Shared vs. private email infrastructure: what's better for deliverability?

On the topic of deliverability, email infrastructure is definitely top of mind.

When setting up your email infrastructure for outreach campaigns, one key decision is whether to use distributed (shared) or dedicated (private) email infrastructure. Both options have their pros and cons, and understanding the differences is critical for making the right choice for your business needs.

Let’s break down these two approaches and explore their impact on email deliverability, reputation management, and scalability.

What is distributed (shared) email infrastructure?

In a shared infrastructure, multiple users share the same servers, IP addresses, or domains. Mailforge uses this type of infrastructure.

Advantages:

• Cost-effective: Shared resources make it more affordable, especially for small businesses or startups.

• Managed reputation: Providers often handle IP reputation and domain authentication for you.

• Ease of use: Requires minimal technical setup or maintenance.

Disadvantages:

• Reputation risks: If other users on the shared IP engage in poor email practices, your deliverability could suffer.

• Limited control: You rely on the provider’s infrastructure policies, which might not suit your specific needs.

• Scalability constraints: Shared systems can struggle with higher email volumes or advanced customization.

What is dedicated (private) email infrastructure?

A dedicated setup gives you exclusive use of specific servers, IP addresses, and domains. This approach is typically chosen by businesses with higher email volumes or stricter deliverability requirements. Infraforge offers dedicated infrastructure.

Advantages:

• Full control: You can configure every aspect of the infrastructure, from authentication protocols to sending limits.

• Improved deliverability: Since you're the only user, the reputation of your IP and domains depends entirely on your practices.

• Scalability: A dedicated infrastructure can handle larger volumes without affecting performance.

Disadvantages:

• Higher costs: Setting up and maintaining a private infrastructure requires more financial investment.

• Complex setup: Requires technical expertise for initial configuration and ongoing management.

• Responsibility for reputation: You’re fully accountable for maintaining email hygiene and preventing spam complaints.

Key factors to consider

When deciding between shared and dedicated infrastructure, assess these factors:

1. Email volume:

   • Low volume? Shared infrastructure might be enough.

   • High volume? Dedicated is better for scalability and consistency.

2. Deliverability requirements:

   • Critical campaigns like sales or cold outreach benefit from dedicated setups.

   • Less sensitive campaigns, such as newsletters, can often use shared systems.

3. Budget:

   • If resources are limited, shared infrastructure is a budget-friendly choice.

   • If you can invest in email infrastructure, dedicated offers better control and long-term benefits.

4. Technical expertise:

   • Shared systems are user-friendly and managed by providers.

   • Dedicated setups may require a skilled team to manage IP warming, DNS settings, and monitoring. Unless you go with Infraforge of course, then it’s on us 😉

What’s the difference between shared & private infrastructure?

The best way to think about it is like this: shared infrastructure is like living in an apartment. You can move in right away and it’s cost effective but you have to follow certain rules. And if you or others in the building are behaving inappropriately it impacts the entire community. However, if the residents are lovely people, the building becomes a great place to live for everyone.

Shared infrastructure is a lot like that - easy to get started but you can’t always control others using it. In contrast, private infrastructure is like living in your own house. It takes more time to build it and there’s more maintenance costs involved but it’s all yours and you have full control over it. Private infrastructure allows you to fully control and customize everything without worrying about the sending practices of others.

Is private infrastructure better?

Neither shared nor private infrastructure is inherently better. It all depends on your specific situation and needs. For example, if you’ve never tried cold outreach before, investing in a private infrastructure would not only cost more money but you’d also need more time to build a sender reputation.

A shared infrastructure would be much better here, because the server already has an established reputation and it’s ready to send out your emails. Even if you’re a large business with a lot of experience, sometimes a shared infrastructure makes more sense - for example, if you’re anticipating a lot of spam reports. That way you won’t hurt the reputation of your private server, rendering it useless.

So, the answer is no - there’s no infrastructure that’s better. Make sure to choose the right one for you and remember, you can always switch in the future.