EmailQA is a Mailgun Inspect alternative that costs $20 per month flat with no preview caps or overage charges, compared to Mailgun Inspect's Basic plan at around $99 per month for 1,000 previews plus usage-based overages. It combines real-device rendering previews, pin-based reviewer feedback without reviewer accounts, and built-in QA checks (spell check, link and image validation, a spam trigger-word scan, accessibility and mobile warnings), but does not do seed-list deliverability testing, certified WCAG audits, or code analysis.
Usage-based email QA suite replacing Email on Acid
Best for: Email on Acid customers keeping the full pre-deployment QA suite through the 2026 migration
Email preview & feedback tool
Best for: Teams using the migration moment to switch to flat pricing for rendering, feedback, and approvals
| Feature | Mailgun Inspect | EmailQA |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | ~$99/month (Basic) | Free (14-day Pro trial) |
| Pricing model | Usage-based with overages | $20/mo flat |
| Preview cap | 1,000/month on Basic | No caps |
| Free plan | Capped free tier | Yes (3 projects/month) |
| Email preview | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-device preview | Yes | Yes |
| Real device rendering | Yes | Yes |
| Visual feedback | Basic comments | Pin & box comments |
| Guest reviewer access | Limited / paid seat | Unlimited, no account |
| ESP integrations | On 2026 roadmap | 9 ESPs on Pro |
| Accessibility check | Yes | Warnings built in |
| Spam analysis | Yes | Trigger-word scan |
| Link & image validation | Yes | Yes |
| Approval workflow | Pre-send QA workflow | Included in trial, then $20/mo |
| Version comparison | Limited | Visual slider |
We would rather you pick the right tool than the cheap one. Stay with Mailgun Inspect if:
Mailgun Inspect is the email QA suite replacing Email on Acid. Starting June 2026, Email on Acid subscription customers are being migrated to Inspect, with annual customers moving at the end of their current term. Inspect keeps the core QA tools (email previews, accessibility checks, spam analysis, link and image validation, code analysis) but switches to usage-based pricing: a capped free tier, then a Basic plan at around $99/month for 1,000 previews with overage charges beyond that.
Yes. EmailQA is $20/month flat for everything, with a 14-day free Pro trial and no credit card required. Mailgun Inspect starts at around $99/month for the Basic plan plus usage-based overages once you pass your preview cap. Switching saves a small team roughly $950/year versus a $99/month plan, and you never get a surprise overage bill.
No. Mailgun Inspect prices by usage: the Basic plan includes 1,000 previews per month and charges overages beyond that. EmailQA has no preview caps or overage charges. The free plan includes 3 projects per month, and Pro at $20/month covers everything with no usage meter.
For rendering, previews, and team review, yes. EmailQA covers real device rendering on Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail and more in Light Mode and Dark Mode, plus pin-based comments, no-account guest review, version comparison, approval workflows, and built-in QA checks: spell check, link and image validation, a spam trigger-word scan, and accessibility and mobile warnings. It does not replace Inspect's code analysis or seed-list deliverability audits. If those audits are required in your process, some teams keep Inspect for the audit step and use EmailQA for everything else.
Mailgun Inspect is the better choice if: You need automated code analysis and seed-list deliverability audits; Your preview volume fits comfortably inside the plan caps, so usage pricing stays predictable; You want to keep the Email on Acid QA workflow your team already knows through the migration. For teams that mainly need rendering previews and stakeholder review, EmailQA covers that for $20/month flat.