First-time builders testing if a simple email API can compete

We're complete beginners who built Mailstrand to see if we could ship something real — not a slide deck, an actual API in production.

The problem: fake signups and disposable emails pollute your database. Existing tools (ZeroBounce, NeverBounce) work, but get expensive fast when you're an early-stage SaaS.

What we shipped:

→ REST API — format, MX, disposable detection, typo fix

→ 10 free credits, pay-as-you-go, no monthly lock-in

→ Docs + OpenAPI + Stripe billing live

We're not pretending to be a 50-person company. We're a small, motivated team learning in public — but the product is professional: hosted, documented, and ready to integrate in 5 minutes.

We just published a dev guide on Dev.to: [COLLE TON URL DEV.TO]

Try it (free): https://mailstrand-production.up.railway.app/dashboard.html?utm_source=indiehackers&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=launch

Honest question for IH: what do you use today for signup email validation — and what would make you switch?