Are you looking for the Best WordPress SMTP plugins? Then you have come across the right post. A WordPress SMTP plugin can help to fix all your email deliverability issues, by using an alternate way from your typical WordPress default email solution.
If you are running a membership website or your WordPress site allows public registration and you need to send transactional emails to users, such as confirmation emails or password reset emails. It is likely that a significant number of these emails will be directed to spam folders when using the default WordPress email solution.
This is not ideal, as you want your emails to reach their intended recipients. This is why using a WordPress SMTP plugin can be beneficial. In this post, we will introduce you to the top 5 WordPress SMTP plugins and provide an ultimate comparison to help you choose the best one for your site.
What is SMTP and How it works?
SMTP or Sending mail Transfer protocol is a set of rules used for sending, receiving, and relaying email messages from one computer to another. It is a standard protocol for transmitting email over the internet and is used by the majority of email servers and clients for sending and receiving emails.
Here’s how SMTP works:
- When you send an email from your email client (such as Gmail or Outlook), the client uses SMTP to communicate with the email server and transmit the message to the recipient’s email server.
- The email server receives the message and checks to see if the recipient’s email address is valid.
- If the address is valid, the server sends the message to the recipient’s email server.
- The recipient’s server receives the message and delivers it to the recipient’s email client (such as Outlook or Thunderbird).
- The recipient’s email client displays the message in the inbox.
Overall, SMTP is a reliable and efficient way to send and receive emails and is widely used for both personal and business communication.
Read: 🚩 Free SMTP Servers for Sending Emails – 2023
Why do you need to use WordPress SMTP plugins?
By default, WordPress uses the PHP mail () function to handle all emails sent from the website. However, this method is not always reliable and may result in emails being landed in the spam folder. Therefore, to fix this problem, you are required to use a reputable and trusted third-party email service.
A WordPress SMTP plugin can help improve the deliverability of emails by connecting your website to a dedicated email service and adding a layer of security to it. This helps to bypass spam filters and ensure that the emails are delivered to the correct inbox.
7 Best Free WordPress SMTP Plugins Compared
If you are in hurry!! Here is a quick comparison of the top WordPress SMTP plugins you can check.
Best WordPress SMTP Plugins – Comparison Table 2023
Features | Sendinblue | WP Mail SMTP | Post-SMTP Mailer | Fluent SMTP | SMTP Mailer | Gmail SMTP | Easy WP SMTP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plan & Pricing Starts from | Free+Paid (starts at $25/yr) | Free+Paid (starts at $49/yr) | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Email Tracking | |||||||
Email Logging | |||||||
Notification management | |||||||
Email Testing tool |
7 Best WordPress SMTP Free and Paid Plugins
Now, let us check out the 5 best WordPress SMTP plugins in detail.
1. Sendinblue
Sendinblue is an all-in-one email marketing tool that is beyond any typical WordPress SMTP plugin.
Sendinblue provides an SMTP plugin for WordPress that allows you to send emails from your WordPress site using the Sendinblue SMTP servers. This plugin allows you to easily configure your WordPress site to use Sendinblue as your email provider, rather than relying on the default WordPress email function.
In addition to that, it has plenty of other loaded features that you will not find in any Free WordPress SMTP Plugins. It offers
- Improved deliverability
- Subscription forms
- Marketing campaigns
- Advanced Tracking and statistics
- Marketing automation
- Easy Integration
Pros and Cons of Sendinblue
Pros
- Easy and seamless integration with your WordPress site.
- Offers almost all email marketing solutions
- Easy to use and very intuitive
Cons
- Customer support is not available 24X7
Pricing
Although Sendinblue SMTP plugin is available and free to use with a limitation of 300 emails per day. But if you want to use its full potential, you can go for their paid plans starting at $25 per month and going up to $1000 per month.
Sendinblue Review – WPOven Opinion
We find Sendinblue a terrific option for any type of email marketing campaign or any transactional email. Their email deliverability is high and even provides you with a complete analytics report. It c
2. WP Mail SMTP
WP Mail SMTP is one of the most popular and widely used Freemium WordPress SMTP plugins, offering free and Paid versions.
The WP Mail SMTP plugin is designed to improve the deliverability of emails sent from your WordPress site. It does this by connecting your website to a dedicated mail service. Apart from this, its paid version has some incredible features such as advanced analytics that provide insights into the performance of your email campaigns, allowing you to track opens, clicks, bounces, and unsubscribes.
