How to Choose the Best SMTP Email Tool: Our Top 5 SMTP Picks
SMTP is short for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, and it is the standard protocol for sending emails across the internet. It plays an important role in email delivery, as it determines how emails are sent, received, and stored.
At Marvelous, we want to make it easy for you to communicate with your students enrolled in your online courses, memberships, or programs. This is why we've made it simple to integrate our online teaching platform with your chosen SMTP.
With so many different options available out there, finding the best SMTP server that fits all your needs can be tricky. There are many factors to consider, such as the number of emails you can send each month, delivery rates, scalability, and cost.
In this blog post, we’ll explore what you need to consider when choosing the best SMTP server for you and your business and our top 5 SMTP service provider picks.
Let’s get started!
What is SMTP?
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a system that helps to send emails. It checks to see if the email is from a real person, routes the email through different servers, checks to see if the email is spam or harmful, and then delivers the email to the person's inbox. SMTP also provides features like letting you know when the email was delivered, making sure that the message is authentic, and encrypting data, so it is safe when it is sent over the internet.
Types of SMTP
SMTP can be divided into two different types: transactional and marketing SMTP.
Transactional SMTP is used for one-to-one communication, such as sending receipts, purchase confirmations, or customer support emails. This type of SMTP is focused on providing a secure connection for sending sensitive information and personal data.
Marketing SMTP, on the other hand, is used to send bulk emails to large lists of recipients at once. Commonly used for newsletters or promotional emails, this type of SMTP requires more tools and capabilities in order to ensure that your messages are delivered successfully and not marked as spam.
The difference between these two types of SMTP lies mainly in the way they are configured and managed. While transactional SMTP requires fewer options and settings due to its limited scope and purpose, marketing SMTP requires more advanced features, such as IP reputation management, email authentication protocols (SPF/DKIM), bounce processing rules, email analytics tracking, etc., in order to guarantee high deliverability rates.
Additionally, transactional emails usually have higher open rates since they contain content that people expect to receive, while marketing emails tend to have lower open rates since they're often seen as "spam" by email providers.
What you need to consider when choosing your SMTP service
Deciding on the best SMTP service for your needs can be challenging, considering there are countless options out there. Here are seven key points to consider when picking the right one:
01 Customer Reviews
When scouting for the perfect SMTP provider, be sure to check out customer reviews and testimonials. Sure, it's always expected that companies will have positive praise on their own websites; however, if you're looking for a more impartial viewpoint, go straight to sites like Trustpilot. Not all businesses are listed there, but you should find some reliable feedback that can help paint an accurate picture of where the service’s strengths and weaknesses.
02 Deliverability Rates
Email deliverability is an essential measure of success for any marketing campaign. When emails don't make it to their final destination, whether that's the inbox or the spam folder, your business plan can take a serious hit since no one will be able to read them. If too many messages are blocked, filtered out, or sent directly into junk boxes, then you run the risk of losing potential customers and revenue. Make sure to monitor email deliverables in order to ensure the maximum success of your campaigns!
03 Ease of Use + Setup
To make sure you don't spend more time on your tech than teaching, it's essential to find a SMTP service that offers a straightforward setup and an easy-to-navigate dashboard. To help with making the right decision for yourself, check out reviews and testimonials, which should be available on the provider's website. Also, consider taking advantage of free trial periods offered by many companies – this is helpful if you feel anxious about working online.
04 Help Documentation + Customer Support
You've found a SMTP server platform with incredible reviews and an effortless dashboard (phew! 😮💨 ), but what happens if you find yourself in need of assistance? Does the company supply a plethora of resources to help you tackle any issue that may arise? And equally as important, how is their customer service department when it comes to support? You want assurance that they are readily available should you require further information so your experience using their services is stress-free.
05 Analytics + Tracking
As a creator, you likely just want to know the basics when it comes to email tracking and analytics, such as open rates and CTR. But did you also know that many SMTP providers offer even more advanced analytic capabilities like campaign performance, data segmentation, and email life cycles? If you consider this an integral part of your business, it's helpful to know what sophisticated analytics are provided by the SMTP service when selecting one that fits both you and your business.
06 Security
Security is incredibly important when it comes to SMTP services. Email is a popular target for malicious attackers and hackers, who can use malicious emails to gain access to personal information, steal data or infect computers with malware. Therefore, businesses need to ensure that their SMTP provider is secure and protected from any potential threats.
07 Price
Our top 5 SMTP Service Providers all provide a complimentary trial period. After that, their pricing plans can vary, depending on the level of support they offer, as well as email per month limits, white labeling, and onboarding help.
5 SMTP Services to Consider
Google Workspace
With Google Workspace's SMTP service, you can trust that your emails are both secure and reliable. If you're new to the world of SMTP or already an administrator for a Google Workspace domain, this is the perfect starting point. A paid account such as name@mybusiness.com will grant you up to 2,000 emails daily; however if you want more – domain administrators who opt for the SMTP relay feature get 10,000 emails every day.
Mailgun
When it comes to transactional emails, there's no better choice than Mailgun. Their advanced user analytics tracking combined with a reputable and reliable high deliverability rate make them a great option as your SMTP provider. They offer four unique plans that offer distinct features based on send volume, and customer support is available within their Growth Plan or higher tiers.
Sendgrid
Sendgrid’s tiered pricing plans make it an affordable option for businesses of all sizes, starting at just $19.95 per month. Additionally, Sendgrid offers ticketed support on every plan regardless of budget, ensuring that help will not be far away should any issues arise.
Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill)
If you’re already a Mailchimp customer, then Mailchimp Transactional might be worth looking into. It offers plans based on your total email volume. For example, sending 10,000 emails costs $20 per month (+ the price of your regular Mailchimp subscription).
Postmark
Postmark is another SMTP service provider offering reliable delivery at scale along with robust APIs for integrating with other applications or services. All Postmark features are included in all plan levels, and how much you pay depends on the number of emails you send. Plans start at $15 per month.
Final thoughts
While not the most exciting part of running an online business, SMTP is an essential part of email delivery that determines how emails are sent, received, and stored. It helps to ensure your messages get to their intended recipient in a timely and secure manner. When choosing the best SMTP server for your business, you need to consider factors such as the number of users, delivery rates, scalability, and cost.
At Marvelous, we understand the importance of having reliable communication with your customers. That's why we've made it easy to integrate our Marvelous Mail feature with any SMTP provider so that you can maintain reliable connections with your students every step of the way.
