I'm working on a project that heavily relies on sending emails, but the costs are staggering. With the potential to send hundreds of millions of emails monthly (10,000 users each sending one email to 10,000 subscribers), the $1 per 1,000 emails charged by most providers would mean I'm looking at a bill of $100,000 a month. I realize that charging users $10 for just one email a month isn't a feasible solution, particularly if some have large subscriber bases. I'm not interested in building my own SMTP server due to the risks of being flagged as spam. What options do I have to manage these costs effectively? Thanks for any insights!
3 Answers
Honestly, this isn't just a technical issue; it's tied to your business model. If you're struggling to profit with millions of users, there may be a larger problem with how you're approaching the project. Focus on refining your overall strategy to make sure it’s sustainable before worrying too much about the details of email costs.
If you're determined to keep costs down, consider using a service like Amazon SES or SendGrid—they may offer volume discounts that can help save you some serious cash. Additionally, think about how often you need to communicate with users. Maybe sending fewer, more meaningful emails would be beneficial instead of overwhelming them.
It sounds like there might be a misunderstanding about your email sending strategy. Instead of sending each subscriber an email from every user they follow, you could batch emails together or aggregate the content into a single email. That way, you'd actually send far fewer emails overall, which should help cut costs significantly.
Just be aware that negotiating with SES can be strict. They require a solid business model and restrictions for approval. Make sure you’re well-prepared!