MailNesto vs SendGrid by Twilio: an honest comparison
Pricing, all 51 features side by side, where SendGrid by Twilio may suit you better, and how to switch. Facts checked November 2026.
The short version
| MailNesto | SendGrid by Twilio | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Email marketing, automation and transactional email in one account, made for growing businesses. | Email delivery API/SMTP service (Email API) with a separately priced Marketing Campaigns product for lists, single sends and basic automation. |
| Pricing model | Monthly plans by contacts and emails; switch plans any time | Two products billed separately: Email API priced by monthly email volume; Marketing Campaigns priced by contacts and email volume |
| Free plan | Free plan: 500 contacts, 2,500 emails a month | 60-day free trial (Email API: 100 emails/day; Marketing Campaigns: 100 contacts, 100 emails/day) |
| Entry paid plan | Starter from ₹1,499/month (+ 18% GST) or $19/month outside India · 5,000 contacts | Email API Essentials from $19.95/mo (volume-based; 1 teammate, no dedicated IP). Marketing Campaigns Basic from $15/mo (tiers from 5K contacts / 15K emails; no automation) |
| Price goes up with | Contacts and monthly emails | Email volume (Email API); contacts and emails (Marketing Campaigns); dedicated IPs, teammates, subusers and testing credits by tier; overages apply |
| Pay in rupees (₹) | Yes — with a GST invoice every month | Not stated |
| Company | MailNesto | Twilio Inc., USA (acquired SendGrid in 2019) |
What you get in MailNesto that SendGrid by Twilio limits or leaves out
Deals board with stages, tasks with reminders, notes and companies — included.
SendGrid by Twilio: not available — Marketing Campaigns covers sends, contacts, segments and automations only.Spend over the next 12 months and each customer’s next order date, in segments and automations.
SendGrid by Twilio: not available — Marketing Campaigns has no predictive customer metrics.Points for opens, clicks, visits, forms, events and orders; hot-lead alerts.
SendGrid by Twilio: not available — Marketing Campaigns segments use contact data and engagement (sent, clicked); no scoring documentedConditions and splits with up to 8 paths.
SendGrid by Twilio: not available — Automations are single linear sequencesBestsellers, new arrivals, picks for each person, recently viewed and cart items — from your store.
SendGrid by Twilio: not available — The Design Editor has only generic modules (text, image, button, code and similar), with no product or store block.Contacts and lead score sent every few minutes; their workflows can send contacts back.
SendGrid by Twilio: not available — The only native Marketing Campaigns integration documented is Segment, so HubSpot and Zoho need the API or third-party tools.Everything, side by side
Hover or tap a mark for the details.
| Feature | MailNesto | SendGrid by Twilio |
|---|---|---|
| Email creation | ||
| Drag-and-drop email builder | Block builder with desktop, tablet and phone preview | PartlyMarketing Campaigns design editor (drag-and-drop modules); Email API uses dynamic templates via API/editor |
| Custom HTML editor & import | Edit HTML, import .html/.zip, download as HTML or ZIP | YesCode editor for own HTML (Marketing Campaigns); dynamic templates for Email API |
| Ready-made template library | Designed templates for sales, launches, newsletters, events and festivals | YesDesign Library of pre-built SendGrid Email Designs (duplicate to edit) |
| AI writing assistant | Write, shorten, rephrase and get subject-line ideas | NoNo AI content/subject generation documented for Marketing Campaigns or Email API |
| Spintax (vary words per recipient) | {{spin:Hi|Hello|Hey}} — stable per recipient | Not confirmed |
| Conditional content blocks | Show blocks by any field or by tag | YesHandlebars if/else, equals, greaterThan on contact fields (Marketing Campaigns and dynamic templates) |
| A/B test subject lines | Test group, winner by opens or clicks, auto-send to the rest | PartlyMarketing Campaigns Single Sends only (up to 6 variants); not in automations; not in Email API |
| A/B test sender, content or send time | Sender name, whole content or send time | PartlyContent testing in Single Sends; sender and send-time tests not documented |
| RSS-to-email & RSS block | RSS digests and an RSS block filled when sending | Not confirmed |
| Product blocks & recommendations | Bestsellers, new arrivals, picks for each person, recently viewed and cart items — from your store | NoThe Design Editor has only generic modules (text, image, button, code and similar), with no product or store block. |
| Audience & growth | ||
| Advanced segmentation | Fields, tags, behaviour, orders and predictions | PartlyMarketing Campaigns: fields, dates, opens/clicks; up to 200 segments. Not in Email API |
| Contact tags | Unlimited tags, tag-based triggers and conditions | Not confirmedLists and custom fields documented; contact tags not documented |
| Multiple lists at no extra cost | Lists with their own sender, pages and settings | PartlyMarketing Campaigns lists (contact in up to 250 lists); priced by contacts |
| Signup forms & pop-ups | Visual form builder: inline, pop-up, bar, slide-in, full screen | PartlyMarketing Campaigns signup forms, embed or pop-up; 1/5/15 forms by plan |
| Landing pages | Hosted pages with their own A/B tests | Not confirmed |
| Double opt-in | Per list, with editable confirmation pages and emails | PartlyNo built-in DOI setting documented; vendor suggests confirming opt-in via automation |
