{"id":83206,"date":"2024-12-17T20:48:20","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T20:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glosario\/amazon-ses\/"},"modified":"2026-10-27T21:06:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T21:06:13","slug":"amazon-ses","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/amazon-ses\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon SES"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Amazon SES (Simple Email Service) is the Amazon Web Services (AWS) service for sending and receiving emails from applications and websites.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

It is mainly used for automated emails, such as sign-up confirmations, invoices or notifications, and also for bulk sending.<\/p>\n\n

It is not an email marketing tool with an editor and lists, but a sending infrastructure. It connects via API<\/a> or SMTP<\/a>, and is usually set up by a technical team.<\/p>\n\n

What is amazonses.com and why does it appear in my emails?<\/h2>\n\n

Many companies use this service to send their emails. That’s why, when you view a message’s details, you may see “sent by amazonses.com” or “via amazonses.com”.<\/p>\n\n

Seeing it doesn’t mean the email is spam or that Amazon sent it. It indicates that the sending company uses Amazon’s servers.<\/p>\n\n

Gmail shows it when the sender’s domain doesn’t match the domain that signs the message.<\/p>\n\n

Even so, scammers also use legitimate sending services. If the message asks you for personal details or payments, check the sender and the links before clicking.<\/p>\n\n

We explain it in our post on phishing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

How does Amazon SES work?<\/h2>\n\n

1. You verify your domain or your address.<\/strong> Amazon checks that you own it and gives you the DKIM<\/a> records to add to your DNS.<\/p>\n\n

2. You start in test mode (sandbox).<\/strong> New accounts can only send to verified addresses, with a maximum of 200 emails a day and 1 per second.<\/p>\n\n

3. You request production access.<\/strong> You explain to AWS what kind of emails you’ll send and how you handle unsubscribes and complaints. If they approve it, your limits are raised.<\/p>\n\n

4. You connect your application.<\/strong> Via API, via SMTP or from other AWS services.<\/p>\n\n

5. You monitor bounces and complaints.<\/strong> AWS suspends accounts with high bounce<\/a> or complaint rates, so you need to process them and clean your lists.<\/p>\n\n

\"Diagram<\/figure>\n\n

How much does Amazon SES cost?<\/h2>\n\n

The base price is $0.10 per 1,000 emails<\/strong>, plus data transfer for attachments. Since July 2026 there are also plans with included features: Essentials, Pro and Enterprise.<\/p>\n\n

It no longer has its own free tier. New AWS accounts receive up to $200 in credits that they can use on this service.<\/p>\n\n

Also, the price per email isn’t everything. You have to add the technical time to set it up, email design, and managing lists, unsubscribes and statistics.<\/p>\n\n

Advantages and limitations<\/h2>\n\n
<\/th>Pros<\/th>Limitations<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Price<\/td>Very low per email at high volume<\/td>Technical setup and maintenance costs<\/td><\/tr>
Scale<\/td>From a few emails to millions a day<\/td>Starts with low limits (sandbox)<\/td><\/tr>
Integration<\/td>API, SMTP and other AWS services<\/td>Requires programming knowledge<\/td><\/tr>
Features<\/td>Sending, authentication and basic metrics<\/td>No editor, lists or marketing automations<\/td><\/tr>
Support<\/td>Very comprehensive documentation<\/td>Advanced technical support is paid<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

Amazon SES vs. other options<\/h2>\n\n

Amazon SES vs. Mailchimp Transactional.<\/strong> Mailchimp Transactional, formerly Mandrill<\/a>, is a paid Mailchimp add-on for automated emails. It’s easier to use, but more expensive per email. Amazon’s service is cheaper and more flexible, but more technical.<\/p>\n\n

Amazon SES vs. an email marketing platform.<\/strong> Amazon’s service sends whatever your application passes to it.<\/p>\n\n

A platform like Mailrelay adds everything you need for campaigns: editor, lists, segmentation, forms, automatic unsubscribes and statistics.<\/p>\n\n

<\/th>Amazon SES<\/th>Mailrelay<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
What it’s for<\/td>Sending infrastructure for applications<\/td>Email marketing and transactional sending<\/td><\/tr>
How it’s used<\/td>Technical, via API or SMTP<\/td>Visual editor, no coding<\/td><\/tr>
Lists and unsubscribes<\/td>Managed by your application<\/td>Included<\/td><\/tr>
Starting price<\/td>Pay as you go from $0.10 \/ 1,000 emails<\/td>Free account with up to 80,000 emails a month<\/td><\/tr>
Support<\/td>Documentation; paid advanced support<\/td>Human support on every plan: tickets, plus chat from Standard and phone on Enterprise<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

If what you need is to send transactional emails from your website, Mailrelay also offers an SMTP service<\/a> and API, included in the paid plans, which you can try for 30 days with the free account.<\/p>\n\n

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Prefer to send without coding?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Mailrelay you create and send your campaigns from a visual editor, with lists, unsubscribes and statistics included. Start for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"Comparison<\/figure>\n\n

When Amazon SES is right for you<\/h2>\n\n

It’s right for you if<\/strong> you have a technical team, send large volumes from your own application and already work with AWS.<\/p>\n\n

It’s not right for you if<\/strong> you want to send newsletters and campaigns without coding, need an editor and list management, or prefer close, personal support.<\/p>\n\n

In the second case, an email marketing platform saves you time and mistakes, and lets you focus on content and results.<\/p>\n\n

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Send your newsletters with Mailrelay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts for free, with human support on every plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Try Mailrelay for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n

These are the most common questions about this service.<\/p>\n\n

What is Amazon SES?<\/h3>\n\n

Amazon Web Services’ email sending service. It lets you send emails from applications and websites via API or SMTP.<\/p>\n\n

What is amazonses.com?<\/h3>\n\n

The domain of Amazon SES’s servers. It appears in emails from companies that use this service to send their emails.<\/p>\n\n

Is Amazon SES free?<\/h3>\n\n

No. It costs $0.10 per 1,000 emails. New AWS accounts receive credits that can be used on it.<\/p>\n\n

What is the Amazon SES sandbox?<\/h3>\n\n

The test mode new accounts start in: you can only send to verified addresses, with low limits, until AWS approves production access.<\/p>\n\n

Can Amazon SES be used for email marketing?<\/h3>\n\n

It can send, but it doesn’t include an editor, list management or marketing automations. For campaigns, the usual choice is an email marketing platform.<\/p>\n\n

Related posts<\/h2>\n\n