Vishal Singhal 
Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) remains the most affordable email sending platform in 2026. At just $0.10 per 1,000 emails, it costs a fraction of what competitors like SendGrid, Mailgun, or Mailchimp charge for the same volume.
But the base sending rate is only part of the picture. Between dedicated IPs, data transfer fees, incoming email charges, and the Virtual Deliverability Manager, your actual AWS SES cost depends on how you use the service.
This guide breaks down every component of Amazon SES pricing in 2026, provides real cost calculations at different volumes, and shows you how to get the most value from your email infrastructure.
Amazon SES Pricing Overview
Amazon SES uses a pay-as-you-go model with no upfront commitments, monthly minimums, or long-term contracts. You pay only for what you use across five pricing components:
- Outbound email sending – $0.10 per 1,000 emails
- Inbound email receiving – $0.10 per 1,000 emails
- Dedicated IP addresses – $24.95/month per IP (standard) or usage-based (managed)
- Outgoing data transfer – $0.12 per GB
- Virtual Deliverability Manager (VDM) – additional per-email charges
There are no setup fees. No per-contact charges. No feature tiers that lock you into expensive plans. This is what makes SES email pricing fundamentally different from traditional email marketing platforms.
Email Sending Costs
The core of Amazon SES pricing is the outbound email charge. Every email you send costs $0.10 per 1,000 emails, which works out to $0.0001 per email (one hundredth of a cent).
This rate applies regardless of whether you send from an EC2 instance, a Lambda function, your own servers, or a third-party platform like CampaignHQ.
Here is how sending costs scale:
- 1,000 emails – $0.10
- 10,000 emails – $1.00
- 50,000 emails – $5.00
- 100,000 emails – $10.00
- 500,000 emails – $50.00
- 1,000,000 emails – $100.00
Outgoing Mail Data Charges
In addition to the per-email charge, AWS charges $0.12 per GB for outgoing mail data (the actual size of your email content). This applies to message headers, body text, HTML, and any inline images or attachments.
A typical marketing email without attachments is around 50-75 KB. At that size:
- 100,000 emails at 75 KB each = 7.5 GB = $0.90 in data transfer
- 1,000,000 emails at 75 KB each = 75 GB = $9.00 in data transfer
For most senders, outgoing data transfer adds roughly 10-15% on top of the base sending cost. Keep your emails lean to minimize this charge.
Attachment Surcharge
Emails with attachments over 256 KB incur additional data charges. Each 256 KB chunk costs $0.12 per GB. If you regularly send emails with large attachments, consider hosting files on S3 and linking to them instead.
Email Receiving Costs
If you use Amazon SES to receive inbound emails, the pricing is:
- $0.10 per 1,000 incoming emails for the first 1,000 emails each month (effectively the first 1,000 are part of your message charges)
- $0.10 per 1,000 emails for all incoming messages
Additionally, incoming email chunks are billed separately:
- $0.09 per 1,000 incoming email chunks (each chunk is 256 KB)
A standard text email under 256 KB counts as one chunk. A 768 KB email with attachments counts as three chunks.
Most businesses use SES primarily for outbound sending. If you only send emails and do not receive through SES, you can ignore inbound pricing entirely.
Dedicated IP Address Costs
Amazon SES offers four IP address options, each with different pricing:
Shared IPs (Free)
By default, SES sends your emails from a pool of shared IP addresses managed by AWS. There is no additional cost. This works well for low to moderate volume senders who do not need full control over their sender reputation.
Standard Dedicated IPs ($24.95/month per IP)
A standard dedicated IP gives you a unique IP address exclusively for your email sending. You manage the IP warm-up process and reputation yourself.
- Cost: $24.95 per IP per month
- Best for: Senders who want full control over their IP reputation
- Consideration: You need to warm up new IPs gradually over 2-4 weeks
Most senders need 1-3 dedicated IPs depending on volume. A single dedicated IP can handle roughly 50,000 to 100,000 emails per day once fully warmed.
Managed Dedicated IPs ($15.00/month base + usage fees)
AWS manages the warm-up and reputation for you. The pricing uses a tiered, usage-based model:
| Monthly Volume | Cost per 1,000 Emails |
|---|---|
| 0 to 10 million | $0.08 |
| 10 million to 50 million | $0.04 |
| 50 million to 100 million | $0.02 |
Plus a $15.00 per month base fee per managed dedicated IP.
