What is a shared IP?

Dedicated IPs make sense when you have the volume to support them and the need for reputation isolation.

Volume threshold: Most experts suggest at least 100,000 emails per month as a minimum. Some say 50,000 weekly. Below these levels, you won't send enough to maintain a warm IP reputation. Sporadic sending from a dedicated IP actually hurts.

Consistent sending patterns: Dedicated IPs need regular traffic. If you send weekly newsletters but nothing between, the IP goes "cold" and requires re-warming. Irregular senders often do better on shared.

Business requirements:

Enterprises with compliance needs often require dedicated infrastructure
Companies with high deliverability standards want isolation
Senders who've been hurt by shared IP issues seek independence

Multiple dedicated IPs: Large senders often use several, separating transactional from marketing, or different brands.

When to stay shared:

Sending under 50-100k monthly
Infrequent or inconsistent sending patterns
No dedicated resources for reputation management
ESP has well-managed shared pools

A dedicated IP is like owning your own boat. Liberating, but you need to maintain it, fuel it, and actually sail it regularly. Otherwise, it just sits in the harbor deteriorating.