Why Nodemailer May Not Work on Render or Vercel (and How to Solve It)
Nodemailer is a popular Node.js library used for sending emails. It primarily relies on the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) to communicate with email servers. However, many modern hosting providers like Vercel and Render have restricted outbound SMTP traffic for security and abuse prevention reasons. This means that if you're deploying your application on these platforms, Nodemailer may fail to send emails because the SMTP connection is blocked.
Solution 1: Use a VPS (Virtual Private Server)
One straightforward workaround is to host your application on a VPS, such as DigitalOcean, Linode, or Hetzner. VPS providers typically do not restrict SMTP traffic, giving developers full control over server configurations. This allows you to use Nodemailer with SMTP without any limitations.
Pros:
- Full control over server and networking
- No restrictions on outbound traffic
- Can configure custom email servers if needed
Cons:
- Requires server management skills
- May be more expensive than serverless platforms
- Less scalable compared to serverless solutions
Solution 2: Use an Email API Service (e.g., Brevo)
If switching away from Vercel or Render is not an option, a more flexible and modern approach is to use an email API service instead of SMTP. These services allow you to send emails via HTTP-based APIs, which are not blocked by hosting providers.
One such service is Brevo (formerly Sendinblue). Brevo offers a free plan that is suitable for small-scale applications or development/testing purposes.
Benefits of Using Brevo:
- Works seamlessly with platforms like Vercel and Render
- No SMTP required — uses secure HTTP APIs
- Free tier available with decent limits
- Easy integration with Node.js and other frameworks
Example Use Case:
You can use Brevo’s Node.js SDK or make direct HTTP requests to their API to send transactional or marketing emails. This bypasses the SMTP restrictions entirely.
Sample Code Base:
const { TransactionalEmailsApi, SendSmtpEmail } = require("@getbrevo/brevo");
let emailAPI = new TransactionalEmailsApi();
emailAPI.authentications.apiKey.apiKey =
"your-api-key";
const sendEmail = (to, subject, html) => {
let message = new SendSmtpEmail();
message.subject = subject;
message.htmlContent = html;
message.sender = {
name: "Team Hello NUBian",
email: "info.rolstudio.bd@gmail.com",
};
message.to = [{ email: to }];
emailAPI
.sendTransacEmail(message)
.then((res) => {
console.log(JSON.stringify(res.body));
})
.catch((err) => {
console.error("Error sending email:", err.body);
});
};
module.exports = sendEmail;
Conclusion
If you're facing issues with Nodemailer on platforms like Vercel or Render due to SMTP restrictions, you have two main options:
- Switch to a VPS for full control and unrestricted SMTP access.
- Use an email API service like Brevo to send emails via HTTP, which is fully supported on serverless platforms.
For most developers, especially those deploying lightweight or scalable apps, using an email API service is the simpler and more reliable solution.
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