In this buying guide, we compare the Emma & SendGrid email marketing platforms on automation, features, and pricing. Spoiler alert: we’re pretty fond of Emma, but we’ll call out where each platform actually wins—even when it stings a little 🤍
Disclaimer: The features, pricing, and details mentioned for each product are as of September 2025 and may have changed since then.
| Category | Emma | SendGrid |
| Pricing | Starts $99/mo; Emma Lite for 10k contacts, annual contract | Free trial (100 emails/day for 60 days); paid plans from $19.95/mo |
| User sentiment | 4/5 average rating (500+ reviews) | 4.0/5 (350+ reviews) |
| Automation & journeys | Multi-step journeys with branching, welcome and drip, API and date triggers | Time-based and behavior triggers; customizable drip flows with timing/exit rules |
| AI features | AI Assistant for writing and edits, A/B and subject tests, reporting insights | No AI writer; AI supports validation, anomaly detection, predictive delivery |
| Deliverability & reliability | High deliverability (99.53% as of a 2022 review), SPF/DKIM/DMARC guidance, SFTP sync | 99.5% delivery; dedicated IPs, ISP feedback loops, advanced monitoring |
| Segmentation & personalization | Dynamic segments with real-time updates, dynamic content, opt-down center | Dynamic API-driven segmentation with custom/reserved fields; updated hourly |
| Integration ecosystem | Hundreds of integrations and open API, deep CRM syncs (Salesforce, Blackbaud, EverTrue), Shopify app, Eventbrite | Pre-built + custom integrations (AWS, Google Cloud, Heroku, Zapier) |
| Conversion & list-building tools | Landing pages included on Essentials plan, brand controls for consistent capture | API-driven forms and templates, hosted pages |
| Support & resources | Email and phone support, live tech support Mon–Fri 7am–7pm CT, onboarding services | 24/7 ticket/chat for paid plans; optional TAM add-on (~$5K/mo) for priority help |
| Best for | Franchises, higher ed/nonprofits, and media; consistent branding and engagement. | Developers/teams needing scalable API-first email delivery |
“Emma is our top-of-the-line and favorite email marketing tool”
Anna L., Senior Vice President Marketing (G2)“We have never faced failure since day one. I can say that it helps generate a positive turnover. Emma has been our favorite since the start. I decided to choose Emma as our email marketing tool and beyond any doubt it has proved itself over and over again…”
| Feature | Emma | SendGrid |
| Average Rating | 4/5 (500+ reviews) | 4.0/5 (350+ reviews) |
| Setup Experience | Quick and easy setup — from minutes to hours for SPF authentication. | Quick setup — a few minutes to a couple of hours for domain authentication. |
| Learning Curve | Intuitive interface with guide to getting started, and Quick Start training. | Developer focused, Getting Started guide for new users |
| Best for: | Franchises & multi-location teams needing centralized brand control | Technical teams needing scalable, API-first email delivery. |
Emma is a fit for franchises and multi-location teams that need centralized brand control without overwhelming complexity. Its intuitive interface lowers the learning curve, making it easy for dispersed teams to stay aligned while keeping campaigns consistent across regions.
SendGrid is built for technical teams that prioritize scalable, API-first email delivery. With a developer-focused setup, it’s best for companies that want fine-grained control and programmatic flexibility rather than guided, marketer-friendly tools.
“Emma is very user friendly and insight oriented”
“The navigations to Emma are very simple and self explanatory. There is a very short learning curve and a very clean UI to use.”
| Feature | Emma | SendGrid |
| Email Editor | Drag-and-drop editor with mobile design mode | Flexible, hybrid editor; no-code drag-and-drop interface with a powerful HTML code editor |
| Template Library | Hundreds of pre-designed, mobile-optimized templates | 300 templates or versions per user, with responsive import and reuse. |
| Design Flexibility | Style locking, asset sharing, template approval workflows | Switch between visual editor and code for custom control |
| Branding Consistency | Professional templates with brand locking capabilities for consistent branding | Customizable HTML and modules for brand-aligned emails |
| Best for: | Teams requiring consistent branding across locations | Developers needing flexible, code-friendly email design |
Emma is best for teams that need consistent branding across multiple locations. Its drag-and-drop editor paired with brand-locking safeguards ensures every campaign feels cohesive, which is invaluable for franchises or universities managing strict brand standards.
