The Email Localization Stack Explained: What Actually Sends Your Emails?

The Confusion

You need to send localized emails. A quick search turns up:

Do you need all of them? Just one? Which one actually *sends* the email?

This confusion costs companies thousands of dollars a year in redundant tooling. Let's clear it up.

The Email Localization Stack

Here's the reality: most of these tools don't send emails. The email localization stack has four distinct layers, and only one actually delivers messages to inboxes.

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    THE EMAIL STACK                                |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                   |
|  Layer 4: SENDING (ESPs)                                          |
|  -- Actually delivers emails to inboxes                           |
|                                                                   |
|  Layer 3: ORCHESTRATION                                           |
|  -- Triggers emails based on events and user journeys             |
|                                                                   |
|  Layer 2: TEMPLATE MANAGEMENT                                     |
|  -- Visual builders, approval workflows, version control          |
|                                                                   |
|  Layer 1: TRANSLATION / i18n                                      |
|  -- Manages translations, locales, translation memory             |
|                                                                   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

Let's break down each layer.

Layer 1: Email Sending (ESPs)

This is the ONLY layer that actually delivers emails.

What they do:

What they don't do well:

Example: AWS SES

AWS SES is the extreme case - it's purely a sending engine:

> "SES is a sending (and receiving) engine only. You'll need to create your transactional emails elsewhere. No visual builder or UI tools. Everything is code-based."

This is why most teams need additional layers.

Layer 2: Template Management

These tools help you design and manage email templates, then export to ESPs.

What they do:

What they don't do:

How Dyspatch Works

From Dyspatch's own documentation:

> "Dyspatch's built-in integrations include support for SendGrid. With this real-time integration, importing published Dyspatch email templates to SendGrid is just a couple of clicks away."

The workflow:

Dyspatch explicitly states: they manage templates, ESPs send them.

Layer 3: Translation / i18n

These tools manage the content in multiple languages.

What they do:

What they don't do:

The Translation Layer Problem

Most TMS platforms treat email as an afterthought:

This creates a fragmented workflow:

That's 6 steps and 3 tools for one localized email.

Layer 4: Orchestration

These tools decide when to send emails based on user behavior.

What they do:

What they don't do:

Braze's Localization Approach

Braze offers multi-language support, but it's limited:

> "Multi-language support and locales in messages are currently in early access. You can add up to 200 locales."

For full translation management, Braze recommends integrating with Crowdin or Transifex.

The Cost Problem

Here's what a typical enterprise email localization stack costs:

And this doesn't include:

A Simpler Approach

What if you could combine template management and translation in one platform?

IntlPull's Email Templates

IntlPull combines Layers 2 + 3:

Template Management:

Translation:

API Rendering:

Code Example

// 1. Render localized email (IntlPull API)
const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.intlpull.com/v1/projects/{id}/emails/render',
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'X-API-Key': 'ip_live_xxxxx',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      slug: 'welcome-email',
      language: 'es',
      variables: {
        name: 'Maria',
        company: 'Acme Inc'
      }
    })
  }
);

const { html, subject, preview_text } = await response.json();

// 2. Send via your ESP (Resend, SendGrid, Postmark, etc.)
await resend.emails.send({
  from: 'hello@yourapp.com',
  to: 'maria@example.com',
  subject,
  html
});

Cost Comparison

When You Need Each Layer

Not every team needs every layer. Here's a decision guide:

Startup / Side Project

Stack: IntlPull Free + Resend Free

Growing Startup

Stack: IntlPull Growth + SendGrid Essentials

Scale-up

Stack: IntlPull Business + SendGrid Pro

Enterprise

Stack: IntlPull Pro + SendGrid Enterprise + (optional) dedicated orchestration

Feature Comparison

The Key Takeaway

Most email template and translation tools don't send emails. They manage content and export to ESPs.

Understanding this distinction helps you:

Getting Started

If you're setting up email localization from scratch:

# Quick start with IntlPull
npx intlpull init
npx intlpull emails create welcome-email
npx intlpull emails translate --language es

Conclusion

The email localization market is confusing because vendors don't clearly explain what they do vs. what they integrate with.

Here's the simple truth:

Most teams are overpaying for 3-4 separate tools when one unified platform can handle templates and translations, leaving you to pick your preferred ESP for delivery.

Ready to simplify your email localization? Try IntlPull free and see how one platform can replace your fragmented stack.