Show HN: Built an email marketing platform after paying $230/month
fertit.comSpent the last month building Fertit - basically a newsletter manager but you bring your own SMTP and skip the DevOps nightmare. All the features (subscriber management, admin dashboard, custom preferences) without the infrastructure markup.
The math that broke me: Mailchimp: $230/month for 15k contacts My solution: $10/month infrastructure + $10 SendGrid = unlimited
What I learned: The "enterprise" features are mostly database operations with SMTP APIs. But the 3 weeks of Go/PostgreSQL/Redis setup explains why people just pay ConvertKit $300/month. Here's the thing: Even open-sourcing it, I realized most people don't want to deal with servers, Docker configs, and database migrations. So I built an affordable hosted service starting at $5/month. More features and security measurements, zero setup - just bring your SMTP and start sending. You get all the cost savings without any of the self-hosting headaches.
Now testing this hosted version at $5/month - middle ground between DIY pain and SaaS pricing. Hosted version: https://www.fertit.com Open source: https://github.com/rasadov/NewsletterManager Anyone else tired of choosing between expensive self-hosting and expensive SaaS? Would love feedback on the approach.
I run a few instances of listmonk [0], what makes fertit different/better?
One thing I don’t particularly like about listmonk is that it doesn’t really support multitenancy. It’s lightweight enough that I can spin up multiple instances for different domains, but it’d be nice not to.
https://listmonk.app/
Multi-tenancy is exactly what Fertit was built to solve. But it is available only in Fertit hoster service, not the open-source version at the current moment. Listmonk is excellent - we actually considered building on top of it initially. The main differentiators: Multi-tenancy (your pain point): Native support for multiple newsletters/domains in one instance Unified management across all your properties
Positioning differences: Listmonk: Power-user tool with SQL segmentation, advanced templating, high-throughput queues Fertit: Simplified interface targeting small businesses who want "just works" newsletter management
Architecture approach: Listmonk: Single binary + PostgreSQL (requires more ops knowledge) Fertit: Docker Compose setup with Redis for caching, designed for easier deployment
Business model: Open-source version addresses your self-hosting needs Hosted service ($5-10/month) for users who want zero ops
When you'd choose Fertit over Listmonk: You manage newsletters for multiple clients/domains (multi-tenancy) You prefer simpler UI over advanced segmentation features You want commercial support option You're hitting operational complexity with multiple Listmonk instances
When you'd stick with Listmonk: You need the advanced features (SQL queries, high-throughput queues) Current multi-instance setup works fine for your scale You prefer the mature, battle-tested codebase
Would love your thoughts on the multi-tenancy approach - is that the main friction point you're hitting with multiple instances?
The main reason people pay expensive ESPs is deliverability, which is practically impossible when self-hosting when it comes to marketing, non-transactional emails, and in any case much more expensive than any ESP subscription.
How does Fertit position itself in relation to that?
Fertit actually leverages the best of both worlds through our SMTP integration approach:
Use Established ESPs for Delivery: Fertit connects to your existing SMTP provider (SendGrid, Mailgun, Amazon SES, etc.) - so you still get their deliverability infrastructure and IP reputation.
Save on Interface & Features: Instead of paying $50-300/month for ConvertKit or Mailchimp's full platform, you pay $5-10/month for Fertit's management layer while using a cheaper transactional email service for actual delivery.
Cost Comparison: Traditional ESP: $79/month for 5,000 subscribers Fertit approach: $9.99/month (Pro plan) + $15/month (SendGrid) = ~$25/month total
Would love to see some screenshots of a few parts of the interface, like the editor, sign up forms builder, and contacts management.
Hey, thanks for feedback. While there are some screenshots in product hunt launch, I will definitely add more images and videos later to make it easier to use platform. https://www.producthunt.com/posts/fertit
Email marketing is called spam.
There’s definitely a difference between spam and permission-based email marketing. Fertit is built specifically for legitimate newsletter subscriptions - subscribers opt-in through proper signup forms and can easily manage preferences or unsubscribe. It’s the same model used by every legitimate business newsletter, from GitHub updates to Substack publications. The focus is on providing value to people who actually want to receive the content.
Only to tech nerds. When it's B2B, and targeted and positioned properly, it's business
When you’re on the receiving end of it… still spam.
If it doesn't offer anything of value, sure.
But the good ones do.
Huh? How is it spam when I receive newsletters I sign up for?
Are you confused between newsletters/marketing and actual spam maybe?
I would be willing to bet that vast majority of “subscribed” newsletters are spam.
I always receive a ton of newsletters. Never once have I signed up, I always uncheck all sign up prompts and always immediately unsubscribe if I receive one.
Even then, immediately after any sort of purchase I get resubscribed. I’m convinced that most shops completely ignore all user choices and resubscribe everyone to all mailing lists after purchase.
You’re absolutely right about this being a huge problem and it’s exactly why I built proper consent management into Fertit from the ground up. What you’re describing (auto-resubscribing after purchase, ignoring unsubscribe requests) is both illegal under CAN-SPAM/GDPR and terrible business practice. The legitimate use case is businesses that actually respect their subscribers. Think GitHub release notes, Substack authors, or local businesses sending monthly updates to customers who genuinely want them. But you’re spot on that too many companies abuse email marketing, which ruins it for everyone.