SendGrid suits developers and design-savvy teams that want flexible, code-friendly email design. The hybrid editor gives full creative freedom, making it ideal for organizations that prioritize customization over simplicity.
Car Talk simplified templates and optimized for mobile with clear CTAs using Emma, sustaining ~40% opens and up to 50% clicks on The Puzzler and lifting overall click rates by nearly 20%.
| Feature | Emma | SendGrid |
| Trigger Options | Signup, date-based, field change, contact import, and custom API events | Time-based, behavior-based, and event-based triggers (sign-ups, purchases, inactivity) set in advance |
| Conditional Logic | Branching on opens/clicks; dynamic-content rules from contact fields; up to 20 branches | Exit criteria supported; no full visual if/then builder |
| Prebuilt Journeys | Common workflows: welcome series, re-engagement/drip, abandoned cart | Prebuilt Welcome Series; others built manually |
| Journey Complexity | Multi-step workflows with Wait/Send steps and branching; automate from activity inside or outside the inbox | Customizable drip flows with timing and exit rules |
| Best for: | Signup, date-based, field change, contact import, and custom API events | Time-based, behavior-based, and event-based triggers (sign-ups, purchases, inactivity) set in advance |
Emma is built for brands juggling complex, multi-branch workflows where every click or action can set a new path in motion. Its ability to automate beyond the inbox makes it a strong ally for franchises, higher-ed, or nonprofits that need customer journeys to feel fluid, not forced.
SendGrid fits developer-led teams and technical squads that want drip campaigns running with clockwork precision. With time-based and event-driven triggers, it thrives in transactional and lifecycle comms where reliability matters more than branching wizardry.
Dogfish Head activated automated welcomes and a web-series send with Emma, with welcome emails averaging ~78% opens and 27% clicks and the series pulling ~58% opens and 33% clicks.
| Feature | Emma | SendGrid |
| AI Content Creation | AI Assistant writes/rewrites email copy, fixes grammar, and adjusts tone/length to speed up campaign creation | No AI writer; AI supports personalization, real-time content, and automation. |
| Design Intelligence | Drag-and-drop editor with mobile design mode; brand controls lock styles and manage shared templates | Dynamic and interactive emails that adapt to recipient behavior. |
| Optimization Tools | Subject line split testing, A/B content testing, click-map visualization, and detailed analytics/compare reports | AI-powered email validation, neural protection, and deliverability insights. |
| Predictive Features | Response Dashboard shows robust analytics that reveal subscriber insights so you can double down on what works. | Churn prediction, anomaly detection, and send-time optimization (via API integration with AI tools). |
| Best For | Small businesses needing all-in-one AI help for content, design, and reporting. | Technical teams prioritizing deliverability over AI content. |
Emma gives small businesses a complete AI toolkit that goes beyond just drafting copy. It supports smarter testing, cleaner designs, and sharper analytics so every campaign feels more intentional.
SendGrid is better suited for technical teams chasing reliability and scale, where the priority is protecting deliverability and catching risks before they hurt performance. It favors teams who want bulletproof sending power over creative AI copy support.
“Very smooth email marketing experience with Emma”
“I liked using the platform a lot, it was very smooth to use and AI suggestions were cherry on a cake truly.”
