Buying guide

Thanks.io alternatives: six direct mail tools compared by price

Last reviewed October 24, 2026

Quick answerPick Handwrytten or Simply Noted for notes their robots write with real pens, in their words; Postalytics or PostGrid for printed postcards on a $0 plan; Lob for a developer API; PostPilot for an online store.

Thanks.io alternatives at a glance

The Thanks.io alternatives priced here are Handwrytten, Simply Noted, Postalytics, PostGrid, Lob and PostPilot. For a free Thanks.io alternative, Postalytics, PostGrid and Lob each have a $0 entry plan. For comparison, as read on October 24, 2026, Thanks.io's Pay as you go plan is $0 a month and a 4x6 postcard is $1.18 with postage inside (First Class, per its help center). Business is $49 a month, with a 4x6 postcard at $0.77 on Standard Mail.

Thanks.io alternatives by entry plan and price, as read on October 24, 2026
ToolEntry planPer pieceWhat it sends
HandwryttenPro, $449 a month Pay Monthly$1.99 a card; postage on topCards written by robots with pens, in its words
Simply NotedNo plan fee; Unlimited is $497 a month100 credits for $362.00; postage insidePen-written cards and 6x11 postcards, in its words
PostalyticsFree, $0 a month$1.081 a 4x6 postcard, First ClassPrinted postcards, letters and self-mailers
PostGridStarter, $0 a month, up to 500 mailings$0.902 a 4x6 postcard, First ClassPrinted letters, postcards and checks
LobDeveloper, $0 a month, up to 6,000 mailings a yearPostcards from $0.905Printed mail by API
PostPilotGrowth, $99 a month billed monthly, $82.50 a month on AnnualCards from 68 cents; postage includedPostcards for online stores

Sizes, mail classes and postage differ by vendor, so each price carries its own basis. The wider field is in best direct mail automation software.

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Real-pen notes: Handwrytten and Simply Noted

Handwrytten says its robots hold real pens, and Simply Noted says its robots write each card with a real ballpoint pen; Thanks.io says its script is digitally rendered. Handwrytten Pro is $449 a month on Pay Monthly or $374 a month on Pay Annually, plus $1.99 a card, and postage is billed on top at the current USPS rate. Simply Noted's 100-card pack is $362.00 with postage inside; its $2.80 credit price is before postage.

Handwrytten's plans include an API, QR tracking and multistep campaigns, but its plan table lists cards only and its bulk uploads use Excel rather than CSV. Simply Noted's credits expire after 12 months. Handwrytten's guarantee page offers 100% money back for 90 days after purchase, with exclusions, while Simply Noted's pages give 30 days in one place and 15 in another. Thanks.io vs Handwrytten has the full comparison.

Printed postcards on a $0 plan: Postalytics and PostGrid

Postalytics and PostGrid print postcards and do not write by hand. A 4x6 postcard at First Class with no monthly fee is $1.18 at Thanks.io, $1.081 at Postalytics and $0.902 at PostGrid, each with postage inside. The Thanks.io piece carries a digitally rendered message; the other two are priced as printed cards.

Postalytics lists triggered drip campaigns on its Free plan, bought as credits in blocks of at least 100, and it lists no 4x6 at Standard Mail. PostGrid Starter allows up to 500 mailings a month and charges an overage fee above that, with no amount stated. See Thanks.io vs Postalytics.

APIs and online stores: Lob and PostPilot

Lob sells a print-and-mail API, with plans sized by mailings a year. Developer is $0 a month for up to 6,000 mailings, and Startup starts at $260 a month for up to 75,000. Postcards start at $0.905 on Developer and $0.645 on Startup, and the plan fee is separate from the per-piece rate. Lob's pricing page names no size or class for those prices, while its help center says 4x6 at First Class.

PostPilot sells automated postcards for online stores. Growth is $99 a month billed monthly or $82.50 a month billed annually, with cards from 68 cents and postage included. It also lists a Free plan that charges only for postcards and postage. It calls the annual saving 16% in one place and two months free in another. Its pricing page says Growth is built for brands doing $1m to $3m a year in sales.

When to stay with Thanks.io

Stay with Thanks.io when the piece should carry handwriting-style script and postage should sit inside one rate. It has no minimum order, and Pay as you go has no monthly fee. On 4x6 postcards, Business at $49 a month costs less than Pay as you go above about 137 pieces a month with First Class on both plans, or about 120 comparing the list rates as printed. Below that, Pay as you go costs less.

Business also adds webhooks, the Zapier, Make and Integrately connectors and date-dripped campaigns. Thanks.io's own way in is Pay as you go at $0 a month, plus free samples and a $10 credit at sign-up.

Sources used for this page

The facts above come from the pages below, read on October 24, 2026. Prices and terms change, so confirm them on the vendor's site before you buy.

  1. Thanks.io pricing page — Vendor pricing page · thanks.io · read October 24, 2026
  2. Thanks.io help center, Glossary — Vendor documentation · help.thanks.io · read October 24, 2026
  3. Thanks.io help center, Postage options — Vendor documentation · help.thanks.io · read October 24, 2026
  4. Handwrytten pricing page — Vendor pricing page · handwrytten.com · read October 24, 2026
  5. Handwrytten about page with FAQ — Vendor documentation · handwrytten.com · read October 24, 2026
  6. Handwrytten guarantee page — Vendor legal page · handwrytten.com · read October 24, 2026
  7. Simply Noted home page — Vendor product page · simplynoted.com · read October 24, 2026
  8. Simply Noted pricing and plans page — Vendor pricing page · simplynoted.com · read October 24, 2026
  9. Simply Noted 100% guarantee page — Vendor legal page · simplynoted.com · read October 24, 2026
  10. Simply Noted refund policy — Vendor legal page · simplynoted.com · read October 24, 2026
  11. Postalytics direct mail pricing page — Vendor pricing page · postalytics.com · read October 24, 2026
  12. PostGrid print and mail pricing page — Vendor pricing page · postgrid.com · read October 24, 2026
  13. Lob pricing page — Vendor pricing page · lob.com · read October 24, 2026
  14. Lob help center, Pricing details — Vendor documentation · help.lob.com · read October 24, 2026
  15. PostPilot pricing page — Vendor pricing page · postpilot.com · read October 24, 2026