| Import from Excel (.xlsx) | Excel, CSV or paste — with column mapping | NoContact upload is CSV only |
| Subscriber preference centre | Topics, snooze and data requests | PartlyUnsubscribe groups (group unsubscribes); full preference centre not confirmed |
| Lead scoring | Points for opens, clicks, visits, forms, events and orders; hot-lead alerts | NoMarketing Campaigns segments use contact data and engagement (sent, clicked); no scoring documented |
| Deals board, tasks & companies | Deals board with stages, tasks with reminders, notes and companies — included | NoMarketing Campaigns covers sends, contacts, segments and automations only. |
| Predicted lifetime value & next order date | Spend over the next 12 months and each customer’s next order date, in segments and automations | NoMarketing Campaigns has no predictive customer metrics. |
| Automation | ||
| Visual automation builder | Canvas with live counts on every step | PartlyMarketing Campaigns Advanced only; linear series up to 10 emails, not a branching canvas |
| Branches with more than two paths | Conditions and splits with up to 8 paths | NoAutomations are single linear sequences |
| Automation goals | People who convert leave at once, counted in the report | PartlyExit when contact leaves entry segment or meets a custom condition (max 15) |
| Birthday & anniversary triggers | Any date field, days before or after | PartlyEntry via segment; date-field segment conditions possible; no dedicated date trigger |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Store carts with a recovery link | NoAutomation entry is list/segment only; no ecommerce trigger documented |
| Opens, clicks & website triggers | Campaign opens/clicks, page visits and events | PartlySegments can use opens/clicks; triggers are list/segment entry only |
| Send-time optimisation | Each contact at their usual opening hour | NoSingle Sends: send now or one specified date/time only |
| Send in each subscriber’s time zone | Same clock time wherever people live | NoSingle Sends scheduling is one date and time; no recipient time zone option |
| Resend to non-openers | One click, new subject, now or scheduled | PartlyNo resend button; build a segment with Single Send condition 'has not opened' a specific Single Send and send again |
| Deliverability & reports | ||
| SPF, DKIM & DMARC checks | Guided DNS setup and live checks | YesDomain authentication (SPF/DKIM) setup and checks |
| Branded tracking domain | links.yourbrand.com with automatic HTTPS | PartlyLink branding; docs tie it to Email API Pro+ or Marketing Campaigns Advanced+ |
| Bring your own sending service | Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, any SMTP and more | NoSendGrid is itself the sending service |
| Warm-up & sending limits | Gradual ramp for new senders and daily sending caps | PartlyIP warm-up for dedicated IPs (Pro / Advanced and up) |
| Spam check before sending | Content and link checks with fixes | PartlySpam test uses Email Testing credits (MC 3/10/60 by plan; Email API Pro+ 60/mo) |
| Inbox placement prediction | Gmail tab and folder prediction per provider | PartlyInbox rendering tests use credits; deliverability insights on Email API |
| Link & click report | Clicks per link, including old links | PartlyPer-link click stats for Single Sends/automations; no visual map |
| Country & city report | Map of opens and clicks by place | YesGeographic statistics by country/state |
| Revenue tracking | Orders and revenue per campaign and automation | NoNot among Marketing Campaigns stats metrics |
| Campaign vs campaign comparison | 2–4 campaigns side by side | PartlyCategory and subuser comparison stats; side-by-side campaign compare not documented |
| Integrations | ||
| REST API | Contacts, campaigns, automations, orders and more | Yes |
| Webhooks | Signed, retried, per event | YesEvent Webhook: 1/2/5 endpoints by Email API plan |
| WordPress plugin | Forms, block, widget, tracking and WooCommerce opt-in | NoOfficial SendGrid WordPress plugin deprecated July 13, 2021; third-party SMTP plugins (e.g. WP Mail SMTP) only |
| Shopify & WooCommerce | Contacts and orders from both; abandoned carts from Shopify | PartlyVia Zapier; native integration not confirmed |
| Zapier, Make & Pabbly | Connect thousands of apps | YesZapier app: send email, create/update contact |
| HubSpot & Zoho CRM sync | Contacts and lead score sent every few minutes; their workflows can send contacts back | NoThe only native Marketing Campaigns integration documented is Segment, so HubSpot and Zoho need the API or third-party tools. |
| Transactional email | Receipts and OTPs via API, same account | YesEmail API is the core product; Marketing Campaigns is an add-on in the same account |
| Teams & agencies | ||
| Team roles & permissions | Owner, admin, marketer, analyst, developer and custom roles | PartlyTeammate permissions; 1 teammate on Essentials/Basic, 1,000 on Pro/Advanced |
| Client workspaces for agencies | Manage clients with their own allowances | PartlySubusers on Email API Pro and Premier |
| White-label & your own app address | Your brand on the app and public pages | PartlySender and link branding remove SendGrid domains; no white-label app |
| Campaign approval workflow | In client workspaces: marketers request, owners approve | Not confirmed |
SendGrid by Twilio’s plans
Two products billed separately: Email API priced by monthly email volume; Marketing Campaigns priced by contacts and email volume. Prices in USD, as published.