Overall, we recommend Sendinblue to businesses looking to improve their email marketing efforts and customer relationships. It is a comprehensive and reliable platform that offers a range of useful features and integrations to help you grow your business.
- Website Email logs and tracking
- Open and Click Tracking
- Email Reports
- White Glove support
- Attachments can save in email logs
- Resend emails
Pros and Cons of WP Mail SMTP
Pros
- Supports all main email providers
- Advanced Email log feature provided
- Let you turn off default email notifications
Cons
- Expensive premium plans
- The free version has limited features
- Does not support WordPress multisite fully
Pricing
Although the WP Mail SMTP has a free version available to use from the WordPress directory if you want to use their all advanced and premium features, upgrade to their paid plans starting from $49 per year and going up to $399 per year.
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WP Mail SMTP review- WPOven Opinion
We have had a great experience with WP Mail SMTP. In addition to serving as an SMTP plugin, it also offers very useful features such as email logging, the ability to view and export logs in different file formats, and the option to save and view email attachments from the WordPress dashboard.
The open-and-click tracking feature of WP Mail SMTP can be useful for monitoring email engagement. If budget is not a concern, you may want to consider upgrading to the premium version of the plugin.
3. Post SMTP Mailer
Post SMTP mailer is one of the powerful WordPress SMTP plugins that provide some features out of the box. It offers some advanced features such as email logs and fallback mailing to help ensure the successful delivery of emails from your WordPress site.
It is a comprehensive WordPress SMTP plugin that is designed to improve the deliverability of emails from your site. One of the key features of this plugin is its use of the Zend_Mail mail function, which is known for its effectiveness in boosting email deliverability rates.
- Email logs and resents email option
- Supports SMTPS and STARTTLS (SSL/TLS)
- Tool to diagnose server issues
Pros and Cons of Post SMTP Mailer
Pros
- Supports all major Email service providers.
- ability to fall back on the second SMTP provider if anything went wrong.
- WordPress multisite support and Chrome extension
- Use zend_mail
Cons
- Not much developer support
- Cannot track emails
- Doesn’t allow enable/disable default WordPress email notifications.
Pricing
Post-SMTP Mailer is a completely free plugin and you can easily download and use it from the WordPress directory. However, there are also plenty of paid add-ons available you can try.
Post-SMTP Mailer Review- WPOven Opinion
The Post SMTP mailer plugin offers advanced features that surpass those offered by other WordPress SMTP plugins. While the lack of developer support and other cons should be considered, it may still be the best option available for your website.
Learn more about free SMTP servers by checking out our dedicated post on “Free SMTP Servers for Sending Emails – 2023“!
4. Fluent SMTP
Fluent SMTP is a powerful plugin that offers a user-friendly interface and versatile features to make email messaging a breeze. This plugin makes it simple for anyone to create custom messages with various formatting options.
Whether you need to send a basic text-only message or a more advanced HTML email with images and attachments, this plugin has got you covered.
Additionally, FluentSMTP includes a customizable admin panel and built-in reporting tools to help you keep track of all your email activity. If you want to take your email marketing efforts to the next level, FluentSMTP is a must-have plugin for you.
- Fallback Email connection
- Email Delivers in Real-time
- Email log and resend
- In detailed reporting
Pros and Cons of FluentSMTP
Pros
- Supports majority of email providers
- SPF and DKIM authentication provided
- Option to customize Email messages
- Offers email logs and tracking
- Supports WordPress multisite
Cons
- A bit tricky to setup and configure if you are a beginner
- Reliability issues
- Doesn’t support Microsoft Exchange
Pricing
FluentSMTP is an open-source plugin and is available 100% Free to download and use from the WordPress directory.
FluentSMTP Review- WPOven Opinion
FluentSMTP has a lot to offer advanced features as compared to other standard WordPress SMTP plugins. The best part is, it is available and Free to use and the plugin is in active development. You can go for it if you are looking for some advanced features without any limitations.
5. SMTP mailer
The SMTP Mailer plugin is considered one of the easiest and simplest WordPress SMTP plugins for your website.
SMTP Mailer is unique in that it does not have built-in support for any specific SMTP provider. Instead, it allows you to connect your own SMTP service to WordPress by providing the necessary settings and account credentials. This gives you the flexibility to use any SMTP provider of your choice.
- Easy integration with popular Email Service providers
- Turn on/off email authentication
- Email testing tool provided to check deliverability
Pros and Cons of SMTP mailer
Pros
- Simple and easy to use
- It can work with any email provider
Cons
- It has limited features
- No email tracking option
- Setup and configuration can be a bit daunting for beginners
Pricing
SMTP mailer is another completely Free WordPress SMTP plugin that you can utilize.
