Hi all! Excited to share rss2newsletter after completing dev work for the initial release.The idea for this project came out of necessity, as I wanted to share my articles via email newsletter. I was looking for a super minimal, lightweight, and open source solution, and when none existed, I decided to create one.For any sizable number of email recipients, a popular platform like Mailchimp will easily cost you hundreds or even thousands per month in per-contact fees. rss2newsletter, on the other hand, allows you to use Amazon SES, so you can reach your audience at pennies on the dollar.Beyond these factors, I also wanted something that could run on an internet-connected potato it's so easy on your system and fully automated so you can set it and forget it.So, I created (and put under a free software license):https://github.com/ElliotKillick/rss2newsletterrss2newsletter (integrating with Listmonk and Amazon SES for ultra-low-cost emails) is a drop-in solution that requires almost no setup besides connecting with SES and styling your emails. It's also competitive at what it does with proprietary self-hosted solutions like Sendy, which requires your system/VPS to have some rather beefy specs to run well.Let me know if there are any other features you would like to see. I hope you can find my project helpful to you!
Users expressed mixed feelings about the service. Some prefer alternative services like Feedbin or Newsblur, and others have built similar apps. Criticisms include the UI needing improvement, high prices, and a dislike for email-based services. There's a call for clearer USPs and target audience identification. Positive feedback includes praise for the idea of a private RSS feed with CMS and satisfaction with existing services like Listmonk. Technical discussions touched on email deliverability challenges and the lack of innovation in newsletter services. Some users are seeking advice on related topics, while others are happy with the service or find it exactly what they needed.
Users criticize the service for being slow, having a high cost structure, and lacking features such as RSS-to-newsletter support. The UI is considered in need of improvement, and there's a preference for alternative services. Issues with email deliverability, management of public IP addresses, and incomplete testers and IP blocklists were noted. Criticisms also target the lack of creativity, innovation, and product development, with some feeling the service is outdated. The use of Google login and vendor tactics are disliked, and there's a debate over the expectation of free services.