Own platform or SaaS: when each one pays off
Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo or your own infrastructure? An honest assessment of when each option makes economic sense.
"Should we build our own mail platform or stay with Mailchimp?" We get this question regularly. The answer isn't "always your own platform", it depends on three sober factors.
When SaaS clearly wins
At low volumes (under ~50,000 sends/month) and a classic newsletter strategy without special requirements, a SaaS solution is hard to beat. You pay 20 to 50 € per month, get templates, automations and reporting built in. Your own server would cost more than the SaaS subscription.
When your own platform makes sense
Three thresholds that justify the switch:
- Volume above 500,000 sends/month: from here, SaaS gets more expensive than running your own (rule of thumb: ~0.001 €/mail self hosted vs. 0.003 to 0.008 €/mail SaaS)
- Data sovereignty as a sales argument: when your customers need GDPR guarantees no US provider can give
- Custom logic: trigger mails with your own business logic, lead scoring on your own data, or integrated affiliate tracking paths
What your own infrastructure actually costs
Not just the servers. Add bounce processing, IP reputation maintenance, blacklist monitoring, deliverability optimization. Underestimate this and you build yourself a platform with a 30 % inbox rate.
Our approach: we offer both, our own platform for those who truly need it, and consultative SaaS strategies for those who don't. Honest recommendation instead of vendor lock-in.