I'm replacing an old email provider. What should I consider when choosing a new one?

When choosing a new email provider, think about deliverability, security, ease of migration, features, and support. Here’s a practical checklist:

1) Deliverability

This is usually the most important thing.

• Inbox placement rate: Does the provider reliably land mail in inboxes, not spam?
• Reputation management: Do they maintain good IP/domain reputation?
• Authentication support: Make sure they support and help configure:
  • SPF
  • DKIM
  • DMARC
• Shared vs dedicated IPs:
  • Shared IPs are easier to start with.
  • Dedicated IPs can help at scale, but you’re responsible for warming them up and maintaining reputation.

2) Migration and setup

Switching providers can be painful if the migration tools are weak.

• Importing existing data: Can you migrate contacts, templates, automations, and historical data?
• DNS changes: How easy is it to update MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and tracking records?
• Testing tools: Do they provide deliverability diagnostics or test-send tools?
• Cutover support: Will the provider help during the transition?

3) Security and compliance

Especially important if you handle sensitive or regulated data.

• Encryption: In transit and at rest.
• Access controls: Role-based permissions, SSO, MFA.
• Compliance certifications: Depending on your needs:
  • GDPR
  • SOC 2
  • ISO 27001
  • HIPAA
  • PCI DSS
• Audit logs: Useful for tracking changes and investigating issues.

4) Features you actually need

Avoid paying for a big platform if you only need a few capabilities.

• Transactional email: Password resets, receipts, alerts
• Marketing email: Campaigns, segmentation, A/B testing
• Automation workflows: Drip campaigns, lifecycle emails
• Templates and personalization
• API and webhooks: Important if your app sends emails
• Bounce and complaint handling
• Suppression list management
• Analytics: Opens, clicks, conversions, unsubscribes

5) Scalability and performance

• Sending limits: Per minute/hour/day caps
• Throughput: Can they handle spikes?
• Latency: Especially for transactional mail
• Global sending infrastructure: Helpful if your users are international

6) Support and documentation

• 24/7 support? Especially if email is business-critical
• Quality of docs: Setup guides, API docs, troubleshooting
• Onboarding help: Some providers offer migration assistance or deliverability consulting

7) Pricing

Look beyond the headline price.

• Per-email vs subscription pricing
• Costs for add-ons: Dedicated IPs, extra users, automation, compliance features
• Overage charges
• Hidden costs: Support tiers, analytics retention, migration help

8) Reputation and vendor stability

• How long have they been around?
• Do they have a history of outages or deliverability issues?
• Are they likely to keep innovating and support the product long term?

9) Deliverability best practices the provider should support

A good provider should make it easy to:

• Segment engaged vs unengaged recipients
• Manage unsubscribes properly
• Warm up new domains/IPs
• Monitor bounces, complaints, and spam rates
• Use subdomains for different mail streams
• Set up monitoring/alerts

10) Fit for your use case

Pick based on your primary email type:

• Transactional email: Focus on API reliability, speed, logs, and bounce handling
• Marketing email: Focus on segmentation, automation, templates, compliance, and analytics
• Business mailboxes: Focus on storage, calendar/contact integration, admin controls, and SSO

Questions to ask before switching

• How do they handle authentication and deliverability?
• Can they support our volume now and in the future?
• What’s the migration process?
• What support is available during cutover?
• Do they offer dedicated IPs, and when do we need them?
• Can we export our data easily if we leave later?

Simple recommendation

If you want a fast decision, compare providers on:

1. Deliverability
2. Security/compliance
3. Migration effort
4. Features for your actual use case
5. Total cost
6. Support quality

If you want, I can also help you build a provider comparison checklist or suggest options based on whether you need transactional email, marketing email, or business mailboxes.