PHP email marketing script

PHP email marketing script you actually own — full Laravel source, one-time licence

Looking for a self-hosted PHP email marketing script? AcelleMail is a complete PHP/Laravel application you install on your own server: $80 one-time (no per-subscriber fee), the full unencrypted source, Amazon SES + 7 more sending drivers, a drag-and-drop builder, and visual automation. You pay only for hosting + sending (SES ≈ $0.10 per 1,000). Below: what a PHP script really is, the server requirements, and how AcelleMail compares with nuevoMailer, phpList, Sendy, MailWizz, and listmonk.

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What a PHP email marketing script is (and isn't)

A "PHP email marketing script" is a self-hosted application — PHP + MySQL/MariaDB — that you run on your own server to manage lists, build and send campaigns through an SMTP/SES provider, and track engagement. You own the install and the data, and you avoid per-subscriber SaaS pricing.

It is not, in AcelleMail's case, a single drop-in .php file. AcelleMail is a full Laravel codebase — controllers, models, queue workers, a plugin SDK — installed via a 5-minute web installer. That's what lets a "script" do far more than send a newsletter: visual automation, A/B testing, segmentation, and a multi-tenant SaaS layer.

Why self-host instead of a SaaS

Cost that doesn't scale with your list — a one-time licence + SES at ≈$0.10/1,000, not a monthly fee that climbs with every subscriber.
You own your data — your list lives in your database on your server, not a third-party platform.
Editable source — change anything, integrate with your stack, add features via the plugin SDK.
Deliverability you control — your own sending domain, IP warmup, and SPF/DKIM/DMARC.
Resell it — the Extended licence lets you run it as your own SaaS for clients.

Server requirements

AcelleMail runs on standard PHP hosting, a small VPS, or Docker:

PHP 8.1+ (Laravel-based)
Database MySQL ≥ 5.7 or MariaDB ≥ 10.3
RAM ~512 MB minimum (1 GB recommended for larger lists)
Web server nginx or Apache (PHP-FPM); a system cron entry for campaign workers
Optional Redis cache + queue workers for higher volume and the automation engine

PHP email marketing scripts compared

Tool	Stack	Licence	One-time price	Builder	Automation	Resell / SaaS
AcelleMail	PHP / Laravel + MySQL	Commercial (no copyleft)	$80 / $199	Drag-and-drop	Visual branching	Yes (Extended)
nuevoMailer	PHP / MySQL	Commercial	≈$139	Not advertised	Autoresponders + drip	Multi-list
phpList	PHP / MySQL	AGPLv3 (free)	Free	Basic	Basic	Multi-list
Sendy	PHP / MySQL	Commercial	$69	Drag-and-drop	Autoresponder drips	White-label clients
MailWizz	PHP / MySQL	Commercial	One-time (CodeCanyon)	Drag-and-drop	Follow-up campaigns	Yes (Extended SAAS)
listmonk	Go + PostgreSQL	AGPLv3 (free)	Free	Template/HTML	Minimal (API)	No (single-tenant)

Facts from each vendor's site (2026) + the AcelleMail codebase. listmonk is Go (not PHP) — included as the common non-PHP alternative. Deep dives: vs Sendy · vs listmonk · Sendy alternatives.

Source-available, without the AGPL trap

The free PHP options (phpList) and the Go option (listmonk) are AGPLv3 — great if you just self-host, but the copyleft attaches obligations the moment you offer a modified version as a service to others. AcelleMail is the opposite trade: a commercial licence with the full, unencrypted source and no copyleft. Modify it privately, and on the $199 Extended licence run it as your own SaaS — customer accounts, plans, 6 payment gateways, dunning, white-label — all on one install. It's the "owned source you can actually resell" position that the free scripts can't match.

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PHP email marketing script — frequently asked questions

What is a PHP email marketing script?

