KingSMTP vs SMTP.com (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, KingSMTP grades higher than SMTP.com: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
KingSMTP grades higher on the free plan. SMTP.com grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
KingSMTP
SMTP relay you can pay for in crypto, with no KYC
SMTP.com
SMTP relay and email API sold in monthly volume plans from 50,000
Which one is for you
Pick KingSMTP if
- Fits if you want to pay in crypto without handing over ID
- Works for WordPress sites that want an SMTP relay and a plugin
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a dedicated IP, as only shared IPs are listed
- Tight if you send over 100,000 emails a month, because the plans stop there and the rest is a custom plan
- Watch out: the pricing page lists crypto payment and does not say whether cards are accepted
- Watch out: the no-ID and no-scanning claims are the vendor's own statements
- Skip it if you want a free plan, since there is only the 7-day trial
Pick SMTP.com if
- Fits if you already send 50,000 emails a month and want one flat monthly price
- Works for senders moving from SendGrid or Mailgun who want help with the switch
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try sending before you pay, since there's no free plan or trial
- Too light for apps that need webhooks, templates or incoming email, which the listing doesn't mention
- Pricey if you send a few thousand emails a month, as the smallest plan is $25 for 50,000
- Watch out: Reputation Defender and Insight Engine each add 20% of the plan price, $5 a month each on Essential
- Tight if you want a dedicated IP on Essential, which sends from a shared one until the $80 plan
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAKingSMTPFair | 1.8GPASMTP.comWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$20 a month for up to 20,000 emails, which is where the dearer quarter of sending services starts. | CGraded on 50,000 emails a month: Essential is $25 for exactly that, on a shared IP, the middle of this category at that volume. Reputation Defender and Insight Engine add $5 a month each, and a dedicated IP means Starter at $80 for 100,000. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 7-day trial on all plans with no credit card; there is no free plan after it. | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial. The smallest plan is $25 a month, so you pay before you've sent a single email. |
| Features | CSMTP and an HTTP API, a per-email dashboard, inbound routing and a WordPress plugin, but only a shared IP option and no dedicated IP in the listing. | CSMTP relay and an email API, detailed delivery reports, dedicated IPs from the $80 plan, and paid add-ons that weed out bad addresses as you send. It handles the sending, but nothing on record covers templates, webhooks or inbound email. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You verify a sending domain with DNS records and wire up SMTP credentials or an API key before the first email goes out. | CJudged on how fast a developer sends a first email: you choose a plan and pay before you get to send, then use SMTP or the API. No rating on record. Managed onboarding and migration help are offered if you're moving from another provider. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web dashboard, an API and a WordPress plugin; WordPress is the one named integration. | BWeb, with an SMTP relay and an email API, plus WordPress, Shopify, Google Forms, Google Docs, Wufoo, Airtable, Trello and Slack. No desktop or phone app, so B is the top. |
| Best for | paying for SMTP in crypto with no ID check | senders already past 50,000 emails a month |
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: KingSMTP and SMTP.com. How we grade
Price against what you get
KingSMTP starts at $20 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SMTP.com starts at $25 a month and scores 2.3.
SMTP.com scores higher, and starts $5 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other email sending services on the chart, 17 score higher than KingSMTP for less, and 13 score higher than SMTP.com 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
At a glance
| KingSMTP | SMTP.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $20 per month for up to 20,000 emails | $25 per month for 50,000 emails |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on all plans, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | KingSMTP | J2 Global Canada, Inc. |
| Price read from | kingsmtp.com | smtp.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
KingSMTP
- The pricing page lists crypto payment; it does not say whether cards are accepted.
- Volume is capped per plan at 20,000, 50,000 or 100,000 emails a month; anything more is a custom plan.
- Plan feature lists mention a shared IP option, and no dedicated IP is listed.
- The no-KYC and no-scanning claims are the vendor's own statements.
SMTP.com
- There is no free plan or free trial; the smallest plan is $25 a month for 50,000 emails.
- Reputation Defender and Insight Engine each cost 20% of the plan price; on Essential that is $5 a month each.
- Essential sends from a shared IP; a dedicated IP starts with the $80 Starter plan.
Key features
KingSMTP
- SMTP and HTTP API
- Connect an app, CMS or WordPress site through SMTP or the HTTP API, with DKIM and SPF included.
- Per-email dashboard
- Shows delivery status, spam scores, headers and the full SMTP transaction log for each message.
- Crypto payment, no KYC
- The site lists Bitcoin, USDT and Monero and says sign-up needs no identity verification.
- Inbound routing
- Business and Growth add MX routing for inbound mail.
- WordPress plugin
- A KingSMTP plugin is available from the WordPress directory and is included from the Business plan.
SMTP.com
- SMTP relay and email API
- Send from an app or another platform through SMTP or the email relay API, with documentation for developers and help with custom API integrations.
- Dedicated IPs
- Every plan from the $80 Starter plan up sends from a dedicated IP address; Essential uses a shared one.
- Reputation Defender add-on
- Checks addresses at the moment of sending and suppresses invalid ones, to cut hard and soft bounces and protect your domain and IP reputation.
- Insight Engine add-on
- A daily report with extra data about the people on your lists, meant for building customer profiles and new segments.
- Migration help
- Managed onboarding and help moving over from providers such as SendGrid and Mailgun, with in-house support on every plan.
Plans
KingSMTP
Starter$20
per month for up to 20,000 emails
Full SMTP, HTTP API, email and Telegram support, and crypto payment.
Business$50
per month for up to 50,000 emails
Adds MX routing for inbound, priority support, an analytics dashboard, a WordPress plugin and a shared IP option.
Growth$100
per month for up to 100,000 emails
Adds shared IP, a custom domain and advanced analytics. Higher volumes are by custom plan.
SMTP.com
Essential$25
per month for 50,000 emails
Shared IP, email relay API, support and detailed reporting. Overage is $0.000625 per email ($0.63 per 1,000).
Starter$80
per month for 100,000 emails
Adds a dedicated IP address, with the same API, support and reporting.
Growth$300
per month for 500,000 emails
Dedicated IP, email relay API, support and detailed reporting.
Business$500
per month for 1,000,000 emails
Dedicated IP, email relay API, support and detailed reporting.
High Volume SendersCustom
At least 250 million emails a month: a dedicated instance of the platform, its own IP and mail server, and a dedicated account manager.
Ways to pay less
KingSMTP
- Annual discount
Two months free with yearly billing
The pricing page shows yearly prices of $200, $500 and $1,000 for the three plans and labels them Save 2 months.
SMTP.com
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, KingSMTP or SMTP.com?
As of Nov 12, 2026, KingSMTP is cheaper to start with: $20 a month, against $25 a month for SMTP.com. KingSMTP starts at $20 per month for up to 20,000 emails, and SMTP.com starts at $25 per month for 50,000 emails.
Which has a free plan, KingSMTP or SMTP.com?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither KingSMTP nor SMTP.com has a free plan. KingSMTP has a free trial.
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.