What are the best open source alternatives to AWS SES?

The top open source alternatives to AWS SES include Postal and Hyvor Relay. These tools offer similar functionality while being free and open source.

Why choose an open source alternative to AWS SES?

Open source alternatives provide transparency, community support, no vendor lock-in, and often cost savings. You can customize the software to your needs and have full control over your data.

Are these AWS SES alternatives really free?

Yes, all listed alternatives are open source and free to use. You may need to pay for hosting if you self-host, but the software itself is free.

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Open Source AWS SES Alternatives

A curated collection of the 2 best open source alternatives to AWS SES.

The best open source alternative to AWS SES is Postal. If that doesn't suit you, we've compiled a ranked list of other open source AWS SES alternatives to help you find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternative to AWS SES is Hyvor Relay.

AWS SES alternatives are mainly Email Platforms. Browse these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of AWS SES.

Written by Piotr Kulpinski

Last updated: October 29, 2026

AWS SES

Cloud-based email sending and receiving service with high deliverability rates, detailed analytics, and integration with other AWS services.

Visit AWS SES

Postal

Run your own mail delivery infrastructure with a web interface, webhooks, IP pools, and spam filtering integrations for inbound and outbound email.

Postal is a self-hosted alternative to services like Sendgrid, Mailgun, or Postmark. It gives you a full mail delivery platform you run on your own servers, handling both incoming and outgoing email without depending on a third-party provider.

It's built for websites and web servers that need reliable, controllable email infrastructure. If you've outgrown transactional email SaaS pricing, want data sovereignty, or need to manage multiple mail servers under one roof, Postal fits that gap.

Key capabilities include:

Web interface for managing mail servers, viewing logs, and monitoring delivery status without touching a command line
Webhooks that notify HTTP endpoints when messages are delivered, bounced, or flagged, so your apps can react in real time
IP pools for sending from different IP addresses, which helps build and protect sender reputation across different clients or use cases
Spam and anti-virus filtering through integrations with SpamAssassin, rspamd, and ClamAV for both inbound and outbound message scanning
Development mode that holds messages in the queue automatically, so you can test email flows without accidentally sending to real recipients
Horizontal scaling so you can add capacity as send volume grows

Postal sits in the same category as other self-hosted mail servers, but it leans toward teams who want a polished management interface alongside the infrastructure control. Tools like Listmonk handle bulk campaigns; Postal focuses on transactional delivery infrastructure with multi-server management built in.

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Hyvor Relay

Self-hosted email API alternative to AWS SES & Mailgun. Open-source AGPL-3.0 with enterprise features, automated deliverability, and cloud version coming 2026.

Open-source email API designed for developers who want control over their email infrastructure. Built as a powerful alternative to AWS SES and Mailgun, offering both self-hosted and upcoming cloud solutions.

Key Features:

Clean REST API for sending HTML/plain text emails with attachments and custom headers
Automated deliverability with DKIM, SPF, bounce handling, and suppression management
Real-time webhooks for delivery events, bounces, and domain verification
Multi-domain support with enforced DKIM signing for maximum trust
Project isolation with separate domains, keys, and webhooks per project
Comprehensive logging with 30-day retention and full SMTP traces

Self-Hosting Benefits:

Fully open-source under AGPL-3.0 license - deploy anywhere with zero vendor lock-in
Built-in DNS server automates forward records, MX, SPF, and DKIM setup
Horizontal scaling with Docker Swarm support
Enterprise licensing available with priority support and SLAs
Native monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana integrations

Pricing Options:

Self-hosted: Free forever with AGPL-3.0 license
Enterprise: Starting at €10,000/year with commercial license
Cloud: €30/month for 300K emails (launching Q1 2026)

Perfect for developers, indie hackers, and enterprises seeking reliable transactional email delivery with complete infrastructure control and industry-leading deliverability practices.