nodemailer vs @sendgrid/mail vs resend vs mailgun-js vs sendgrid
Email Sending Libraries for Node.js Comparison
1 Year
nodemailer@sendgrid/mailresendmailgun-jssendgridSimilar Packages:
What's Email Sending Libraries for Node.js?

These libraries provide developers with the tools to send emails from their Node.js applications. They offer various features such as templating, attachments, and integration with different email services. Each library has its unique strengths, catering to different use cases and preferences for email delivery, making it essential to choose the right one based on project requirements and developer familiarity.

Package Weekly Downloads Trend
Github Stars Ranking
Stat Detail
Package
Downloads
Stars
Size
Issues
Publish
License
nodemailer4,557,76216,931508 kB17a month agoMIT-0
@sendgrid/mail1,529,4583,01517.4 kB734 months agoMIT
resend280,1756312.38 MB5523 days agoMIT
mailgun-js130,599894-526 years agoMIT
sendgrid51,0233,015-737 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: nodemailer vs @sendgrid/mail vs resend vs mailgun-js vs sendgrid

Ease of Use

  • nodemailer:

    Nodemailer is known for its simplicity and ease of use. It allows developers to send emails with just a few lines of code, making it accessible for beginners and experienced developers alike.

  • @sendgrid/mail:

    @sendgrid/mail offers a straightforward API that allows developers to send emails with minimal setup. The documentation is comprehensive, making it easy to integrate into applications quickly.

  • resend:

    Resend focuses on a minimalistic approach, providing a simple API that is easy to understand and implement, making it ideal for rapid development.

  • mailgun-js:

    mailgun-js provides a clean and intuitive API, which simplifies the process of sending emails. Its documentation includes examples that help developers get started quickly.

  • sendgrid:

    Sendgrid's API is user-friendly and well-documented, making it easy for developers to integrate email functionality into their applications without a steep learning curve.

Integration Capabilities

  • nodemailer:

    Nodemailer can be integrated with various email services through SMTP, allowing developers to choose their preferred email provider while maintaining flexibility in configuration.

  • @sendgrid/mail:

    @sendgrid/mail integrates seamlessly with SendGrid's platform, allowing for advanced features such as email tracking, analytics, and dynamic templating, which can enhance email campaigns significantly.

  • resend:

    Resend is designed to work with modern web applications and can easily integrate with various frameworks and services, simplifying the process of sending emails without complex setups.

  • mailgun-js:

    mailgun-js is designed to work well with Mailgun's services, offering features like email validation and analytics, which are essential for applications that require high deliverability and performance.

  • sendgrid:

    Sendgrid provides extensive integration options with various platforms and services, making it suitable for businesses that require a comprehensive email solution.

Performance and Reliability

  • nodemailer:

    Nodemailer relies on the SMTP protocol, which can be less reliable than dedicated email services, but it offers flexibility in choosing the email provider, allowing for tailored performance based on the provider's capabilities.

  • @sendgrid/mail:

    @sendgrid/mail is built on SendGrid's robust infrastructure, ensuring high deliverability rates and reliability, making it suitable for applications that require consistent email delivery.

  • resend:

    Resend is designed for performance, focusing on quick email delivery and a streamlined process, making it suitable for applications that prioritize speed and efficiency.

  • mailgun-js:

    Mailgun is known for its high-performance email delivery and reliability, with features that help ensure emails reach their destination without being marked as spam.

  • sendgrid:

    Sendgrid's infrastructure is optimized for performance, providing features like automatic scaling and load balancing to ensure reliable email delivery even during high traffic.

Cost and Pricing

  • nodemailer:

    Nodemailer is free to use, but costs may arise from the SMTP service provider chosen. This can be advantageous for developers who want to control their email sending costs.

  • @sendgrid/mail:

    @sendgrid/mail offers a free tier with limited usage, making it accessible for small projects, but costs can increase significantly with higher usage, so it's essential to evaluate pricing based on expected email volume.

  • resend:

    Resend offers competitive pricing with a focus on simplicity, making it easy to understand costs associated with email sending, which is beneficial for budgeting.

  • mailgun-js:

    Mailgun provides a pay-as-you-go pricing model, which can be cost-effective for applications with varying email needs. It also offers a free tier for low-volume usage, allowing developers to test the service without upfront costs.

  • sendgrid:

    Sendgrid has a tiered pricing model that scales with usage, providing options for both small and large businesses. It's important to assess the pricing structure based on anticipated email volume and features needed.

Support and Community

  • nodemailer:

    Nodemailer has a large community of users and contributors, offering a wealth of resources, including documentation and community support, which can be helpful for troubleshooting.

  • @sendgrid/mail:

    @sendgrid/mail benefits from a strong community and extensive support resources, including documentation, tutorials, and customer support, making it easier for developers to find help when needed.

  • resend:

    Resend is relatively new, but it is gaining traction and offers support through documentation and community channels, making it easier for developers to get assistance as needed.

