A European alternative to Mailgun
2Mail is a European alternative to Mailgun for anyone who sends transactional and bulk email through SMTP or a REST API and wants to keep processing inside the EU, with a fixed price per sending domain. If you are looking for a free tier or want to pay per email sent without a contract term, a pay-as-you-go service is the better fit.
Mailgun is an American email API for developers. The search for an alternative usually comes from a DPO or a large customer who wants to know where the message content and the logs are processed. If that happens outside the EU, it requires a data processing agreement covering the transfer.
The second reason is the invoice. A price per email is easy to follow at low volume, but it moves with every peak month. 2Mail charges per volume tier and per sending domain, with no price per message and no setup fee.
Why companies switch from Mailgun to 2Mail
Processing and storage inside the EU
JAAN bv's own servers in Belgium. Sending, logs and statistics stay inside the EU. A data processing agreement is available on request.
SMTP and REST API, with a key per application
Connect through SMTP with STARTTLS on port 587 or through the REST API. Each application gets its own SMTP login or API key, with expiry date and IP restriction, which you can revoke separately without stopping the other connections. There is an OpenAPI specification with interactive documentation.
Signed webhooks and status per message
Seven events, from accepted to rejected, arrive at your endpoint as webhooks with an HMAC-SHA256 signature, and are retried automatically if your endpoint is unreachable. The dashboard also shows the status per message with the reply from the receiving server, searchable by sender, recipient and subject.
Fixed price, follow-up included
Per volume tier and per sending domain, no price per email, no setup fee. Support in Dutch, French and English, with personal follow-up during onboarding. SLA of 99.99% availability and handover to the receiving server within 10 seconds.
Mailgun and 2Mail side by side
Mailgun is a email API for developers based in United States (part of Sinch since 2021). Below are the points on which an email platform really differs in practice. The Mailgun column only reflects what the brand publishes itself; always check the current terms on its own website.
| Criterion | Mailgun | 2Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Location and data residency | United States; sending regions selectable according to their documentation | Belgium (JAAN bv, Zelzate); own servers in Belgium, processing and storage inside the EU |
| Pricing model | Per email sent or a monthly plan with included volume, according to their website | Per volume tier and per sending domain; no price per email, no setup fee; 12-month term |
| Sending channel (SMTP, API, campaigns) | REST API and SMTP according to their documentation | SMTP relay (port 587, STARTTLS), REST API with signed webhooks and campaigns, in one account |
| Support and language | Generally English-language, support level depending on the plan according to their website | Phone and email in Dutch, French and English; personal follow-up during onboarding |
| Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) | DNS records you create yourself following their instructions | DKIM key and DNS records generated and checked from the dashboard; you publish them with your own DNS provider |
| Per-message insight | Logs and events through dashboard and API, retention period according to their documentation | Status per message with the reply from the receiving server; dashboard per domain; CSV export of the reports |
Information about Mailgun is general and may change; 2Mail is not affiliated with this brand. Brand names belong to their respective owners.
Switching from Mailgun to 2Mail
A migration is not a big bang. These three steps keep your deliverability intact while you move.
Authentication on the new route
Add 2Mail to your SPF record and publish the DKIM key from the dashboard. Then check from the dashboard that the records are correct. Leave the Mailgun records in place until the last application has been switched over.
Replace the SMTP details or API key
Create a separate login or API key per application and replace the details in that application's configuration. In Laravel or WordPress that is a few lines in the environment file. Send a test message to a Gmail and an Outlook address.
Move your webhooks and build up volume
Register your webhook endpoint with 2Mail and verify the signature. Then move the traffic in steps: transactional email first, then the campaigns, spread over batches. 2Mail keeps an eye on things during onboarding.
Who is 2Mail the better choice for — and who isn't it for?
2Mail suits you if…
- Web shops, SaaS applications and ERP systems that want to send transactional email from the EU, with a data processing agreement and no transfer outside the EU
- Developers who want SMTP and a REST API with signed webhooks, with a separate key per application
- Businesses that prefer a fixed price per domain over an invoice that moves with every message
Stay with Mailgun if…
- Anyone looking for a free tier or billing per email sent without a contract term
- Anyone who needs to send from a region outside the EU, close to an audience in North America or Asia
Other comparisons
Looking for an alternative to another platform? Same exercise, always with the facts side by side.