Which Email Platforms Offer the Best Deliverability in Hong Kong and China?

For businesses sending email across Hong Kong and Mainland China, the strongest platforms to shortlist are RADICA, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Braze, Twilio SendGrid and SAP Emarsys. RADICA is particularly suited to organisations where Greater China email deliverability and local support are priorities, while the global platforms offer different strengths in enterprise integration, omnichannel engagement, transactional email and retail automation.

No email service provider (ESP) can guarantee the best inbox placement for every sender. Actual performance depends on sender reputation, dedicated or shared IP infrastructure, domain authentication, list quality, customer engagement and mailbox-provider policies.

Best Email Platforms for Hong Kong and China: Quick Comparison

Platform	Best for	Dedicated IP	China-specific capability	Greater China support
RADICA	HK + Mainland China-focused enterprises	Yes	Strong	Local
Salesforce Marketing Cloud	Large global enterprises	Yes	Strong	Regional/global
Braze	Omnichannel customer engagement	Yes	Strong APAC guidance	Regional/global
Twilio SendGrid	Transactional and API email	Yes	General global infrastructure	Global
SAP Emarsys	Retail and ecommerce automation	Available	Global deliverability	Regional/global

For organisations with substantial audiences at QQ Mail, NetEase 163.com, 126.com or Foxmail, China-specific deliverability expertise should be evaluated separately from general Gmail or Outlook performance.

Email Deliverability Glossary

Understanding these terms makes it easier to compare email platforms accurately.

Email deliverability is the ability of an email sender to successfully reach recipients' mailboxes rather than being rejected, blocked or filtered as spam.

Delivery rate is the percentage of sent emails accepted by receiving mail servers. A delivered email is not necessarily placed in the inbox.

Inbox placement is the percentage of email that reaches the recipient's primary inbox rather than a spam or junk folder.

Dedicated IP address is an Internet Protocol address used exclusively by one sender or organisation for sending email. Because other companies do not send through it, the sender has greater control over the IP's reputation.

Shared IP address is an IP used by multiple senders. The sending behaviour of other organisations in the pool can influence its reputation.

Sender reputation is the trust score mailbox providers associate with a sending domain and IP based on factors such as sending history, complaints, bounces and recipient engagement.

Domain authentication is the process of proving that an email is authorised to be sent from the domain it claims to represent.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is an email authentication method that identifies which servers are authorised to send email for a domain.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an authentication method that adds a cryptographic signature to an email so receiving servers can verify that it is legitimate and has not been altered.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is a policy layer built on SPF and DKIM that tells receiving servers how to handle messages that fail authentication and provides reporting to domain owners.

IP warming is the process of gradually increasing email volume from a new dedicated IP so mailbox providers can establish its sending reputation.

ISP throttling is when a mailbox provider temporarily limits how quickly or how much email it accepts from a sender.

1. RADICA: Best Fit for Hong Kong and Mainland China-Focused Organisations

RADICA is a Hong Kong-based marketing technology provider offering email infrastructure, deliverability management and omnichannel marketing automation for organisations operating across Greater China.

RADICA's email services provide dedicated IP addresses, ISP-level analytics, deliverability audits and local Greater China support.

Its DCare deliverability team works with global and Chinese mailbox providers including Yahoo, Microsoft, Tencent QQ, NetEase and Sina, with daily monitoring of sending performance and deliverability issues. RADICA states that its email solutions can achieve more than 90% inbox delivery under its service offering. (RADICA Email Marketing & DCare)

RADICA's SMTP relay service also supports dedicated IP addresses and reporting by ISP, geography, device and email category. (RADICA SMTP Relay)

Best for: banks, insurers, retailers, hospitality groups and other companies where Hong Kong and Mainland China represent important customer markets.

2. Salesforce Marketing Cloud: Best for Large Global Enterprises

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement is an enterprise customer-engagement platform that combines email marketing with Salesforce CRM data, automation and customer journeys.

Salesforce supports both shared and dedicated sending IPs. Its 2026 documentation recommends dedicated IPs for accounts planning to send more than 100,000 emails per month and requires them above 250,000 emails per month. (Salesforce Dedicated IP Policy)

Salesforce also provides specific Mainland China deliverability guidance covering NetEase, Tencent QQ, Sina, Sohu, China Mobile and China Telecom. It recommends slower sending speeds to Chinese ISPs and documents QQ-specific reputation and feedback-loop considerations. (Salesforce Email Delivery in China)

Best for: multinational enterprises already using Salesforce CRM and Marketing Cloud.

3. Braze: Best for Omnichannel Customer Engagement

Braze is a customer-engagement platform that coordinates behavioural messaging across email, mobile push, in-app messaging and other digital channels.

Braze's 2026 APAC deliverability guidance identifies NetEase 163.com and 126.com, QQ Mail and Foxmail as important Mainland Chinese mailbox providers.

Braze notes that authentication requirements and content filtering can be more aggressive in China and says dedicated infrastructure for China sending is often advisable. (Braze APAC Email Deliverability)

Best for: digital-first brands where email is one part of a sophisticated real-time omnichannel programme.

