FluentSMTP vs Post SMTP
Updated 11 Oct 2026. 23 features compared side by side.
Completely free, open-source SMTP plugin from WPManageNinja with native API mailers, email logs, resend, fallback and chat-app alerts.
SMTP and API mailer plugin with free email logs, fallback SMTP, failure alerts and a mobile app; Pro adds Microsoft 365, SES and tracking.
Choose FluentSMTP if…
- You need smart routing and no paywalled mailers
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose Post SMTP if…
- You need open & click tracking and automatic retry & queue
FluentSMTP includes 2 features that Post SMTP lacks, including Smart routing and No paywalled mailers; Post SMTP has 2 that FluentSMTP lacks, including Open & click tracking and Automatic retry & queue. Both include 18 of the 23 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
FluentSMTP Post SMTPSending & mailers8/87/8
Generic SMTP driver for any host, such as Yahoo, Outlook.com or cPanel mail.
Other SMTP option connects to any SMTP server.
API drivers for SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, Postmark, SparkPost, SMTP2GO and more.
Core plugin includes API sockets for SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, Postmark, SparkPost, Mailjet and more.
Gmail and Google Workspace connect through OAuth.
Gmail API with your own OAuth client is free; one-click Gmail setup needs Pro.
Outlook/Office 365/Microsoft 365 connection via OAuth API, free.
Office 365 connection needs Pro; Microsoft one-click setup is in Business.
Native Amazon SES API driver included free.
Amazon SES is a Pro mailer, included from the Basic plan.
Fallback connection is used when the default connection fails.
Fallback SMTP takes over when the primary fails; Pro adds more connections.
Routes each email to the connection matching its From address; no subject or plugin rules.
No rule-based routing; extra connections act only as fallbacks.
Setup assistant to configure a connection and send a test email.
Three-step wizard: choose mailer, configure, send test email.
Logs & monitoring5/77/7
Logs every email with headers, body and server response in its own table.
Detailed log with status, errors, filters and print option in the free plugin.
Resend any logged email singly or in bulk, failed or sent.
Resend individual emails from the log; bulk resend needs Professional.
No open or click tracking is offered.
Report and tracking extension tracks opens only, not clicks; plan not specified.
Instant failure alerts to Slack, Telegram, Discord or Pushover.
Free alerts by email, Slack, Pushover, Chrome extension or app; Twilio and Teams are Pro.
No automatic retry queue; failed emails are resent manually or handled by the fallback.
Auto-retry a set number of times, with batching and quota scheduling.
Dashboard sending charts plus a scheduled email summary of sent and failed totals.
Free weekly summary of totals and failures; Pro adds health reports and graphs.
Delete Logs setting keeps logs from 7 days up to 2 years.
Free caps the number of stored log entries; day-based retention and attachments need Pro.
Email control3/43/4
Per-connection Force From Email and Force Sender Name options.
Settings prevent plugins from changing the From email and From name.
No settings to disable individual WordPress or WooCommerce notification emails.
No option to disable individual WordPress notification emails.
Email Simulation logs emails without sending; also a constant to force it.
Run mode can log emails only, or ignore them, instead of delivering.
Send plain or HTML test emails from settings or WP-CLI.
Send Test Email tool plus an email tester with spam score checks.
Security & admin4/43/4
Keys encrypted with WordPress salts, or stored as wp-config constants.
Authentication credentials, including fallback SMTP, can be set as wp-config constants.
Works on multisite but is configured per subsite, with no network-wide settings.
Multisite supported with global network settings in the free plugin.
Every mailer and feature is in the free plugin; no Pro version exists.
Microsoft 365, Amazon SES and Zoho mailers are Pro-only.
WP-CLI commands for test, health, stats and prune-logs, plus constants.
Documented action and filter hooks; constants for logging and auth.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
FluentSMTP Free
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free lifetime, Unlimited |
Post SMTP Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Basic | $59.99 per year, 1 site |
| Professional | $79.99 per year, 1 site |
| Business | $99.99 per year, 1 site |
Downloads trend
FluentSMTP
42,738 downloads last week
Post SMTP
18,766 downloads last week
Verdict
FluentSMTP and Post SMTP are closely matched on features (89/100 and 90/100). The differences are in the details: FluentSMTP adds smart routing and no paywalled mailers, while Post SMTP adds open & click tracking and automatic retry & queue. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
FluentSMTP: partial. Post SMTP: not included. Routes each email to the connection matching its From address; no subject or plugin rules.
FluentSMTP: not included. Post SMTP: paid version (Basic). Report and tracking extension tracks opens only, not clicks; plan not specified.
FluentSMTP: not included. Post SMTP: paid version (Professional). Auto-retry a set number of times, with batching and quota scheduling.
FluentSMTP: included. Post SMTP: not included. Every mailer and feature is in the free plugin; no Pro version exists.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, FluentSMTP or Post SMTP?
FluentSMTP and Post SMTP are closely matched on features (89/100 and 90/100). The differences are in the details: FluentSMTP adds smart routing and no paywalled mailers, while Post SMTP adds open & click tracking and automatic retry & queue. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
They are level: both include 20 of the 23 smtp & email delivery features we track.
Is FluentSMTP free?
FluentSMTP has a free version on WordPress.org.
Is Post SMTP free?
Post SMTP has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $59.99/yr.
Feature data last changed 11 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to FluentSMTP or Post SMTP. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.