Published numbers
These are live public prices, fetched 2026-08-20. No reply-rate or ROI claims.
Postalytics Free 4×6 First Class is $1.081. Marketer 0–2,499 is $0.941. Pro 0–2,499 is $0.821. Monthly: Free $0, Marketer $199, Pro & Agency $399. Lob Developer $0, Startup $260, Growth $550; postcard print+postage starts at $0.905 / $0.645 / $0.615. OpenLetterConnect is Free or $199; postcard cells say Contact Sales. PostGrid’s pricing URL is a demo form. Click2Mail’s homepage, last successfully read 2026-08-20, said no subscription fees; a refetch today was blocked, and we still have no public 4×6 card.
How we judge “best”
Best means a workflow you can run without a broker and without waiting on engineering. It is not a reply rate. No tool on this page can promise replies.
Five operator checks: audience in-app, design in-app, published piece price, suppression available, first send from a dashboard. Bars below count those checks only.
Postalytics suppression is on Marketer and above. OpenLetterConnect loses a point because postcard cells are Contact Sales. Lob scores for a published piece card. PostGrid has no public mail piece card on the page we reached.
Scorecard
Each name opens the matching Sendvo vs page. This is not a 10-best logo list.
| Platform | Monthly fee | Who builds the audience | Designer | Suppression | Pre-send review | API vs dashboard | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sendvo | Local $0 · Operator $499 · Growth $999 | Map / ZIP / county / state in-app | Browser designer + proofs | Paid plans | Credit total before print | Dashboard first; API on Growth | Operators sending themselves |
| Postalytics | Free $0 · Marketer $199 · Pro $399 | List builder, CRM, file import | Editor + proofer | Marketer+ | Editor / proofer | Dashboard + API | CRM-triggered drips |
| Lob | Developer $0 · Startup $260 · Growth $550 | You bring addresses | You supply creative to the API | In your stack | In your app | API-first | Developers embedding mail |
| PostGrid | Not on the public pricing form | You bring addresses | You supply creative to the API | In your stack | In your app | API-first | Print API + address APIs |
| Click2Mail | Homepage (2026-08-20): no subscription | Upload a list; Click2EDDM for routes | Portal / mailroom apps | Not claimed here | Job proof in the portal | Portal; APIs exist | One-off letters and certified jobs |
| OpenLetterConnect | Free · $199 · Enterprise custom | Bulk import; confirm map tools on their site | Template editor listed | NCOA listed | Campaign tools listed | Dashboard | Teams already on their campaign model |
| BirdseyePost | No platform fees on their pricing page | Upload or store-sync | No designer — templates / design service | No | Limited review | Shopify / store events | Ecommerce-triggered mail |
Best overall, and best for a job
Best overall self-service
Sendvo
- Local is $0/month. 4×6 is $0.92 / $0.69 / $0.66. EDDM is $0.65.
- Map audience, designer, and credit review live in one dashboard.
- Triggered mail is Operator+. API is Growth. We are the vendor.
Best API-only
Lob
- Developer is $0/month. Postcard print+postage starts at $0.905.
- Startup $260 and Growth $550 publish lower starting piece rates.
- PostGrid is also API-first, but its pricing page is a demo form.
Best no-subscription portal
Click2Mail
- Last successful homepage read said no subscription and no minimum volume.
- Built for letters, certified mail, and one-off jobs.
- No public 4×6 card found. We do not invent one.
Best Shopify-triggered
BirdseyePost
- Their pricing page: no platform fees. 4×6 starts at $0.65.
- Store events and SnapCapture QR are the product.
- No in-app audience builder, designer, or suppression.
Best published dashboard plan
Postalytics
- Free $0, Marketer $199, Pro $399 — and a public piece card on every plan.
- Smart Send and Triggered Drip are on Free. Flows sit on Pro.
- OpenLetterConnect also lists $199, but postcard cells are Contact Sales.
Also a dashboard
OpenLetterConnect
- Starter Free. Professional $199. Enterprise is Contact Sales.
