Email infrastructure · replacement recipe

Go from Resend to Resend (free tier)

The job: Transactional email API (Send email API, Custom domains and DKIM). Pick where you are today and where you want to land; the move below follows your pick.

From · what you pay for now

Resend

Resend Pro · $20/mo

Year one+$228modeled

To · your pickBest fit

Resend (free tier)

Free plan · $0 a month

Change where you land

The money

$20/mo today , then $0/mo

Resend Pro

Year one, net+$228

Pays back in0.6 months

Modeled from public list prices, with your time at $50 an hour. Show the math

Does it do the job? 2 of 2 covered

Covered: Send email API
Covered: Custom domains and DKIM

The work

Setup: About 15 min
Upkeep: None
Watch out: Check first: You only rely on: Send email API, Custom domains and DKIM

Make the move in four steps

Export from Resend
Emails, broadcasts, contacts, segments, domains, logs and API keys. Format: CSV
Export steps
Check what Free plan keeps
3,000 emails/mo, 100 emails/day, 3 domains, 30-day data retention; no pay-as-you-go on Free
Details
Switch to Free plan
Change the plan in Resend's billing settings before your renewal date.
Check the next bill
Your next Resend invoice should show the lower price. Check that your data and links still work.

Open ResendHow to cancel Resend

Modeled, not measured. Savings use public prices and planning assumptions: the bill you stop paying, minus the new tool, your upkeep time and your setup time at $50/hour, over the first 12 months. Paths marked Tested by Stackcut were run end to end by us on our own products. They're our tests, not customer results. Check the must-haves in each recipe before you switch.

The whole recipe: 2 ways out, best first

What you use

Send email API
Custom domains and DKIM

Not covered

Receive email (inbound)
Webhooks and events
React Email templates
Broadcasts/marketing emails
Logs

Check before switching

You only rely on: Send email API, Custom domains and DKIM
Export your data from Resend before canceling

Agents: get_recipe("replace-resend") on the Stackcut MCP server.

2 ways out, best first

Cheaper plan

Resend (free tier)Saves $228 in year one

$20/mo today → $0/mo · setup 0.25 h · then $240/yr · payback 0.6 mo

If your use fits the free tier (3,000 emails/mo, 100 emails/day, 3 domains, 30-day data retention; no pay-as-you-go on Free).

Covers 100% of the core features

Free: 3,000 emails/mo, 100/day, 3 domains, 30-day data retention; Pro $20/mo for 50,000/mo with no daily cap.

How we got this

You pay now: Resend Pro	flat price	$20/mo
New cost: Resend (free tier)	free plan	$0/mo
Difference each month	$20 − $0	+$20/mo
Over 12 months	+$20 × 12	+$240
Setup, once	0.25 h × $50/h	−$12
Year one	+$240 − $12	+$228

Not counting your time (0.25 h in year one): saves $240 in year one.

Year one = 12 × (what you pay now − the new cost − upkeep) − setup, with your time at $50/hour. Prices are public list prices; hours are Stackcut’s planning estimates. Price it for your team

Sources: resend.com

Pay per use

Amazon SESSaves $80 in year one

$20/mo today → $5/mo · setup 2 h · then $180/yr · payback 6.7 mo

About 50000 email sents a month.

Covers 100% of the core features (not: Broadcasts/marketing emails, audiences and broadcasts, React Email templates)

You send a lot and only need the sending API: Amazon SES charges $0.10 per 1,000 emails with no monthly fee, against Resend's monthly plans. Marc Lou said he would move off Resend next for this reason (October 2026).

How we got this

You pay now: Resend Pro	flat price	$20/mo
New cost: Amazon SES	pay per use at the modeled volume	$5/mo
Difference each month	$20 − $5	+$15/mo
Over 12 months	+$15 × 12	+$180
Setup, once	2 h × $50/h	−$100
Year one	+$180 − $100	+$80

Not counting your time (2 h in year one): saves $180 in year one.

Year one = 12 × (what you pay now − the new cost − upkeep) − setup, with your time at $50/hour. Prices are public list prices; hours are Stackcut’s planning estimates. Price it for your team

$0.10 per 1,000 emails, no monthly minimum
Same job: send API, custom domains with DKIM, delivery events

Rawer developer experience: no React Email-first SDK or Resend dashboard; you handle templates, bounces and complaints
New SES accounts start in a sandbox (200 messages a day, verified recipients only) until AWS approves production access

Sources: resend.com aws.amazon.com docs.aws.amazon.com x.com

How to leave Resend

Export first

Emails (outbound and inbound): Apply filters in the dashboard and click Export, or bulk-export via the API/SDK; downloads of 1,000 items or fewer return immediately, larger exports arrive by email link. Admins can download from Settings > Team > Exports for 7 days. (CSV). Export links expire after 7 days and are then marked Expired; only admins can download. resend.com
Broadcasts: Same dashboard Export flow or API/SDK bulk export. (CSV). Same 7-day admin download window. resend.com
Contacts (audiences): Same dashboard Export flow or API/SDK bulk export. (CSV). Same 7-day admin download window. resend.com
Domains: Same dashboard Export flow or API/SDK bulk export. (CSV). Same 7-day admin download window. resend.com
Logs: Same dashboard Export flow or API/SDK bulk export. (CSV). Same 7-day admin download window. resend.com
API keys: Same dashboard Export flow or API/SDK bulk export. (CSV). Same 7-day admin download window. resend.com

What you lose

All team data is deleted irreversibly when the team is deleted (Resend states this action is not reversible)
Export download links expire after 7 days; anything not exported before deletion is gone
No refund of paid subscription fees except where required by law
Free tier limits and features can be changed or the free tier discontinued without notice

Cancel

Point your app at the new provider and check that mail arrives before you cancel.
Billing page → the ⋯ menu next to your plan → Cancel Subscription.

Refunds: Paid subscription fees are non-refundable, except where the law requires otherwise.

Sources: resend.com resend.com · Reviewed 2026-09-25

Compare before you switch

Read the checked comparisons and workload guides for the tools this recipe replaces.

Resend vs Amazon SES Checked migration details, public switching accounts.
Resend vs useSend Checked migration details, public switching accounts.
Resend and SendGrid alternatives in 2026: what to use instead, and what it really costs Compare the wider set of alternatives and their tradeoffs.
Database and auth for an MVP: what it costs from 1,000 to 250,000 users Choose for a new project, using its workload and volume.
Transactional email for a startup: what it costs from 3,000 to 300,000 emails a month Choose for a new project, using its workload and volume.

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