I'm currently trying to find the best email sending tool for a web application I'm developing for a client. The goal is to facilitate sending around 5,000 to 10,000 cold emails daily, pulling from a fixed list of 10,000 to 20,000 contacts. Each batch, which consists of 2,500 to 5,000 emails, will come from different subdomains (e.g., [email protected], [email protected], etc.).
A critical requirement is that the tool must provide good statistics, including metrics like open rates, click rates, bounces, and spam claims, which I plan to store in a database. I'm focused on integration options at the developer level and reasonable pricing.
Currently, I'm considering SendGrid, but their pricing for high-volume emails is quite steep. What alternatives do you recommend, and how would you tackle this task?
3 Answers
If you're aiming for that volume, I'd suggest not diving straight into something pricey like SendGrid unless absolutely necessary. You could use Google Sheets combined with Apps Script and the Gmail API or SMTP. Sheets acts as a simple contact manager, and Apps Script can handle the batch sending and sender rotation. For tracking, add a pixel for opens and use redirect links for clicks, then send that data to your database via a webhook. It’s more cost-effective and still pretty powerful. For bigger volumes down the line, look into Amazon SES or Mailgun—they tend to have better pricing and decent APIs.
Just a heads up—steering clear of SMTP for these volumes could save you a headache. The risk of getting your IP banned is real with high bounce rates.
Honestly, I’d steer clear of any work that spams people. That's just plain rude. With your scale, definitely opt for a professional service. Trying to handle mass emails on your own SMTP will likely get your domain blacklisted. Services like SendGrid or Mailchimp manage traffic effectively and ensure better email rendering across clients. There’s a reason they’re priced how they are—it's about quality and deliverability.
I get your point! My client is aware of needing to maintain a clean list with opt-in options, so we’re focusing on quality hits. Have you had any experience with the services you mentioned for sending cold emails?
Cold emails often end up in the trash on the rare chance they escape the spam filter. You might want to tell your client that pursuing this could irritate potential customers and damage their reputation.
Thanks for the tip! I’m not too familiar with Apps Script though. Do you have a good resource to learn more about it?