For high-volume senders (10M+ emails/month), managed dedicated IPs can be more cost-effective than standard dedicated IPs because you get automatic warm-up and reputation management.
Bring Your Own IP (BYOIP) ($24.95/month per IP)
If you already own IP addresses, you can use them with SES. The cost is $24.95 per IP per month, same as standard dedicated IPs. You can register up to 256 IP addresses.
Which IP Option Should You Choose?
- Under 50,000 emails/month: Shared IPs (free) are fine
- 50,000 to 500,000 emails/month: 1-2 standard dedicated IPs ($24.95-$49.90/month)
- 500,000 to 10 million emails/month: Standard dedicated IPs or consider managed
- Over 10 million emails/month: Managed dedicated IPs become the better deal
Data Transfer Costs
Data transfer charges are often overlooked in AWS SES cost calculations. Here is what you need to know:
- Outgoing email data: $0.12 per GB (the content/body of your emails)
- EC2 data transfer: Standard AWS data transfer rates apply if sending from EC2
- S3 storage (if applicable): $0.023 per GB for storing email assets
- S3 data transfer: $0.09 per GB for retrieving stored content
- SNS notifications: $0.50 per million notifications (for bounce/complaint tracking)
For a typical email marketing operation sending 100,000 emails per month with average-sized emails (50-75 KB), data transfer costs add approximately $0.60 to $0.90 per month. This is not a significant expense but should be factored into your total cost calculation.
Virtual Deliverability Manager (VDM) Costs
The Virtual Deliverability Manager is an optional add-on that provides deliverability insights, reputation monitoring, and optimization recommendations.
Important: When VDM is enabled, each outbound email counts as two message charges instead of one. This effectively doubles the per-email sending cost from $0.10 to $0.20 per 1,000 emails.
VDM is useful for senders who want automated deliverability monitoring, but the doubled cost is significant. Consider whether you need VDM or if a platform like CampaignHQ can provide similar deliverability insights without the extra SES charges.
AWS SES Free Tier Details
Amazon SES offers two free tier paths depending on when you created your AWS account:
Standard SES Free Tier (Accounts created before July 15, 2025)
- 3,000 message charges free per month for the first 12 months
- Applies to outbound emails, inbound emails, and VDM charges
- Sending 1 email = 1 message charge
- Receiving 1 email = 1 message charge
- Sending 1 email with VDM enabled = 2 message charges
A customer using VDM can send 1,000 emails (2,000 message charges) and receive 1,000 emails (1,000 message charges) to stay within the 3,000 free tier limit.
New AWS Free Tier (Accounts created after July 15, 2025)
- $200 in AWS Free Tier credits instead of SES-specific message charges
- Credits apply across all eligible AWS services, including SES
- Free plan available for 6 months after account creation
- All credits must be used within 12 months
At $0.10 per 1,000 emails, $200 in credits covers approximately 2,000,000 emails if used entirely for SES sending. This is significantly more generous than the old 3,000 messages/month limit.
What the Free Tier Does NOT Cover
Even during the free tier period, you still pay for:
- Outgoing mail data ($0.12/GB)
- Incoming mail chunks ($0.09 per 1,000 chunks)
- Dedicated IP addresses ($24.95/month)
- EC2 data transfer fees
- Any add-on features
The free tier only covers message charges (the per-email sending/receiving fee).
Amazon SES Cost Calculator: Real Examples
Let’s calculate the true cost of using Amazon SES at different volumes. These calculations assume standard emails (no VDM), no dedicated IPs, and an average email size of 60 KB.
