Everything you need to know about choosing the right domain and server providers for your SMTP setup.
Your domain is your identity. For the fastest, fully automated setup with selfhostedSMTP, we highly recommend using Cloudflare due to its robust API support, which allows us to configure all DNS records for you instantly.
| Provider | Key Feature | Best For | API Support |
|---|---|---|---|
☁️ Cloudflare | Security & Performance | Automated Setup with selfhostedSMTP | Full API Support (Recommended) |
| GoDaddy | Largest Marketplace | Beginners, Bundled Services | Manual Setup |
| Namecheap | Competitive Pricing | Value-Conscious Users | Manual Setup |
| Hostinger | All-in-One Solutions | Users wanting domain+hosting | Manual Setup |
Important: While all providers work with selfhostedSMTP, Cloudflare is the only one that enables a completely hands-off DNS experience with our automation.
selfhostedSMTP is engineered for efficiency. It runs flawlessly on even the most affordable VPS plans, requiring less than 1GB of RAM. This means you can get a powerful email server for as little as $3-$5 per month.
You don't need a powerful machine. You need a reliable one. Any provider offering a basic Ubuntu VPS will work.
| Provider | Starting Price | Key Feature | Our Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostwinds | ~$5.99/mo | Good US-based support | Solid all-rounder |
| Hetzner | ~€4.51/mo | Excellent price/performance | Great in Europe |
| OVH | ~$4.20/mo | Large global infrastructure | Budget-friendly |
| Contabo | ~$6.99/mo | High resource allocation | More RAM/CPU for the price |
| Vultr | ~$6.00/mo | High-performance & simple UI | Very reliable |
| Clouding.io | ~€4.45/mo | Strong European presence | Good performance |
Remember: Cost does not equate to quality for this use case. A cheap VPS is perfect for selfhostedSMTP - you're paying for reliability, not raw power.
This is the magic key. By providing a Cloudflare API token, you give selfhostedSMTP limited permission to manage DNS only for your domain. This allows us to automatically create all the necessary A, MX, and TXT records (for DKIM, DMARC, etc.), making your setup complete in minutes without you ever touching a DNS panel.
The token uses the principle of least privilege, meaning it can only do what we explicitly tell it to do (manage DNS), and nothing else. It cannot access your account settings, billing, or other zones.
Click on your avatar at the top right corner of your Cloudflare dashboard and select "My Profile."
Go to the "API Tokens" section in the left navigation menu.
Click "Create Token" and select "Custom token" for precise control over permissions.
Click "Continue to summary" then "Create Token". Copy the generated token immediately.
CRITICAL: You will not be able to see this token again after leaving this page. Copy it now and paste it directly into selfhostedSMTP.
Now that you know how to get a domain and server, let's get your SMTP configured in minutes.
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