Easy WP SMTP vs WP Mail SMTP
Updated 11 Oct 2026. 23 features compared side by side.
SendLayer's SMTP plugin with a setup wizard and 10 free mailers; Pro adds Gmail, Microsoft 365, SES, logs, alerts, backup and routing.
Widely used SMTP plugin from the WPForms team: 15 mailers free, with logs, alerts, backup connections and smart routing in Pro.
Choose Easy WP SMTP if…
- SendLayer users and long-time Easy WP SMTP sites that want a simple setup and will pay for logs, alerts and backup sending
Choose WP Mail SMTP if…
- You prefer the more widely used option
- You weigh user ratings (4.8 vs 4.6 on WordPress.org)
Easy WP SMTP and WP Mail SMTP include the same 22 of the 23 features we track, so the choice comes down to pricing, approach and ecosystem.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Easy WP SMTP WP Mail SMTPSending & mailers8/88/8
Other SMTP mailer works with any SMTP host.
Other SMTP mailer connects to any host with your own credentials.
Free mailers include SendLayer, SMTP.com, Brevo, Mailgun, Mailjet, SendGrid, Postmark, SparkPost, SMTP2GO.
Free API mailers include SendLayer, SMTP.com, Brevo, Mailgun, SendGrid, Postmark, SparkPost and more.
Gmail/Google Workspace one-click mailer is Pro.
Free Gmail mailer uses OAuth with your own Google app; one-click Gmail setup is Pro.
Microsoft 365/Outlook mailer is included in all paid plans.
Microsoft Outlook.com/Office 365 one-click mailer is only in paid plans.
Amazon SES mailer is included in all paid plans.
Native Amazon SES mailer requires a Pro licence.
Secondary connection takes over and retries if the primary fails.
Backup connection takes over and resends when the primary mailer fails.
Route by subject, content, from/to address or source plugin.
Route emails by subject, content, from/to address or source plugin.
Free setup wizard guides mailer configuration.
Wizard verifies mailer settings with the provider and ends with a test email.
Logs & monitoring7/77/7
Full email log with status, content and source; free has failure debug events only.
Log of every email with status, headers, content and source plugin.
Resend or forward emails from the log, singly or in bulk.
Resend or forward logged emails individually or in bulk.
Open and click tracking options in the Pro email log.
Open and click rates shown in Pro email reports.
Alerts via email, Slack, Teams, Discord, Twilio SMS or webhooks.
Alerts via email, Slack, Teams, Discord, Twilio SMS or webhooks.
Background queue and rate-limit queue; failed sends retried via the backup connection.
Background queue and rate-limit queue; failed sends are retried through the backup connection.
Email reports, dashboard chart and weekly summary are Pro.
Lite sends a basic weekly total; charts and detailed weekly stats are Pro.
Log Retention Period setting and Save Attachments option in Pro logging.
Log retention period and optional attachment storage apply to the Pro email log.
Email control4/44/4
Force From Email and Force From Name toggles in general settings.
Force From Email and Force From Name override other plugins' sender details.
Toggle core comment, user, privacy and update emails; WooCommerce emails not listed.
Turn off core comment, user, update and privacy emails; WooCommerce emails not covered.
Do Not Send setting stops all emails sent through wp_mail.
Do Not Send setting blocks all outgoing wp_mail emails.
Email Test page for sending test messages in the free plugin.
Email Test tool, plus Email Detective deliverability report.
Security & admin3/43/4
SMTP password encrypted in the database; credentials can also be set as constants.
Mailer keys and SMTP passwords can be defined as wp-config constants.
Network-wide settings and central logs/reports are Pro; subsites can be set up individually.
Network-wide settings and central subsite logs are Pro; Lite can be set up per subsite.
Gmail, Microsoft 365, Amazon SES and Zoho mailers are Pro-only.
Microsoft 365, Amazon SES and Zoho Mail mailers are reserved for Pro.
WP-CLI commands (since 2.15) and constants for configuration.
WP-CLI commands (since 4.9), constants and filters for developers.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Easy WP SMTP Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Basic | $99 per year, 1 site |
| Plus | $199 per year, 5 sites |
| Pro | $399 per year, 10 sites |
| Elite | $599 per year, 50 sites |
WP Mail SMTP Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Lite | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Pro | $99 per year, 1 site |
| Elite | $149 per year, 1 site |
| Developer | $249 per year, 20 sites |
| Agency | $449 per year, 100 sites |
Downloads trend
Easy WP SMTP
14,165 downloads last week
WP Mail SMTP
543,473 downloads last week
Verdict
Easy WP SMTP and WP Mail SMTP are closely matched on features (97/100 and 96/100). Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
Which would you choose?
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FAQ
Which is better, Easy WP SMTP or WP Mail SMTP?
Easy WP SMTP and WP Mail SMTP are closely matched on features (97/100 and 96/100). Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
They are level: both include 22 of the 23 smtp & email delivery features we track.
Is Easy WP SMTP free?
Easy WP SMTP has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $99/yr.
Is WP Mail SMTP free?
WP Mail SMTP has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $99/yr.
Feature data last changed 11 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Easy WP SMTP or WP Mail SMTP. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.