Full ESP vs raw SMTP relay: who needs which

Full ESP vs raw SMTP relay: who needs which
A short frame: you're choosing between a kitchen and a stove. Here's how the best sources slice it.

🚀 Deliverability
— Amazon SES deep-dive — made the cut for honesty: cheapest per-send, zero hand-holding, and you own every reputation problem.
— SendGrid vs SES comparison — worth your time for the line most skip: the ESP markup mostly buys you a deliverability team you'd otherwise hire.

📥 Swipe
— Self-hosted Postfix reality check — picked it because it tallies the hidden cost: PTR records, feedback loops, and DKIM rotation you now babysit.

🧪 Tests
— Relay-plus-template hybrid note — earned its spot for the pragmatic split most affiliates land on.

Takeaway: relay if you have an engineer and volume; full ESP if your time is worth more than the per-email premium.
Saved you ~2 hours.