What do you use for email hosting when you have 30+ domains?

RAJ

Member OP

Joined:: Jul 2024
Posts:: 294
From:: Mumbai, IN

8mo ago

11 #1

Hey guys, got a situation here. I manage about 35 domains for small business clients, mix of.com and some ccTLDs. Right now im using cPanel on a KnownHost VPS for email but the resource usage is getting wild. Looking at options:

- stay & upgrade (more $$$)
- split to something like InterServer shared for each
- go dedicated mail host like HostHatch or RackNerd

Any leads? Mainly worried about deliverability and keeping panels simple for clients who barely know what DNS is. Recieved some quotes already but their pricing jumps hard at 30+ mailboxes.

your margin is my opportunity

cpanelliw780

Member

shared hosting survivor

Joined:: Jul 2024
Posts:: 131
From:: Phoenix, USA

8mo ago · edited

#2

Lol dude I feel you I had like 40 domains on one shared host once never again the ip got blacklisted in like 3 days now I just run a cheap CloudCone dedi with cpanel and cloudlinux set catchalls on everything and let the spam filter sort it out clients dont even know 200 rules in gmail is amateur numbers I have like 600 in sieve but honestly for your use case maybe just get a second KnownHost vps and split them or look at hostingers reseller tier they dont advertise it well but its there

mariannoodle

Member

Debian Stable

Joined:: Sep 2024
Posts:: 32
From:: Portland, USA

8mo ago · edited

#3

Just use docker-mailserver on a 5 buck vps tbh debian stable https://www.debian.org kernel no gui needed set up postfix with ldap backend if you want fancy but honestly for 35 domains a simple dovecot+lmtp setup with rspamd handles it fine virtualization tax on cpanel is like 40% of your bill I ran 50 domains on a 2gb openvz once before they oversold the node into the ground never again tbh

declarative, reproducible, indescribably good

dancore

Member

Joined:: Jul 2024
Posts:: 19
From:: Tel Aviv, Israel

8mo ago · edited

#4

Ok so heres what I do I have 47 domains and I forward everything 2one gmail and filter with 217 rules last I counted maybe 219 now idk it works forever basically I just add a new filter when I add a domain takes like 30 seconds and gmail deliverability is unbeatable tbh I know I know google bad privacy blah blah but my clients just want email that arrives and I dont want 2manage a mailserver at 3am when someones newsletter gets the ip blacklisted again cost is zero which is hard 2beat

ellagee91

Member

Joined:: Sep 2024
Posts:: 34
From:: Melbourne, Australia

8mo ago

4 #5

@RAJ I tried the catchall route once. Forwarded to a single zoho account. Worked for a while. Then one domain got spoofed in a phishing wave. All 35 started bouncing. Had to rebuild reputation for weeks. Never again. Dedicated pools per client now. More cost. Less nightmare. You get the idea. Split by risk profile at minimum. Dont put all eggs in one basket. Especially not a free basket...

SH

shellgrid

Member

Joined:: Sep 2024
Posts:: 6

8mo ago

#6

Which KnownHost plan are you on rn? The 4gb or 8gb?

Doug

Member

New Jersey

Joined:: Jul 2024
Posts:: 271
From:: New Jersey, US

8mo ago

#7

600 sieve rules lmao

grabs popcorn, checks /r/drama

mariannoodle

Member

Debian Stable

Joined:: Sep 2024
Posts:: 32
From:: Portland, USA

8mo ago

#8

Doug said:

600 sieve rules lmao

Ngl I was being generous, probably closer to 900 last I checked

But yeah the real thing op should watch is ip warming if they split across hosts, 35 domains all pointing at fresh ips is gonna tank deliverability for a month minimum

If you do go the vps route grab one with ipv6 and route outbound through that, way fewer blacklists care about v6 yet

Still think docker-mailserver beats paying the cpanel tax though

declarative, reproducible, indescribably good

moebig

Member

RAID is not backup

Joined:: Jul 2024
Posts:: 115
From:: Casablanca, Morocco

8mo ago · edited

#9

cpanelliw780 said:

Hostingers reseller tier they dont advertise it well but its there

Wait, Hostinger actually has a reseller tier for mail? I've been on their site like three times and never spotted it. Is it buried in the cart or do you have to ticket sales.

Also nine days late but whatever, thread looked useful.

RAID 1: because paranoia pays

FyreJun

Member

Joined:: Mar 2024
Posts:: 120
From:: Osaka, Japan

8mo ago

#10

I had this exact mess last year.

cpanelliw780 said:

Set catchalls on everything and let the spam filter sort it out

Please do not do this if your clients rely on actual business email. I tried that route and legitimate invoices vanished into the void for two customers. They were not amused. I ended up splitting to two HostHatch mail-only plans and pointing MX records there while keeping the KnownHost VPS for web. Clients never touch DNS after the initial switch. Deliverability improved noticeably and I stopped babysitting IP reputation. Worth getting a quote at least.

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