You built your app with Softgen because you wanted Next.js with auth, payments, and SEO already configured. At $33/year with community ownership, Softgen represents the indie hacker ethos. Now you need email that matches that cost-conscious, developer-friendly approach.

Softgen generates Next.js apps with Stripe already configured. This creates a natural integration pattern for email: connect to your existing Stripe setup for payment-based automation. The best email platform for Softgen projects should leverage that Stripe integration.

This guide covers 10 email marketing tools that work well with Softgen applications. I prioritized platforms that integrate with Stripe and Next.js, and share Softgen's indie hacker values. If you are using a different vibe-coding tool, check out our guides for v0, Lovable, or Cursor.

Quick Comparison

Tool	Best For	Price at 10k Subs	Stripe Integration	Indie Fit
Sequenzy	Stripe OAuth	$49/mo	Native OAuth	Excellent
Resend	Next.js developers	$20/mo (volume)	No	Excellent
Loops	Modern stack	$79/mo	Partial	Good
Postmark	Deliverability	$15/mo (volume)	No	Good
Plunk	Budget	Free-$10/mo	No	Excellent
SendGrid	Scale	$20-$90/mo	No	Good
Customer.io	Automation	$100+/mo	Via Segment	Fair
Buttondown	Newsletters	Free-$29/mo	No	Excellent
EmailOctopus	Budget	Free-$36/mo	No	Excellent
Brevo	Budget + SMS	Free-$25/mo	No	Good

1. Sequenzy

Price: Free (100 subscribers) / $49/mo at 10,000 subscribers. Transactional emails included at no extra cost.

Softgen generates Next.js apps with Stripe already configured. Sequenzy's OAuth Stripe integration syncs that payment data automatically. Connect in seconds, and MRR, LTV, plan changes, and payment events flow into Sequenzy for segmentation.

Both tools share the same indie hacker ethos. Sequenzy was built by founders, for founders. Direct support, no enterprise sales process, straightforward pricing. Advanced sequences handle onboarding, trial-to-paid conversion, and churn prevention automatically.

The AI creates complete email flows from a description. Visual sequence builder works without code. At $49/mo for 10k subscribers, it matches Softgen's cost-conscious approach (vs $150 for Klaviyo).

Revenue attribution shows exactly which emails drive conversions. Native Stripe sync means segments like "churned last month" or "Pro plan users" work out of the box.

Where it falls short: No landing page builder. Use Softgen itself or a dedicated tool.

Best for: Indie hackers who want Stripe-integrated email at reasonable cost. The ethos matches.

2. Resend

Price: Free (3,000 emails/month) / $20/mo for 50,000 emails

Resend is the perfect match for Next.js. React Email library, clean API, excellent documentation. Softgen generates Next.js, Resend is built for it.

Where it falls short: No marketing automation. You need a second tool for sequences.

Best for: Developers wanting excellent transactional in Next.js.

3. Loops

Price: Free (1,000 contacts) / $79/mo at 10,000 subscribers

Loops is modern and clean. Works well with modern stacks like Next.js.

Where it falls short: Costs more than Sequenzy ($79 vs $49). Basic automation.

Best for: Modern aesthetic with simplicity priority.

4. Postmark

Price: From $15/mo for 10,000 emails

Postmark focuses on deliverability. Works cleanly with Next.js API routes.

Where it falls short: Basic marketing features.

Best for: Transactional reliability.

5. Plunk

Price: Free (3,000 emails/month) / ~$10/mo for more

Plunk is open-source, matching Softgen's community values. Budget matches Softgen's $33/year pricing philosophy.

Where it falls short: Fewer features.

Best for: Bootstrapped developers who value open-source.

6. SendGrid

Price: Free (100 emails/day) / $20-$90/mo at scale

SendGrid is established infrastructure. Works with Next.js.

Where it falls short: Not indie-focused. Marketing features basic.

Best for: Scale path if needed.

7. Customer.io

Price: From $100/mo for up to 5,000 profiles

Customer.io offers sophisticated automation. Stripe integration via Segment.

Where it falls short: Expensive for indie hackers.

Best for: Growth stage with budget.

8. Buttondown

Price: Free (100 subscribers) / $29/mo at 10,000

Buttondown is developer-friendly newsletters. Markdown support, privacy focus. Matches indie hacker values.

Where it falls short: Not for product email.

Best for: Newsletters alongside your product.

9. EmailOctopus

Price: Free (2,500 subscribers) / ~$36/mo at 10,000

EmailOctopus offers generous free tier. Indie hacker friendly.

Where it falls short: Basic automation. No transactional.

Best for: Budget priority.

10. Brevo

Price: Free (300 emails/day) / $25/mo at 20,000 emails

Brevo offers budget pricing plus SMS.

Where it falls short: Mixed deliverability.

Best for: Budget with SMS needs.

Integration Patterns for Softgen

Next.js API routes

Softgen generates Next.js. Create API routes that call email platforms.

// app/api/email/subscribe/route.ts
import { NextResponse } from 'next/server'

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  const { email, plan } = await request.json()

  await fetch('https://api.sequenzy.com/v1/subscribers', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.SEQUENZY_API_KEY}`,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      email,
      attributes: { plan },
      sequences: ['welcome']
    })
  })

  return NextResponse.json({ success: true })
}

Stripe webhooks

Softgen includes Stripe. Payment events trigger email actions. Sequenzy handles this natively.

The Bottom Line

For Softgen projects, Sequenzy shares the indie hacker ethos: founder-built, reasonable pricing, direct support. Native Stripe OAuth leverages Softgen's existing Stripe setup.

For pure transactional, Resend is perfect for Next.js. For open-source alignment, Plunk.

See our SaaS email marketing guide for more context.

Check our guides for v0, Base44, or Tempo Labs.