Both route custom domain email to Gmail. The differences are in
pricing, security model, and what you give up for convenience.
OhRelay starts at $9/month (founding price) for 2 domains and 5 addresses. Their top tier is $59/month for 10 domains and 40 addresses. SendMailAs Pro is $29/year - flat - with unlimited domains and aliases. That is a 4x to 24x price difference depending on your needs.
OhRelay requires you to create a Cloudflare API token with 6 broad permissions - Email Routing, Workers Scripts Edit, DNS Edit, Zone Settings Edit, and Zone Read. This gives OhRelay the ability to modify your DNS records, deploy Workers, and change zone settings. SendMailAs only needs you to point your nameservers to Cloudflare - no API token, no third-party access to your account.
OhRelay uses standard Cloudflare Email Routing for inbound email. This means forwarded emails can show "via cloudflare-email.net" in Gmail - a banner that makes your professional email look less professional. SendMailAs uses its own relay infrastructure with raw-byte forwarding that preserves original DKIM signatures and avoids the banner entirely.
OhRelay's "identity sync" feature automatically selects the correct From address when you reply to a thread. Instead of configuring each alias in Gmail separately, you use one SMTP account and OhRelay figures out which identity to use. This only works for replies (not new emails), and in Gmail's web UI you still need to manually select the sender. But for heavy reply workflows with many aliases, it reduces friction.
| Feature | SendMailAs$29/yr | OhRelay |
|---|---|---|
| Receive in Gmail | Yes - Receive in Gmail | Yes - Receive in Gmail |
| Send from Gmail | Yes - Send from Gmail | Yes - Send from Gmail |
| Free plan | 1 domain, 2 aliases | 14-day trial only |
| Auto sender detection (replies) | - | Yes - Auto sender detection (replies) |
| DKIM signing (your domain) | Automatic | Undocumented |
| DNS setup | Automatic | Via CF API token |
| SPF configuration | Automatic | Via CF API token |
| No 'via' banner (inbound) | Yes - No 'via' banner (inbound) | - |
| Requires CF API token | - | 6 broad permissions |
| Domains (paid) | Unlimited | 2-10 (by tier) |
| Aliases (paid) | Unlimited | 5-40 (by tier) |
| Per-alias Gmail setup | Required | Single SMTP account |
| DNS monitoring | Continuous | Not documented |
| Anti-abuse system | Trust tiers, auto-pause | Not documented |
OhRelay charges per tier with domain caps. SendMailAs charges once.
| Scenario | SendMailAs | OhRelay |
|---|---|---|
| 1 domain, basic useOhRelay has no free plan. Founding price: $9/mo | Free | $108/yr |
| 2 domains, 5 addressesOhRelay Starter: 2 domains, 5 addresses max | $29/yr | $108/yr |
| 5 domains, 15 addressesOhRelay Studio required ($24/mo founding) | $29/yr | $288/yr |
| 10 domains, 40 addressesOhRelay Team required ($59/mo founding) | $29/yr | $708/yr |
| 20+ domains, unlimitedOhRelay caps at 10 domains on highest tier | $29/yr | No plan available |
OhRelay pricing: Starter $9/mo, Studio $24/mo, Team $59/mo (founding prices). Regular prices are higher. SendMailAs Pro: $29/yr flat. Prices as of April 2026.
OhRelay requires a Cloudflare API token with broad permissions. This means you are giving a third-party service the ability to edit your DNS records, deploy Workers to your account, and modify zone settings. For a brand-new service with no track record, this is a significant trust ask.
SendMailAs takes a different approach. You point your nameservers to Cloudflare (which you may have already done) and SendMailAs manages DNS records through its own Cloudflare integration. You never share API credentials. If you stop using SendMailAs, your DNS records remain - nothing gets deleted or broken.
Both approaches work. But the trust model is different, and it is worth considering when choosing who handles your email infrastructure.
OhRelay has one genuinely clever feature: auto sender detection on replies. If you manage many aliases and reply frequently, not having to pick the From address manually saves clicks. That said, this only works on replies, not new emails, and Gmail's web UI still requires manual sender selection.
For that one feature, you pay 4-24x more, share broad Cloudflare API access with a brand-new company, get capped at 2-10 domains with 5-40 addresses, and your forwarded emails may show a "via cloudflare-email.net" banner.
For most solopreneurs and freelancers, SendMailAs gives you better pricing, stronger security, unlimited domains, proper DKIM signing, and no "via" banner - at a fraction of the cost. OhRelay's auto-sender is nice but does not justify the tradeoffs for the typical use case.
No. OhRelay offers a 14-day trial, then paid plans start at $9/month (founding price) or $15/month (regular price). SendMailAs offers a free plan with 1 domain, 2 aliases, and full send/receive - no credit card required, no time limit.
OhRelay's 'identity sync' feature automatically selects the correct From address when you reply to an email thread. It reads the In-Reply-To and References headers to determine which alias received the original email. This only works on replies - for new outbound emails, you still select the sender manually. In Gmail's web UI, you also need to manually select the sender regardless.
OhRelay deploys a Cloudflare Worker to your account to handle email routing. This requires granting an API token with 6 broad permissions: Email Routing, Workers Scripts Edit, DNS Edit, Zone Settings Edit, Zone Read, and more. SendMailAs manages DNS through Cloudflare without requiring your API credentials - you just point your nameservers.
OhRelay uses standard Cloudflare Email Routing for inbound email, which can show 'via cloudflare-email.net' on forwarded messages. SendMailAs uses its own relay infrastructure with raw-byte forwarding that preserves original DKIM signatures, avoiding the 'via' banner.
OhRelay's DKIM handling is not publicly documented. Their outbound SMTP relay (smtp.ohrelay.com) handles sending, but it is unclear whether emails are signed with your domain's DKIM key or OhRelay's. SendMailAs generates a DKIM key pair for your domain and signs every outgoing email with it.
OhRelay launched in early April 2026. It has no public track record, minimal community presence, and limited documentation. Email is critical infrastructure - a provider going down or shutting down means you stop receiving email. SendMailAs uses Cloudflare's infrastructure (99.99% uptime SLA) for reliability.
Yes, but with limits. The Starter plan ($9-15/month) allows 2 domains and 5 addresses. Studio ($24-39/month) allows 5 domains and 15 addresses. Team ($59-89/month) allows 10 domains and 40 addresses. SendMailAs Pro ($29/year) includes unlimited domains and aliases.
If you want the lowest cost, a free tier, automatic DNS setup, and unlimited domains - choose SendMailAs. If you value OhRelay's auto-sender detection on replies and don't mind the higher price, API token requirement, and limited domain count - OhRelay may work for you. For most solopreneurs and freelancers, SendMailAs is the more practical choice.
First domain free with send and receive. No credit card.