FluentSMTP vs WP Mail SMTP (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FluentSMTP grades higher than WP Mail SMTP: 3.2 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
FluentSMTP grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FluentSMTP
Free WordPress plugin for sending site email through your provider
WP Mail SMTP
WordPress plugin that routes site email through an SMTP provider
Which one is for you
Pick FluentSMTP if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want logs and a fallback without paying
- Works for sites already on Amazon SES or Mailgun that need a way to connect
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't run WordPress, as it only works inside it
- Not for you if you want a sending service: it's a connector and deliverability depends on the provider you pick
- Watch out: you need a separate provider account, which has its own pricing
- Watch out: Zoho Mail connects through SMTP, not an API
Pick WP Mail SMTP if
- Fits if your WordPress site's emails are landing in spam or not arriving
- Works for site owners who already have an account with a mail provider
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't run WordPress, as it only works inside it
- Tight if you stay on free: no email log, reports, tracking or backup connection
- Pricey if you renew: the $49 first year goes to $99 a year for 1 site
- Watch out: Amazon SES, Microsoft and Zoho connections need Pro
- Watch out: it needs an account with a separate mail provider, which has its own price
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAFluentSMTPVery good | 2.6GPAWP Mail SMTPGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe whole plugin is free, with no Pro edition or paid tier, according to its WordPress.org page. You still pay whatever your mail provider charges. | BPro is $99 a year for 1 site, about $8.25 a month, with $49 for the first year. That's inside the cheapest quarter of email sending tools, which start at $9. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright with no cap: all features and integrations, no paid edition, and the vendor says it will stay that way. | BThe Lite plugin is free, with a setup wizard and most mailer connections. Amazon SES, Microsoft and Zoho, plus the email log, need Pro. |
| Features | BConnections to SES, Gmail, Mailgun, SendGrid, Postmark and others, routing, a fallback, an email log with resend, failure alerts and migration from other plugins. Nothing in the listing is held back for a paid tier. | CMailer connections and a setup wizard on free. Email log, reports, open and click tracking, backup connections and routing are Pro only. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You install it in WordPress and connect a provider account. | CNo store rating on record. You install it in WordPress and connect an account with a separate mail provider. |
| Platforms and integrations | BRuns inside WordPress and connects to Amazon SES, Gmail, Microsoft 365, Mailgun, SendGrid, Postmark and Brevo. No standalone app. | BRuns inside WordPress and connects to SendLayer, SMTP.com, Brevo, SES, Mailgun, Postmark, SendGrid and Gmail. No standalone app. |
| Best for | connecting WordPress to a mail provider for free | fixing WordPress email by connecting a mail provider |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FluentSMTP and WP Mail SMTP. How we grade
Price against what you get
FluentSMTP has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. WP Mail SMTP starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
FluentSMTP scores higher and starts $8.25 a month lower. Of the other email sending services on the chart, none scores higher than FluentSMTP for less, and 4 score higher than WP Mail SMTP for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- FluentSMTP is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| FluentSMTP | WP Mail SMTP | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $99 per year for 1 site at renewal, after a first year for $49 |
| Free plan | The whole plugin is free, with no Pro version or paid tier, per its WordPress.org page. | Free plugin on WordPress.org: setup wizard and connections to most mailers; logging, reports and backup connections are Pro only. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | WPManageNinja | WPForms, LLC |
| Price read from | wordpress.org | wpmailsmtp.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FluentSMTP
- Runs only inside WordPress; it needs an account with a separate email provider, which has its own pricing.
- It is a connector, not a sending service, so deliverability depends on the provider you choose.
- Zoho Mail is connected through SMTP rather than an API, according to the plugin listing.
WP Mail SMTP
- Runs only inside WordPress; it is not a standalone sending service and needs a separate email provider account.
- Email logging, reports, tracking, backup connections and routing are Pro features, not part of the free plugin.
- Pro prices on the page are introductory: the page says renewals are at full price, $99 a year for 1 site.
- The pricing page states a 14-day money-back guarantee on paid plans.
Key features
FluentSMTP
- Provider connections
- Connects to Amazon SES, Gmail and Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, Brevo, SparkPost, SMTP2GO, Elastic Email and any SMTP server.
- Multiple connections and routing
- Several providers can be connected at once, and each email is routed to one based on its From address.
- Fallback connection
- A secondary connection takes over when the primary one fails.
- Email log and resend
- Logs sent emails with headers, body and the server's response, and lets you resend a logged email.
- Failure alerts
- Notifies you by email, Telegram, Slack, Discord or Pushover when delivery fails, according to the plugin listing and the vendor site.
- Migration from other plugins
- Imports settings from WP Mail SMTP or Easy WP SMTP, and works with WP-CLI.
WP Mail SMTP
- Mailer connections
- Connects WordPress to providers such as SendLayer, SMTP.com, Brevo, Mailgun, Postmark, SendGrid and any other SMTP server, using the provider's API where there is one.
- Setup wizard
- A guided wizard in the free plugin walks through choosing and configuring a mailer.
- Email log and reports
- Pro keeps a record of every email sent from the site, with delivery status, and charts of deliverability statistics.
- Open and click tracking
- Pro shows open and click rates for emails that WordPress sends.
- Backup connections and smart routing
- Pro can fall back to a second provider if the first fails, and route different emails through different providers using conditional rules.
- Failure alerts
- Pro sends an alert when an email fails to send.
Plans
FluentSMTP
Free$0
All features and integrations, with no paid edition. The vendor says it is free and open source, and pledges that it stays free.
WP Mail SMTP
Lite$0
Free plugin from WordPress.org with the setup wizard and most mailer connections. Amazon SES, Microsoft and Zoho need Pro.
Pro$99
per year for 1 site, renewing at full price
Email log, reports, tracking, backup connections, smart routing and failure alerts. First year $49 on the pricing page.
Elite$149
per year for 1 site, renewing at full price
Everything in Pro plus White Glove Setup by the vendor's experts and priority support. First year $99.
Developer$249
per year for 20 sites, renewing at full price
Pro features for 20 sites with priority support. First year $199.
Agency$449
per year for 100 sites, renewing at full price
Pro features for 100 sites with priority support. First year $399.
Ways to pay less
FluentSMTP
No public discounts listed.
WP Mail SMTP
- Other savings
First-year introductory prices
The pricing page shows each paid plan $50 below its regular yearly price (Pro $49, Elite $99, Developer $199, Agency $399) and says renewals are at full price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FluentSMTP or WP Mail SMTP?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FluentSMTP is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $8.25 a month when paid by the year for WP Mail SMTP. FluentSMTP is free, and WP Mail SMTP starts at $99 per year for 1 site at renewal, after a first year for $49.
Which has a free plan, FluentSMTP or WP Mail SMTP?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both FluentSMTP and WP Mail SMTP have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.