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Transactional email API and SMTP relay · by Zoho

Zoho ZeptoMail

Zoho's transactional-only email service sold as prepaid credits of 10,000 emails with no monthly fee, hosted in the US, EU, India, Australia, Japan or China.

Visit zoho.com ↗ Alternatives Paid EU region
Zoho ZeptoMail homepage
§1

Overview

ZeptoMail is Zoho's transactional email service, built by the team behind Zoho Mail. It refuses bulk marketing traffic so that password resets, OTPs and invoices share IPs only with other transactional mail. You connect through an SMTP relay, an email API or plug-ins, and split sending into 'Mail Agents', each with its own credentials, suppression list and statistics.

Billing uses prepaid credits instead of plans. One credit sends 10,000 emails and stays valid for six months, there is no monthly fee, and the first credit is free (valid for one month). At the long-standing rate of $2.50 per credit, 100,000 emails cost about $25. Zoho has announced new pricing for sign-ups from July 1, 2026, so check the rate shown at checkout.

Data is hosted in the Zoho data center that matches the domain you sign up on: zoho.eu keeps data in the EU, and there are also US, India, Australia, Japan and China regions. Zoho lists GDPR, several ISO 27000-series certifications, SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA.

§2

Pricing and plans

Plan Price What you get
Pay as you go $2.50 per 10,000 emails Credits valid 6 months, no monthly fee, auto top-up available
Dedicated IP Annual add-on Only in some data centers
High volume Custom Contact Zoho

The credit price does not render in the text of Zoho's pricing page; $2.50 per credit comes from nanopo.st's review of the page (checked 22 Sep 2026). Zoho's page carries a notice that updated pricing applies to new sign-ups from July 1, 2026; the new rate was not visible to us, so confirm at checkout. costAt converts the credit price to a monthly figure; since credits last six months, a sender of under 10,000 a month still buys a whole credit. Each recipient counts as one email. Credits are not refunded on cancellation.

Source: www.zoho.com/zeptomail/pricing.html · prices as published, excluding tax.

§3

What it does

Mail Agents
Separate sending channels with their own credentials, domains, suppression lists and reports.
SMTP relay and API
Plug-and-play SMTP or an email sending API for deeper integration.
Prepaid credits
One credit equals 10,000 emails, valid for 6 months, with optional auto top-up.
Regional hosting
Choose US, EU, India, Australia, Japan or China by signing up on the matching Zoho domain.
Logs and reports
Detailed email logs, bounce reports, open and click tracking, and custom comparison reports.
Access controls
User-level permissions, activity logs and IP restriction for sending.
§4

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • No monthly fee; pay only for credits
  • About $0.25 per 1,000 emails at the long-standing rate
  • EU data center and a long list of certifications
  • 24/7 email and phone support at no extra cost

Limitations

  • Transactional email only; no marketing sends
  • Credits expire six months after purchase
  • No permanent free tier, only a first free credit valid one month
  • Dedicated IPs are annual and only in some data centers
  • New pricing for sign-ups from July 2026 was announced but not shown
§5

Who it suits

Good for

  • Sites with low or irregular transactional volume
  • EU businesses that want EU hosting
  • Teams already using Zoho products

Look elsewhere if

  • Apps that need inbound email processing
  • Teams that also want newsletters from the same service
§6

Pricing history

  • ZeptoMail pricing update for new sign-ups

    Zoho's pricing page announces updated ZeptoMail pricing for new sign-ups from July 1, 2026 (effective date). The long-standing rate was $2.50 per credit of 10,000 emails; the new rate was not shown on the page when checked on 2026-09-28. Source ↗

§7

Alternatives to Zoho ZeptoMail

Tool From Free option Stages
Mailjet Email API, SMTP relay and campaign editor
$9/mo Free tier
Loops Lifecycle email for SaaS
$49/mo Free tier
Resend Email API for developers
$20/mo Free tier
AhaSend Transactional email API and SMTP relay
$10/mo Free tier
Notifuse Open-source email platform
$19/mo Open source
Scaleway Transactional Email (TEM) Transactional email API and SMTP relay
Usage-based Free tier

All transactional email APIs →

§8

Questions

How does ZeptoMail pricing work?

You buy credits; each credit sends 10,000 emails and is valid for six months. There is no subscription.

Is ZeptoMail free?

The first credit (10,000 emails) is free for one month after sign-up; after that you buy credits.

Can ZeptoMail send marketing emails?

No, it is limited to transactional email to protect deliverability.

Where does ZeptoMail store data?

In the Zoho data center matching your sign-up domain; zeptomail.zoho.eu keeps data in the EU.

Sources read for this page