uptime percentages and often detailing response times for support. For mission-critical email operations, a strong SLA provides a vital layer of assurance and financial protection against downtime.
In essence, a provider’s strong legal compliance framework, transparent policies, and robust handling of legal matters are as important as their technical capabilities.
Certification compliance
Beyond their internal policies and stated commitments, an SMTP provider’s certification compliance provides independent, third-party validation of their security posture and adherence to industry best practices.
To stress, these certifications (like SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, etc.) aren’t just badges. They take a lot of work to obtain, making them critical indicators that the provider has undergone rigorous audits and maintains robust controls over their systems and processes.
The certifications are an external, objective assurance that the provider meets stringent security, availability, confidentiality, and privacy standards. Here’s a look at the key certifications held by each provider:
| Mailtrap | Mailgun | SendGrid | Amazon SES | Postmark | |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | In progress | Yes | Yes | Yes (via AWS) | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (via AWS) | No |
| PCI DSS Level 1 | No (customer responsibility for card data) | No | Yes (for billing, not email content) | Yes (via AWS) | No |
| HIPAA Compliance | No | BAA available | BAA available | BAA available (via AWS) | No |
| CSA STAR | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (via AWS) | No |
| GDPR Certified | Adherent / DPA available | Adherent / DPA available | Adherent / DPA available | Adherent / DPA available | Adherent / DPA available |
Interpretation
When a provider holds a relevant certification, it means an independent auditor has verified their controls, saving you significant time and resources in your own compliance efforts.
- SOC 2 Type 2: It assesses controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. For me, a SOC 2 Type 2 report indicates that the provider has mature internal controls and processes to protect customer data.
- Mailgun, SendGrid, Postmark, and Amazon SES all hold SOC 2 Type 2, providing strong assurance of their operational security.
- Mailtrap is actively investing in obtaining this, which is a critical step for a growing platform targeting high-volume senders.
- ISO 27001: This is an international standard for information security management systems (ISMS). It’s a comprehensive framework for managing information security risks.
- Mailtrap, SendGrid, Amazon SES (via AWS), and Mailgun hold ISO 27001. This signals a structured and systematic approach to managing sensitive information.
- PCI DSS Level 1: This applies to organizations that store, process, or transmit credit card data. While SMTP providers generally don’t handle credit card numbers within email content (that’s your responsibility), some may process payment details for their own services.
- SendGrid states PCI DSS compliance, primarily for handling their own billing.
- Amazon SES (via AWS) provides an environment that can be configured for PCI DSS compliance, but responsibility ultimately lies with the customer’s implementation. For most email sending, this certification is more relevant to your own application’s handling of payment data rather than the email provider’s core service.
- HIPAA Compliance: As discussed, this is crucial for PHI. The ability to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is the key indicator.
- Mailgun, SendGrid, and Amazon SES are willing to sign BAAs, enabling their use for HIPAA-compliant workflows.
- CSA STAR (Cloud Security Alliance Security Trust Assurance and Risk): This program provides a framework for assessing the security posture of cloud services. Levels range from self-assessment to rigorous third-party auditing.
- Mailgun, SendGrid, and Amazon SES (via AWS) participate in CSA STAR, demonstrating their commitment to cloud security transparency.
- GDPR Certified: While there isn’t a single official “GDPR certification” scheme universally adopted, adherence is demonstrated through robust DPAs, policies, and features that enable compliance.
- All listed providers explicitly state their GDPR adherence and offer DPAs, which serve as their contractual commitment to processing data in a GDPR-compliant manner.
In conclusion, a provider’s suite of certifications acts as a powerful trust signal. For large-scale senders, these attestations significantly reduce your own compliance burden and provide an external validation that your chosen email partner operates at the highest standards of security and reliability.
Wrapping up
Ultimately, the best SMTP provider for you will be the one whose compliance posture aligns seamlessly with your organization’s specific legal requirements, risk tolerance, and operational needs.
I urge you to use this smtp providers compliance comparison as a starting point, conduct your own thorough due diligence, and confidently choose the partner that helps you send emails not just effectively, but also compliantly.