— Nirmalya N., WhatsApp Chatbots and Automation Information Technology and Services (G2)
| Feature | Emma | SendGrid |
| Delivery Rate | High deliverability (99.53% deliverability as of 2022 review) | 99.5% delivery rate |
| Inbox Placement | Strong reputation management across multiple accounts | Dedicated IPs, ISP feedback loops, and automated warm-up |
| Deliverability Tools | Supports SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication with best-practice guidance to improve inboxing | Deliverability Insights dashboard, bounce/spam diagnostics, domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), suppression management |
| Sending Reliability | Automated SFTP Connect for steady contact syncs. | Real-time performance metrics, adaptive delivery with ISP-specific pacing, and engagement tracking |
| Best for: | Multi-location brands needing to monitor delivery and manage authentication across sub-accounts | High-volume senders needing advanced deliverability monitoring and technical control |
Emma is built for multi-location brands that need to keep inbox placement consistent across sub-accounts without losing oversight. With strong reputation safeguards and authentication baked in, it helps large organizations maintain trust and deliverability at scale.
SendGrid caters to high-volume technical teams that demand precision-level control over deliverability. Its dashboards and adaptive pacing tools are designed for developers and ops teams who can fine-tune delivery mechanics to squeeze out every fraction of performance.
“Emma is an excellent product for SMEs for email & SMS marketing”
“The deliverability rate of Emma was the highest we ever saw for any of our Email campaigns and we could send numerous campaigns at once that was the highlight.”
| Feature | Emma | SendGrid |
| Segmentation Capabilities | Dynamic segments with real-time updates based on behavior, demographics | Create dynamic segments using custom fields, reserved fields, and engagement data (opens, clicks), updated hourly via Marketing Campaigns UI or API |
| Dynamic Content | Dynamic blocks that personalize per subscriber using fields or custom API events. | Handlebars templates for conditional copy, images, and formatting |
| Personalization Tags | Personalization/merge tags from contact fields (e.g., name, custom fields) in the editor. | Per-recipient substitutions using dynamic_template_data via API |
| Subscriber Preferences | Customizable subscription center with opt-down options | Preference and unsubscribe links managed on SendGrid-hosted pages |
| Best for: | Complex audience management across multiple accounts | Developer-implemented personalization via API |
Emma fits marketing teams managing multiple audiences with ease. Its real-time targeting works well for franchises or organizations that need centralized yet flexible personalization. Best for non-technical teams that want control without coding.
SendGrid is built for developer-led teams handling high-volume personalization. API-level control allows precise substitutions, custom templates, and complex segmentation. Ideal for SaaS or engineering-driven companies prioritizing technical flexibility.
Convince & Convert used Emma’s audience-choice segmentation and sponsor-friendly newsletter format to grow and engage the daily “Definitive” readership while preserving trust and giving partners credible visibility.
| Feature | Emma | SendGrid |
| Number of Integrations | Hundreds of integrations + open API | Pre-built and custom via partners (AWS, Google Cloud, Heroku) |
| CRM Integrations | Salesforce, Blackbaud, EverTrue with deep sync capabilities | Salesforce and others through partners like MassMailer, Zapier |
| E-commerce Integrations | Shopify app; SFTP Connect for automated data sync | Integrates with Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce |
| API Flexibility | Ecommerce, landing pages, events (Eventbrite) | Robust Email API with dynamic templates and personalization |
| Best for | Distributed brands (franchises, universities) needing centralized control with deep CRM integrations. | Developers needing API-first, customizable integrations |
Emma is best for distributed brands that need centralized control across multiple tools. With strong CRM depth and ecommerce connections, it suits universities, nonprofits, and franchises where integration consistency matters.
SendGrid is built for developers who want API-first flexibility. Its customizable integrations and dynamic templates work well for SaaS teams or engineering-led companies scaling email systems with technical precision.