Sending 10,000 Emails per Month
| Cost Component | Calculation | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Email sending | 10,000 / 1,000 x $0.10 | $1.00 |
| Outgoing data (60 KB avg) | 0.6 GB x $0.12 | $0.07 |
| Total | $1.07 |
Cost per email: $0.000107
Sending 100,000 Emails per Month
| Cost Component | Calculation | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Email sending | 100,000 / 1,000 x $0.10 | $10.00 |
| Outgoing data (60 KB avg) | 6 GB x $0.12 | $0.72 |
| 1 Dedicated IP (optional) | Flat rate | $24.95 |
| Total (shared IP) | $10.72 | |
| Total (dedicated IP) | $35.67 |
Cost per email: $0.000107 (shared) or $0.000357 (dedicated)
Sending 500,000 Emails per Month
| Cost Component | Calculation | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Email sending | 500,000 / 1,000 x $0.10 | $50.00 |
| Outgoing data (60 KB avg) | 30 GB x $0.12 | $3.60 |
| 2 Dedicated IPs (recommended) | 2 x $24.95 | $49.90 |
| Total (shared IP) | $53.60 | |
| Total (dedicated IPs) | $103.50 |
Cost per email: $0.000107 (shared) or $0.000207 (dedicated)
Sending 1,000,000 Emails per Month
| Cost Component | Calculation | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Email sending | 1,000,000 / 1,000 x $0.10 | $100.00 |
| Outgoing data (60 KB avg) | 60 GB x $0.12 | $7.20 |
| 3 Dedicated IPs (recommended) | 3 x $24.95 | $74.85 |
| SNS notifications | ~1M x $0.50/M | $0.50 |
| Total (shared IP) | $107.70 | |
| Total (dedicated IPs) | $182.55 |
Cost per email: $0.000108 (shared) or $0.000183 (dedicated)
Quick Reference: Monthly SES Cost by Volume
| Monthly Volume | SES Cost (Shared IP) | SES Cost (Dedicated IP) |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | $1.07 | $26.02 |
| 50,000 | $5.36 | $30.31 |
| 100,000 | $10.72 | $35.67 |
| 250,000 | $26.80 | $76.70 |
| 500,000 | $53.60 | $103.50 |
| 1,000,000 | $107.70 | $182.55 |
Amazon SES vs Competitors: Pricing Comparison
How does AWS SES pricing stack up against other email sending platforms in 2026? Here is a direct comparison at key volume tiers.
Pricing at 100,000 Emails per Month
| Provider | Monthly Cost | Cost per 1,000 Emails |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon SES | $10.72 | $0.107 |
| Mailgun | $75.00 | $0.75 |
| SendGrid | $79.95 | $0.80 |
| Postmark | $110.00 | $1.10 |
| Mailchimp | $350.00 | $3.50 |
Pricing at 500,000 Emails per Month
| Provider | Monthly Cost | Cost per 1,000 Emails |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon SES | $53.60 | $0.107 |
| Mailgun | $325.00 | $0.65 |
| SendGrid | $249.95 | $0.50 |
| Postmark | $490.00 | $0.98 |
| Mailchimp | $1,250.00 | $2.50 |
Pricing at 1,000,000 Emails per Month
| Provider | Monthly Cost | Cost per 1,000 Emails |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon SES | $107.70 | $0.108 |
| Mailgun | $650.00 | $0.65 |
| SendGrid | $399.95 | $0.40 |
| Postmark | Custom | Custom |
| Mailchimp | $2,300.00+ | $2.30 |
The bottom line: Amazon SES is 3x to 30x cheaper than competing platforms depending on volume and provider. The savings become more dramatic at higher volumes.
The Hidden Tradeoff
SES is cheaper because it is infrastructure, not a complete marketing platform. You get raw email sending and receiving. You do not get:
- Drag-and-drop email builders
- Contact list management
- Campaign analytics dashboards
- Automation workflows
- Template libraries
This is exactly where CampaignHQ fits in. It provides the full marketing platform experience while using SES as the sending engine, so you get the best of both worlds: low SES pricing with a complete feature set.
How CampaignHQ Reduces Your SES Costs
CampaignHQ is built natively on AWS and integrates directly with your Amazon SES account. This architecture gives you several cost advantages over using SES alone or switching to an expensive competitor.
Use Your Own AWS Account
CampaignHQ connects to your SES account. You pay AWS directly for sending costs at the standard SES rates. There is no markup on email delivery. You maintain full control over your AWS billing.
Smart Sending Optimization
CampaignHQ optimizes email delivery to reduce bounces, which means fewer wasted sends. Every bounced email costs the same as a delivered one on SES. By maintaining clean lists and smart segmentation, CampaignHQ helps ensure you only pay for emails that reach real inboxes.
