If your website suddenly stopped sending emails such as contact form notifications, password resets, or order confirmations, it might not be a bug. As of July 26, 2025, SendGrid has officially pulled the plug on its free tier. Any account that wasn’t upgraded in time has been paused automatically, which means no more outgoing emails.
It’s not just you, this change is affecting a lot of websites that were quietly relying on SendGrid’s free plan.
What Changed?
SendGrid started phasing out its free Email API and Marketing Campaigns plans back in May. The final cutoff happened on July 26, after a 60-day transition period. If an account wasn’t upgraded by then, SendGrid automatically disabled its ability to send emails.
Here’s what that means in plain terms:
- Emails from your site (like notifications or confirmations) are no longer being delivered.
- If you used the marketing features, contacts over the 100 limit were deleted.
- You can still upgrade to a paid plan—and get 50% off your first year if you do so before August 31, 2025.
- Paid plans now start around $27/month CAD.
More details: SendGrid’s official announcement
Why It Matters
Most websites rely on transactional email behind the scenes, things like:
- “Thanks for your message” confirmations
- Password reset links
- Order or registration notifications
If you’re still on the free plan, these emails are likely failing silently. Users might not be getting responses, and you might not even know.
What Are the Alternatives?
1. Upgrade SendGrid
The quickest fix. If you’re happy with SendGrid and don’t want to touch your settings, just upgrade your account. Everything will pick back up as normal. And with the 50% discount available until August 31, now’s the time if you’re planning to stick with it.
2. Switch to Another Provider
There are plenty of other email providers that offer free or low-cost plans for transactional email. Here’s a quick breakdown:
| Provider | Free Tier | Paid Plans Start At |
|---|---|---|
| SMTP2GO | 1,000 emails/month | ~$20/month CAD |
| MailerSend | 3,000 emails/month | ~$5/month CAD |
| Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) | 300 emails/day (~9,000/month) | ~$12/month CAD |
| Elastic Email | 3,000/month | ~$12/month CAD |
| Amazon SES | 3,000/month (on AWS hosting) | ~$1 per 10,000 emails |
| Mailgun | 5,000 emails (first month only) | ~$20/month CAD |
| Azure Communication Services | Pay-as-you-go (if Azure-hosted) | Usage-based pricing |
Final Thoughts
If your site depends on email, and most do, it’s important to check your setup now. Whether you choose to upgrade or switch providers, acting sooner prevents missed messages and unhappy users. For many, SendGrid’s free tier just quietly disappeared. But the impact is very real.
Need help fixing your site? Reach out to MERAK for assistance.
Last Updated: July 29, 2025