How to Choose the Right SMTP Service for Email Marketing

SMTP Server of Your ISP

ISPs often put email sending restrictions to control the level of email traffic being processed and ensure that their SMTP server will be available to support all of its users whenever they need to send email and to prevent spam from being sent through their system. Email sending limits establish a control to keep everything moving along smoothly.

So, using the ISP SMTP server is ok while you have a small email list. However, you'll want to visit your ISP's website and read their Acceptable Use Policy, Terms of Service, etc. to find out how many emails you can send. You'll find the list of the SMTP servers of the major Internet Service Providers at the end of this article.

Below are the email sending limits of some ISPs.

AT&T Yahoo:

– 100 recipients per email (Bcc:)
AT&T Yahoo email sending guidelines

BellSouth:

– Open to the discretion of BellSouth
– Senders should contact with requirements

RoadRunner:

– 1,000 emails per day (per IP)

Earthlink:

– 1,000 recipients per day

Cox:

– No limits published by Cox
Cox email sending guidelines

Cox states that “Specific email sending limits are not published because they vary from time to time depending on a variety of factors.” Senders are advised to contact Cox prior to sending high-volume email campaigns.

Charter:

– 50 emails per hour
Charter Postmaster Services

Free SMTP Server

Many web-based email services such as Gmail, AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail support SMTP protocol, so you can use their SMTP server in G-Lock EasyMail7 to send newsletters. However, a free SMTP server for sending mass emails is not the best choice for two reasons: 1) just like ISPs, free webmail services have restrictions (usually 100-200 emails per day) for outgoing email, and 2) they watch your bounce rate carefully. If it's high, your account is blocked.

Below are the email sending limits of free email services.

Google Gmail:

– 500 emails per day when sending from their web interface
– 100 emails per day when sending from a desktop email client
Gmail email sending guidelines

Windows Live Hotmail:

– 100 emails per day
Windows Live Hotmail email sending guidelines

Yahoo:

– 100 emails per hour
Yahoo email sending guidelines

AOL:

– 100 recipients per email (Bcc:)
– 500 emails per connection
AOL email sending guidelines

Your Hosting

Many email marketers and business own a website and email addresses like xxx@mycompany.com. If you are like them, you can use the SMTP server that comes with your hosting plan to send emails to people who sign up for your newsletters. Just like ISPs and free web-based email services, some hosting providers have email sending restrictions. So, visit your hosting provider website to read their email sending policy or contact them and ask if any sending restrictions exist for your plan.

Below are the email sending limits of some hosting providers.

GoDaddy:

– 250 emails per day
– Option to purchase additional GoDaddy SMTP relays
GoDaddy email sending guidelines

RackSpace:

– No limits for messages complying with the RackSpace Acceptable Use Policy

1and1:

– 1 message ever minute with a 10 second pause between messages

APlus:

– 500 emails per 30 minutes

Bluehost:

– 500 emails maximum per hour
– Contact Bluehost to arrange for extension on the default limit
Bluehost email sending guidelines

Homestead:

– 10 emails per second
Homestead email sending guidelines

Commercial SMTP Services and Senders

Some companies specialize in providing SMTP servers. Typically they offer monthly plans based on the number of emails you need to send. But some companies such as Amazon SES have a “pay as you go” policy. And most of them have a free plan so you can test several email senders before deciding which one is the best for your needs. In G-Lock EasyMail7 you can use the SMTP settings of any email service or sender.

Check this comparison chart to choose an SMTP service or sender for email marketing.

*Pay for what you send; no required contract or commitments.

Besides the Amazon SES SMTP, you can use the Amazon SES API in EasyMail7 to send email newsletters.

Be aware that Amazon SES and others ESP monitors your bounce and spam complaint rate and if it exceeds 5%, they suspend your account. So, check your email list for validity before using Amazon SES and delete bad email addresses from your contact list.

More tutorials:

• How to use the Mailgun’s SMTP settings in EasyMail7
• How to use the SparkPost’s SMTP settings in EasyMail7
• How to use the SendGrid’s SMTP settings in EasyMail7
• How to use the TurboSMTP server with EasyMail7

How to Enter the SMTP Server in EasyMail7

Click "Settings" -> "Email Accounts".

Click "Add New" to add a new SMTP server account.

In the appeared window enter your account name, From name, Email address, Reply email address and Bounce (Return) email address.

Click on the "Delivery options" tab.

Enter the SMTP server name and port number (usually 25).

If required, change the security protocol.

If your server requires authentication, check the "My Server Requires Authentication" option and enter your user name and password.

Сlick on the "Test" button and enter a test email address. Click OK.

If the SMTP settings are correct, you will receive an email message to your test email address saying that your SMTP settings are correct.

If the SMTP settings are not correct, the program will show you the error log. Fix the cause of failure and test the SMTP settings again.

When the test passes, click OK to save the account settings.

SMTP Servers of the Major Internet Service Providers

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