Post SMTP vs SendLayer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Post SMTP grades higher than SendLayer: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Post SMTP grades higher on the free plan. SendLayer grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Post SMTP
WordPress SMTP plugin with email logs, alerts and backup mailers
SendLayer
Transactional email over SMTP or API, aimed at WordPress sites
Which one is for you
Pick Post SMTP if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want failed-email alerts on your phone
- Works for sites that need a backup SMTP connection without paying
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't run WordPress, as it only works inside it
- Tight if you stay on free: one-click Gmail and Microsoft 365, Amazon SES, Zoho and auto-resend are Pro
- Watch out: Pro pricing couldn't be read, as the vendor's site showed a maintenance page
- Watch out: it needs an account with a separate mailer
Pick SendLayer if
- Fits if you run a WordPress or WooCommerce site and send order mail
- Works for small senders under 10,000 emails a month
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is only a 200-email trial
- Tight if you want to pay monthly, since every plan is billed annually
- Watch out: your plan is upgraded automatically when you reach its monthly email limit
- Not for you if you send marketing campaigns, because it is a transactional service
- Tight if you need long logs, as Starter keeps 3 days
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAPost SMTPGood | 2.4GPASendLayerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe free plugin covers logs, alerts and a backup connection. Pro pricing couldn't be read, because the vendor's own site showed a maintenance page on 13 November 2026. | A$5 a month billed annually for 1,000 emails, under the $6 that is 60% of the category's cheaper quarter. The volume is small and the year is paid up front. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree plugin on WordPress.org with a setup wizard, email logs, failure alerts, a fallback mailer and mailers such as SMTP.com, Brevo and Mailgun. | DA trial of up to 200 emails and no permanent free plan; the page does not say whether a card is needed. |
| Features | CSetup wizard, logs, alerts, fallback, DNS checks and a mobile app. One-click Gmail and Microsoft 365 setup, Amazon SES, Zoho, auto-resend and batching are Pro. | CSMTP and an API, email logs, open and click tracking, suppression and domain authentication, but the listing shows no inbound mail or IP pools and logs last 3 to 30 days. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You install it in WordPress and connect a mail provider. | 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | BRuns inside WordPress, with an iOS and Android app, and connects to Gmail, Microsoft 365, SES, Brevo, Mailgun, SendGrid, Postmark and Slack. | BA web dashboard and an API; the listing names WordPress and WooCommerce. |
| Best for | a WordPress mail plugin with logs and a phone app | transactional email for WordPress sites |
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: Post SMTP and SendLayer. How we grade
Where they differ
- Post SMTP also covers reports.
At a glance
| Post SMTP | SendLayer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $5 per month for 1,000 emails, billed annually |
| Free plan | Free plugin on WordPress.org with a setup wizard, email logs, failure alerts, fallback mailer and mailers such as SMTP.com, Brevo and Mailgun. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of up to 200 emails |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Saad Iqbal | SendLayer, LLC |
| Price read from | wordpress.org | sendlayer.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Post SMTP
- Runs only inside WordPress and needs an account with a separate mailer.
- The plugin listing marks Microsoft 365 and Gmail one-click setup, Amazon SES, Zoho Mail, auto-resend of failed emails and email batching as Pro features.
- Pro pricing could not be read: the vendor's own site, postmansmtp.com, showed a maintenance page on 2026-11-13.
SendLayer
- All plans are billed annually; the pricing page shows no monthly-billing option.
- It has no permanent free plan, only a trial of up to 200 emails.
- Per its FAQ, a plan is upgraded automatically if you reach its monthly email limit.
- It is a transactional email service, not a tool for marketing campaigns.
Key features
Post SMTP
- Setup wizard
- A three-step wizard configures a mailer using API keys, with a one-click setup for Gmail and Microsoft 365 listed as Pro features.
- Email logs
- Lists sent and failed emails with their status and error messages, and can be filtered.
- Failure alerts
- Alerts by email, Slack, SMS through Twilio or push notification when an email fails to deliver.
- Fallback mailer
- A backup SMTP connection sends email when the main mailer is unavailable.
- Mobile app
- A companion app shows email status and failure alerts on a phone; resending and multi-site monitoring are Pro.
- DNS record checks
- A spam score checker looks at a domain's SPF, DKIM and DMARC records.
SendLayer
- SMTP relay and API
- Every plan can send through an SMTP relay, set up by copying credentials, or through an email API.
- Email logs
- Logs trace each message to its destination. Retention runs from 3 days on Starter to 30 days on Growth and Scale.
- Open and click tracking
- Engagement can be checked per message and filtered by status or recipient, with an analytics view on every plan.
- Suppression and bounce handling
- Suppression, bounce and blocklist management are listed on every plan, along with event-based webhooks.
- Domain authentication
- DKIM, SPF and DMARC authentication are listed on every plan, with a limit on sender domains per plan.
Plans
Post SMTP
Free$0
Free plugin from WordPress.org: setup wizard, email logs, reports, failure alerts and a backup SMTP connection.
SendLayer
Starter$5
per month for 1,000 emails, billed annually
1 sender domain, 3 days of log retention and standard support.
Business$15
per month for 5,000 emails, billed annually
3 sender domains, 15 days of log retention and premium support.
Growth$25
per month for 10,000 emails, billed annually
5 sender domains, 30 days of log retention and premium support.
ScaleCustom
20,000+ emails a month, 20 sender domains, 30 days of logs and VIP support. Quote on request.
Ways to pay less
Post SMTP
No public discounts listed.
SendLayer
- Other savings
14-day money-back guarantee
The pricing page says that within 14 days of starting, you can ask for a full refund if SendLayer is not a fit.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Post SMTP or SendLayer?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Post SMTP publishes no starting price, and SendLayer starts at $5 per month for 1,000 emails, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Post SMTP or SendLayer?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Post SMTP has a free plan. SendLayer does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Post SMTP and SendLayer run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Post SMTP lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.