Top 5 WordPress SMTP plugins to improve your email communication.
The importance of using SMTP compared to the standard PHP function mail() should not be underestimated when it comes to the reliable sending of e-mails from your WordPress site. Instead of mail() PHP offer WordPress SMTP plugins a safer and more effective way to ensure that your messages are properly delivered without being blocked by spam filters.
Now that the importance of SMTP is clear, let's take a look at the five best WordPress SMTP plugins and solutions that can help you optimize email communication on your website and ensure your messages reach the intended recipients.
1. WP Mail SMTP
Statistics from WP Mail SMTP:
- Over 2 million downloads
- Rating: 4,8/5
- Best suited for: Blogs and e-commerce websites
- Price: Freemium (paid plans start at 49 $/year)
WP Mail SMTP has established itself as the outstanding WordPress SMTP plugin for sending emails. It optimizes the wp_mail() function by using the correct credentials for the SMTP host. In addition, it enables the use of integrated email providers to ensure that sent emails do not end up in the spam folder.
Users can review detailed information about the messages sent from their WordPress site and summarize them in weekly reports. The configuration also includes the ability to send a sample email to ensure that the delivery system is working properly.
The premium version, WP Mail SMTP Pro, offers seamless integrations with various renowned email services such as Amazon SES, Microsoft SMTP and Zoho Mail. In particular, the plugin offers a "white-glove setup" service for Elite plan subscribers. This service ensures that an expert will assist you with the installation, configuration and final fine-tuning of your email and DNS settings.
WP Mail SMTP can also be easily updated. Simply enter the purchased license key in the plugin settings and benefit from the premium functions.
Main features:
- White glove setup service
- E-mail logging
- E-mail tracking
- E-mail reports and summaries
- Premium versions offer built-in integrations with popular email providers such as Amazon SES, Microsoft SMTP and Zoho Mail
- Advanced SMTP plugin settings
Disadvantages:
- Supports only a limited number of e-mail providers
2. easy WP SMTP
Easy WP SMTP overview:
- Over 600,000 downloads
- Rating: 4,6/5
- Best suited for: personal blogs
- Free of charge
Easy WP SMTP is one of the highly acclaimed WordPress email plugins. It is free of charge and offers an easy-to-understand user interface and SMTP settings, making it effortless for users to set up and use the tool.
The integration of Yahoo, Hotmail or Google Workspace accounts is possible without any problems.
In addition to its basic functionality, this WordPress plugin offers advanced features such as debug logging to monitor email deliverability, the ability to enter a specified reply-to email address, and an option to export and import SMTP settings.
A particularly useful feature of this plugin is the simulated email function, which ensures that your WordPress site is optimally prepared to successfully forward outgoing emails to the SMTP server.
Main features:
- Support for popular email providers such as Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail.
- Debug logging.
- Export and import of SMTP settings.
- Testing e-mails.
Disadvantages:
- Lack of integrated integration system requires manual connection of email accounts by users.
3. post SMTP
POST SMTP at a glance:
- Over 300,000 downloads
- Rating: 4,8/5
- Best suited for: Blogs, e-commerce and production quality websites
- Price: Freemium (paid plans start at $39.99/year)
Post SMTP is one of the most powerful WordPress email plugins. It is fully compatible with numerous SMTP providers and email protocol services, including the Gmail API.
The free version offers built-in integrations with leading email providers such as Mandrill, Mailgun, SendGrid and Sendinblue.
This plugin meets the latest security standards with proprietary OAuth 2.0 support for Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo. In addition, the plugin does not store your email password in the WordPress database to prevent easy access.
Post SMTP provides several automated tools. The Setup Wizard makes it easy to configure your WordPress SMTP plugin, while the Connectivity Tester detects firewall blockages and server problems.
In addition, this tool provides email log settings to diagnose delivery problems. Users can read, filter, troubleshoot and check the delivery status of messages. Post SMTP also sends notifications via email, Pushover or Slack if a message cannot be sent successfully.
