Post SMTP vs WP Mail SMTP (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Post SMTP and WP Mail SMTP share a 2.6 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
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
WP Mail SMTP
WordPress plugin that routes site email through an SMTP provider
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 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
| 2.6GPAPost SMTPGood | 2.6GPAWP Mail SMTPGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 mail provider. | 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, with an iOS and Android app, and connects to Gmail, Microsoft 365, SES, Brevo, Mailgun, SendGrid, Postmark and Slack. | BRuns inside WordPress and connects to SendLayer, SMTP.com, Brevo, SES, Mailgun, Postmark, SendGrid and Gmail. No standalone app. |
| Best for | a WordPress mail plugin with logs and a phone app | 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: Post SMTP and WP Mail SMTP. How we grade
Where they differ
At a glance
| Post SMTP | WP Mail SMTP | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $99 per year for 1 site at renewal, after a first year for $49 |
| 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. | 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 | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Saad Iqbal | WPForms, LLC |
| Price read from | wordpress.org | wpmailsmtp.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
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
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.
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
Post SMTP
Free$0
Free plugin from WordPress.org: setup wizard, email logs, reports, failure alerts and a backup SMTP connection.
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
Post SMTP
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, Post SMTP or WP Mail SMTP?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Post SMTP publishes no starting price, 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, Post SMTP or WP Mail SMTP?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Post SMTP and WP Mail SMTP have a free plan.
Which platforms do Post SMTP and WP Mail SMTP 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.