| Factor | Self-Hosted Email Marketing VPS | Third-Party SMTP Relay |
|---|---|---|
| Cost model | Flat monthly VPS cost | Per-email or tiered volume pricing |
| IP reputation control | Entirely yours to build and manage | Managed by the provider, often shared initially |
| Setup effort | Higher — install and configure your own MTA | Lower — API key and you're sending |
| Port 25 required | Yes, or a relay integration | No, relay handles delivery |
| Sending volume flexibility | Limited mainly by server resources and reputation | Limited by provider's pricing tiers and policies |
| Software choice | MailWizz, Postal, PowerMTA, Mautic, or custom | Whatever the relay provider's API/SMTP supports |
If you're sending high volumes regularly, want full ownership of your sending reputation, or need a specific platform like MailWizz or Postal, a dedicated VPS with Port 25 access is typically more cost-effective at scale.
If you're sending low-to-moderate transactional volume, want to skip IP warm-up entirely, or don't want to manage server-side mail infrastructure, a relay service trades some control for simplicity.
Yes, most self-hosted platforms including MailWizz, Mautic and Listmonk support configuring a third-party SMTP relay instead of direct Port 25 sending.
Often yes for high volumes, since a flat VPS cost doesn't scale per email the way relay pricing tiers typically do.
Yes, a new dedicated IP has no sending history, so gradual volume ramp-up still matters for self-hosted infrastructure.
Yes, Port 25 is open by default for direct sending, and full root access lets you configure any platform to use a relay instead.
Port 25 open, dedicated IPv4 and full root access — starting at $4.95/month.
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