- Penned letters and snap packs are listed. Postcard prices are not.
- Fair pick if their campaign model already matches yours.
Sendvo vs PostGrid is the other API page — use it when mail is a feature of your software and you will own the integration.
First campaign flow
- 1Audience. Draw a map or ZIP, or upload a list. API-only: your app already has the addresses. Portal-only: you arrive with a file.
- 2Design. Build or pick a postcard in the browser. API-only: you ship HTML or a PDF. Portal-only: upload the art.
- 3Suppress. Drop prior recipients and do-not-mail rows before you spend credits.
- 4Review cost. See the all-in total. If a vendor hides the piece rate, stop and ask.
- 5Send. Release the batch. No print broker in the middle.
- 6Track. Join USPS scans to the campaign. Tracking is delivery, not a reply rate.
Fee-model walkthrough: 500 4×6 cards
Add the published monthly fee to 500 × the published 4×6 rate. That is not ROI. It is arithmetic.
| Setup | Monthly | 500 × 4×6 | Shown total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sendvo Local | $0 | $460 | $460 |
| Sendvo Operator | $499 | $345 | $844 |
| Postalytics Free | $0 | $540.50 | $540.50 |
| Postalytics Marketer | $199 | $470.50 | $669.50 |
| Lob Developer | $0 | $452.50 starting | $452.50+ |
| Lob Startup | $260 | $322.50 starting | $582.50+ |
| BirdseyePost | $0 | $325 starting | $325+ |
| OpenLetterConnect | Free or $199 | Contact Sales | Not published |
| PostGrid | Demo form | Not published | Not published |
| Click2Mail | No subscription on last successful homepage read | Not published | Not published |
Lob address verification is billed separately. BirdseyePost lists audience add-ons on the same pricing page. For the fee-model posts, read credits vs a monthly platform fee and mail without a monthly platform fee.
Who should not pick Sendvo
Do not pick us if mail is a feature inside your product, if Shopify events should fire the send, or if you already have a PDF and a list for a one-off job.
- API into your product. Start at dashboard vs API, then Sendvo vs Lob or Sendvo vs PostGrid.
- Shopify-event mail. Open Sendvo vs BirdseyePost.
- One-off portal job. Open Sendvo vs Click2Mail.
Sendvo Local does not include triggered mail or API access. Those sit on paid plans. Integrations named on /integrations run through Zapier or the API.
Recommendation
If you send mail yourself this month, start on Sendvo Local. If you already live in HubSpot or Salesforce drips, read Postalytics. If you are writing code, read Lob. Then open one vs page — not a directory.
FAQ
What is a self-service direct mail platform?
A self-service direct mail platform lets you pick an audience, design a piece, review cost, and send from a browser. You do not need a print broker or an engineering project for a first campaign.
Is Sendvo the best self-service direct mail platform?
Sendvo is our product. It is the best fit when a local business, agent, or operator wants map audiences, a designer, cost before send, and credits with a $0 Local plan. Pick Lob or PostGrid for an API you embed. Pick BirdseyePost for Shopify-triggered store mail. Pick Click2Mail for a one-off PDF and list.
How do you judge the best self-service tool?
Best means a workflow you can run without a broker and without waiting on engineering. We score in-app audience, in-app design, published piece price, suppression, and a first send from a dashboard. Best is not a reply rate.
Does Sendvo charge a monthly fee?
Local is $0 per month. Operator is $499 per month. Growth is $999 per month. Mail is paid with prepaid credits on every plan. Automated triggered mail starts on Operator. API access is on Growth.
What does 500 four-by-six postcards cost?
Add the published monthly fee to 500 times the published 4×6 rate. Sendvo Local is $0 + $460. Postalytics Free is $0 + $540.50. Lob Developer starts at $0 + $452.50. BirdseyePost starts at $0 + $325. OpenLetterConnect and PostGrid do not publish a public 4×6 card. Recheck live pages before you send.