Does Twilio SendGrid Work in China?

What is SendGrid?

SendGrid, founded in 2009 and now owned by Twilio, is a cloud-based email delivery platform used for sending transactional and marketing emails. It provides APIs and SMTP relay services that help businesses ensure deliverability and scale their email operations with analytics and automation.

Is SendGrid Available in China?

SendGrid’s infrastructure is hosted outside of mainland China and relies on cloud services that are often restricted by The Great Firewall of China. This can result in issues such as email delivery failures, delays in transactional emails, or blocks to embedded content. Additionally, the platform does not offer localised compliance tools such as ICP Filing or support for Chinese anti-spam regulations, which can further hinder reliable usage within China.

What Solutions Are There?

Solution 1: Domestic Providers

If you need guaranteed deliverability inside Mainland China, domestic providers are the easiest path:

• SendCloud offers SDKs for approximately 10 languages, real-time delivery dashboards, and basic template tools. This option is good for teams that want a quick API integration plus SSL and live tech support.
• Tencent Cloud SES and Alibaba Cloud DirectMail are popular solutions for higher-scale operations. Tencent Cloud cites 97% average delivery, supports Console/API/SMTP, includes IP warm-up and adaptive throttling, and gives new users a generous free tier (no subscriber caps; pay by send volume). This option works well for e-commerce promos and re-engagement at mid-to-large scale. Alibaba Cloud DirectMail is proven under Double 11 traffic, with rich APIs, real-time analytics, and tiered per-send pricing—ideal for large transactional batches.

Solution 2: Self-Hosted Open Source

Engineering-heavy teams can self-host for maximum customisation and cost control:

• Postal is an enterprise-grade, SendGrid-like platform with org-level multi-tenancy, live delivery tracking, and DKIM/SPF support. In practice, a modest Docker deployment plus DNS and IP warm-up can deliver ~95.8% and reduce spam rates versus some cloud senders, at a fraction of the monthly SaaS cost at around 1M sends.
• Mailcow is a complete mail suite (web admin, anti-spam, AV) that’s containerised, supports ARM/Kubernetes, and offers paid support. This solution works best when you also need groupware.
• For ultra-light tests, Poste.io ships as a single-command Docker stack (Haraka SMTP + Dovecot IMAP), but expect to tune anti-spam rules for stable inboxing.

Which Solution Should I Choose?

• Do you have mid-to-large volume with strict inbox placement requirements? SendCloud, Tencent Cloud SES or Alibaba Cloud DirectMail are more suitable solutions that leverage big-provider IP reputation and automated warm-up. This means no self-hosting is required.
• Do you have an engineering team and need a cost-sensitive option? Pick Postal or Mailcow if you can manage servers and DNS (SPF/DKIM/DMARC).
• Are you doing light testing or personal use? Try PMail or Cuttlefish. Fast to validate flows; inboxing may fluctuate.

It is important to note that AWS SES (Simple Email Service) is not available in AWS China regions. Many local clouds block TCP 25 by default, so you may need to submit a ticket to unlock it (for example, Alibaba Cloud requires this). You should always set reverse DNS (PTR) and warm IPs gradually.

How AppInChina Can Help

AppInChina helps businesses using SendGrid in China by:

• Implementing local email delivery alternatives that comply with Chinese regulations.
• Ensuring consistent transactional and marketing email delivery from within China.
• Managing all compliance steps, including ICP filing and anti-spam registration.

Ensure reliable email delivery in China; contact us to get started!