Ask HN: Cheap way to run a small newsletter?

by tombot on 9/23/2024, 10:24:12 PM with 25 comments
For a newsletter of around 1,500 subscribers mailchimp wants £34 a month.

What cheaper / better alternatives are out there for less than 2,000 subscribers? Are we using Amazon SES + an open source tool, what’s good?

  • by dejaydev on 9/23/2024, 11:35:33 PM

    Plunk will run you $1.5 every time you want to send out an email ($0.001/email * 1500)

    Plunk is pretty much Amazon SES + an open source tool turned into a product. It's selfhostable but if you prefer software intended to be selfhosted then Sendy might work well for you too. Issue is Sendy costs $70~ upfront.

    Plunk: https://useplunk.com

    Sendy: https://sendy.co

  • by alsobrsp on 9/24/2024, 12:19:12 AM

    I manage phplist for a small doctor's office. Works well with 4k subscribers. Open Source.

    https://www.phplist.com

  • by mmarian on 9/23/2024, 10:29:47 PM

    I used emailoctopus for the newsletter I shut down a while back. Worked well, but you need to test it to make sure deliverability is good from the get go.

  • by asicsp on 9/24/2024, 5:20:52 AM

    Gumroad is a free option. I run a programming newsletter with about 1000 subscribers.

  • by __rito__ on 9/24/2024, 5:33:29 AM

    Why is no one mentioning Substack? It's an honest question. To me, in OP's situation, it's the obvious choice. What am I missing?

  • by rozenmd on 9/24/2024, 6:03:57 AM

    Buttondown.com is really good, with a founder that still cares about the business.

  • by brendanrc2 on 9/24/2024, 1:50:19 AM

    ConvertKit (soon to be Kit) is free for up to 10,000 subscribers.

    convertkit.com

    (I work there)

  • by codegeek on 9/24/2024, 4:22:28 PM

    You can use https://listmonk.app or https://sendy.co and use a provider lke SES under the hood.

  • by twapi on 9/24/2024, 1:31:32 AM

    You may consider MailerLite. Cheap and reliable.

    SES + Sendy is pretty cheap but SES production approval is not very easy to get these day, specially for new projects

  • by brudgers on 9/24/2024, 12:54:39 AM

    £34 a month

    That’s not nothing and can feel like more than it should cost. It’s also less than a one sided Xerox at Kinkos, that is cheap relative to historical newsletter costs and within the budget of any business and most organizations.

    White listed email servers are what you are paying for. Tools and service are also what you are paying for. A hobby project might not need those, but it is a cost of doing business for a business. £34 a month can and should be passed on to customers. Good luck.