When SendGrid by Twilio may be the better fit
Every tool has strengths. SendGrid by Twilio could suit you better if:
- Developers need a well-documented email API/SMTP with webhooks, subusers and dynamic templates
- You want transactional and simple marketing sends (Single Sends with A/B tests) in one account
- You need high volumes with dedicated IPs, automated IP warm-up and an EU data residency option
- Your team already uses Twilio for SMS/voice
Move from SendGrid by Twilio to MailNesto
Most teams are sending from MailNesto within a day.
- 1
Export from SendGrid by Twilio
Marketing > Contacts > Action menu (⋮) next to the list > Export; when emailed, download from mc.sendgrid.com/contacts/exports > Download CSV (link valid 12 hours). All contacts/segments via Export Contacts API. Suppressions: Suppressions > Global Unsubscribes > action menu > Download as CSV.
- 2
Import into MailNesto
Contacts → Import: upload the CSV or Excel file (or paste it), map the columns, choose a list. Import only subscribed people, then paste unsubscribed, bounced and complained addresses into Audience → Suppression list so they never get email again.
- 3
Bring your designs
Copy HTML from the code editor or fetch dynamic templates via the Templates API. Then import the .html or .zip in Templates, or start from one of ours.
- 4
Authenticate your domain
Add the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records MailNesto shows you, then send a test. New senders ramp up gradually to protect your reputation.
- 5
Rebuild automations
Start from a recipe (welcome, birthday, win-back, abandoned cart) or build your own journey with branches and goals. Note: Merge tags use Handlebars: {{first_name | Valued Customer}} or {{insert first_name 'default=...'}}. Bounces, blocks and spam reports should be exported too; automations must be rebuilt.
Questions about MailNesto and SendGrid by Twilio
Can I move my contacts from SendGrid by Twilio to MailNesto?
Yes. In SendGrid by Twilio: Marketing > Contacts > Action menu (⋮) next to the list > Export; when emailed, download from mc.sendgrid.com/contacts/exports > Download CSV (link valid 12 hours). All contacts/segments via Export Contacts API. Suppressions: Suppressions > Global Unsubscribes > action menu > Download as CSV.. Then import the file in MailNesto (CSV, Excel or paste), map the columns and choose a list. Unsubscribed and bounced people stay suppressed.
Is MailNesto cheaper than SendGrid by Twilio?
It depends on your list size and how often you send. MailNesto plans start at Starter from ₹1,499/month (+ 18% GST) or $19/month outside India · 5,000 contacts; SendGrid by Twilio’s entry plan is Email API Essentials from $19.95/mo (volume-based; 1 teammate, no dedicated IP). Marketing Campaigns Basic from $15/mo (tiers from 5K contacts / 15K emails; no automation). Compare both for your own numbers before deciding.
Does MailNesto have the features I use in SendGrid by Twilio?
Most likely — the table above covers 51 features. If something you rely on is missing, tell us and we’ll show you how MailNesto handles it.
Will my deliverability change?
Deliverability depends mostly on your domain’s authentication and your list. MailNesto checks SPF, DKIM and DMARC for you, ramps new senders up gradually and can send through your own SES, SendGrid or SMTP.
Do I have to switch everything at once?
No. Many teams start by sending one newsletter from MailNesto while the old tool keeps running, compare the results, then move automations over.
Compare MailNesto with other tools
Where these facts come from (26 sources)
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/design-editor
- support.sendgrid.com/hc/en-us/articles/17763185229851-Twilio-SendGrid-Marketing-Campaigns-
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/integrations
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/api-reference/segmenting-contacts.md
- static1.twilio.com/en-us/products/marketing-campaigns/pricing
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/data-residency/faq
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/account-and-settings/how-to-set-up-link-branding
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/analytics-and-reporting/geographic
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/analytics-and-reporting/marketing-campaigns-stats
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/managing-contacts/building-your-contact-list
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/managing-contacts/create-and-manage-contacts
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/managing-contacts/segmenting-your-contacts
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/a-b-testing
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/adding-dynamic-content-with-handlebars
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/editor
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/email-testing
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/getting-started-with-automation
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/global-unsubscribes
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/group-unsubscribes
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/single-sends
- twilio.com/en-us/products/email-api/explore-ai
- twilio.com/en-us/products/email-api/pricing
- twilio.com/en-us/products/marketing-campaigns/signup-forms
- zapier.com/apps/twilio/integrations/sendgrid
- twilio.com/docs/sendgrid/ui/sending-email/working-with-marketing-campaigns-email
- docs.pantheon.io/guides/wordpress-configurations/sendgrid-wordpress-wp-mail-smtp
SendGrid by Twilio is a trademark of its owner. This comparison is our own, made from public information on each vendor’s website (checked November 2026); we aren’t affiliated with them. Plans and prices change — check the vendor’s site before you decide, and tell us if something here is out of date and we’ll fix it.