  • mailgun-js:

    Mailgun has a dedicated support team and a robust community forum, providing resources and assistance for developers facing challenges with email integration.

  • sendgrid:

    Sendgrid provides comprehensive support options, including documentation, tutorials, and a responsive support team, ensuring developers have access to help when integrating email functionalities.

How to Choose: nodemailer vs @sendgrid/mail vs resend vs mailgun-js vs sendgrid
  • nodemailer:

    Opt for nodemailer if you need a simple and flexible solution for sending emails without relying on external services. It supports various transport methods, including SMTP, and is highly customizable, making it great for smaller projects or when you want to maintain full control over email sending.

  • @sendgrid/mail:

    Choose @sendgrid/mail if you are looking for a robust solution with a wide range of features, including email tracking, analytics, and high deliverability rates. It integrates seamlessly with SendGrid's cloud-based email service, making it ideal for applications needing reliable email delivery at scale.

  • resend:

    Consider resend if you want a modern approach to sending emails with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. It provides a straightforward API and is designed for developers looking for a quick setup without the need for extensive configuration or management of email services.

  • mailgun-js:

    Select mailgun-js if you require a powerful API for sending, receiving, and tracking emails. Mailgun is particularly strong in handling transactional emails and offers advanced features like email validation and analytics, making it suitable for applications that prioritize email deliverability and performance.

  • sendgrid:

    Use sendgrid if you prefer a comprehensive email service that includes both a powerful API and a user-friendly dashboard for managing your email campaigns. It is suitable for businesses that need both transactional and marketing email capabilities.

README for nodemailer

Nodemailer

Nodemailer

Send emails from Node.js – easy as cake! 🍰✉️

NPM

See nodemailer.com for documentation and terms.

[!TIP] Check out EmailEngine – a self-hosted email gateway that allows making REST requests against IMAP and SMTP servers. EmailEngine also sends webhooks whenever something changes on the registered accounts.

Using the email accounts registered with EmailEngine, you can receive and send emails. EmailEngine supports OAuth2, delayed sends, opens and clicks tracking, bounce detection, etc. All on top of regular email accounts without an external MTA service.

Having an issue?

First review the docs

Documentation for Nodemailer can be found at nodemailer.com.

Nodemailer throws a SyntaxError for "..."

You are using an older Node.js version than v6.0. Upgrade Node.js to get support for the spread operator. Nodemailer supports all Node.js versions starting from Node.js@v6.0.0.

I'm having issues with Gmail

Gmail either works well, or it does not work at all. It is probably easier to switch to an alternative service instead of fixing issues with Gmail. If Gmail does not work for you, then don't use it. Read more about it here.

I get ETIMEDOUT errors

Check your firewall settings. Timeout usually occurs when you try to open a connection to a firewalled port either on the server or on your machine. Some ISPs also block email ports to prevent spamming.

Nodemailer works on one machine but not in another

It's either a firewall issue, or your SMTP server blocks authentication attempts from some servers.

I get TLS errors

  • If you are running the code on your machine, check your antivirus settings. Antiviruses often mess around with email ports usage. Node.js might not recognize the MITM cert your antivirus is using.
  • Latest Node versions allow only TLS versions 1.2 and higher. Some servers might still use TLS 1.1 or lower. Check Node.js docs on how to get correct TLS support for your app. You can change this with tls.minVersion option
  • You might have the wrong value for the secure option. This should be set to true only for port 465. For every other port, it should be false. Setting it to false does not mean that Nodemailer would not use TLS. Nodemailer would still try to upgrade the connection to use TLS if the server supports it.
  • Older Node versions do not fully support the certificate chain of the newest Let's Encrypt certificates. Either set tls.rejectUnauthorized to false to skip chain verification or upgrade your Node version
let configOptions = {
    host: "smtp.example.com",
    port: 587,
    tls: {
        rejectUnauthorized: true,
        minVersion: "TLSv1.2"
    }
}

I have issues with DNS / hosts file

Node.js uses c-ares to resolve domain names, not the DNS library provided by the system, so if you have some custom DNS routing set up, it might be ignored. Nodemailer runs dns.resolve4() and dns.resolve6() to resolve hostname into an IP address. If both calls fail, then Nodemailer will fall back to dns.lookup(). If this does not work for you, you can hard code the IP address into the configuration like shown below. In that case, Nodemailer would not perform any DNS lookups.

let configOptions = {
    host: "1.2.3.4",
    port: 465,
    secure: true,
    tls: {
        // must provide server name, otherwise TLS certificate check will fail
        servername: "example.com"
    }
}

I have an issue with TypeScript types

Nodemailer has official support for Node.js only. For anything related to TypeScript, you need to directly contact the authors of the type definitions.

I have a different problem

If you are having issues with Nodemailer, then the best way to find help would be Stack Overflow or revisit the docs.

License

Nodemailer is licensed under the MIT No Attribution license


The Nodemailer logo was designed by Sven Kristjansen.