Mailgun vs Mailtrap
Compare Mailgun and Mailtrap based on observed API performance, features, and pricing
Live performance comparison
Real-world performance data from messages sent through Knock
| Provider | Message volume | Growth | Status page updates (30d) | Status page updates (90d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100M–500M | 5th of 10 ↑ | 0 | 0 |
| <1M | 7th of 10 → | 1 | 1 |
From January 22nd to April 22nd, Knock routed 100M–500M messages through Mailgun and <1M through Mailtrap. Mailgun reported 0 status page updates over the last 90 days, while Mailtrap reported 1.
Response time
Response time measures how long each provider takes to accept an API request from Knock, including connection overhead and any automatic retries. Lower values mean faster message hand-off.
The chart above shows each provider's daily median response time (p50) from January 22nd to April 22nd. The top-line number is an average of these daily values: Mailgun averaged 127ms compared to 93ms for Mailtrap. Mailgun's highest daily p50 was 147ms; Mailtrap's was 197ms. Mailtrap is 34ms faster at the median, which can add up at high volumes.
The 90th percentile (p90) captures the slowest 10% of requests, revealing how each provider handles moderate stress. Averaged across all days, Mailgun has a p90 of 184ms compared to 219ms for Mailtrap. The highest daily p90 was 220ms for Mailgun and 926ms for Mailtrap. Mailgun handles these slower requests 35ms faster, suggesting more consistent performance across the board.
The 99th percentile (p99) represents the long tail — the slowest 1% of requests. Averaged across all days, Mailgun reached 382ms at p99 while Mailtrap reached 994ms. The highest daily p99 was 481ms for Mailgun and 1651ms for Mailtrap, indicating the worst-case response time during spikes or provider-side congestion. Mailgun shows a tighter tail, which may matter for time-sensitive notifications like one-time passwords or real-time alerts where even rare delays can impact user experience.
Error rate
Error rate tracks the ratio of 5xx responses and timeouts to total requests. Knock automatically retries failed requests, so transient provider errors rarely affect end-user delivery.
| Provider | Avg. daily error rate | Highest daily rate | Peak error date | Zero-error days | Days above 0.01% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00% | 0.03% | Mar 17 | 90 | 1 |
| 0.00% | 0.00% | Jan 22 | 91 | 0 |
Averaged across the date range, Mailgun shows a 0.00% daily error rate compared to 0.00% for Mailtrap. The highest single-day error rate was 0.03% for Mailgun and 0.00% for Mailtrap. Both providers show similar reliability levels, with error rates well within acceptable thresholds. Knock automatically retries failed requests to both providers, minimizing the impact of transient errors on end-user delivery.
About these metrics: Data represents messages sent through Knock during the specified period. Response time measures time from Knock to provider acceptance. Error rate includes only provider 5xx responses and timeouts.
Recent Mailgun incidents
Recent status page incidents for Mailgun
No incidents reported in the last 90 days
Recent Mailtrap incidents
Recent status page incidents for Mailtrap
Pros and cons
Mailgun
Mailtrap
Pros
- Well-written documentation with comprehensive guides and best practices for deliverability
- Robust deliverability support with optional expert pairing to optimize sending
- Powerful inbound email processing with customizable routing rules
- Trusted by Lyft, American Express, and Wikipedia since 2010
Pros
- Strong deliverability with dedicated IPs, auto warmup, and automatic authentication
- Great developer experience with comprehensive docs and MCP support for IDEs
- Combined testing sandbox and production sending in one platform
- Trusted by PayPal, Atlassian, Adobe, and Yelp
Cons
- Requires familiarity with email protocols and API integrations
- Pricing tiers can be confusing
- Email template features are basic without the Mailjet editor
Cons
- Native integration ecosystem is smaller than established competitors
- Lower sending limits on free tier compared to some providers
- No rate limits by default, which may require custom throttling configuration
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Mailgun and Mailtrap?
Mailgun is a developer-focused email API platform owned by Sinch, known for flexible sending and receiving capabilities. Mailtrap is an email platform combining safe testing and sandbox environments with production sending capabilities. Mailgun is best suited for developer-focused sending + receiving, while Mailtrap is geared toward email testing + qa.
Which is cheaper, Mailgun or Mailtrap?
Free tier includes 100 emails per day with no expiration. Paid plans start at $15/month for 10,000 emails with overages at $1.80/1K. Free tier includes 4,000 emails per month (150/day limit). Paid plans start at $15/month for 10,000 emails with overages at $1.00/1K. The best value depends on your sending volume. Use the pricing calculator above to compare costs at your expected volume.
Which is faster, Mailgun or Mailtrap?
Based on real-world data from Knock, Mailgun has a median API response time (p50) of 127ms compared to 93ms for Mailtrap.
Which is more reliable, Mailgun or Mailtrap?
From January 22nd to April 22nd, Mailgun showed an error rate of 0.00% while Mailtrap showed 0.00%. Both rates are within acceptable thresholds for production email delivery, and Knock automatically retries failed requests to minimize the impact of transient errors.
Which is more popular, Mailgun or Mailtrap?
On the Knock platform, Mailgun handled 100M–500M messages from January 22nd to April 22nd compared to <1M for Mailtrap. Mailgun is currently trending upward in adoption, while Mailtrap volume has remained stable.
Can I use both Mailgun and Mailtrap together?
Yes. Knock enables you to integrate multiple email providers into a single notification workflow. You can use Mailgun and Mailtrap side by side, route traffic between them, or migrate from one to the other without changing your application code.
What are the main pros and cons of Mailgun vs Mailtrap?
Mailgun strengths include well-written documentation with comprehensive guides and best practices for deliverability and robust deliverability support with optional expert pairing to optimize sending. Mailtrap strengths include strong deliverability with dedicated ips, auto warmup, and automatic authentication and great developer experience with comprehensive docs and mcp support for ides. On the other hand, Mailgun drawbacks include requires familiarity with email protocols and api integrations, while Mailtrap drawbacks include native integration ecosystem is smaller than established competitors.
Use either provider with Knock
Knock enables you to integrate Mailgun, Mailtrap, or any combination of email providers into a single notification workflow. Manage templates, orchestrate cross-channel delivery, and switch providers without changing your code.