“Emma is the best ever multi-channel email marketing software”
“Emma is the best ever email marketing software used by me with various features. The ease of use in analytics of campaigns makes my life easier… Integration of this software to my CRM is soo easy and if I get any query, their customer support is ready to help me in the quickest way.”
| Feature | Emma | SendGrid |
| Starter Offer | $99/mo; Emma Lite (10,000 contacts, annual contract) | Free trial (100 emails/day for 60 days, no credit card) |
| Most Popular | Emma Essentials — $159/mo (10,000 contacts, annual contract; adds landing pages, unlimited automation, SMS*) | Essentials $19.95/mo for 50K–100K emails/month; includes analytics, deliverability optimization, 1 teammate, 2 event webhooks, no email validations, and dynamic templates editor |
| Pricing Model | Contact-based tiers with flat monthly/annual billing; per-contact overages if you exceed your limit; custom quotes for >10k contacts; annual discounts available | Tiered plans (Free Trial → Essentials $19.95/mo → Pro $89.95/mo → Premier custom pricing |
| Best for | Large organizations who want to scale | Developers and teams needing scalable, pay-as-you-go email sending |
Emma works well for large organizations that want predictable, contact-based pricing. Its structured plans and discounts support scaling while keeping budgets stable for enterprises managing tens of thousands of contacts.
SendGrid is better for developers and lean teams needing flexible, pay-as-you-go email sending. With lower entry costs and scalable tiers, it’s ideal for fast-growing apps or SaaS companies that need cost-efficient delivery at volume.
| Feature | Emma | SendGrid |
| Support Availability | Email & phone support, plus Support Hub; live tech support Mon–Fri, 7am–7pm CT. | 24/7 ticket and chat support for paid plans; phone support and Technical Account Manager (TAM) access via Personalized Support add-on (starts ~$5,000/mo) reaching highest-priority assistance |
| Support Response Time | Business-hours live support; priority phone support available on Corporate plan | Paid plans get standard help, while Personalized Support offers SLAs: 1 hr for P1, 2 hr for P2, 3 hr for P3 issues |
| Knowledge Resources | Support Hub, Emma 101 resource hub & webinar , and video library | Knowledge Center with extensive docs, guides, and Support FAQ |
| Onboarding Assistance | Professional Services onboarding packages (strategic kickoff, list import, custom training). | Optional Professional Services available Optional Professional Services for onboarding and deliverability help. |
| Best for | Teams wanting business-hours live help + self-serve resources; larger orgs needing priority phone support & services. | Technical teams needing self-service with optional expert support. |
Emma fits teams that value business-hours live support plus access to a wide library of self-serve resources. Larger organizations benefit from structured onboarding and priority phone support to keep operations running smoothly.
SendGrid is built for technical teams that need 24/7 ticket and chat coverage with optional enterprise-grade SLAs. It’s best for companies that prioritize deep documentation and expert guidance when scaling email infrastructure.
“Emma has made my job communicating to my customers so valuable!”
“Emma’s customer support is extremely superior to many other development tools I have used in the past. By using Emma to send my emails, newsletters and landing pages, I am able to get metrics that are so valuable.”
“Emma email marketing – a multi-tasker email marketing tool”
Angelika E., Marketing & Sales Lead, Retail (Brick and Mortar) Gift Cards (G2)“It provides ease to the users for creating and summarizing results. It is easy to update and add new contacts on this platform. It allows people to manage their list of emails. It has great integration with other applications. Users can also edit them for a long time as well. There are certain different features in this regard.”
“We have been using Emma for a few years now”
Sarah D., Senior E-commerce Strategy Manager (G2)“We use Emma for marketing our campaigns, target our specific customers and audience as well as send targeted emails for subscriptions and promotions to our targeted customers. Sending mass emails is not a big deal now…Honestly, it works so well for us.”
“Emma captures any type of campaign solution”
Hanna L., Head Of Solutions Media Production (G2)“Emma has supported the creation of a content distribution resolution component; for us, it has been invaluable because it has been able to automate the marketing and sending of mass emails to promote our services… It has helped us improve the quality of our service through customer interaction.”
