A visual comparison of sending emails via a Smartmails API/SMTP Relay. Both paths start with a user action and end with an email in their inbox.
A user performs an action on your website or app, like making a purchase, signing up, or resetting a password.
Your server-side code receives the trigger, processes the request, and prepares the email content and recipient data.
A single, structured HTTP request is sent to an ESP like SendGrid, Mailgun, or AWS SES.
The application connects to an SMTP server and sends a sequence of commands to transmit the email.
Regardless of the path, the email is delivered to the user's inbox, completing the process.
























