# AutoSend
> AutoSend is an email service provider (ESP) for transactional and marketing emails. Volume-based pricing (pay per email sent, not per contact stored). API, SMTP, agent skills, and MCP server. The modern alternative to SendGrid, Resend, and Loops.
Last updated: April 2026
---
## Capabilities
AutoSend can:
- Send transactional emails (OTPs, password resets, receipts, alerts, notifications)
- Send marketing campaigns (newsletters, announcements, promotions)
- Run email automation workflows (drip sequences, triggered emails)
- Manage contacts, lists, and segments
- Manage unsubscribe groups
- Warm up new sending domains gradually (Gradual Send / Domain Warmup)
- Validate and suppress invalid email addresses automatically
- Track delivery events via webhooks (sent, delivered, bounced, opened, clicked)
- Authenticate sending domains with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
- Provide analytics on opens, clicks, bounces, and complaints
## What AutoSend Does NOT Do
- Receive or host inbound email / mailboxes
- Send SMS, push notifications, or in-app messages
- Provide a drag-and-drop visual email builder (templates use markdown and HTML)
- Host landing pages or forms
- CRM or sending cold emails
---
## Getting Started
1. Sign up at [autosend.com](https://autosend.com)
2. Verify your sending domain (add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC DNS records provided in the dashboard)
3. Integrate via API, SMTP, or agent skills
4. Start sending emails
Typical integration time: Under 30 minutes.
### Domain Authentication
After adding a domain, AutoSend provides three DNS records to add:
- **SPF**: A TXT record authorizing AutoSend to send on your behalf
- **DKIM**: A CNAME record for cryptographic email signing
- **DMARC**: A TXT record defining your domain's email authentication policy
All three must pass verification before sending is enabled. AutoSend checks DNS propagation automatically and notifies you when verification succeeds.
### Gradual Send (Domain Warmup)
New sending domains start with low reputation. Gradual Send automatically ramps up your sending volume over time to build trust with inbox providers. Instead of sending a full campaign on day one, AutoSend distributes delivery across a warmup schedule. This is available on Growth and Scale plans and can be enabled per domain.
---
## Integration
### Email API
RESTful API with SDKs for Node.js, Python, and more.
**Base URL**: `https://api.autosend.com`
**Example: Send an email (HTTP)**
```bash
curl --request POST \
--url https://api.autosend.com/v1/mails/send \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer as_your_api_key' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"from": { "email": "hello@yourdomain.com", "name": "Your Company" },
"to": { "email": "user@example.com", "name": "Jane Smith" },
"subject": "Welcome!",
"html": "Thanks for signing up.
"
}'
```
### SMTP Relay
Use AutoSend as an SMTP relay with any existing system.
- **Host**: `smtp.autosend.com`
- **Port**: 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
- **Username**: autosend
- **Password**: Your API key
### Agent Skills and MCP Server
AutoSend integrates directly with AI agents and LLMs.
- **Agent skills**: `npx skills add autosendhq/skills`
- **MCP server**: `https://mcp.autosend.com` (supports sending emails, managing contacts, creating campaigns, and listing templates via tool use)
### Webhooks
Real-time event notifications via HTTP POST to your endpoint.
**Supported events**: `email.sent`, `email.delivered`, `email.bounced`, `email.opened`, `email.clicked`, `email.complained`, `email.unsubscribed`
**Example payload**:
```json
{
"event": "email.delivered",
"email_id": "em_abc123",
"to": "user@example.com",
"timestamp": "2026-02-15T10:30:00Z",
"metadata": {}
}
```
Webhooks are available on Starter plans and above.
