The SMTP.com Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about SMTP.com in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
SMTP.com
The Insider’s Guide
SMTP relay and email API sold in monthly volume plans from 50,000
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email sending services, read from SMTP.com’s own pages.
Made by J2 Global Canada, Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from SMTP.com’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on SMTP.com’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 0 of the 11 other email sending services we grade
SMTP.com is an email delivery service owned by Ziff Davis that sends transactional and bulk email through an SMTP relay or an email API. Plans are sold by emails a month, starting at 50,000 on a shared IP, with a dedicated IP from 100,000. Senders of hundreds of millions of emails a month can get a dedicated instance of the platform.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about SMTP.com, taken from its own pages and our grades.
And the listing shows less than its rivals do: nothing on templates, webhooks or receiving email.
- 1
Best for senders already past 50,000 emails a month
There's no free plan and no trial, so you pay before your first email.
- 2
Paid plans start at $25 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $25 per month for 50,000 emails.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
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.
- 5
Dedicated IPs
Every plan from the $80 Starter plan up sends from a dedicated IP address; Essential uses a shared one.
- 6
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.
- 7
A 1.8 GPA, above 0 of 11
That is against the other email sending services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace SMTP.com you would be making mail servers with a good name among inbox providers. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
SMTP.com at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $25 per month for 50,000 emails
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- J2 Global Canada, Inc.
- Category
- Email Sending Services
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for senders already past 50,000 emails a month
SMTP.com sells sending in big monthly blocks, from $25 for 50,000 emails, with a dedicated IP from $80 for 100,000 and help moving over from SendGrid or Mailgun. There's no free plan and no trial, so you pay before your first email. And the listing shows less than its rivals do: nothing on templates, webhooks or receiving email.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Graded on 50,000 emails a month: Essential is $25 for exactly that, on a shared IP, which is 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 | F | Nothing 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 | C | SMTP 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 | C | Judged 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 there if you're moving from another provider. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who SMTP.com is for
- Great if you already send 50,000 emails a month and want one flat monthly price
- Handy when you're moving from SendGrid or Mailgun and want help doing it
- Good for senders who want a dedicated IP at 100,000 emails a month
Who it is not for
- 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 or incoming email, which the listing doesn't mention
- Pricey if you send a few thousand emails a month, as the smallest plan is 50,000
Good to know
Good for
- Senders who already need 50,000 emails a month or more
- Businesses that want a dedicated IP at a low monthly volume
- Very high-volume senders wanting their own instance of the platform
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$25
A month to start
SMTP.com is a paid product, starting at $25 per month for 50,000 emails.
Nothing free: no free plan and no trial.
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 Senders
Custom
At least 250 million emails a month: a dedicated instance of the platform, its own IP and mail server, and a dedicated account manager.
Read from smtp.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
SMTP relay and email API sold in monthly volume plans from 50,000. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, transactional email.
It handles the sending, but nothing on record covers templates, webhooks or inbound email.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Google Forms
- Google Docs
- Wufoo
- Airtable
- Trello
- Slack
SMTP.com is made by J2 Global Canada, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/11
Other email sending services it is graded above
SMTP.com's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 0 of the 11 other email sending services we grade.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 0 of 11) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $25 a month, against a middle price of $15 for the category: 10 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 9 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 12 email sending services we grade, cut by the letter each got. SMTP.com’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 11
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 11
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 11
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 11
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 11
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 11 email sending services. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. SMTP.com is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace SMTP.com you would be making mail servers with a good name among inbox providers. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 11 of the 11 other email sending services grade higher. It costs $300 a year.
What you could not
- Mail servers with a good name among inbox providers.
- It plugs into other products, WordPress, Shopify and Google Forms among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. SMTP.com’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
SMTP2GO, Twilio SendGrid, Mailgun, Bird Email and Amazon SES
The 5 tools SMTP.com is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
SMTP2GO
Free plan · from $15/mo
SMTP relay and email API priced by emails a month, with a free plan.
- SMTP2GO has a free plan. SMTP.com does not.
- 2.6GPA
Twilio SendGrid
Free trial · from $19.95/mo
Twilio's email API and SMTP service, priced by monthly email volume.
- Twilio SendGrid also covers email verification.
- 2.4GPA
Mailgun
Free plan · from $15/mo
Email API and SMTP relay for developers, with list validation.
- Mailgun has a free plan. SMTP.com does not.
- Mailgun also covers email verification.
- 2.6GPA
Bird Email
Free plan · from $15/mo
SparkPost's successor: Bird's email API, paid from a prepaid balance.
- Bird Email has a free plan. SMTP.com does not.
- Bird Email also covers email campaigns.
- 2.8GPA
Amazon SES
Free trial
AWS email sending and receiving, paid per 1,000 emails.
- Amazon SES also covers email verification.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is SMTP.com free?
No. SMTP.com is a paid product, starting at $25 per month for 50,000 emails.
How much does SMTP.com cost?
SMTP.com lists 5 plans. Essential: $25 per month for 50,000 emails.
What platforms does SMTP.com work on?
SMTP.com is available on Web.
Does SMTP.com have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. SMTP.com is listed for Web.
Does SMTP.com have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. SMTP.com is listed for Web.
Is SMTP.com open source?
SMTP.com is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does SMTP.com have an API?
Yes. SMTP.com offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does SMTP.com integrate with?
SMTP.com's listing names WordPress, Shopify, Google Forms, Google Docs, Wufoo, Airtable, Trello and Slack.
Who makes SMTP.com?
SMTP.com is made by J2 Global Canada, Inc.
What are the alternatives to SMTP.com?
The closest alternatives to SMTP.com in our directory are SMTP2GO, Twilio SendGrid, Mailgun, Bird Email and Amazon SES.
How does SMTP.com compare with other email sending services?
SMTP.com's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 0 of the 11 other email sending services we grade.
Is SMTP.com good value for money?
ToolGPA grades SMTP.com C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $25 a month, against a middle price of $15 for the category: 10 of the 10 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of SMTP.com?
To replace SMTP.com you would be making mail servers with a good name among inbox providers.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from SMTP.com’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from SMTP.com's own pages on 18 October 2026. Its pricing page refused our reader on the day of grading; its sign-up page still showed $25 a month for 50,000 emails. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by J2 Global Canada, Inc. Prices change, so check smtp.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- SMTP.com, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/smtp-com
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "SMTP.com: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/smtp-com
Know someone choosing between email sending services?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/smtp-com/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email sending services after SMTP.com, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Sending Services Insider's GuideEvery one of the 12 email sending services we grade, compared
- Amazon SES Insider's GuideAWS email sending and receiving, paid per 1,000 emails2.8 GPA
- Bird Email Insider's GuideSparkPost's successor: Bird's email API, paid from a prepaid balance2.6 GPA
- Elastic Email Insider's GuideLow-cost email API and SMTP relay priced by monthly email volume2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what SMTP.com’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. SMTP.com is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by J2 Global Canada, Inc. Prices and plans change: check smtp.com before you buy.