5 Best WordPress SMTP Plugins [Free+Paid]

How WordPress SMTP Plugins Improve Email Deliverability?

WordPress SMTP plugins serve as the bridge between your WordPress site and your email server. They ensure reliable and secure email delivery, empowering you to email like a pro.

Here’s why every WordPress user should consider using an SMTP plugin for their WordPress website:

• Reliable email delivery: The default WordPress email function uses PHP mail, which lacks the necessary authentication and verification mechanisms. That’s why email servers often mark these emails as spam or not delivered at all. SMTP plugins, on the other hand, connect your website to a trusted SMTP server, which ensures more reliable email delivery.

• Avoiding spam filters: SMTP plugins significantly reduce the risk of your emails being marked as spam. Email providers recognize SMTP servers, lowering the chances of your messages ending up in recipients’ spam folders.

• Detailed email logs: WordPress SMTP plugins provide you with all the necessary data about your email campaigns and help you to keep them on track. Besides, these insights help you identify and quickly troubleshoot any potential issues.

• Bulk email handling: For websites sending a large volume of emails, SMTP plugins efficiently handle bulk email delivery, maintaining email performance, and preventing server overload.

• Customizable email settings: WordPress SMTP plugins let you customize the ‘From’ name and email address, adding a professional and personalized touch. This boosts brand recognition and increases email open rates.

• Improved server reputation: By using reputable SMTP servers through the plugin, your website’s server reputation improves. This results in better email deliverability rates as email providers trust established servers.

Things to Consider Before Choosing a WordPress SMTP Plugin

The success of your email sending depends not only on your strategy or campaign design but also on how you choose your tools. And with countless SMTP plugin options in WordPress, it can feel overwhelming!

But, not fear! We’re here with the secret recipe. Consider the following factors before making your decision:

• Compatibility and integration: Check if the SMTP plugin is compatible with your WordPress version and other essential plugins you use. Ensure it seamlessly integrates with your existing setup to avoid potential conflicts.

• Ease of setup: Look for a user-friendly plugin with a straightforward setup process. An intuitive configuration wizard can make the setup hassle-free, even for beginners.

• Supported SMTP services: Ensure the plugin supports the SMTP service provider you prefer to use. Popular providers like Gmail, Sendinblue, and Mailgun are usually supported by most plugins.

• Affordability: Email marketing has the highest return on investment. However, in order to get the most out of it, you must first ensure that the instrument you are using is affordable. That is why you should go with a low-cost SMTP plugin. 

• Advanced reporting: Data is important to keep you on track! A plugin with email logging and reporting features allows you to track the status of outgoing emails and troubleshoot any delivery issues effectively.

• Support and Documentation: Check if the plugin has active support channels and comprehensive documentation. A responsive support team can help address any concerns, and thorough documentation aids in setup and troubleshooting.

• User Reviews and Ratings: Before making your final decision, consider what other people say about the plugin. Consider their advice while selecting the best WordPress SMTP plugin for you. 

5 Best SMTP Plugins for WordPress

1. Fluent SMTP

The first SMTP plugin that comes to our list is Fluent SMTP which is the most powerful and reliable SMTP plugin of all. 

Fluent SMTP is the fastest-growing SMTP plugin for WordPress, which comes with lots of powerful features and functionalities. Plus, it supports most email service connections. It currently holds over 100000+ active installations and is a free plugin.

So, if you’re looking for an SMTP plugin that’ll offer you the best service free of cost, then Fluent SMTP will be the right choice.

Features of FluentSMTP:

• Email delivery in real-time
• Native REST API connection to ensure fast speed and security
• Transactional and marketing email sending using intelligent email routing
• Unlimited email-sending privilege
• Establish connections with any service providers
• Email tracking and resending capabilities
• Daily/weekly notifications on email deliverability 

Pricing of FluentSMTP:

• FluentSMTP is free 

2. WP Mail SMTP

WP Mail SMTP offers easy and reliable email deliverability with both free and pro versions. It comes with many impressive features and supports SMTP providers such as

• SendinBlue
• SendGrid
• Mailgun
• Gmail

However, some important features aren’t available on the free version, so you need to upgrade to the pro version to enjoy the full extent.

Features of WP Mail SMTP:

• White glove setup service to ensure automatic installation and setup
• Reports on email deliverability statistics
• Instant email failure notification
• Backup connections with a secondary provider
• Smart email routing with conditional logic

Pricing of WP Mail SMTP:

• $99/year for one domain
• $149/year for three domains
• $249/year for twenty domains
• $399/year for hundred domains

3. Easy WP SMTP

If you’re looking for a simple and lightweight SMTP plugin, then Easy WP SMTP is a good option. It’s easier to configure and use for most users and supports six transactional mailers to send emails. These are-

• SendLayer (recommended)
• Amazon SES 
• Mailgun
• Microsoft 365 / Outlook
• SMTP.com

However, some features are limited in the free version of this plugin. For example, if you want to connect with Amazon SES or Microsoft 365, you need to upgrade to the pro version.

Features of Easy WP SMTP:

• Easy email delivery using one of the transactional mailers or SMTP server
• Track, record, and store all outgoing emails from your WordPress website
• Email reporting feature to monitor email delivery, open and click rate, etc.
• Identify debug events that document unsuccessful email transmission & their causes

Pricing of Easy WP SMTP:

• $99/per year for one domain
• $199/year for five domains
• $399/year for ten domains
• $599/year for fifty domains

4. POST SMTP

Post SMTP stands as an advanced WP Mail SMTP plugin developed to aid and improve email deliverability from WordPress. 

It’s user-friendly and easy to configure. Moreover, it supports any SMTP mailing service, including  Mailgun, Sendgrid, and Gmail.

Features of Post SMTP:

• No need to store email passwords with OAuth 2.0 protocol
• Easy checking and filtering of email delivery and debugging
• Email failure notification by email, Pushover, or Slack
• Chrome extension support to notify issues
• Fallback mailing support if the main SMTP fails

Pricing of Post SMTP:

• Free

5. WP Offload SES Lite

The last SMTP plugin that made it to our list is WP Offload SES Lite. If you’re looking for a lightweight SMTP plugin to integrate your website with Amazon SES, then it’s the best option. 

WP Offload SES Lite offers reliable email deliverability using the powerful Amazon SES system. But you won’t receive any email failure notification, which is a bit disappointing.

It offers both free and pro packages, which are enriched in features. But to enjoy the complete functionalities, you need to upgrade to the pro version, which is WP OFFLOAD SES. 

Features of WP Offload SES Lite:

• Verify a list of emails sent from the website
• Send test email before enabling site-wide email
• Monitor Amazon SES send rate performance
• Custom “Reply To” and “Return Path” address setting option
• Weekly report on sent emails

Pricing of WP Offload SES Lite:

• $99/year for one domain
• $149/year for three domains
• $199/year for five domains
• $249/year for ten domains
• $299/year for twenty domains

Conclusion 

SMTP plugins are robust solutions to ensure better deliverability for your promotional and marketing emails. But, when you have many options, finding the right ones is challenging.

We’ve compiled this list of the best SMTP plugins to help you find the best plugin for your business. Some plugins in this list may require a premium subscription to get all the features. Look out for the different features these plugins offer to find the one that suits you best.

Did you find this article helpful? Let us know in the comments. 

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