AWS SES: Use Cases, Pricing, and Comparison with Other Email Services

Introduction to AWS SES

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is a cloud-based email-sending service designed for developers and businesses that need a cost-effective, scalable way to send transactional, marketing, and bulk emails. It is widely used for its affordability, reliability, and integration with other AWS services.

AWS SES Use Cases

AWS SES is commonly used for:

1. Transactional Emails – Password resets, order confirmations, and account notifications.

2. Marketing Campaigns – Bulk email promotions and newsletters.

3. System Notifications – Alerts from applications, monitoring tools, and logs.

4. Email Forwarding – Routing emails to custom email addresses.

5. Inbound Email Handling – Processing incoming emails using AWS Lambda and other services.

AWS SES Pricing Breakdown

AWS SES offers a highly competitive and pay-as-you-go pricing model. Below is a cost breakdown:

Outbound Emails Pricing

• First 62,000 emails per month (when sent from an AWS EC2 instance) – Free

• After 62,000 emails – $0.10 per 1,000 emails

• Data Transfer Cost – $0.12 per GB

Inbound Emails Pricing

• Incoming Mail Processing – $0.10 per 1,000 emails received

• Attachment Processing – Charged separately based on storage usage (Amazon S3 pricing applies)

Additional Costs

• Dedicated IP Address – $24.95 per month per IP

• Deliverability Dashboard (for advanced analytics) – $1,250 per month

Comparison: AWS SES vs. Other Email Services

AWS SES is known for being one of the cheapest email-sending solutions. Here's how it compares with other providers:

Why Choose AWS SES?

1. Lowest Cost – Compared to other providers, AWS SES is significantly cheaper for bulk email sending.

2. Scalability – AWS SES easily scales to handle millions of emails per day.

3. Integration with AWS Ecosystem – Seamlessly connects with AWS Lambda, S3, SNS, and other services.

4. Reliable Deliverability – AWS SES offers high deliverability with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC support.

5. Pay-As-You-Go Model – No upfront costs; you only pay for what you use.

Conclusion

AWS SES is a powerful, scalable, and cost-effective email-sending solution, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes. Compared to other email services, it offers significant cost savings and deep AWS integration, making it the best choice for high-volume email senders.