📬 Communication Systems: Email, Forms & Routing
Setting up communication on a self-hosted site isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Especially when using a VPS like Linode, where email ports are disabled by default for spam prevention. You must request manual approval to enable them.
✉️ Sending Email with MailPoet
For basic newsletter and subscriber-based communication, the best free option is:
- Plugin: MailPoet
- Limit: Free for up to 500 subscribers
- Functionality: Sends newsletters, automatic updates, and manual campaigns
To use MailPoet reliably:
- You’ll need to configure DNS records to authorize MailPoet to send mail on behalf of your domain (SPF, DKIM, etc.)
- You can then send from your custom domain email (e.g.
[email protected])
🛑 The Catch: No Incoming Email
MailPoet is outgoing only. You can’t receive replies to that same domain without an additional setup.
✅ Workaround: Catch-All Email Forwarding with Cloudflare
Luckily, Cloudflare Email Routing provides a zero-cost solution:
- Any email sent to your domain (e.g.
[email protected]) is forwarded to a chosen inbox (like your free Tuta account) - This allows you to monitor responses and reply from a clean, branded inbox
📥 Contact Without Email Signup
For direct communication from non-subscribers:
📋 Fluent Forms
- Plugin: Fluent Forms
- Features:
- Simple contact form builder
- Bot protection with one-click CAPTCHA
- Messages stored directly in the WordPress admin panel—no email required
You can respond manually through your branded email account, keeping the loop closed without relying on external mail hosting.
💡 Zero-Cost Communication Stack
With this setup, you can:
- Send newsletters for free (MailPoet)
- Receive email replies via forwarding (Cloudflare + Tuta)
- Collect direct contact messages without mail (Fluent Forms)
💸 Total cost: $0/month
Even if you grow beyond 500 subscribers, upgrading MailPoet is a small and reasonable step—not a blocker for growth.