Forward Emailvsusesend
Two self-hosted Sendgrid alternatives, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Forward Email | usesend | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 62/100 | 62/100 |
| Rank in category | #18 of 106 in Email | #18 of 106 in Email |
| GitHub stars | 1 694 | 4 766 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +19 | +71 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 89 | 15 |
| Latest release | v2.18.12 · 28 Oct 2026 | v1.10.0 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Forward Email and usesend score the same (62/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.
Forward Email ships more often: 89 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for usesend.
If you want the quickest setup, usesend is easier to run; Forward Email needs more configuration.
usesend is growing faster right now (+71 stars in 30 days).
Forward Email details →usesend details → All Sendgrid alternatives →
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