Bartago does not replace the email delivery infrastructure you choose; it connects that provider to campaign and automation workflows. Generic SMTP is portable. Resend, Brevo, and Mailgun add API-first delivery and provider events. Compare more than price: domain authentication, sending limits, regional fit, webhook authenticity, and support all matter. A secret should never return in a browser response or application log, and a successful connection test is not the same as confirmed delivery.
Compare provider fit
Portability, API design, and event depth
An existing mailbox or hosting SMTP account can suit a small use case, but SMTP has no standard delivery webhook. API providers usually return a message ID and signed events, allowing accepted, delivered, bounced, and complained states to remain distinct.
Prepare the domain and identity
The From address is more than a field
Complete domain ownership, SPF, DKIM, and applicable policy steps in the provider dashboard. Keep sender name, From address, and reply-to aligned with the brand. A successful connection test proves the credential worked, not that every inbox will place the message well.
- Verified domain
- Aligned From address
- Real reply-to
- Write-only secret
- Seed inbox test
Verify webhook authenticity
Trust delivery only from authenticated events
Verify Resend and Mailgun signatures and use a sender-scoped secret URL for Brevo. Deduplicate provider retries, and never turn a temporary failure into a permanent bounce suppression. Do not label generic SMTP acceptance as delivered.
Practical checklist
- Provider account
- Domain authentication
- Encrypted secret
- Connection test
- Signed webhook
- Bounce and complaint flow
Key takeaway
An email being accepted by a provider and being delivered to a recipient mailbox are different operational states.
Final thoughts
Connect the first sender with one verified domain and a consented seed list. Test the message, authenticated webhook, and hard-bounce suppression end to end before increasing volume. During key rotation, preserve a safe window in which existing encrypted envelopes can still be decrypted.
Verify consent, provider or carrier policy, and current applicable requirements before launching a campaign.
Start with 100 free automation credits →Common questions
Can SMTP report delivered analytics?
SMTP can report provider acceptance, but delivery cannot be confirmed without a provider-specific delivery event.
Can I view the API key later?
A secure design treats secrets as write-only. List and detail views return masked metadata, never the raw key.
Sources and editorial note
Last editorial review: August 1, 2026. Product behavior may change with releases; check current documentation.