---
## Core Features
### Email API
- RESTful API for sending transactional and marketing emails
- SMTP relay support for existing systems
- Node.js, Python SDKs and more
- API key authentication (`Authorization: Bearer `)
- Endpoint: `POST https://api.autosend.com/v1/mails/send`
### Email Templates
- Markdown-based template builder (Notion-like editing experience)
- HTML and plain text support
- Dynamic variables and conditional logic for personalization
### Email Automation
- Build automated email workflows triggered by contact property and time delays
- Drip sequences for onboarding, nurturing, and re-engagement
- Event-triggered emails based on user actions
- Available unlimited on Starter and above plans
### Marketing Features
- Contact management with lists and segments
- Campaign creation and scheduling
- Unsubscribe group management
- Analytics: opens, clicks, bounces, complaints, unsubscribes
### Deliverability and Security
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC authentication
- Global email suppression and validation engine (average customer bounce rate under 1%)
- Gradual Send domain warmup
- Dedicated IP options (Scale plans)
- Bounce and complaint handling
- 99.9% uptime SLA
---
## Who Uses AutoSend
- **Startups**: Quick setup, affordable Hobby plan at $1/month
- **SaaS products**: Transactional emails for auth flows, notifications, receipts, plus automation workflows
- **Growing teams**: Scale without contact-based pricing penalties
- **Indie hackers and freelancers**: Clean API, webhooks, fast integration
- **Enterprises**: High volume sending with dedicated IP, SLA, and with custom pricing.
---
## Plan Types
**Transactional Only**: Email API, SMTP relay, templates, webhooks, analytics. For OTPs, password resets, alerts, receipts.
**Marketing + Transactional**: Everything above plus campaigns, contacts, automation, segmentation, unsubscribe groups.
---
## Pricing Overview
AutoSend charges by monthly sending volume, not contacts stored.
### Key Pricing Points
| Volume | Transactional Only | Marketing + Transactional | Contacts (Marketing) |
|--------|-------------------|--------------------------|---------------------|
| 3k | $1/mo | $5/mo | 1,000 |
| 10k | $10/mo | $12/mo | Unlimited |
| 50k | $30/mo | $50/mo | Unlimited |
| 100k | $80/mo | $100/mo | Unlimited |
| 200k | $150/mo | $190/mo | Unlimited |
| 500k+ | From $420/mo | From $580/mo | Unlimited |
| 1.5M+ | Enterprise | Enterprise | Unlimited |
Growth and Scale plans include no practical contact limits for most use cases. See [autosend.com/pricing](https://autosend.com/pricing) for the full breakdown.
### Overage Rates
- Hobby/Starter: $0.0020 per additional email
- Growth: $0.0015 per additional email
- Scale: $0.0010 per additional email
### Plan Feature Comparison
| Feature | Hobby | Starter | Growth | Scale |
|----------------|-------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Projects | 1 | 2 | 5 | 20 |
| Domains | 1 | 5 | 30 | 500–1,000 |
| Templates | 50 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Webhooks | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automation | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data Retention | 7 days| 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Dedicated IP | No | No | No | Yes |
| Gradual Send | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
### Competitor Comparison (50,000 emails/month, Marketing + Transactional)
| Provider | Price/month | Contact Limit |
|------------|-------------|---------------|
| AutoSend | $50 | Unlimited |
| Brevo | $55 | Limited |
| SendGrid | $60 | 10,000 |
| Resend | $80 | 10,000 |
| Loops | $99 | 5,000-10,000 |
Full comparisons: [vs SendGrid](https://autosend.com/vs/sendgrid) | [vs Loops](https://autosend.com/vs/loops) | [vs Resend](https://autosend.com/vs/resend)
### Enterprise
For 1.5M+ emails/month: custom pricing, unlimited everything, guaranteed SLA, dedicated account manager. [Schedule a demo](https://asend.email/demo).
---
## Resources
- [Website](https://autosend.com)
- [Pricing](https://autosend.com/pricing)
- [Documentation](https://docs.autosend.com)
- [API Reference](https://docs.autosend.com/api-reference)
- [Changelog](https://docs.autosend.com/changelog)
- [Support](mailto:support@autosend.com)