Dedicated IP: Your Own Sending Reputation

A dedicated IP is an IP address that is assigned exclusively to your email-sending account.

Pros:

✅ Full Control Over Reputation: Since no one else sends emails from this IP, your reputation is only affected by your sending habits. If you follow best practices, you can build a strong sender reputation.
✅ Better Deliverability (If Managed Well): ISPs (like Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook) trust senders with a consistent, clean reputation, which can improve inbox placement.
✅ Ideal for High-Volume Senders: If you send a large number of emails (e.g., marketing campaigns, transactional emails), a dedicated IP ensures your emails don’t compete with others.

Cons:

❌ Requires Warm-Up: A new dedicated IP has no reputation, so you need to gradually increase email volume over time (warming up) to avoid being flagged as spam.
❌ More Expensive: Typically costs more than shared IPs, as you need to lease or purchase the IP.
❌ Risk of Poor Reputation: If you don’t follow best practices (e.g., sending spammy content, high bounce rates), your IP reputation can suffer, harming deliverability.

Shared IP: A Group Effort

A shared IP is used by multiple senders, typically managed by an email service provider (ESP).

Pros:

✅ No Need to Warm Up: Since the IP is already used by many senders, it has an established reputation. You can start sending right away.
✅ Lower Cost: Shared IPs are more affordable because the cost is split among multiple users.
✅ Managed Reputation: ESPs monitor shared IPs to maintain a good sender reputation, reducing the risk of being blocked.

Cons:

❌ Less Control Over Reputation: If other senders misuse the IP (e.g., spam, poor list hygiene), it can affect your deliverability, even if you follow best practices.
❌ May Have Sending Limits: Some shared IP pools have restrictions on email volume or sending frequency.
❌ Not Ideal for High-Volume Senders: If you send a lot of emails, a shared IP might not be enough to handle your needs efficiently.

Which One Should You Choose?

• Use a Dedicated IP if you send large volumes of email regularly and want full control over your sender reputation.
• Use a Shared IP if you send lower volumes, need a quick start, and prefer the convenience of a managed reputation.