Mailgun
performance benchmarks
Browse Mailgun's observed email API response time, error rates, and incident history over the last 90 days.
Live performance metrics
Real-world performance data from messages sent through Knock
| Message volume | Growth | Status page updates (30d) | Status page updates (90d) |
|---|---|---|---|
100M–500M | 5th of 10 → | 5 | 11 |
From April 13th to July 12th, Knock routed 100M–500M messages through Mailgun. For adoption, Mailgun ranks 5th of 10 providers based on new channel connections, with adoption holding steady over the period. Mailgun reported 11 status page updates over the last 90 days, 5 of which were in the last 30 days.
Response time
Response time measures how long Mailgun takes to accept an API request from Knock, including connection overhead and any automatic retries. Lower values mean faster message hand-off.
| Median (p50) | p90 | p95 | p99 |
|---|---|---|---|
136ms | 199ms | 262ms | 592ms |
From April 13th to July 12th, Mailgun averaged a daily median response time (p50) of 136ms across all days in the range, meaning half of all requests on a typical day complete in under 136ms. The 99th percentile averaged 592ms, with a peak daily p99 of 15385ms. This is slightly higher than some providers, which may reflect additional processing Mailgun performs on message acceptance.
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.
| Avg. daily error rate | Highest daily rate | Peak error date | Zero-error days | Days above 0.01% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0.00% | 0.04% | Jun 23 | 90 | 1 |
From April 13th to July 12th, Mailgun averaged a 0.00% daily error rate for 5xx responses and timeouts, with the highest single-day error rate reaching 0.04%. This is one of the lowest error rates among providers on Knock, indicating strong reliability and consistent uptime. Knock automatically retries failed requests, so transient provider errors rarely affect end-user delivery.
About these metrics: Data represents messages sent through Knock to Mailgun 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
Started Jul 10, 2026 — Resolved Jul 10, 2026
Jul 10, 13:11 PDT Resolved - This incident has been resolved. Jul 10, 12:58 PDT Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. Jul 10, 12:48 PDT Update - A fix is in the process of being rolled out to impacted regions. Jul 10, 12:33 PDT Update - We are continuing to work on a fix for this issue. Jul 10, 11:59 PDT Update - We are continuing to work on a fix for this issue. Jul 10, 11:36 PDT Update - We are continuing to work on a fix for this issue. J
Started Jun 25, 2026 — Resolved Jun 25, 2026
Jun 25, 13:35 PDT Resolved - This incident has been resolved. Jun 25, 13:24 PDT Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. Jun 25, 13:21 PDT Identified - The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented. Jun 25, 13:03 PDT Update - We are continuing to investigate this issue. Jun 25, 12:21 PDT Investigating - We are currently investigating an issue with email previews not working. Outbound processing, inbound processing, logs and webhook de
Started Jun 23, 2026 — Resolved Jun 23, 2026
Jun 23, 09:09 PDT Resolved - This incident has been resolved. Jun 23, 08:56 PDT Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. Jun 23, 08:25 PDT Update - We are continuing to work on a fix for this issue. Some customers may see log delays. Outbound processing, inbound processing, and webhook delivery continue operating normally. Jun 23, 07:52 PDT Update - We are continuing to work on a fix for this issue. Some customers may see log delays. Outbound processin
Started Jun 18, 2026 — Resolved Jun 18, 2026
Jun 18, 03:24 PDT Resolved - This incident has been resolved. Jun 18, 03:11 PDT Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. Jun 18, 02:53 PDT Identified - The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented. Jun 18, 02:11 PDT Update - We are continuing to investigate this issue. Jun 18, 01:34 PDT Investigating - Customers using the events/logs APIs or viewing logs in the customer portal may see delays in some events appearing. These delays are
Started Jun 16, 2026 — Resolved Jun 16, 2026
Jun 16, 10:34 PDT Resolved - This incident has been resolved. Jun 16, 09:16 PDT Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. Jun 16, 08:48 PDT Update - We are continuing to investigate this issue. Jun 16, 08:08 PDT Update - We are continuing to investigate this issue. Jun 16, 07:28 PDT Investigating - Logs are currently experiencing delays of 15 minutes in Mailgun's US region. Outbound processing, inbound processing, and webhook delivery are operating n
Compare Mailgun with other providers
About Mailgun
Mailgun is a developer-focused email API platform owned by Sinch, known for flexible sending and receiving capabilities.
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
Cons
- Requires familiarity with email protocols and API integrations
- Pricing tiers can be confusing
- Email template features are basic without the Mailjet editor
Frequently asked questions
What is Mailgun?
Mailgun is an email service provider commonly used for transactional email, application-generated email, inbound email processing. Mailgun is a developer-focused email API platform owned by Sinch, known for flexible sending and receiving capabilities.
How much does Mailgun cost?
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. Mailgun offers a free tier with up to 3,000 emails, with a hard sending limit on that plan.
How fast is Mailgun?
Based on real-world data from messages sent through Knock, Mailgun accepts API requests with a median response time of 136ms (p50) and 592ms at the 99th percentile.
How reliable is Mailgun?
From April 13th to July 12th, Mailgun showed an error rate of 0.00% for 5xx responses and timeouts across 100M–500M messages sent through Knock. Knock automatically retries failed requests, so transient provider errors rarely affect end-user delivery.
What are the pros and cons of Mailgun?
Key strengths include well-written documentation with comprehensive guides and best practices for deliverability and robust deliverability support with optional expert pairing to optimize sending. On the other hand, requires familiarity with email protocols and api integrations and pricing tiers can be confusing.
Does Mailgun work with Knock?
Yes. Knock has a native Mailgun integration that enables you to send email notifications through Mailgun as part of a cross-channel workflow. You can combine Mailgun with other channels like in-app feeds, push, SMS, and Slack from a single API call.
Use Mailgun with Knock
Knock enables you to integrate Mailgun alongside other notification channels, manage templates, and orchestrate cross-channel workflows from a single platform.