# 2 Best Open Source Alternatives for AWS SES

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/aws-ses
Last updated: 2026-11-07

Looking for the best open source alternative for AWS SES? Compare 2 verified free and open source alternatives to AWS SES (Postal, Hyvor Relay) with license details, self-hosting requirements, and practical trade-offs.

## AWS SES Overview & Subscription Cost
- **Product**: AWS SES
- **Category**: [email](https://caniforkit.com/category/email)
- **Paid Subscription Price**: $15/month per seat
- **1-Seat Annualized Cost**: $180/year
- **5-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $900/year
- **10-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $1,800/year
- **Can I Vibe-Code / Rebuild It Myself?**: NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens)
- **Rebuild Verdict**: Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for AWS SES or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 2 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Postal.

## Verified Free & Open Source Alternatives

| Alternative | Type | License | Runs On | GitHub Stars | Head-to-Head |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Postal](https://caniforkit.com/fork/postal) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 16.9k | [Compare vs AWS SES](https://caniforkit.com/vs/aws-ses-vs-postal) |
| [Hyvor Relay](https://caniforkit.com/fork/hyvor-relay) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 922 | [Compare vs AWS SES](https://caniforkit.com/vs/aws-ses-vs-hyvor-relay) |

## In-Depth Alternative Profiles

### Postal
- **Fork Page**: [Postal Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/postal)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [AWS SES vs Postal](https://caniforkit.com/vs/aws-ses-vs-postal)
- **Official Website**: https://docs.postalserver.io/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/postalserver/postal
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 16.9k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Run your own mail delivery infrastructure with a web interface, webhooks, IP pools, and spam filtering integrations for inbound and outbound email.
- **The Catch vs AWS SES**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed AWS SES.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/postalserver/postal or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

### Hyvor Relay
- **Fork Page**: [Hyvor Relay Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/hyvor-relay)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [AWS SES vs Hyvor Relay](https://caniforkit.com/vs/aws-ses-vs-hyvor-relay)
- **Official Website**: https://relay.hyvor.com
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/hyvor/relay
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 922
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Self-hosted email API alternative to AWS SES & Mailgun. Open-source AGPL-3.0 with enterprise features, automated deliverability, and cloud version coming 2026.
- **The Catch vs AWS SES**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed AWS SES.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/hyvor/relay or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the best free alternative to AWS SES?
The top free alternative to AWS SES is Postal (open source, Open Source). Run your own mail delivery infrastructure with a web interface, webhooks, IP pools, and spam filtering integrations for inbound and outbound email. Other popular AWS SES replacements include Hyvor Relay.

### How much does switching from AWS SES to a free alternative save?
AWS SES starts at $15/month per seat ($180/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Postal saves $900 per year in software subscription fees.

### What is the catch when switching away from AWS SES?
While Postal replaces core AWS SES features without subscription fees, the real-world trade-off is: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed AWS SES.

## Related

- [email Software Category Hub](https://caniforkit.com/category/email)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)
- [Self-Hosted Software Directory](https://caniforkit.com/self-hosted)
- [Homepage](https://caniforkit.com)