{"id":366464,"date":"2021-01-27T18:28:29","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T01:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/?p=366464"},"modified":"2025-08-10T15:46:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T22:46:48","slug":"smtp-service-for-smaller-lists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/smtp-service-for-smaller-lists\/","title":{"rendered":"SMTP Service for Smaller Lists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I am publishing this in case it helps someone with the same kind of needs, and can save them sometime doing research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019 I reduced and consolidated a number of websites (both mine and managed ones) and moved the remaining one (mostly personal ones) to shared hosting servers plans. I have used HostGator<\/a> for many years and I really liked them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am now, once again, in need to send a newsletter to a subscriber list of about 1500 subscribers to one of my sites. Since I do not have my own servers, and are in a shared hosted plan it has become a small issue and now need to look for something to allow me to send this inexpensively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SMTP relay service. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

An SMTP relay<\/strong> is a mail server is directed to hand off your message to another mail server that can get your message closer to its intended recipient. An SMTP relay<\/strong> service is simply an SMTP relay<\/strong> that is run \u201cin the cloud\u201d rather than your own data center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge is that there are many vendors and service provides that cater to large email volume – and therefore high monthly fees – but few that help use cases with smaller lists Here is some of the few I have encountered in my research: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vendor<\/td>Free Tier Limits<\/td><\/td>Notes<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
SparkPost<\/a><\/td>No free tier<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
SendinBlue<\/a><\/td>300\/ day<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
TurboSMTP<\/a><\/td>200\/day for 1 month<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
JetSend<\/a> <\/td>100\/ day up to 3,000\/month<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
MailerSend<\/a><\/td>6,000\/month \/ no daily limit!! <\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
SendGrid<\/a><\/td>100 emails\/day forever.<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
mailgun<\/a><\/td>5,000\/month for 3 months<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Amazon SES<\/a>
<\/td>		1,000\/month outside Amazon
62,000\/month from with Amazon<\/td>		<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
smtp2Go<\/a><\/td>1,000\/month<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Google Workspace<\/a><\/td>No free tier<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Postmark<\/a><\/td>no free tier<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Mailjet<\/a><\/td>200\/day up to 6000\/month<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Moosend<\/a><\/td>unlimited emails
1000 subscribers<\/td>		<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Pepipos<\/a><\/td>100\/day <\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Research Results<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

After hours of research into this topic, I am giving MailerSend a try! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I signed up with them and in fact they do not have a daily limit. I sent my newsletter which took just a few hours (not their fault, as my site integration max SMTP speed is the limitation I think) – As I found out they also have a price per 1,000 emails that is very reasonable. Additionally, they can manage the entire newsletter sending as well which I will be looking into in the near future. I am thankful to them to offer this free tier. Will report more results on this later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketing Platform<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I was not looking for a full service marketing platform with lots of features, as I maintain my simple list and newsletter needs on my own WordPress instance using the fantastic TheNewletterPlugin<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However if you are looking for a place to create, edit, maintain my list and my list and its newsletter. here are a few of the ones I know of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Platform<\/td>Free Tier Limits<\/td>Notes<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
GetResponse<\/a><\/td>no free tier<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
MailerLite<\/a><\/td>12,000.month
1000subscribers<\/td>		<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
mailchimp<\/a><\/td>Up to 2,000 contacts
1 audience included<\/td>		<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
AWeber<\/a><\/td>3000\/month
500 subscribers<\/td>		<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
ConstantContact<\/a><\/td>no free tier<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
ConvertKit<\/a><\/td>1000 subscribers<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A couple of interesting things I found out along the way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n