Sparkpost
performance benchmarks
Browse Sparkpost'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) |
|---|---|---|---|
<1M | 10th of 10 ↑ | 1 | 5 |
From April 13th to July 12th, Knock routed <1M messages through Sparkpost. For adoption, Sparkpost ranks 10th of 10 providers based on new channel connections, with adoption accelerating over the period. Sparkpost reported 5 status page updates over the last 90 days, 1 of which was in the last 30 days.
Response time
Response time measures how long Sparkpost 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
281ms | 471ms | 546ms | 622ms |
From April 13th to July 12th, Sparkpost averaged a daily median response time (p50) of 281ms across all days in the range, meaning half of all requests on a typical day complete in under 281ms. The 99th percentile averaged 622ms, with a peak daily p99 of 768ms. This is slightly higher than some providers, which may reflect additional processing Sparkpost 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% | 0.42% | May 4 | 90 | 1 |
From April 13th to July 12th, Sparkpost averaged a 0.00% daily error rate for 5xx responses and timeouts, with the highest single-day error rate reaching 0.42%. 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 Sparkpost during the specified period. Response time measures time from Knock to provider acceptance. Error rate includes only provider 5xx responses and timeouts.
Recent Sparkpost incidents
Recent status page incidents for Sparkpost
Started Jun 29, 2026 — Resolved Jun 29, 2026
Jun 29, 12:46 EDT Resolved - This incident has been resolved. Jun 29, 12:05 EDT Monitoring - There was a combination of events that caused a short period of slowdown. That slowdown has already recovered and we are monitoring to ensure we do not see it again. Jun 29, 11:58 EDT Investigating - We are investigating the delay and the impact. We will post once we know more.
Started May 12, 2026 — Resolved May 12, 2026
May 12, 09:38 EDT Resolved - This incident has been resolved. May 12, 09:10 EDT Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. May 12, 08:48 EDT Identified - We’re currently investigating an issue that prevented some customers from updating their payment details. The root cause has been identified, and a fix is being implemented.
Started May 11, 2026 — Resolved May 11, 2026
May 11, 16:02 EDT Resolved - This incident has been resolved. May 11, 15:46 EDT Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. May 11, 14:55 EDT Identified - We are experiencing an elevated level of errors and latency on the Suppression List API for some SparkPost customers. Please retry any 5xx error. Note: This issue does not impact SparkPost customers hosted in the EU.
Started May 9, 2026 — Resolved May 9, 2026
May 9, 18:17 EDT Resolved - This incident has been resolved. May 9, 18:05 EDT Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. May 9, 17:50 EDT Identified - The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented. May 9, 17:39 EDT Investigating - We are looking into why some messages are seeing delayed delivery.
Started May 8, 2026 — Resolved May 8, 2026
May 8, 07:31 EDT Resolved - This incident has been resolved. May 7, 06:49 EDT Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. May 7, 05:31 EDT Investigating - We are currently investigating this issue.
Compare Sparkpost with other providers
About Sparkpost
SparkPost is a data-driven email delivery platform with advanced analytics and predictive tools for high-volume senders.
Pros
- Delivers nearly 40% of all commercial email worldwide
- Subaccount support for isolated sending streams under one billing account
- On-premise mail sending solution available for very high volume workloads
- Great analytics tools with predictive health scores for email deliverability
Cons
- Documentation can be hard to navigate with less beginner-friendly getting started content
- Higher price point than basic providers
- Now part of Bird (formerly MessageBird), which may affect product direction
Frequently asked questions
What is Sparkpost?
Sparkpost is an email service provider commonly used for high-volume transactional email, data-driven email optimization, enterprise email delivery. SparkPost is a data-driven email delivery platform with advanced analytics and predictive tools for high-volume senders.
How much does Sparkpost cost?
Free tier includes 500 emails per month with community support. Paid plans start at $20/month for 50,000 emails with premium deliverability features. Sparkpost offers a free tier with up to 500 emails, with a hard sending limit on that plan.
How fast is Sparkpost?
Based on real-world data from messages sent through Knock, Sparkpost accepts API requests with a median response time of 281ms (p50) and 622ms at the 99th percentile.
How reliable is Sparkpost?
From April 13th to July 12th, Sparkpost showed an error rate of 0.00% for 5xx responses and timeouts across <1M 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 Sparkpost?
Key strengths include delivers nearly 40% of all commercial email worldwide and subaccount support for isolated sending streams under one billing account. On the other hand, documentation can be hard to navigate with less beginner-friendly getting started content and higher price point than basic providers.
Does Sparkpost work with Knock?
Yes. Knock has a native Sparkpost integration that enables you to send email notifications through Sparkpost as part of a cross-channel workflow. You can combine Sparkpost with other channels like in-app feeds, push, SMS, and Slack from a single API call.
Use Sparkpost with Knock
Knock enables you to integrate Sparkpost alongside other notification channels, manage templates, and orchestrate cross-channel workflows from a single platform.