Managed vs BYOK
Compare Transmit's two sending modes to choose the best fit for your needs.
Transmit offers two ways to send email: Managed (we handle everything) or BYOK (Bring Your Own Keys—connect your own infrastructure). Both use the same dashboard, API, and features.
Quick Comparison
| Managed | BYOK | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Instant | 5-10 minutes |
| Infrastructure | Fully hosted | You bring your own |
| Sending reputation | Isolated per account | Your own IP/domain reputation |
| Pricing | Volume-based (emails/month) | Tier + infrastructure costs |
| Best for | Most users, startups, teams | High-volume senders, enterprises |
Managed Mode
Recommended for most users. We handle all infrastructure so you can focus on your product.
How It Works
- Sign up and choose a plan
- Verify your domain
- Start sending
No infrastructure to set up or maintain. Your sending reputation is automatically isolated from other users.
Pricing
Volume-based pricing with no surprise fees. Choose Transactional (API/SMTP only) or Marketing (full platform):
Transactional:
| Plan | Emails/month | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 3,000 | $2/mo |
| Basic | 10,000 | $9/mo |
| Growth | 25,000 | $15/mo |
| Pro | 50,000 | $25/mo |
| Business | 100,000 | $49/mo |
| Scale | 250,000 | $149/mo |
| Enterprise | 500,000 | $249/mo |
Marketing:
| Plan | Emails/month | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 3,000 | $5/mo |
| Basic | 10,000 | $15/mo |
| Growth | 25,000 | $29/mo |
| Pro | 50,000 | $45/mo |
| Business | 100,000 | $79/mo |
| Scale | 250,000 | $199/mo |
| Enterprise | 500,000 | $349/mo |
All plans include: API access, webhooks, analytics, and domain verification. Marketing plans add campaigns, contacts, automations, and inbound email.
When to Choose Managed
- You want the fastest setup with zero configuration
- You're a startup or small team focused on shipping product
- You want predictable monthly pricing
- You don't need to manage your own IP reputation
BYOK Mode
For power users. Connect your own AWS SES account for full control over your sending infrastructure.
How It Works
- Sign up and select BYOK
- Connect your AWS account via One-Click Connect or manual setup
- Verify your domain
- Start sending
Transmit automatically configures the necessary event destinations and integrations in your account.
Pricing
Tier-based platform fee + your AWS SES costs:
| Tier | Platform Fee | AWS Cost (approx) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | ~$0.10 per 1,000 emails |
| Starter | $9/mo | Same |
| Pro | $49/mo | Same |
| Scale | $149/mo | Same |
Higher tiers unlock more features (contacts, automations, team members).
When to Choose BYOK
- You already have AWS SES configured and want to keep using it
- You need full control over your sending IP and domain reputation
- You're a high-volume sender where per-email costs matter
- Your compliance requirements mandate your own infrastructure
- You want to use dedicated IPs
Feature Parity
Both modes have access to the same Transmit features:
- REST API and SMTP sending
- Domain verification (DKIM, SPF, DMARC)
- Templates with Handlebars variables
- Campaigns and lists (Marketing plans)
- Webhooks for delivery events
- Inbound email processing
- Contact management
- Analytics and reporting
The only difference is where your emails are sent from—our infrastructure or yours.
Can I Switch Modes?
Contact support to switch between Managed and BYOK. Note that:
- Domain verification will need to be redone
- Your sending history and analytics are preserved
- API keys continue to work
Still Not Sure?
Start with Managed. It's the fastest way to get sending, and you can always switch to BYOK later if your needs change.