Amazon Simple Email Service
Email sending and receiving
Send transactional and marketing email at scale via API or SMTP, receive incoming email for processing, with bounce/complaint tracking, DKIM, sender reputation management, and optional dedicated IPs.
- Cost$ Low
- Difficulty●●●●●
- Costs money when idle?No
- Serverless
- In examsDVA · SAA · CLF
Think of it asLike hiring a professional post office to send millions of letters, complete with a department that tracks returned mail.
When to use it
✓ Use it when
Your application needs to send confirmation emails, password resets, notifications, or newsletters.
✗ Avoid it when
Need mailboxes for employees to read/send daily → WorkMail; send SMS/push → End User Messaging.
Common uses
- Order confirmation emails, OTPs
- Send marketing newsletters
- Receive email into S3/Lambda for automated processing
What does it cost?
- Pricing model: Billed per email sent/received and per GB of attachment data; dedicated IPs and features like Virtual Deliverability Manager have monthly fees.
⚠️ Cost traps
New accounts start in sandbox mode and can only send to verified addresses; dedicated IPs are billed even when you send little.
