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As the title suggests, I have a pretty large user base, pushing 60k now, and I can never mass mail them, I cant even do batch functions as joomla (or rather my server) runs out of memory when trying to query the database of that many users.
Is there a solution for mass mailing so many users that takes into account that not everybody's server has 16+GB ram free for PHP to load the entire user table into memory?
The most common solution is AcyMailing + a professional SMTP service.
AcyMailing is the best mailing extension for Joomla.
My favorites SMTP services are SendGrid and Postmark. I also implement Amazon SES sometimes.
Alternatively, I know people implementing Mandrill.
All of these solutions are for newsletters and regular notifications. Obviously, spam is not tolerated.
PD: I avoid Mailchimp, too expensive.
The Joomla! CMS is not a mass mailing utility and should not be used as such. Though there is a Mass Mail component in the Joomla! core, Arvind Chauhan of JoomlaArt points out that "It’s not ethical [or legal] to send promotional emails to users who have not opted-in to receive them." The Mass Mail component does not have this opt-in feature.
As @Anibal mentions, ACYmailing is the most common and integrated solution for Joomla! for doing such. And, even though it is specific to Joomla!, it rivals the best 3rd party eNewsletter platforms available.
For a more universal approach and one that will work regardless of whether your on Joomla! or not, you can choose any number of email marketing services. Since you are a non-profit looking to pinch every penny, there are several services that offer free non-profit accounts:
If you already have a method for newsletter opt-in handling and simply need a beefy SMTP server for sending the emails, these services are free to non-profits:
Note: Please, confirm your intensions for using their services meet their terms of use prior to sending.
If you already have a method for newsletter opt-in handling and you believe your current SMTP server is sufficient to handle the emailing duties, won't get your hosting account closed, won't get the server blacklisted, or won't cause messages to be flagged as SPAM, but you need a beefier app to handle the creation and management of your email marketing campaigns, try G-Lock EasyMail7. It is free to non-profits.
With G-Lock EasyMail7 you can use your own hosts email system (SMTP) for FREE or enhance delivery with third party senders like AMAZON SES, that allow you to pay for what you use… Imagine being able to send 10,000 emails for just $1.
