Compare
PostMTA Hosted vs AWS SES
SES is cheap relay — PostMTA Hosted is a full MailOps control plane with compliance artifacts and FBL.
| Capability | PostMTA Hosted | AWS SES |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | MTA + panel + credits + audit | SMTP/API relay only |
| IP warmup | vMTA program + shaping | Dedicated IP manual warmup |
| Bounce/FBL | Kumo lists + complaint hub | SNS wiring you build |
| Air-gap | Admin credit grant path | Requires AWS connectivity |
| Attestation | Public security matrix | Shared AWS compliance docs |
Where PMH is the wrong choice
If you already have deep operational muscle with AWS SES, do not rip and replace for the sake of it. PostMTA Hosted shines when the buyer needs managed control plane + smoke gates + verified From defaults. For pure send-and-forget transactional already covered by your incumbent, stay.
Migration timeline
- Week 1 — appliance bring-up + smoke-prod green.
- Week 2 — verified domains + credits ledger seeded.
- Week 3 — phased traffic at 1%, 10%, 50%, 100%.
- Week 4 — decommission AWS SES.
Operators: see docs/getting-startedand docs/operate/PRODUCTION for the appliance runbook.