Built-in Deliverability Tools
Instead of enabling the Virtual Deliverability Manager (which doubles your per-email SES cost), CampaignHQ provides deliverability monitoring and reputation tracking as part of its platform. This can save you $0.10 per 1,000 emails compared to using VDM directly.
No Per-Contact Pricing
Unlike Mailchimp or other platforms that charge based on subscriber count, CampaignHQ does not penalize you for growing your list. Store as many contacts as you need. You only pay for emails you actually send through SES.
Full Marketing Platform at SES Prices
With CampaignHQ, you get email campaign builders, automation workflows, analytics, and contact management while still paying SES-level prices for delivery. Compare that to paying $350/month on Mailchimp for 100,000 emails when SES plus CampaignHQ costs a fraction of that.
Get started with CampaignHQ and start sending at AWS SES rates with the features of a full marketing platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Amazon SES cost per email?
Amazon SES charges $0.10 per 1,000 emails sent, which equals $0.0001 per email. With data transfer costs included, the effective cost is approximately $0.000107 per email for a standard marketing email around 60 KB in size. This makes SES one of the cheapest email sending services available in 2026.
Is Amazon SES free?
Amazon SES offers a free tier for new users. Accounts created before July 15, 2025 receive 3,000 free message charges per month for the first 12 months. Accounts created after July 15, 2025 receive $200 in AWS Free Tier credits that can be applied to SES and other AWS services. After the free tier expires, you pay the standard rate of $0.10 per 1,000 emails.
How much does it cost to send 1 million emails with Amazon SES?
Sending 1 million emails through Amazon SES costs approximately $107.70 per month using shared IP addresses. This breaks down to $100.00 in sending fees and roughly $7.20 in data transfer costs. With dedicated IPs (recommended at this volume), the total rises to approximately $182.55 per month.
Is Amazon SES cheaper than SendGrid?
Yes, Amazon SES is significantly cheaper than SendGrid at every volume level. At 100,000 emails per month, SES costs about $10.72 compared to SendGrid’s $79.95. At 1,000,000 emails, SES costs $107.70 versus SendGrid’s $399.95. SES is roughly 4-8x cheaper depending on volume.
Do I need a dedicated IP address with Amazon SES?
For volumes under 50,000 emails per month, shared IPs are generally sufficient. Once you exceed 50,000 emails monthly or need consistent sender reputation control, a dedicated IP ($24.95/month) is recommended. High-volume senders (500,000+ per month) should consider 2-3 dedicated IPs for optimal deliverability.
What are the hidden costs of Amazon SES?
The most commonly overlooked SES costs include outgoing data transfer ($0.12 per GB), incoming email chunks ($0.09 per 1,000 chunks), SNS notification charges ($0.50 per million), and the Virtual Deliverability Manager which doubles your per-email charge. Additionally, if you store email assets in S3, you pay S3 storage and transfer fees. These hidden costs typically add 10-15% on top of the base sending rate.
How does the AWS SES free tier work in 2026?
For accounts created before July 15, 2025, the SES free tier provides 3,000 message charges per month for 12 months. One sent email equals one message charge. One received email equals one charge. With VDM enabled, each sent email counts as two charges. For new accounts after July 15, 2025, AWS provides $200 in general credits instead of SES-specific free messages. The free tier does not cover data transfer, dedicated IPs, or other add-on fees.
Can I use Amazon SES for email marketing?
Amazon SES is designed for transactional and marketing email. However, SES alone provides only the sending infrastructure. For full email marketing capabilities like campaign builders, automation, templates, and analytics, you need a platform built on top of SES. CampaignHQ integrates directly with your SES account, giving you a complete email marketing platform at SES prices instead of paying 10-30x more for a standalone provider.
Start Sending at the Lowest Cost in the Industry
Amazon SES pricing in 2026 remains unmatched. At $0.10 per 1,000 emails with no minimums or commitments, it is the clear choice for cost-conscious businesses of any size.
The challenge is that SES is infrastructure, not a marketing platform. Building campaigns, managing contacts, and tracking performance on raw SES requires significant development effort.
CampaignHQ bridges that gap. Connect your AWS SES account, and you get a full-featured email and WhatsApp marketing platform while paying AWS directly for sending. No markup. No inflated per-contact fees. Just the tools you need at the price you want.
Try CampaignHQ free today and see how much you can save compared to traditional email marketing platforms.