A PHP email marketing script is a self-hosted application — written in PHP, backed by MySQL/MariaDB — that you install on your own server to manage lists, build campaigns, send through an SMTP/SES provider, and track opens and clicks. You own the install and your data, and you pay only for hosting + sending (typically Amazon SES at ~$0.10 per 1,000) instead of a per-subscriber SaaS fee. Examples include AcelleMail, nuevoMailer, phpList, Sendy, and MailWizz.

Is AcelleMail a simple PHP script or a full application?

AcelleMail is a full PHP application built on the Laravel framework — not a single drop-in .php file. You get a complete, unencrypted Laravel codebase (controllers, models, queue workers, a plugin SDK) that installs via a 5-minute web installer. That means it is far more capable than a basic script (visual builder, branching automation, multi-tenant SaaS layer) while still being something you self-host and own outright.

Which is the best self-hosted PHP email marketing script?

For a full-featured app you own, AcelleMail ships the most in one $80 one-time licence — drag-and-drop builder, visual branching automation, 8 sending drivers, A/B testing, a plugin SDK, and a multi-tenant SaaS layer — with the complete Laravel source. nuevoMailer and MailWizz are other capable PHP options; Sendy is the leanest/cheapest ($69); phpList is free and open source but more basic. The comparison table on this page lays out the trade-offs.

AcelleMail vs nuevoMailer vs phpList — how do they compare?

All three are self-hosted PHP/MySQL. phpList is free and open source (AGPLv3) but basic — no drag-and-drop builder or visual automation, and the copyleft licence restricts offering a modified version as a service. nuevoMailer is a one-time commercial licence (around $139) with autoresponders and drip workflows across many SMTP providers. AcelleMail ($80 one-time) undercuts nuevoMailer on price, runs on a modern Laravel stack, adds a visual builder + branching automation + a plugin SDK, ships full editable source with no copyleft, and includes a live demo.

Can I edit the PHP source code?

Yes. AcelleMail ships the full, unencrypted PHP/Laravel source under a CodeCanyon Regular/Extended licence — you can read and modify it, and private modifications carry no copyleft obligation. It also exposes a four-pattern Hook plugin SDK (REGISTRY, EVENT, FILTER, BEHAVIOR) so you can add sending drivers, payment gateways, or UI panels without forking core. phpList is open source on GitHub (AGPLv3); some commercial PHP scripts ship encrypted or obfuscated code — confirm each vendor's terms.

What server requirements does it need?

AcelleMail needs PHP 8.1+, MySQL ≥ 5.7 or MariaDB ≥ 10.3, ~512 MB RAM minimum (1 GB recommended for larger lists), and a system cron entry for campaign workers. An optional Redis cache + queue workers support higher volume and the automation engine. It runs under PHP-FPM behind nginx or Apache — standard PHP hosting, a small VPS, or Docker all work.

Does it send through Amazon SES or SMTP?

Both. AcelleMail ships 8 built-in drivers — Amazon SES, SendGrid, SparkPost, Mailgun, Elastic Email, Blastengine, Gmail relay, and generic SMTP — plus a plugin SDK for more. Most self-hosters pair it with Amazon SES (~$0.10 per 1,000 emails) for the cheapest reliable delivery; it generates the SPF/DKIM records and signs DKIM at the app layer. See the dedicated Amazon SES page.

Is it free, like an open-source PHP script?

No — AcelleMail is a commercial one-time licence ($80 Regular / $199 Extended), not free or OSI-open-source. It is "source-available": the full PHP source ships to you and you can modify it privately, without the copyleft strings that AGPL projects like phpList or listmonk attach to service deployments. If you specifically need a $0 OSI-licensed option, phpList (PHP) or listmonk (Go) are free; if you want a fuller app you own with no copyleft, that is the AcelleMail trade.

Can I build a SaaS or resell it to clients?

Yes — the AcelleMail Extended Licence ($199) adds a multi-tenant SaaS layer: customer accounts, subscription plans, 6 payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Braintree, Razorpay, Paystack, Offline), prorated upgrades, dunning, and white-label branding, all on one install. Because the licence is commercial (no copyleft), you can run it as your own product — something AGPL scripts like phpList cannot offer without source-availability obligations. See For Developers.