Email communication is an integral part of running a successful WordPress website. However, ensuring that your emails reach recipients reliably can sometimes be a challenge due to various technical factors.
This is where SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) plugins come to the rescue. These plugins play a crucial role in improving the deliverability of your emails, ensuring they reach the inbox of your intended audience without ending up in spam folders.
In this article, we’ll explore the top 10 WordPress SMTP plugins that can help streamline your email delivery process. Whether you’re a beginner looking for user-friendly options or an advanced user seeking customization features, these plugins offer a range of functionalities to suit different needs.
Impact of SMTP Plugins on WordPress Websites
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) plugins wield a significant impact on the functionality and reliability of WordPress websites, particularly concerning email communication. These plugins act as the bridge between your website and email servers, ensuring that messages are sent efficiently and reach the intended recipients’ inboxes. By integrating an SMTP plugin into a WordPress site, users can bid farewell to the hassles of emails ending up in spam folders or failing to deliver altogether.
Moreover, the use of SMTP plugins goes beyond mere email delivery. It contributes profoundly to the overall performance of a WordPress site by optimizing communication channels. These plugins often come packed with features such as authentication protocols, encryption methods, and customization options, enabling users to fine-tune their email settings according to specific preferences and security needs.
Best WordPress SMTP Plugins
1. Maligun
Check out Mailgun SMTP if you’re searching for an SMTP plugin that’s developer-friendly. It has a RESTful API that makes mass transactional email sending simple. You can always check the status of all of your emails by using its API.
Mailgun’s premium subscribers have access to a round-the-clock support center. Your email data is stored for a maximum of 15 days. For ordinary users, configuring Mailgun SMTP can be a little challenging. It is far more appropriate for developers to use this plugin. As a developer, you may use this plugin to optimize your return on investment.
Top Features:
- Email Address Validation
- Email Tracking
Pricing:
| Foundation | Scale | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| $35/month | $90/month | custom |
2. Fluent SMTP
With the help of the robust plugin FluentSMTP, you can have complete control over how your emails are delivered. Gmail, AmazonSES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Sendinblue, Sparkpost, Postmark, Pepipost, Outlook, and more may all be easily integrated with your WordPress website with its assistance.
FluentSMTP offers thorough logs, in-the-moment analytics, and insightful information about your email campaigns. You have the ability to monitor the performance of the emails you send. With the help of this comprehensive data, you can optimize your email marketing tactics to increase conversions. Multisite and FluentSMTP operate together effortlessly. According to your needs, you must set it up with every WordPress website you own.
Top Features:
- Easy to route emails
- Intuitive Interface
Pricing:
free
3. Mail Bank SMTP
You can send emails using your existing Yahoo, Outlook, or Gmail account by using Mail Bank SMTP. It optimizes your WordPress website’s functionality by using the Zend framework. Every email you send is captured by its email logger. You can use it to remove pointless emails one at a time or in bulk.
This plugin offers a variety of authentication techniques. The compatibility of Mail Bank SMTP with other email and contact form plugins is excellent. In addition to the premium versions, it provides a free plan to evaluate its possibilities.
Top Features:
- Email Encryption available
- Email Analysis
Pricing:
free
4. Mailjet
Right now, Mailjet is a well-liked SMTP plugin in the internet business world. With the help of this plugin, business websites may send transaction emails in bulk and tailor their marketing campaigns. You can select the ideal template for your campaigns from a gallery of available templates.
You can get real-time reports on email deliverability with Mailjet’s analytics. This plugin is used by several well-known businesses such as DHL, Kia, Microsoft, and American Express, and has over 20,000 active installs. One of the least expensive WordPress SMTP plugins on the internet is Mailjet. However, the cost varies according to the user’s location.
Top Features:
- Easy to enable SMTP authentication
- Advanced Encryption
Pricing:
| Free | Essential | Premium | Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 | $15/month | $25/month | Upon Request |
5. SMTP Mailer
SMTP Mailer is a relatively new SMTP plugin for WordPress. You can send test emails over the SMTP server, which is a useful function that it provides to make sure that the settings are executed correctly. This plugin isn’t particularly new, but it can be a useful tool nonetheless.
You can also specify the SMTP port and encryption type that the plugin will use for emails. Many email service providers are compatible with SMTP Mailer. For marketers and online company owners who rely significantly on email campaigns, SMTP Mailer is quite helpful.
Top Features:
- Real-time dashboard
- Drag and Drop Builder
Pricing:
free
6. Post SMTP Mailer
Another feature-rich and free WordPress SMTP plugin is Post SMTP Mailer. Once installed, the plugin substitutes the WordPress SMTP library and PHP Mailer by connecting Zend_Mail to your website. The Chrome addon alerts users right away if an email does not arrive in their inbox.
