Overview
SocketLabs is an email delivery platform for businesses that send at volume. You send through SMTP or its HTTP injection API, manage subaccounts and IP pools, and read deliverability through reporting tools: StreamScore, a color-coded reputation score built from more than 35 data points, and longer performance history than most competitors at the same price.
Core costs $39.95 a month for 40,000 emails (first month free) with ticket and chat support. Pro starts at $89.95 for 100,000 emails and adds a dedicated IP, StreamScore Pro, 30 days of detailed insight and 180 days of performance history, plus priority support. Enterprise is custom for 1 million+ emails and can add Rule Engine, which routes or splits traffic across several third-party providers.
Its Spotlight product analyzes webhook data from SendGrid, Mailgun and Bird, so teams can use SocketLabs reporting even for mail sent elsewhere. SocketLabs lists SOC II and GDPR/CCPA compliance.
Pricing and plans
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Core | $39.95/mo | 40,000 emails, $0.0013 per extra email, 10-day insight and 90-day performance history; first month free |
| Pro 100k | $89.95/mo | Dedicated IP, StreamScore Pro, 30-day insight and 180-day performance history, priority support |
| Enterprise | Custom | 1M+ emails, StreamMonitor, Rule Engine, Spotlight, dedicated support |
What it does
- SMTP and injection API
- Send over standard SMTP or a high-throughput HTTP injection API.
- StreamScore
- Reputation score from 35+ internal and external data points; Pro version on paid tiers.
- Performance history
- 90 days on Core, 180 days on Pro.
- Subaccounts and IP pools
- Segment senders and streams for multi-tenant sending.
- Rule Engine
- Enterprise option to route or split mail across multiple providers.
- Spotlight analytics
- Reporting on data from SendGrid, Mailgun and Bird via webhooks.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Dedicated IP included at $89.95/mo
- Longer performance history than most providers
- Reputation scoring built into the product
- SOC II compliant
Limitations
- No permanent free plan
- Entry price of $39.95 is high for small senders
- Pricing for Pro volumes other than 100,000 is not listed
- Rule Engine and StreamMonitor are Enterprise options
Who it suits
Good for
- Established senders focused on deliverability reporting
- Multi-tenant platforms using subaccounts
- Teams planning to split traffic across providers
Look elsewhere if
- Hobby projects and very low volumes
- Teams that want a free tier
Alternatives to SocketLabs
| Tool | From | Free option | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp Transactional Transactional email and SMS add-on | $20/mo | ||
| Twilio SendGrid Email API Email API and SMTP relay | $19.95/mo | ||
| Mailgun Email API and SMTP relay | $15/mo | Free tier | |
| Brevo Email marketing and transactional platform | $9/mo | Free tier | |
| Azure Communication Services Email Cloud email sending API | Usage-based | ||
| Amazon SES Cloud email sending and receiving service | Usage-based |
Questions
Does SocketLabs have a free plan?
No permanent one. New accounts get a month of Core or a set of credits, with no card required.
How much does SocketLabs cost?
Core is $39.95 a month for 40,000 emails; Pro starts at $89.95 a month for 100,000 emails with a dedicated IP.
What is StreamScore?
SocketLabs' reputation score, built from more than 35 internal and external data points and shown color-coded.
Can SocketLabs analyze email sent through other providers?
Yes, Spotlight connects to SendGrid, Mailgun and Bird data through webhooks.
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