What are the downsides of migrating from a shared IP to a dedicated IP for low volume email senders?

Email marketer from Litmus says that without sufficient volume and consistent sending habits, deliverability can be significantly worse with a dedicated IP, because you are 100% responsible for that IPs reputation. ISPs expect regular senders to have consistent traffic patterns and when they see an IP sending too little mail, they treat it as suspicious.

Email marketer from Reddit user u/email_marketing_guy shares that deliverability can actually worsen with a dedicated IP if you're not sending enough mail to build a good reputation. ISPs will be suspicious of a suddenly active IP with very low volume.

Email marketer from Forumswebsite user ForumsUser mentions some ESPs may charge extra for a dedicated IP even if you don't need one - this is just money wasted.

Email marketer from StackExchange user 'user12345' shares that ISPs view dedicated IPs with low volume as potential spam sources because legitimate senders usually have higher volume. This can lead to filtering issues.

Email marketer from Reddit user u/anon_emailer states that shared IPs can be better for low volume emailers, and that with a dedicated IP, all the weight of the deliverability of your emails rests solely with you - this is much more work.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that if you don’t send enough emails, you won’t have enough volume to establish a sending reputation from a dedicated IP, and generally wouldn’t advise a dedicated IP for an 8K list.

Email marketer from HubSpot shares that the cost of maintaining a dedicated IP (including monitoring and potential remediation efforts if issues arise) may outweigh the benefits for low-volume senders. Shared IPs typically spread the cost of reputation management across multiple users.

Email marketer from EmailOnAcid shares that if something goes wrong (e.g., a sudden spike in spam complaints), a low-volume sender with a dedicated IP has no buffer. The entire IP reputation is at risk, whereas on a shared IP, the impact is distributed.

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that using a dedicated IP address requires a gradual 'warm-up' process. This involves slowly increasing sending volume to establish a positive reputation with ISPs. Low-volume senders may struggle to build this reputation quickly enough, potentially harming deliverability.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that at the volume level described, on Pardot, it's probably better to stay on a shared IP, and if you’re having trouble with the IP you’re on, ask support to move you to a different IP.

Expert from Word to the Wise shares a comment that small senders will have delivery problems using a dedicated IP address if they send less than 50,000 messages per month as IPs that sit idle or that only send mail sporadically are seen as suspicious.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that a dedicated IP for low volume senders can be problematic because it takes time and consistent volume to build a positive sender reputation. Without enough volume, the IP may not establish a good reputation, leading to deliverability issues. They also recommend considering the cost, especially if you don't have in-house expertise.

Documentation from Microsoft 365 states that setting up a dedicated IP requires technical knowledge, such as setting up reverse DNS records and ensuring proper authentication. Low-volume senders may not have the expertise or resources to handle these technical aspects properly.

Documentation from SendGrid highlights that dedicated IPs require consistent sending volume to maintain a good sender reputation. If you don't send frequently enough, ISPs might view your IP as inactive or potentially spammy, which can negatively impact deliverability. Low-volume senders face a challenge in meeting this consistency requirement.

Documentation from SparkPost clarifies that managing a dedicated IP involves monitoring bounce rates, spam complaints, and blocklist status. Low-volume senders may lack the resources or expertise to effectively manage these factors, leading to potential deliverability problems.

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that IP reputation is a crucial factor in deliverability. Low volume may not provide enough data for Google to properly assess your IP's reputation, making it harder to achieve good inbox placement.

Documentation from Amazon SES explains that if you use a shared IP address, your sending reputation is affected by the sending practices of other users who share the IP address. With a dedicated IP address, your sending reputation is only affected by your own sending practices.