Main features:
- Compatible with many third-party SMTP services, mailing APIs and email protocol providers.
- Setup wizard for easy configuration of your WordPress SMTP.
- Connectivity tester for detecting server problems.
- Notifications for unsent e-mails.
- Integrated advanced SMTP settings.
Disadvantages:
- The latest version of this plugin may not be compatible with some security plugins.
4. send grid SMTP provider
Send Grid at a glance:
- Over 800,000 downloads
- Rating: 4,2/5
- Best suited for: Production quality websites
- Price: Freemium (paid plans start at $19.95/month)
SendGrid is a cloud-based SMTP provider that acts as an email delivery engine. It allows users to send emails seamlessly without having to manage their own SMTP servers. SendGrid also takes care of infrastructure scaling, reputation monitoring, ISP outreach and real-time analytics.
Artificial intelligence (AI) drives SendGrid's deliverability, marketing and automation. This provider protects its delivery system by enabling SMTP authentication as well as SPF and DKIM records to prevent phishing, reverse DNS and brand links.
SendGrid provides an onboarding specialist who will guide you through the setup process to ensure the mail system is working correctly. It also provides a delivery consultant who can evaluate your email program and identify areas for optimization.
Furthermore, this SMTP provider offers a user-friendly dashboard, email notifications and a reputation score to help you assess deliverability issues. It also sends regular email reports that track user statistics.
To use SendGrid, users need to collect additional information such as client ID and client secret or API key from their hosting providers to establish a secure SMTP connection.
Main features:
- Integration into the AI environment.
- Cloud-based infrastructure.
- Dedicated IP addresses.
- Adaptive Communication Engine (ACE).
Disadvantages:
SendGrid's Essential tariff offers the same functions as the free tariff.
5. brevo (formerly sendinblue) SMTP provider
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) at a glance:
- Over 100,000 downloads
- Rating: 4,4/5
- Best suited for: E-commerce stores or digital marketing agencies
- Price: Freemium (paid plans start at $25/month)
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is one of the leading SMTP providers worldwide. It is an all-in-one mail platform with many integrated digital marketing tools.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) offers personalized emails based on subscriber behavior. You can also set up multichannel workflows for email and SMS marketing campaigns. In addition, this email service automatically tracks website visits using the Brevo Tracker tool.
In terms of deliverability, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) implements advanced account validation processes such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC to prevent spam. It automatically removes hard bounce contacts from users' marketing campaigns.
In addition, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) generates a performance report every time users send an email campaign. The statistics collected include delivery, open and click rates. The report also includes geographic data, heat maps and deliverability by email provider.
Main features:
- The pay-as-you-go pricing model.
- Marketing campaigns are sent by e-mail and SMS.
- Personalized email designs.
- Custom landing pages.
- Segmentation and marketing automation.
Disadvantages:
Hardly any personal availability
The art of effective email communication in WordPress: The 5 top WordPress SMTP plugins
Reliable email delivery is critical to the success of your WordPress website. Compared to the standard PHP mail() function, using SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) provides a more secure and effective way to ensure that your messages are delivered properly without being blocked by spam filters.
In our comprehensive guide, we have explained the importance of WordPress SMTP and the steps for configuring it with the WP Mail SMTP plugin described in detail. The five WordPress SMTP plugins and solutions presented, including WP Mail SMTP, Easy WP SMTP, Post SMTP, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and SendGrid, offer different functions and customization options to optimize email communication on your website.
The featured plugins not only offer improved security and deliverability, but also advanced features such as email logging, marketing campaigns, and automated reporting. Choosing the right plugin depends on the specific requirements of your website, be it a personal blog, an e-commerce store or an extensive production website.
Overall, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the importance of SMTP in WordPress and presents proven solutions to ensure that your emails always arrive on time and securely. Optimize your email communication today and increase the effectiveness of your WordPress website.
