What Sendy should
have grown into.
Sendy taught us all that AWS SES is the cheapest way to send. But self-hosted PHP, cron jobs, and broken bounce handling at 3 AM are not. SES Mailbox keeps the AWS economics and ditches the operations.
Sendy proved the point SES Mailbox is built on: Amazon SES is the cheapest way to send email at scale. For $59 one-time, Sendy gives you a self-hosted PHP app that talks to your AWS SES account — and if you enjoy running a VPS, it's genuinely hard to beat on raw cost.
SES Mailbox keeps Sendy's AWS economics but removes the operations: no server to patch, no cron jobs dying at 3am, plus a visual builder, dynamic segments, and automations Sendy never had. Here's the honest comparison — including where Sendy still wins.
A $59 license isn't free if you spend 4 hours a month fixing it.
Native bounce handling
Sendy's bounce processing relies on cron jobs that silently die. We use AWS SNS — bounces fire as webhooks in milliseconds.
Drag-and-drop builder
Sendy = paste raw HTML. SES Mailbox = visual editor, ready-to-use starter templates, dark-mode preview, every client tested.
Dynamic segments
Sendy lists are static. Ours rebuild on every event — "opened 3+ emails in 30 days, tagged VIP" without lifting a finger.
Native automations
Welcome series, onboarding, win-back — triggered on list join, tag, or campaign finish. Sendy needs Zapier hacks; we have a native automation builder.
Zero ops
No VPS to keep alive, no PHP updates, no MySQL backups, no scaling worries. SOC 2-grade infra, included.
The "free" Sendy isn't free.
Total cost of ownership at 50,000 subscribers, sending 4 campaigns a month.
† at $50/hr opportunity cost
↓ 87% cheaper than self-hosted Sendy
The full comparison, nothing hidden.
Both send through your own AWS SES — the difference is managed vs self-hosted.
Reflects Sendy 6.x as of 2026. See every SES Mailbox feature →
Who should switch — and who shouldn't.
Sendy is great software — it just isn't for everyone.
Switch to SES Mailbox if…
- You'd rather never run or patch a VPS again
- You want a visual builder, segments, and automations
- Sendy's cron-based bounce handling has burned you
- You value your time more than a $59 one-time license
Stay on Sendy if…
- You want a one-time license with no monthly fee
- You're happy running and maintaining your own server
- You only send simple HTML broadcasts to static lists
Sendy switching FAQ
What self-hosters ask before going managed.
What's the difference between Sendy and SES Mailbox?
Sendy is self-hosted PHP you run on your own VPS; SES Mailbox is a fully hosted SaaS — no server setup, cron jobs, or maintenance. Both send through your own AWS SES account at $0.10 per 1,000 emails, so the economics are identical; the difference is who runs the software.
Can I migrate from Sendy?
Yes. Our Sendy CSV importer brings over subscribers, suppression lists, and custom fields. Your AWS SES credentials and sender reputation transfer automatically.
Is SES Mailbox cheaper than running Sendy?
On license alone, Sendy is cheaper ($59 one-time vs $9.99/mo). Add VPS hosting, SSL, and the time you spend on PHP/MySQL/cron, and total cost of ownership usually favours a managed tool. If your time is free and you enjoy self-hosting, Sendy can win.
Should I stay on Sendy?
Stay if you want a one-time license, you're comfortable running a VPS, and you don't need a visual builder, segments, or automations. Switch if you'd rather never touch a server and want modern marketing features.
Does SES Mailbox use AWS SES like Sendy?
Yes — both connect to your own AWS SES account, so your reputation, IPs, and per-email cost are identical. We just replace the self-hosted PHP layer with a managed dashboard, native SNS bounce handling, segments, and automations.
Sunset the cron jobs.
Keep the AWS savings.
One-click Sendy CSV importer · Free plan available · No credit card required.