If you’re one of the many website owners who’ve been relying on SendGrid’s free plan for email delivery, July 26, 2025 marks an important deadline. SendGrid officially retired their free tier on May 27th, giving current users two months to make a decision: upgrade or migrate.
We’ve already reached out to our clients about this change, but wanted to share this information more broadly since it affects website owners everywhere. While changes like this are never convenient, transitions like this one don’t have to derail your business operations.
Here’s what you need to know and how to move forward without missing a beat. If you prefer to watch the video version, check out a quick rundown from our founder:
Why This Matters for SendGrid Users
Website email delivery often flies under the radar, at least until it stops working. When that happens to a business that relies on email, the impact is immediate and far-reaching:
- Contact forms appear to work normally, but inquiries never reach your inbox
- E-commerce confirmations disappear into the void
- System alerts about security issues or maintenance needs go unnoticed
- Potential customers never receive responses to their inquiries
If you’re busy running your business and not monitoring every technical detail, the timing couldn’t be worse. Luckily, there are a few simple alternatives available.
First Step: Confirm Your Status
- Look for recent emails from SendGrid announcing the free plan changes. If you received these, your site likely uses their service.
- Log into your WordPress dashboard (or whichever CMS platform you use) and check the plugin and/or SMTP mail settings. If there’s an active SendGrid plugin installed on your site, or if SendGrid is selected in SMTP plugin settings, you’re using SendGrid currently.
Your Options Moving Forward
There’s basically two options if your business uses SendGrid:
- Upgrade with SendGrid
The most straightforward path is upgrading to SendGrid’s paid service, starting at $20 monthly. This option requires no technical changes since your existing configuration continues working with interruptions. If you’re happy with SendGrid’s reliability and the monthly cost fits your budget, upgrading eliminates any migration headaches.
- Migrate to Mailgun
Mailgun continues offering a free plan that includes up to 100 emails daily. That’s enough for most small to medium business websites. This option saves money but requires some technical setup, including creating a Mailgun account, configuring DNS records with your domain provider, and updating your website’s email settings.
The migration process typically takes 30-60 minutes for someone familiar with DNS settings, though first-timers might need additional time (or support from a development team).
Planning Your Transition
Regardless of which option you choose, don’t wait until the deadline approaches. Email service disruptions can cascade quickly, and troubleshooting under pressure often leads to mistakes that extend downtime.
If you’re migrating to Mailgun, gather these items beforehand:
- Access to your domain’s DNS settings via providers like GoDaddy or Cloudflare
- Your website’s admin login credentials
- Create your Mailgun account and select the free tier
Whether switching services or staying put, consider updating your team about the transition timeline so they know to watch for any email delivery issues during the changeover period.
What Happens If You Wait
Procrastination on this deadline means your website’s email functionality simply stops working on July 26th.
As we touched on earlier, that’s when the problems start. Contact forms will appear to submit successfully from your visitors’ perspective, but you won’t receive the messages. Customers also won’t get order confirmations. All site notifications will vanish.
The good news? Both alternative paths are fairly easy to manage. You just need to make a decision and implement it before the deadline to keep your business running smoothly.
Getting Professional Help
If you’re already on our hosting and maintenance plan, we’re offering a discounted rate to manage these technical updates and time-sensitive transitions for you. If not, we’d love to add you to the fold. Proper planning really can prevent the headaches of last-minute scrambling.
Whether you need someone to handle this specific transition or just want expert guidance for your business, having professional support is a smart upfront cost to avoid future downtime.
Don't Let Service Changes Catch You Off Guard
Website technology evolves at breakneck pace, and service providers like SendGrid regularly update their offerings. Don’t fight the trend. Instead, stay informed about changes affecting your essential systems and act decisively when those transitions are called for.
This SendGrid deadline is manageable with a bit of planning and the right approach. Taking action on this service now keeps your email delivery working like normal, and is a good reminder to audit other free services your business depends on.
Your future self thanks you for handling this transition proactively.
Need help navigating this transition?
Contact our team today to discuss your options for a smooth transition before the impending July 26th deadline.
