Does php mail work on aws free tier

The eternal question of email sending on the AWS free tier!

By default, PHP's mail() function does not work on AWS due to the way AWS handles outgoing email. Here's why:

  1. AWS SES (Simple Email Service): AWS SES is a managed service that allows you to send and receive emails. However, it's not enabled by default on the free tier. You need to create an SES account, verify your email address, and set up a sending identity (e.g., a domain or email address).
  2. AWS Lambda: PHP's mail() function uses the sendmail command to send emails. However, AWS Lambda, which is the underlying service that runs your PHP code on the free tier, does not have access to the sendmail command by default.
  3. Security Group restrictions: The free tier's security group settings may block outgoing email traffic on port 25 (the default SMTP port).

To get PHP's mail() function working on the AWS free tier, you have a few options:

Option 1: Use AWS SES

  1. Create an SES account and set up a sending identity.
  2. Use the AWS SES PHP SDK to send emails programmatically.
  3. Update your PHP code to use the SES SDK instead of the mail() function.

Option 2: Use a third-party email service

  1. Choose a third-party email service like Mailgun, Sendgrid, or Mailjet.
  2. Set up an account and obtain an API key or credentials.
  3. Use the third-party service's PHP library to send emails programmatically.
  4. Update your PHP code to use the third-party service's library instead of the mail() function.

Option 3: Use a workaround (not recommended)

  1. Use a workaround like using the fsockopen function to establish a socket connection to an SMTP server (e.g., Gmail or Outlook).
  2. Send emails using the fsockopen function, which can be error-prone and may not work reliably.

Keep in mind that using the mail() function on the AWS free tier without setting up SES or a third-party email service may result in email delivery issues or even account suspension.