Subject: Best free email provider for auth emails in a Node.js marketplace app?
Building a marketplace app and replacing OAuth with email-based auth — magic links, OTP codes, and password resets. Looking for advice on provider choice before I commit.
My setup:
- Node.js backend
- Under 100 users at launch (but auth emails stack up fast per user)
- Need a forever-free tier, not a trial
- Using Nodemailer for sending
What I’ve narrowed it down to:
Mailtrap (4,000/mo, 150/day) seems like the best free headroom, but I’ve read mixed things about inbox placement on shared IPs. SMTP2GO (1,000/mo) has a better deliverability reputation but the lower cap worries me once I add OTP flows on top of signups.
My questions:
- For auth emails specifically — where speed and inbox placement matter more than anything else — does Mailtrap’s free tier hold up in production, or do magic links regularly end up in spam?
- Is 1,000/month on SMTP2GO actually enough for a sub-100 user app once you factor in OTP retries and password resets?
- Any other free-forever options I’m missing that are a better fit for transactional-only auth flows?
Not looking for a paid plan yet — strictly free until I validate the product.