Running mass emails through a different email server (with MailChimp?)

[tedf20]

Hi! We've faced a need to run mass emails and transactional emails through separate email servers. We handle all transactional emails using a global SMTP setting in Administration. What is the best way to run mass emails through a different email server? The options I was investigating:

1. Use a MailChimp extension for EspoCRM. I tested it with the tutorial https://www.espocrm.com/features/mailchimp-integration/ and realised that the integration is only for synchronising email recipients and campaigns, but the sending process is completely within MailChimp, without the opportunity to use EspoCRM's email templates, is it correct? Does it also mean there is a restriction at MailChimp's side and we cannot add this functionality manually?

2. Use a different email server provider that has an API or SMTP to completely control the flow from EspoCRM. In this case we would need to create a separate SMTP account for some user and then use it when creating a Mass Email, as described here https://docs.espocrm.com/user-guide/mass-email/ right?

[olof]

We use AWS SES (simple email service). It's great and good value but we have not yet worked out how to get Espo to handle bounce notifications coming from SES.

[tedf20]

Thank you olof ! Is it worth starting to use AWS SES if we don't have and don't plan to have any other server infrastructure of Amazon? I heard that different AWS services are tightly coupled

[olof]

Hi tedf20 absolutely, there is no coupling for this at all. It's a really good service and incredibly low cost.

[zast]

Hi, Do you use Amazon SES for mass mailings such as newsletters? Does it work well with EspoCRM? Can this replace MailChimp? I've just been looking at the Amazon SES pricing, which is very interesting. Thank you