# \[solved\] Mailgun has changed "pay as you go" offer - how to send cheap emails with Mailgun **URL:** \ **Category:** Memberships & subscriptions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2022, 7:14pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850 "2022-09-18T19:14:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![patghost](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/patghost/32/4859_2.png) [@patghost](https://forum.ghost.org/u/patghost)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 7:14pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/1 "2022-09-18T19:14:53Z")
About to get working on a new publication, realised Mailgun has quietly removed their “pay as you go” offer, any new option to be integrated with Ghost’s native newsletter? PS: I’m aware flex existed. I’m aware “pay as you go” existed. Flex no longer exists though. Every new account is charged $35/month after 1 month trial. Thus my question on whether any new integration for the native Ghost newsletters is to be expected. ---
**Author:** ![mjw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/mjw/32/30781_2.png) [@mjw](https://forum.ghost.org/u/mjw)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/2 "2022-09-18T20:02:16Z")
See [Why do I have to set up Mailgun for newsletters?](https://ghost.org/docs/faq/mailgun-newsletters/) … > ### Did you know Mailgun doesn’t have free accounts anymore?? > > Mailgun recently updated their pricing, including the removal of a free tier. However, under their new pricing, invoices are not sent if they total less than $0.50 - which is still more than 600 emails. For most people who are getting started Mailgun remains free, and subsequent rates are extremely generous. It would cost far, far more (money as well as time) to run your own bulk mail delivery infrastructure, or use most other providers. ---
**Author:** ![patghost](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/patghost/32/4859_2.png) [@patghost](https://forum.ghost.org/u/patghost)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 8:41pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/3 "2022-09-18T20:41:21Z")
Thanks. Had seen that. The changes I refer to are even more recent than that (the link you sent reflects Mailgun prices changes that happened back in 2020). Now any new Mailgun account costs $35/month after the first trial month. The “pay as you go” is gone. Hence my question on whether any new mail service is to be integrated soon by the Ghost team into the native newsletters. ---
**Author:** ![mjw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/mjw/32/30781_2.png) [@mjw](https://forum.ghost.org/u/mjw)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 8:50pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/4 "2022-09-18T20:50:50Z")
> [@patghost](#): > > Now any new Mailgun account costs $35/month after the first trial month. This is incorrect. You need to sign up for their Flex plan, i.e., pay as you go. > **[How does PAYG billing work?](https://help.mailgun.com/hc/en-us/articles/360048661093-How-does-PAYG-billing-work-)** > > Mailgun offers a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) billing model via our Flex plan, which allows you to only pay for the messages you send in any given month with no subscription fee. Pricing is $1.00 per thous... ---
**Author:** ![patghost](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/patghost/32/4859_2.png) [@patghost](https://forum.ghost.org/u/patghost)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/5 "2022-09-18T20:52:14Z")
Yes, had seen that. And from the bottom of the same link you have sent: "For new users signing up, we offer a one-month Foundation Trial during which 5,000 emails are included for free. During the one-month trial, however, you actually can send up to 6,000 emails at no cost (due to our $1 minimum for payment processing). For example, if you send 6,000 emails or less during the trial month, you will be charged $0. However, if you send 6,001 emails, you will be charged the $1 minimum fee, and $1.00 per thousand emails sent over 6,001. At the end of the one-month trial, the account will begin using the Foundation subscription plan which costs $35 per month (unless another [subscription plan](https://www.mailgun.com/pricing/) was selected during the one-month trial period)." One can no longer sign up to Flex ---
**Author:** ![mjw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/mjw/32/30781_2.png) [@mjw](https://forum.ghost.org/u/mjw)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/6 "2022-09-18T21:28:20Z")
> [@patghost](#): > > One can no longer sign up to Flex Yes, you can. Start the trial, and then you can downgrade to the Flex pay as you go model. ---
**Author:** ![patghost](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/patghost/32/4859_2.png) [@patghost](https://forum.ghost.org/u/patghost)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2022, 9:47pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/7 "2022-09-18T21:47:38Z")
Thanks a ton! Just confirmed this worked (despite not documented) ---
**Author:** ![Dalton\_Reed](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/dalton_reed/32/19579_2.png) [@Dalton\_Reed](https://forum.ghost.org/u/Dalton_Reed)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/8 "2022-09-22T20:10:43Z")
So I just went through this process and when I go to downgrade I’m not seeing any flex options available. Should I be looking somewhere else? ---
**Author:** ![dabitch](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/dabitch/32/25042_2.png) [@dabitch](https://forum.ghost.org/u/dabitch)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 9:08pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/9 "2022-09-23T21:08:45Z")
It’s still there, see images on how to find it : ![Screen Shot 2022-09-23 at 16.04.45](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/ghost2/original/3X/7/0/70d3b55372e5607dcd1afd56941ba180e7d86ba0.png) ![Screen Shot 2022-09-23 at 16.05.41](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/ghost2/original/3X/d/c/dc54f06eaf6e8ce5a1df6f1952a67baf4f8f1c12.png) ---
