Reloop vs Mailgun
Mailgun pioneered developer email APIs for a generation of backends. Here is how Reloop compares for teams re-evaluating Twilio-era contracts and ops complexity.
Mailgun remains a common choice for teams that need REST + SMTP, domain-level configuration, and inbound parsing. Under Twilio, the product also carries enterprise packaging, usage-based billing, and the usual question: what happens to our sending reputation and data if we leave?
Reloop is built for teams that want Mailgun-class capabilities—API, SMTP, webhooks, validation—but with source access and a self-host path so email infrastructure is not a permanent external dependency.
Mailgun in production today
What we hear from teams running Mailgun for years.
Legacy SMTP apps
Cron jobs and services still send via SMTP credentials—not the REST API. Mailgun supports both; so does Reloop.
Inbound routes
Support inboxes and reply parsing often depend on Mailgun inbound. Reloop's agent inbox targets the same workflows with modern AI tooling.
Billing surprises
Validation, dedicated IPs, and overages stack on base send volume. Reloop publishes tiered send-based pricing and a self-host escape hatch.
Capability matrix
| Feature | Reloop | Mailgun |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source codebase | Yes (Apache 2.0) | — |
| Self-hostable | — | |
| REST API | ||
| SMTP relay | ||
| Inbound / reply handling | Agent inbox | Inbound routes |
| Email validation API | ||
| Marketing campaigns | Limited | |
| Agent / AI workflows | — | |
| Free tier | 3,000 emails / month | Trial-based |
Mailgun → Reloop migration
A sequence that works for API and SMTP senders.
- Step 1 — Export domain DNS records and document current Mailgun routes (inbound, webhooks, suppression lists).
- Step 2 — Provision the same domains in Reloop; verify DKIM/SPF before production cutover.
- Step 3 — For SMTP workloads, update host, port, and credentials only—no app rewrite required.
- Step 4 — For API workloads, swap endpoints and map Mailgun event webhooks to Reloop delivery events.
Reloop SMTP docs cover credential rotation without downtime.
FAQ
Mailgun vs Reloop FAQ
Reloop's agent inbox and webhook model cover reply handling and automated triage. Map your existing inbound URLs to Reloop handlers during migration.
Deliverability depends on domain reputation, content, and IPs—not the dashboard brand. Self-hosted Reloop lets you own IPs directly; hosted Reloop manages shared pools like other providers.
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