Amazon SES Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Amazon SES costs Free to $1.6K per 1000 emails as of April 2026. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
Yes, Amazon SES offers a forever free plan as of April 2026. The free tier includes 2 features with limits on usage. Paid plans start at $24.95/1000 emails (With Dedicated IPs). Pricing verified from 1 sources by CostBench.
Amazon SES's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- 3,000 messages/month (first 12 months)
- For new AWS customers
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Standard IP: $24.95/month per IP
- Managed IP: $15/month + tiered rates
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Standard IP: $24.95/month per IP or Managed IP: $15/month + tiered rates
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Amazon SES branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs With Dedicated IPs Plan Comparison
| Free Tier $0 | With Dedicated IPs $24.95/1000 emails | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 2 included | 2+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Amazon SES branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Testing and small projects | High-volume senders needing reputation control |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Amazon SES free?
Yes, Amazon SES offers a forever free plan with 2 core features included. However, there are limits on users and features that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Amazon SES's free plan?
Amazon SES's free plan includes: 3,000 messages/month (first 12 months), For new AWS customers. Key limits include basic usage caps.
03 What's NOT included in Amazon SES's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Standard IP: $24.95/month per IP, Managed IP: $15/month + tiered rates. You'll also have Amazon SES branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Amazon SES's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Standard IP: $24.95/month per IP or Managed IP: $15/month + tiered rates, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $24.95/1000 emails.
05 Is Amazon SES's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Amazon SES's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.