Email Marketing
Amazon SES vs Substack: Pricing Comparison 2026
Side-by-side pricing comparison of Amazon SES and Substack. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.
Bottom line: Amazon SES starts at $0.00002/mo, making it $5/mo cheaper than Substack ($5/mo). Amazon SES offers a free plan.
Last updated: March 16, 2026
Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026
Amazon SES vs Substack: Quick Pricing Facts
| Feature | Amazon SES | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0.00002/mo | $5/mo |
| Number of Plans | 46 | 7 |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing Model | usage-based | usage-based |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
Amazon SES is the more affordable option, starting at $0.00002/mo compared to Substack's $5/mo. Both are Email Marketing tools with 53 combined pricing plans and 22 features compared.
Both tools offer free plans, making them accessible for teams on a budget.
Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Email Marketing needs.
| Pricing Plans |  Amazon SES Try it free |  Substack Try it free |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | SERVICE TYPE Custom pricing | Free $0/monthCheapest Includes
|
| Tier 2 | Outbound email $0/monthCheapest | Basic $5/month $5 / year Includes
|
| Tier 3 | Global Endpoints $0/monthCheapest | Standard $7/month $7 / year Includes
|
| Tier 4 | Inbound email $0/monthCheapest | Advanced $10/month $10 / year Includes
|
| Tier 5 | Email Validation Custom pricing | Pro $15/monthCheapest $15 / year Includes
|
| Tier 6 | Mail Manager Custom pricing | Premium $30/monthCheapest $30 / year Includes
|
| Tier 7 | -Open ingress endpoint** $50/monthCheapest | Enterprise $75/month $75 / year Includes
|
| Tier 8 | -Email processing*** $0/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 9 | -Archiving $2/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 10 | -Email add ons Custom pricing | — |
| Tier 11 | Amazon Connect Email Custom pricing | — |
| Tier 12 | Deliverability Expert Services Custom pricing | — |
| Tier 13 | ADD ON FEATURES Custom pricing | — |
| Tier 14 | Tenants $0/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 15 | $0.005/1000 emails Custom pricing | — |
| Tier 16 | Dedicated IPs Custom pricing | — |
| Tier 17 | - Standard $25/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 18 | - Managed $15/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 19 | $0.08/1000 emails $0/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 20 | $0.04/1000 emails $10/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 21 | $0.02/1000 emails $50/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 22 | Contact us $100/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 23 | Bring Your Own IP Addresses (BYOIP)* $25/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 24 | Inbox Deliverability: Virtual Deliverability Manager $0/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 25 | $0.05/1000 emails $10/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 26 | $0.0005/1000 queries $5000/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 27 | Outgoing messages $250000/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 28 | Outgoing mail data $0/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 29 | Incoming messages $1000/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 30 | Incoming mail chunks $32/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 31 | Total charges for using SES $26/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 32 | Dedicated IPs (standard) $3/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 33 | Option 1: Dedicated IPs (standard) Custom pricing | — |
| Tier 34 | Total charges for using SES (with Dedicated IP - standard) $9055/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 35 | Option 2: Dedicated IPs (managed) Custom pricing | — |
| Tier 36 | Dedicated IPs (managed) $1/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 37 | 10,000,000 $0/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 38 | 40,000,000 $0/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 39 | 30,000,000 $0/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 40 | Total charges for using SES (with Dedicated IP - managed) $11322/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 41 | Open ingress endpoint $1/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 42 | Messages processed $300000/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 43 | Mail chunks $50/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 44 | Archiving ingestion $500000/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 45 | Archiving storage $500000/monthCheapest | — |
| Tier 46 | Trend Micro Add on scanning $500000/monthCheapest | — |
Swipe to compare plans →
Our Pick
Amazon SES
Amazon SES offers a free plan, starts at $4.99998/mo lower ($0.00002/mo vs $5/mo), offers 46 tiers vs 7.
Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.
Best value: Amazon SES
Try Amazon SES freeWhich Should You Choose?
Choose Amazon SES if:
- •You want lower per-user costs—Amazon SES starts at $0.00002/mo, saving $4.99998/mo compared to Substack at $5/mo
- •You prefer Amazon SES's free tier features—features
- •You need 46 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
- •Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—Amazon SES offers negotiated terms for large deployments
Choose Substack if:
- •You prefer Substack's free tier features—Set up paid subscriptions, Keep 90% of revenue
- •You want more features built-in—Substack offers 22 additional features across its plans
- •You prioritize Substack's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)
Both Amazon SES and Substack offer free plans [1], eliminating cost barriers for evaluation. This means you can test both tools thoroughly with your actual workflows before any financial commitment. The free tiers differ in scope: Amazon SES includes multiple features, while Substack includes 4 features. Evaluate which free tier matches your evaluation needs before deciding to upgrade. Your best approach is to activate both free trials and evaluate which tool's workflow, integrations, and user experience align better with your team's needs before committing to paid plans.
Frequently Asked Questions: Amazon SES vs Substack
Which is cheaper, Amazon SES or Substack?
As of March 2026, Amazon SES starts at a lower price point. Amazon SES starts at $0.00002/mo while Substack starts at $5/mo. However, the best value depends on the features you need at each tier.
How many pricing plans does Amazon SES have vs Substack?
Amazon SES offers 46 pricing plans, while Substack offers 7 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Amazon SES or Substack offer a free plan?
Yes, both Amazon SES and Substack offer free plans. Compare the feature limits of each free tier to see which better fits your use case before upgrading.
Can I save money by paying annually for Amazon SES or Substack?
Both Amazon SES and Substack offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
Does Amazon SES or Substack offer custom enterprise pricing?
Amazon SES offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Substack lists all its pricing publicly.
How do Amazon SES and Substack compare for Email Marketing?
Both Amazon SES and Substack are Email Marketing tools. Amazon SES offers 46 plans starting at $0.00002/mo, while Substack offers 7 plans starting at $5/mo. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Email Marketing needs.
Sources
- Amazon SES Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
- Substack Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
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