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?
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
There was a service called tinyletter.com but it is now defunct has MailChimp bought them and shut them down. Super simple UI, and free newsletters, it was awesome.
I understand the desire to own one's own data and all that, but the most popular solutions are often popular for at least one or two good reasons!
convertkit.com
(I work there)
Edit: What is Creator Network and why can't the free account opt-out? does not look like we get API access either? so it seems like I have to use your forms which my customers can get recommended other accounts? seems weird honestly
SES + Sendy is pretty cheap but SES production approval is not very easy to get these day, specially for new projects
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.
Statistically, your 1500 emails is spam. I'm not saying it is spam. But every default across the internet is to treat it as spam.
I can't tell you that optimizing £34/month is not the best use of your time and energy. Statistically, it isn't.