SMTP plugins for WordPress help to ensure that your emails actually reach inboxes instead of getting flagged as spam. It replace the default PHP mail function with a secure SMTP. Which improves delivery for contact forms, newsletters and WooCommerce order emails.

From my own experience, using SMTP plugins made a noticeable difference. As they resolved problems like missing order notifications and improved newsletter delivery so messages consistently reached subscribers.

In this WordPress Wednesday, I will walk through some of the best WordPress SMTP plugins that I have used. It will help you find the right plugin for your site.

Why You Needs an SMTP Plugin

Your WordPress site sends emails for a range of things including:

• Creating new user accounts
• Resetting forgotten passwords
• Updating account details
• Sending comment notifications
• Delivering invoices and order confirmations

The challenge is that WordPress doesn’t always handle email delivery reliably. By default it relies on the PHP mail function. Which isn’t suited for consistent or professional level delivery.

This leads to a few common problems. Many hosting providers either misconfigure PHP mail or disable it altogether to prevent abuse. Since it lacks proper authentication it is often exploited by spammers which lowers its trust with email providers.

Even when emails are sent they can still end up in spam folders. As modern spam filters evaluate factors like sender identity, domain reputation, and authentication the areas where PHP mail falls short.

But switching to an SMTP plugin solves this as SMTP authenticates your emails and sends them through a trusted mail server. Significantly increasing the chances they will land in the inbox.

1. Easy WP SMTP

Easy WP SMTP is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to send your site’s emails through any SMTP server instead of relying on the default WordPress mail function.

The setup of this plugin is straightforward. As you just need to enter your SMTP host, port, username, and password and then the plugin handle routing your emails securely. It also includes a built in test email feature so you know that everything is working correctly.

Easy WP SMTP performed reliably for basic email delivery. However it doesn’t offer the additional features that you found in other plugins such like email logging or fallback mailers if delivery fails.

That said, the plugin keeps things simple. It is lightweight and it avoids unnecessary extras. Also it does exactly what it is meant to do making it a solid pick if you are comfortable managing SMTP settings yourself.

Pros

• Completely free
• Works with all major SMTP providers
• Lightweight and easy to use
• Includes a test email feature

Cons

• No email logs or tracking
• No fallback mailer support
• Requires manual credential setup

Pricing: Free Best For: Beginners looking for a simple, no-cost SMTP solution

Last Words: Easy WP SMTP is a dependable free plugin which is great for basic email routing in WordPress. It is best suited for users who want a minimal setup and don’t need advanced features.

2. Post SMTP

Post SMTP is another free WordPress plugin that replaces the default mail function with authenticated SMTP or API-based email delivery.

The plugin supports authentication methods like OAuth 2.0 for Gmail and Outlook which also adds an extra layer of security. The plugin includes built in email logging and also has a fallback mailer. So you can track delivery which ensure that your messages still go out if the primary service fails.

With Post SMTP it stood out as one of the more feature filled free plugin options. The email log made it easy to verify whether the messages were sent successfully and with the fallback mailer it adds a layer of reliability that many of the other free SMTP plugins doesn’t offer.

With that being said, this plugin is not the most beginner-friendly solution as the setup process can take a bit longer. Especially when configuring OAuth connections with providers such like as Gmail. Also, the interface feels slightly less polished when you compared to alternatives.

Pros

• Completely free with advanced features
• Supports OAuth 2.0 for Gmail and Outlook
• Built-in email logging
• Includes a fallback mailer

Cons

• Setup can be complex for beginners
• Interface isn’t as polished
• Limited official support

Pricing: Free Best For: Users who want more control and advanced email configuration

Last Words: Post SMTP is a powerful free plugin that does improve WordPress email delivery. It’s well suited for users that are comfortable with a more hands on setup and wanting more advanced features without paying for a premium plugin.

3. Brevo

Brevo which was formerly Sendinblue is an email marketing platform which also provides you with an SMTP relay for handling WordPress transactional emails.

You can connect your WordPress site to Brevo using either SMTP or its API. Then manage everything from its dashboard. This includes tracking email performance, monitoring deliverability and running marketing campaigns like newsletters and automation sequences.

With Brevo’s SMTP relay it was reliable and the analytics dashboard made it good to track your opens and clicks. Having both transactional and marketing emails in a single place is a good advantage if you want to centralize your email workflow.

The only limitation that I could see is the free plan’s daily sending cap. Which may not be enough for those higher traffic websites. While the paid plans remove this restriction your costs can increase quickly as your email volume grows.

Pros

• Combines SMTP relay with a full marketing platform
• Free plan available for smaller sites
• Detailed analytics and reporting
• Strong deliverability reputation

Cons

• Free plan limited to 300 emails per day
• Pricing increases with higher email volume
• May include more features than some sites need

Pricing: Free for up to 300 emails/day; paid plans start at $25/month

Best For: This plugin is great for those businesses who want transactional email delivery and marketing tools in one platform

Last Words: Brevo is a great choice for those who wanting to have both SMTP delivery and email marketing in a single tool. However, when your site grows out of the free plan cost will increase quickly.

4. WP Mail SMTP

WP Mail SMTP is the most widely used SMTP plugin for WordPress as it been trusted by millions of sites to fix email deliverability issues.

It replaces the default PHP mail function with secure SMTP and integrates with services like Gmail, SendLayer and Amazon SES. The setup process is especially beginner friendly which is thanks to its configuration wizard.

With WP Mail SMTP emails were delivered instantly and using the built-in email log made it easy to confirm that messages were sent successfully. That level of visibility is important this is especially good for things like order confirmations and contact form submissions.

Another feature that is a standout is the fallback mailer. So, if your primary email service has a temporary issue, WP Mail SMTP automatically re-routes messages through a backup. This reduces the risk of lost emails. Which for business sites, that added reliability matters.

Pros

• Works with all major email services
• Beginner-friendly setup wizard
• Email logging with delivery tracking
• Optional white-glove setup service

Cons

• Some features require the Pro version
• White-glove setup comes at an extra cost
• Can feel heavy if you only need basic SMTP functionality

Pricing: Starts at $49/year

Best For: This plugin is great for beginners who want a reliable and all-in-one SMTP solution

Last Words: WP Mail SMTP is one of the easiest and most dependable ways to fix WordPress email issues. So if you want a straightforward setup that comes with strong reliability, this plugin is a solid choice but just keep in mind that advanced features are locked behind the Pro version.

5. Gmail SMTP

Gmail SMTP is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to send emails through your Gmail or Google Workspace account.

It uses Google’s OAuth 2.0 authentication so you don’t have to store your Gmail password in WordPress. Once you connected all of the outgoing emails are routed through Gmail’s servers. This helps improve deliverability all due to Google’s strong sender reputation.

With the Gmail SMTP the deliverability was solid for smaller sites and with emails from WooCommerce including contact forms the consistently landed in the inbox which makes using the plugin a reliable solution for low-volume use.

But one of the main drawback is Gmail’s sending limits as it around 500 emails per day for free accounts and up to 2,000 for Google Workspace which makes it less suitable for larger businesses or sites that has a high email volume.

Pros

• Completely free plugin
• Strong deliverability via Gmail servers
• Secure OAuth 2.0 authentication
• Great for low-volume websites

Cons

• Daily sending limits apply
• Setup requires creating a Google app
• Not suitable for high-volume email needs

Pricing: Free (requires a Gmail or Google Workspace account) Best For: Small sites that want a free, secure SMTP solution using Gmail

Last Words: Gmail SMTP is a great reliable and secure free option suite for smaller WordPress sites. However, due to sending limits growing businesses will likely need a different dedicated SMTP service for scalability.