Overview
Azure Communication Services (ACS) is Microsoft's set of communication APIs for voice, video, chat, SMS and email. The email part sends application-to-person mail, including transactional, bulk and marketing messages, using production-ready SDKs or SMTP.
You can start with an Azure-managed domain (a random subdomain of azurecomm.net) or send from your own verified domain with SPF and DKIM. Microsoft Defender components scan outgoing mail, suppression lists handle opt-outs, and delivery status and engagement tracking come through Azure's monitoring and Event Grid.
Pricing is pure pay-as-you-go: $0.00025 per email plus $0.00012 per MB of data transferred to each recipient, so 100,000 small emails cost about $25. When you create the ACS resource you pick a data geography such as Europe, France, Germany, the UK or the United States, and data at rest stays there. Microsoft notes that ACS is introducing breaking changes and retiring some services, so check the retirement guide before you build.
Pricing and plans
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | $0.00025 per email | Plus $0.00012 per MB transferred to each recipient |
What it does
- SDKs and SMTP
- Production-ready email SDKs, REST APIs and SMTP support.
- Azure-managed or custom domains
- Send from a pre-provisioned azurecomm.net domain or your own verified domain.
- Data geography
- Choose where resource data is stored, including Europe, France, Germany and the UK.
- Security scanning
- Email hygiene and malware detection through Microsoft Defender components.
- Suppression lists
- Opt-outs are detected and respected automatically.
- Multichannel
- Combine email with SMS, chat, voice and video in the same Azure resource.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Low per-email price with no monthly fee
- Choice of data geography, including several EU options
- Fits into existing Azure billing, identity and monitoring
- Email and SMS from one Azure service
Limitations
- Data transfer is billed per MB on top of the per-email price
- No free tier for email
- Microsoft warns of breaking changes and service retirements in ACS
- Default throttling limits need an Azure Support request to raise
Who it suits
Good for
- Teams already on Azure
- Apps that need email plus SMS or chat
- Organizations that need data kept in a specific geography
Look elsewhere if
- Developers outside Azure looking for a quick standalone API
- Apps that need inbound email processing
Alternatives to Azure Communication Services Email
| Tool | From | Free option | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailgun Email API and SMTP relay | $15/mo | Free tier | |
| Brevo Email marketing and transactional platform | $9/mo | Free tier | |
| Amazon SES Cloud email sending and receiving service | Usage-based | ||
| Loops Lifecycle email for SaaS | $49/mo | Free tier | |
| SMTP2GO SMTP relay and email API | $10/mo | Free tier | |
| Bento Email marketing and automation | $29/mo |
Questions
How much does Azure Communication Services email cost?
$0.00025 per email plus $0.00012 per MB transferred, per Microsoft Learn's pricing page.
Can Azure Communication Services send email over SMTP?
Yes, it supports SMTP as well as SDKs.
Can I keep Azure Communication Services data in Europe?
Yes, you choose a geography such as Europe, France or Germany when creating the resource, and data at rest stays there.
Do I need my own domain?
No, you can start with an Azure-managed azurecomm.net domain, but you can also verify your own.
Sources read for this page