SMTP mailer review- WPOven Opinion
The SMTP mailer is a great option for WordPress users who are looking for a simple and free SMTP plugin. It is especially useful if you are using contact form builders. Overall, it is a reliable and efficient choice.
6. Gmail SMTP
Gmail SMTP is a WordPress SMTP plugin with the help of which you can easily connect your WordPress site with Gmail and allows users to send emails from their Gmail account using an external email client or application.
From the name itself, anyone can easily assume that this plugin is specially built for those users who want to use a specific SMTP server, i.e. Gmail. This plugin can be useful for users who have difficulty sending emails from their WordPress site or who want to improve the reliability and security of their email delivery.
What makes the Gmail SMTP unique from other WordPress SMTP plugins is its login method which uses OAuth 2.0 rather than the traditional login and password method. Although this is very much secure for the complete setup you have to go through a lengthy and bit tricky setup process.
But do not worry, we have made the whole setup a lot easier to understand in our ultimate guide on “How to Use Gmail SMTP plugin for Sending Emails for Free?“.
Overall, the Gmail SMTP plugin can be a useful WordPress SMTP plugin for improving the email functionality of a WordPress site and ensuring that emails are delivered reliably and securely.
- OAuth 2.0 Authentication
- TLS/SSL encryption
- You can use Gmail SMTP server to send emails from your website
Pros and cons of Gmail SMTP WordPress Plugin
Pros
- Uses OAuth 2.0 as a login method which is more secure than the traditional login and password method.
- Completely Free
Cons
- Bit complicated and lengthy process to setup
- Doesn’t provide any email analytics or tracking information
Pricing
The Gmail SMTP WordPress plugin is available completely free to download and use from the WordPress directory.
Gmail SMTP review – WPOven Opinion
If you want to send emails from your free Gmail account via your WordPress site, Gmail SMTP can be a perfect choice to get your job done.
7. Easy WP SMTP
Easy WP SMTP is another popular WordPress SMTP plugin that you can use for improving the email delivery of a WordPress website.
It is completely free to use and well known for its simple features and easy configuration section for setting up SMTP on the site.
The plugin also includes a feature that allows users to send test emails to check if everything is working properly or not.
- You can use Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail’s SMTP servers
- Secure to sending email
- Option to enable debug logging
- Provides an email testing tool
Pros and cons of Easy WP SMTP
Pros
- Simple and easy to use.
- Offers you a single setup page where you can put all your SMTP settings.
Cons
- Does not offer direct integration with Sending services
Pricing
Just like the Easy WP SMTP plugin, its pricing is also straightforward and available completely Free. It can be a great option for those whose budget is tight.
Easy WP SMTP Review – WPOven Opinion
If you are a WordPress user who prefers not to spend money on paid SMTP plugins and is looking for a simple and easy-to-use option, this may be a good choice for you.
Features | Sendinblue | WP Mail SMTP | Post-SMTP Mailer | Fluent SMTP | SMTP Mailer | Gmail SMTP | Easy WP SMTP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plan & Pricing Starts from | Free+Paid (starts at $25/yr) | Free+Paid (starts at $49/yr) | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Email Tracking | |||||||
Email Logging | |||||||
Notification management | |||||||
Email Testing tool |
Conclusion
While WordPress does allow you to send emails, you may experience issues with deliverability if you rely on its built-in PHP mail function. If you need to send a significant number of emails on a daily basis, it is recommended to use a WordPress SMTP plugin to ensure better deliverability.
As we have already provided you with a complete list of free and Paid WordPress SMTP plugins, you can check them out and use the one that best fits your requirements.
Please let us know in the comment section below if you have any queries or would like to add more points to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best SMTP plugin for WordPress?
The best SMTP plugin for WordPress you can use are:
1. FluentSMTP
2. WPMail SMTP
3. Post SMTP Mailer
4. Gmail SMTP
5. Easy WP SMTP
Is Easy WP SMTP free?
The Easy WP SMTP plugin is a free and open-source option for WordPress users to send SMTP emails. It can be downloaded and installed directly from the WordPress plugin directory.
Is there any free SMTP server?
There are plenty of free SMTP servers available you can try in which Google’s free SMTP server is reliable, secure, and trusted. Due to Google’s great reputation, your emails won’t land in the recipient’s spam folder.