Loops vs Sendy
Loops and Sendy are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. Sendy has been around since 2012, giving it a 10-year head start over Loops (founded 2022). Loops starts at $49/mo versus $69 one-time for Sendy. Loops offers a free plan (1,000 contacts, 4,000 sends/month, Loops branding), while Sendy does not. Both tools work well for indie and bootstrapped.
Quick Verdict
Loops wins on price, rating, integrations, free tier.
Best for most users: Loops (saas startups).
Loops
The email platform built for SaaS
Loops is a developer-first email platform designed exclusively for SaaS companies, combining marketing and transactional email in a single clean interface. Built by Y Combinator alumni, it features a Notion-style block editor, event-based automation triggered by user behavior like signups and upgrades, and contact-based pricing with unlimited sends. Its standout strength is letting small SaaS teams replace both their marketing email tool and transactional service (like SendGrid) with one unified platform.
Sendy
Self-hosted email marketing that sends via Amazon SES at 100x lower cost
Sendy is a self-hosted email newsletter application that connects to Amazon SES to deliver emails at a fraction of the cost of traditional email marketing platforms. With a one-time $69 license and SES sending costs of roughly $1 per 10,000 emails, it is ideal for high-volume senders who want to avoid recurring subscription fees. It requires technical setup but offers unlimited subscribers, autoresponders, segmentation, and full data ownership.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Loops | Sendy |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Starting Price | $49/mo | $69 |
| Free Plan | 1,000 contacts, 4,000 sends/month, Loops branding | No free plan |
| Founded | 2022 | 2012 |
| Email Templates | 15 | 0 |
| Integrations | 24 | 20 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✕ | ✕ |
| Landing Pages | ✕ | ✕ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✕ | ✕ |
| SMS Marketing | ✕ | ✕ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✕ | ✕ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✓ | ✕ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✕ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✕ | ✕ |
Loops: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Clean Notion-style block editor with extremely fast email creation and minimal learning curve
- +Unified platform for both marketing and transactional emails eliminates need for separate services like SendGrid
- +Simple contact-based pricing with unlimited sends and no per-seat charges on all paid plans
- +Strong developer-focused API with direct integrations for Stripe, Supabase, Clerk, and webhook support
- +Founder-led customer support with direct access via live chat, email, and 1:1 Calendly calls
Cons
- −Limited automation logic — lacks advanced multi-branch workflows and conditional logic found in mature platforms
- −No built-in CRM or detailed contact history, requiring external tools for relationship management
- −Editor has reported bugs including no undo functionality, risking accidental content loss
- −Narrow SaaS-only focus makes it unsuitable for ecommerce, media, or non-tech industries
- −Very small integration ecosystem (24 native integrations) compared to competitors with hundreds
Sendy: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Extreme cost savings — one-time $69 license with Amazon SES sending at ~$1 per 10,000 emails
- +Unlimited subscribers with no tier-based pricing that punishes list growth
- +Full data ownership and privacy since everything is self-hosted on your own server
- +Clean, focused interface without bloated features — does exactly what it promises
- +White-label multi-brand support allows managing multiple client accounts from one install
Cons
- −Requires technical skills for server setup, installation, and ongoing maintenance
- −No built-in A/B testing, landing page builder, or advanced automation workflows
- −UI feels dated and lacks modern design polish compared to SaaS competitors
- −Limited customer support — solo developer product with slow response times reported
- −No drag-and-drop email editor; requires HTML knowledge for custom templates
The Verdict
Loops edges ahead with a 4.6/5 rating compared to Sendy's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.9 vs 4.3) and ease of use (4.4 vs 3.9).
| Criterion | Weight | Loops | Sendy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $49/mo | $69/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.6/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 24 | 20 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Loops if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($49/mo)
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You're a saas startups
- + You're a developer first teams
Choose Sendy if…
- + You're a cost conscious email marketers with large lists
- + You're a technical users comfortable with self hosting and server management
- + Extreme cost savings — one-time $69 license with Amazon SES sending at ~$1 per 10,000 emails