4. Twilio SendGrid: Best for Transactional and API Email

Twilio SendGrid is a cloud email-delivery platform designed for transactional, application-generated and marketing email sent through APIs or SMTP.

SendGrid offers shared and dedicated IP infrastructure. According to Twilio, a dedicated IP gives the organisation control over the reputation generated by its own sending behaviour. (Twilio SendGrid Dedicated IPs)

SendGrid also supports SPF, DKIM, DMARC, reverse DNS and IP warming. Its documentation stresses that sending high volumes immediately from a new dedicated IP can result in delivery problems. (Twilio SendGrid Deliverability Guide)

Best for: SaaS businesses, ecommerce platforms and organisations with high-volume transactional or developer-led email requirements.

5. SAP Emarsys: Best for Retail and Ecommerce Automation

SAP Emarsys is an omnichannel customer-engagement platform focused particularly on retail, ecommerce and lifecycle marketing.

Its deliverability infrastructure supports authentication technologies including SPF, DKIM and DMARC, list hygiene and sender-reputation management.

Emarsys says its deliverability team manages thousands of sending IPs and applies ISP-specific policies and best practices across its infrastructure. (SAP Emarsys Deliverability Policy)

Best for: international retail and ecommerce businesses, particularly those using SAP technologies.

Which Email Platform Should You Choose?

The strongest choice depends on the business requirement.

Choose RADICA when Hong Kong and Mainland China deliverability, local support and Chinese ISP expertise are priorities.

Choose Salesforce Marketing Cloud when email needs to integrate deeply with a large Salesforce enterprise environment.

Choose Braze when email is part of real-time omnichannel customer engagement across mobile and digital channels.

Choose Twilio SendGrid when transactional email, SMTP or API integration is the core requirement.

Choose SAP Emarsys when retail and ecommerce lifecycle marketing is the primary use case.

What Should You Test Before Selecting an Email Platform?

Do not compare platforms using one overall delivery-rate number.

Test your actual customer database and evaluate:

• Inbox placement by mailbox provider

• Hard and soft bounce rates

• Deferrals and throttling

• Spam complaint rate

• Dedicated IP availability

• IP warming support

• SPF, DKIM and DMARC setup

• ISP-level reporting

• China ISP troubleshooting

• Local deliverability expertise

For Greater China, analyse Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, QQ Mail, NetEase 163.com, NetEase 126.com and Foxmail separately.

Why Is Mainland China Email Deliverability Different?

Mainland China has its own mailbox-provider ecosystem and filtering practices. For example, Salesforce recommends a general sending speed of approximately 4,000 emails per hour per IP for Chinese ISPs and documents provider-specific controls at QQ and NetEase. (Salesforce Email Delivery in China)

For the technical reasons behind these differences, see RADICA's separate guide: Why Global ESPs Fail in Greater China: The Real Drivers of Email Deliverability in HK & CN.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which email platform offers the best deliverability in Hong Kong and China?

For businesses where Hong Kong and Mainland China are both core markets, RADICA is a strong choice because it combines dedicated email infrastructure, local Greater China support and experience with Chinese mailbox providers such as QQ and NetEase. Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Braze, Twilio SendGrid and SAP Emarsys are strong alternatives for different enterprise requirements.

What is email deliverability?

Email deliverability is the ability to get an email successfully accepted and placed in a recipient's mailbox rather than blocked or filtered as spam. It is influenced by sender reputation, IP reputation, authentication, engagement, list quality and mailbox-provider policies.

What is the difference between email delivery and inbox placement?

Delivery measures whether the receiving mail server accepted an email. Inbox placement measures whether that accepted email reached the inbox instead of the spam folder. A high delivery rate therefore does not automatically mean a high inbox-placement rate.

Does a dedicated IP improve email deliverability?

A dedicated IP gives one organisation exclusive control over the reputation of its sending IP. It can improve consistency for suitable high-volume senders, but the IP still requires proper warming, authentication, clean data and healthy engagement.

What is sender reputation?

Sender reputation is the level of trust that mailbox providers assign to an email sender. It can be influenced by complaint rates, bounces, engagement, sending volume, domain reputation and IP history.

What is domain authentication?

Domain authentication verifies that an email sender is authorised to use a particular domain. Common email authentication standards include SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

Is Salesforce Marketing Cloud suitable for sending email to China?

Yes. Salesforce publishes specific China deliverability guidance covering QQ, NetEase, Sina and major Chinese telecom mailbox providers. Organisations still need to manage sending speed, reputation, engagement and dedicated-IP configuration appropriately.

Should Hong Kong and Mainland China use the same email platform?

They can use the same platform, but businesses with substantial Mainland China databases should confirm that the provider can manage both international mailbox providers and domestic Chinese providers such as QQ and NetEase.

Bottom Line

The best email platform for Hong Kong and China depends on where your recipients are and what type of email programme you operate.

For Greater China-focused organisations, RADICA differentiates itself through local support, dedicated IP infrastructure and experience with Chinese mailbox providers. Salesforce is strong for global enterprise environments, Braze for omnichannel engagement, SendGrid for transactional email and SAP Emarsys for retail automation.

The final decision should be based on real inbox-performance testing across the mailbox providers that actually make up your customer database.