PHP Mass Mailing (25K-100K) lists

Question

Hi, I have a PHP app I have written for clients to create HTML newsletters and send them out to emails in a database. Mailing is done via the mail() command (I know, crappy), from a CRON job with proper pauses, etc. Up to now, all clients have had limited lists (the maximum was 8000 mails, sent in two hours). The server is my own - no restrictions there. The software handles bounced mails, opt out options, etc.

A new client wants to send out 100,000 mails a month in 25K weekly batches and I want to replace the mail() function. Any suggestions? Would the PHPMailer class do the trick?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Check out SwiftMailer - it is much better than PHPMailer and is actively being developed (PHP Mailer seems sporadic at best)

Answer 2

For this kind of volume, you'd be much better off going with an external service, such as

• Constant Contact
• Exact Target
• Mail Chimp
• Net Atlantic

If you try to do this yourself, you'll more than likely end up getting flagged as a spammer. In addition, you need to be careful of managing opt-out lists and such (as per CAN-SPAM).

These services will usually have an API, so it should be relatively simple to integrate with your current codebase without any trouble.

Using a such a service will mean less work in the long run, better compliance, less trouble with getting marked as spam, and the likes.

(Information compiled from a related Something Awful thread.)