It contains a sophisticated connectivity tester and setup wizard. You can use them to examine your SMTP server for configuration errors or firewall blockages. Integrating the SendGrid API also allows you to send 100 emails every day without restriction.
Top Features:
- Automatically resend failed emails
- Custom email headers
Pricing:
| Basic | Standard | Professional | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $49.99/yr | $99.99/yr | $199.99/yr | $299.99/yr |
7. WP Mail SMTP
WP Mail SMTP is one of the best SMTP plugins for WordPress websites. It comes from the same team that brought you WPForms, the well-known contact form plugin, and allows you to send emails from your WordPress dashboard with just a few clicks to any SMTP email service provider.
The plugin comes with a free version that has all the essential features you need to increase email deliverability, and it’s really simple to set up. Alternatively, you can get access to a wider variety of SMTP options by upgrading to the pro version. Setting up WP Mail SMTP for free with mail clients such as Mailgun, Gmail, Zoho Mail, and SendGrid is a simple process.
Top Features:
- Setup Wizard
- Email Tracking
Pricing:
| Free | Pro | Elite | Developer | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0 | $49/yr | $79/yr | $149/yr | $299/yr |
8. Gmail SMTP
The goal of Gmail SMTP is to assist you in connecting to Gmail, a single SMTP server. Take a look at this one if you do wish to send emails using Gmail. If not, you ought to select an alternative plugin.
You can do more with Gmail SMTP than merely enter your SMTP account and password, in contrast to most other SMTP plugins. Rather, OAuth 2.0 is used by the plugin for permission.
Although this improves security, it also means that before you can use it, you’ll need to complete a few simple setup steps in the Google Developers Console.
Top Features:
- OAuth 2.0 facility
- Easy integration
Pricing:
free
9. Easy WP SMTP
This plugin is a fantastic choice for individuals who want a more streamlined method because it provides a straightforward and lightweight substitute for other SMTP plugins. Easy WP SMTP is still a strong and trustworthy choice.
It lets you customize your own and supports a number of email providers, such as SendLayer, Mailgun, Sendinblue, and SMTP.com. There isn’t a wizard to help you with the setup. But if you’re tech-savvy, creating your own connection shouldn’t be too difficult. Details like your host, the kind of encryption, the port, and other settings must be entered.
Top Features:
- Email Debugging
- Lightweight
Pricing:
| Basic | Plus | Pro | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| $39.60/month | $79.60/month | $159.60/month | $239.60/month |
10. Brevo WordPress Plugin
If you currently use Brevo for marketing purposes, you absolutely need to add this plugin. The plugin has SMTP capabilities in addition to tools for email marketing, subscription forms, and newsletters. Sendinblue’s SMTP service can be used by redirecting the default wp_mail() function, giving you reliable and secure email delivery.
It costs nothing to sign up for Sendinblue’s platform and use it. With the free license, you can send up to 300 emails each day in addition to having access to essential tools like email marketing builders, transactional email sending via SMTP, email gathering, list building, and campaign scheduling.
Top Features:
- SMTP Email Routing
- Schedule email marketing campaign
Pricing:
| Free | Starter | Business | BrevoPlus |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 | $25/month | $65/month | custom |
Conclusion
In conclusion, whether you prioritize ease of use, advanced customization, or specific email service integrations, these plugins provide valuable solutions to streamline your email delivery process. By selecting the best WordPress SMTP plugins that align with your requirements, you can optimize email deliverability, improve communication with your audience, and enhance the overall performance of your WordPress site.
Ultimately, integrating a reliable SMTP plugin into your WordPress site is a smart investment that can positively impact your email marketing, communication strategies, and user engagement.
FAQ
Are SMTP plugins necessary for all WordPress sites, including small blogs or personal websites?
While not mandatory, SMTP plugins benefit all WordPress sites, regardless of size. Even small blogs or personal websites can encounter email deliverability issues. Using an SMTP plugin helps ensure that emails, such as password resets, contact form submissions, or notifications, reliably reach recipients without getting lost in spam folders.
Do SMTP plugins require technical expertise to set up and configure on a WordPress site?
Most SMTP plugins are designed with user-friendly interfaces and straightforward setup processes. Many offer step-by-step guides or wizards to assist users in configuring settings without requiring advanced technical knowledge. Some plugins also provide default settings for popular email services, simplifying the setup further.
Can I use an SMTP plugin if I already have an email service (e.g., Gmail, Outlook) connected to my WordPress site?
SMTP plugins can work in conjunction with existing email services. They allow you to use your preferred email service’s SMTP server settings within the WordPress environment, ensuring better email delivery. This integration can enhance reliability and provide additional control over email settings.
