[Gigachad]

You can self host and reach inboxes. You just have to have all of the optional headers/dns stuff set up, and have a domain and IP address in good reputation. Probably also having the whole block in good reputation.

Realistically an absolute fuckload of spam and not a lot of genuine email comes out of residential and cheap VPS hosts IPs so they already have a negative rep.

[dspillett]

I do self host. You have to have all DNS markers set right and DKIM working right, but that isn't complicated really.

The good reputation IP range is the biggest problem. I have a more expensive ISP at home that takes its network seriously, so I look more like a commercial interest in that regard. There are decent services that will act as relay for you and probably cost less than such an ISP (or a similarly more expensive VPS provider that takes priority care of related things) if outgoing SMTP is your main reason for considering one.

[dorfsmay]

That sort of work but not all the time, your messages still end up in spam a lot when trying to reach somebody you haven't exchanged email with before.