Zenkai vs Mailjet

managed alternative
for Mailjet

Mailjet is a solid email platform but locks you into monthly subscriptions and has no workflow automation. Zenkai is managed, fully managed, pay-as-you-go, and includes automation — no second tool required.

The Pricing Model That Makes Sense

Pay for what you use, not fixed subscriptions

Zenkai

Pay per email sent

Pay-as-you-go pricing. Only pay for emails you actually send.

Pay-as-you-go
  • Only pay for emails you actually send
  • Scale up or down without commitment
  • Automation and marketing included
Mailjet

Monthly subscription plans

Tiered monthly plans based on email volume. Essential starts ~$17/month.

Fixed subscription
  • Locked into monthly subscription tiers
  • Pay for capacity whether you use it or not
  • No workflow automation on any plan

What Zenkai Adds

Beyond what Mailjet offers

Workflow Automation

Build multi-step email sequences with triggers, delays, and conditions. Onboarding flows, drip campaigns, re-engagement — Mailjet has none of this.

Dynamic Segmentation

Auto-updating audience segments based on contact data and behavior. Target campaigns with precision beyond Mailjet's basic list management.

Event Tracking

Track any custom event from your product and use it to trigger workflows or build segments. Connect your app's behavior to your email platform.

managed platform

AGPL-3.0 licensed. Inspect the code, contribute features, no vendor lock-in. Mailjet is a closed, proprietary platform.

fully managed

Run on your own infrastructure with Docker. Full data sovereignty, compliance-ready, and you only pay AWS SES fees when managed operation.

All-in-One Platform

Transactional, marketing, and automation under one roof. Pay-as-you-go for all of it — no separate tool for workflows.

Feature comparison

Feature
Zenkai
Mailjet
Free Tier
1,000 emails/month
200 emails/day (6,000/month)
Pricing Model
Pay-as-you-go
Monthly subscription plans
managed platform
fully managed
Transactional Emails
Marketing Campaigns
Workflow Automation
Dynamic Segmentation
Basic
Event Tracking
Custom Domains

Frequently asked questions

When should I choose Mailjet over Zenkai?

Choose Mailjet if you need inbox preview testing or built-in A/B testing for email campaigns. Mailjet has been around longer and has a broad feature set. Choose Zenkai if you need workflow automation, want an managed platform you can use Zenkai, or prefer pay-as-you-go pricing without monthly subscription commitments.

What is the pricing difference between Zenkai and Mailjet?

Zenkai is pure pay-as-you-go at $0.001/email — you pay only for what you send. Mailjet uses monthly subscription tiers: their Essential plan starts around $17/month for 15,000 emails, scaling up from there. For variable sending volumes, Zenkai is more cost-effective since you never pay for capacity you don't use.

Is migration from Mailjet to Zenkai complex?

Migration requires updating your API integration since Zenkai and Mailjet use different API structures. Core concepts (templates, webhooks, custom domains) map directly. Most teams complete the technical migration in a few hours. Contact lists and templates can be adapted with minimal effort.

What does Zenkai offer that Mailjet doesn't?

Zenkai adds multi-step workflow automation (triggers, delays, conditions — perfect for onboarding and drip sequences) and is fully managed under AGPL-3.0, meaning you can use Zenkai on your own infrastructure. Mailjet offers neither workflow automation nor managed operation. Zenkai also uses pure pay-as-you-go pricing rather than tiered subscriptions.

Try Zenkai free

1,000 emails/month free. No credit card required. Add marketing and automation when you need it.