**Author:** ![Nino](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/nino/32/20506_2.png) [@Nino](https://forum.ghost.org/u/Nino)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/10 "2022-09-24T20:05:25Z")
When I click unsusbribe, it asks me if I want to delete my account. Is that because I’m on the free plan and hence already count as flex? ---
**Author:** ![dabitch](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/dabitch/32/25042_2.png) [@dabitch](https://forum.ghost.org/u/dabitch)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:15pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/11 "2022-10-05T13:15:15Z")
That may be so. My screenshots are from a new account, where I initially signed up to pay. ---
**Author:** ![AnnaMariaEriksson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/annamariaeriksson/32/24001_2.png) [@AnnaMariaEriksson](https://forum.ghost.org/u/AnnaMariaEriksson)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2023, 8:23am UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/12 "2023-06-02T08:23:59Z")
I can confirm this worked for me. The images showed how to do it! Thank you! It will probably take me 10 years to send a 1000 emails to my subscribers 😂 but thank you none the less. I’d rather pay $1 every X years than have no email service at all. ---
**Author:** ![block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@block](https://forum.ghost.org/u/block)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2023, 7:09pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/13 "2023-06-02T19:09:25Z")
Yes I was able to configure the pay as you go service with Mailgun. However, I would like to see Ghost actively collaborating with other services, like Brevo (former Sendinblue) that offers a proper free plan with 300 email per day. I don’t think it’s right that there is just one service that it’s actually supported natively for a function that should be the usp of this cms. ---
**Author:** ![mjw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/mjw/32/30781_2.png) [@mjw](https://forum.ghost.org/u/mjw)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 8:03am UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/14 "2023-06-03T08:03:55Z")
> [@block](#): > > I don’t think it’s right that there is just one service that it’s actually supported natively for a function that should be the usp of this cms. This is discussed elsewhere. Ghost is free and open source software, with a small team that has to prioritize development resources. Nothing prevents you or others developing an alternative. > [@Mailgun Alternatives](https://forum.ghost.org/t/mailgun-alternatives/33201/3): > > Why can’t bulks emails be a self-selected provider the same way that transactional emails are? You already posted [the link](https://ghost.org/docs/faq/mailgun-newsletters/) the contains the overview of how the architecture works. So the broader answer is that you can’t send newsletters with SMTP, and while it is trivial to support multiple SMTP providers, it is not at all trivial to support multiple bulk mail APIs. A self-hosted ghost installation now costs you $35/month if you want to send bulk emails, on top of hosting costs [for ~100 em… ---
**Author:** ![block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@block](https://forum.ghost.org/u/block)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 10:05am UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/15 "2023-06-03T10:05:31Z")
Don’t get me wrong, MailGun is nice and does the job pretty well. But I think there should be an alternative, especially that now their free tier is basically hidden and not so easy for the average joe to find. I understand Ghost has to make money with their Pro plan, that’s a very good way for an hassle free hosting. But I prefer to do everything by myself, and with 10 dollars I got the website up and running with Digital Ocean with an included backup every week, and with another 20 I get a Cloudflare Pro account… ---
**Author:** ![mjw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/mjw/32/30781_2.png) [@mjw](https://forum.ghost.org/u/mjw)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 11:37am UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/16 "2023-06-03T11:37:40Z")
Yet a Ghost(Pro) Creator subscription would cost less, and suits those who wish to write without thinking about technology. Indeed, it’s these subscriptions that give us Ghost for free, so I don’t think we have any grounds to complain. ---
**Author:** ![block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@block](https://forum.ghost.org/u/block)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2023, 4:28pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/17 "2023-06-03T16:28:23Z")
Ghost Pro does not offer built-in GDPR Cookie Consent, which is legally required in Europe. Failure to display this consent and obtain explicit user consent for loading scripts like Google Analytics or other cookies could potentially result in legal consequences, including costly lawsuits worth thousands of euros. Given these risks, opting for Ghost Pro solely to save a few dollars may not be worth it. On the other hand, Cloudflare provides these necessary features for free through their service, Zaraz… ---
**Author:** ![matribeiro](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/matribeiro/32/25185_2.png) [@matribeiro](https://forum.ghost.org/u/matribeiro)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/18 "2023-06-30T17:52:44Z")
Thanks to your help, I was able to activate the flex mode. ---
**Author:** ![Gonzalo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/gonzalo/32/26775_2.png) [@Gonzalo](https://forum.ghost.org/u/Gonzalo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/19 "2023-11-14T17:18:41Z")
Hi, is is possible to activate it during the trial? Or one has to pay $35 the first month? ---
**Author:** ![Cathy\_Sarisky](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.ghost.org/cathy_sarisky/32/25750_2.png) [@Cathy\_Sarisky](https://forum.ghost.org/u/Cathy_Sarisky)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 5:43pm UTC](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850/20 "2023-11-14T17:43:26Z")
You don’t have to pay them $35. Or at least, you didn’t, when I did it a couple months ago. :) [Next page](https://forum.ghost.org/t/solved-mailgun-has-changed-pay-as-you-go-offer-how-to-send-cheap-emails-with-mailgun/32850.md?page=2)