How to Install SendPortal in Control Panel and Send Mass Emails for Free

Last updated on March 3rd, 2025 at 05:38 am

Ready to take control of your email marketing? 

SendPortal is a free, open-source tool that lets you send bulk marketing emails without the hefty price tag of subscription services.

Pair it with CloudPap VPS Hosting for dedicated IP address, and you’re off to the races.

That’s right.

You could actually run email marketing campaigns without hundreds of dollars that you would have paid to email service providers such as MailChimp, ConvertKit, Mailerlite and the likes.  

If you’re new to this and want to deploy SendPortal in cPanel, you’re in the right spot—I’ll walk you through it step-by-step.

I’ve tinkered with setups like this, and it’s easier than you’d think. 

cPanel’s friendly interface simplifies the process, and CloudPap’s reliable VPS hosting gives you the power you need. No tech genius badge required — just follow along.

By the end, you’ll have SendPortal running smoothly on a CloudPap VPS. Let’s jump in and get your email system live!

The setup should be almost the same for any other control panel, if you don’t have cPanel. 

What is SendPortal?

SendPortal is an open-source platform for email marketing. It’s like your own mission control for sending newsletters or campaigns. 

You host it yourself — perfect when paired with CloudPap VPS Hosting—and connected to SMTP Relay services such as Amazon SES for sending emails.

Sounds good, but why bother? 

It’s free, customizable, and skips those pesky monthly fees. Ideal for beginners wanting to run email campaigns affordably.

What You’ll Need

Before you start, grab these basics:

• CloudPap VPS Hosting: Affordable plans with a dedicated IP—check https://cloudpap.com.
  
• Control Panel: cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin, or CyberPanel—CloudPap supports them all.
  
• Domain Name: Snag one from Truehost.com if you don’t already have one
  
• Email Service: A free or low-cost SMTP provider (e.g., Amazon SES’s free tier).

Ready? Let’s get moving.

1) Get a CloudPap VPS for Mass Emails

Start with a Virtual Private Server from CloudPap. 

Our plans start from just $5.99 for 1 vCore, 1GB RAM, and 25GB SSD. We also give you a dedicated IP address. 

This boosts your email deliverability, keeping you out of spam folders.

With 99.9% uptime and data centers in over 8 countries including US, you’re in safe hands. 

Simply pick a location close to your audience for faster loading speeds

Pick Your Control Panel

When signing up, choose your control panel — cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin, or CyberPanel. 

They all work; I’ll show you how to adapt for each.

Some of these are free on our servers

2) Set Up Your Control Panel Environment

Log In

Once your CloudPap VPS is live, log into your control panel. 

For cPanel, it’s yourdomain.com/cpanel; Plesk uses yourdomain.com:8443, and so on. 

CloudPap emails you the details.

Check the Requirements

SendPortal needs PHP 7.4+, MySQL 5.7+, and Composer. 

Here’s how to confirm:

• cPanel: Use “MultiPHP Manager” to set PHP.
• Plesk: Adjust in “PHP Settings” under “Tools & Settings.”
• DirectAdmin: Switch via “Select PHP Version.”
• CyberPanel: Edit under “Server” > “PHP.”

All CloudPap plans support this out of the box—just tweak if needed.

3) Download SendPortal

Get the Goods

Visit SendPortal’s GitHub. 

• Click “Code” and download the ZIP. 
• Unzip it—you’ll see folders like app and public, ready to power your mass emails.

This step’s the same no matter your control panel. It’s all about getting those files prepped.

4) Upload SendPortal to Your VPS

Find Your File Manager

Each control panel has a spot to upload files:

• cPanel: “File Manager” > public_html.
• Plesk: “File Manager” > httpdocs.
• DirectAdmin: “File Manager” > /domains/yourdomain.com/public_html.
• CyberPanel: “File Manager” > /home/yourdomain.com/public_html.

Upload and Organize

Upload your unzipped SendPortal folder. 

Extract if needed, then move its contents (not the folder itself) to the right directory. 

CloudPap’s SSD storage makes this fast—perfect for quick setups.

5) Create a Database for SendPortal

Set up a MySQL database:

• cPanel: Use “MySQL Database Wizard”—name it (e.g., sendportal_db), add a user, and grant privileges.
• Plesk: “Databases” > “Add Database”—create and link a user.
• DirectAdmin: “MySQL Management”—manual setup for database and user.
• CyberPanel: “Databases” > “Create Database”—tie it to a user.

Save the name, username, and password.

Link SendPortal to a Database

In your SendPortal directory, rename .env.example to .env. 

Edit it with:

DB_DATABASE=sendportal_db
DB_USERNAME=your_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_password

This links SendPortal to your database—key for managing email lists.

6) Install Dependencies

Access a Terminal

You’ll need to run commands:

• cPanel: Use “Terminal” or SSH (ask CloudPap for help if this doesn’t sound familiar).
  
• Plesk: “SSH Terminal” or SSH client.
  
• DirectAdmin: SSH only—CloudPap can enable it.
  
• CyberPanel: “SSH Access” under “Security.”

Run Composer

Navigate to your SendPortal folder (e.g., cd /home/yourusername/public_html) and type:

composer install

Set permissions:

chmod -R 775 storage
chmod -R 775 bootstrap/cache

CloudPap’s servers handle this smoothly—dependencies download fast.

7) Finalize SendPortal Setup

Run Migrations

In your terminal, type:

php artisan migrate

This sets up tables for your campaigns. Create a default user when prompted.

Secure It

Run:

php artisan key:generate
php artisan storage:link

These lock down your app and enable file uploads—like email templates.

8) Send Mass Emails for Free

Test Your Site

Visit yourdomain.com or your subdomain. Log in with your default credentials. CloudPap’s dedicated IP ensures it loads quick.

Add an Email Service

In SendPortal’s dashboard, go to “Settings” > “Email Services.”

Use a free-tier SMTP like Amazon SES (3,000 emails/month free) or Mailgun (5,000 free). 

Enter the SMTP details and test it—emails should fly out.

Launch Your Campaign

Upload a subscriber list (CSV), design an email in SendPortal’s editor, and hit send. 

You’re now sending mass emails for free—thanks to CloudPap and SendPortal!

How Control Panels Compare

Task	cPanel	Plesk	DirectAdmin	CyberPanel
File Upload	File Manager	File Manager	File Manager/FTP	File Manager
Database	Wizard	Wizard	Manual	Manual
Commands	Terminal/SSH	Terminal/SSH	SSH	SSH
Ease	Super Easy	Easy	Moderate	Moderate

• cPanel: Best for newbies—tons of guidance.
• Plesk: Sleek and user-friendly.
• DirectAdmin: Basic but effective.
• CyberPanel: Free and fast, less polished.

Why CloudPap VPS Hosting Wins

CloudPap powers this setup perfectly:

• Cheap Plans: $5.99/month gets you started.
• Dedicated IP: Keeps your emails legit.
• Support: 24/7 help if you’re stuck.

It’s the ideal backbone for SendPortal, no matter your control panel.

Final Thoughts

You’ve just learned how to deploy SendPortal in a control panel and send mass emails for free—pretty cool, right? 

With CloudPap VPS Hosting, you’ve got the tools to run campaigns without breaking the bank. Upload your list, send a test, and watch it work.