Gmail SMTP vs Site Mailer
Updated 11 Oct 2026. 23 features compared side by side.
Lightweight plugin that sends WordPress email through Gmail or Google Workspace SMTP using OAuth 2.0, with paid add-ons for logging, Reply-To and Cc.
Elementor's hosted email sending service for WordPress (now listed as Email Deliverability). No SMTP setup, logs, resend and open tracking; 200 free emails.
Choose Gmail SMTP if…
- You need Gmail & Google workspace and developer hooks & WP-CLI
- You weigh user ratings (4.1 vs 2.5 on WordPress.org)
Choose Site Mailer if…
- You need backup connection and secure credential storage
- You also want setup wizard and open & click tracking
- You want the more complete feature set (36/100 vs 23/100)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Gmail SMTP includes 2 features that Site Mailer lacks, including Gmail & Google Workspace and Developer hooks & WP-CLI; Site Mailer has 5 that Gmail SMTP lacks, including Backup connection, Setup wizard and Open & click tracking. Both include 4 of the 23 features we track. 3 features are not yet verified for one or both plugins.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Gmail SMTP Site MailerSending & mailers1/82/8
Only connects to Gmail's SMTP server; no custom SMTP host.
Sends only through Elementor's cloud service; you cannot enter your own SMTP host.
No API mailers; Gmail SMTP is the only transport.
No third-party provider connections; Elementor's own email API is the only mailer.
Core feature: OAuth 2.0 authorisation with a Google Cloud client ID and secret.
No Gmail or Google Workspace connection.
No Microsoft 365 or Outlook support.
No Microsoft 365 or Outlook connection.
No Amazon SES support.
No Amazon SES integration.
Single Gmail connection with no fallback mailer.
Falls back to native wp_mail if the Elementor service errors (v1.2.2); no second provider.
One connection for all emails.
Single sending service with no routing rules.
Settings form plus a written guide; no guided wizard.
One-click connect plus a custom domain DNS wizard; test email is sent separately from settings.
Logs & monitoring1/75/7
Paid Email Logger add-on ($39.99, unlimited sites) logs every email.
Logs subject, recipient, source, status, opens and date for 30 days.
The Email Logger page does not say whether emails can be resent.
Resend single or bulk failed emails; needs 'Save email content' enabled.
No open or click tracking.
Tracks opens and open rate; no click tracking.
No alerts when sending fails.
Only quota and renewal notices in the admin; no alerts when sends fail.
No queue or automatic retry.
No queue or automatic retry is documented; failed emails are resent manually.
No delivery charts or summaries.
Dashboard totals for sent, delivered, opened and failed; no charts or email summaries.
Retention options for the Email Logger add-on are not documented.
Logs are kept for a fixed 30 days; you can only choose whether email content is saved.
Email control2/42/4
From email and name are defaults when none is set; other plugins can override, and Gmail may rewrite the sender.
Sender name, From address (with custom domain) and Reply-To apply to all outgoing emails.
No options to disable individual WordPress emails.
No options to disable individual WordPress or WooCommerce emails.
No option to block or simulate outgoing email.
No option to block or simulate outgoing email.
Test Email tab sends a message and shows SMTP debug output.
Send a test email from General Settings; failure reasons appear in the log.
Security & admin2/42/4
Client secret and OAuth token are stored in plugin options; no encryption or wp-config constants.
No provider keys stored; the site links to an Elementor account through a connect flow.
Multisite support is not documented.
Multisite support is not documented.
Gmail is the only mailer and it is free; paid add-ons cover logging, Reply-To and Cc.
Same features in free, but sending is capped at 200 emails in total.
A few filters (gmailsmtp_reply_to, gmailsmtp_cc, advanced settings fields); no WP-CLI.
No documented hooks, API or WP-CLI; only internal service-URL filters.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Gmail SMTP Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Email Logger add-on | $39.99 one-off, Unlimited |
| Add-on Bundle | $49.99 one-off, Unlimited |
Site Mailer Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free one-off, 1 site |
| Elementor One | $228 per year, 1 site |
| Elementor One Agency | $540 per year, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
Gmail SMTP
726 downloads last week
Site Mailer
6,098 downloads last week
Verdict
Site Mailer scores higher on our feature checklist (36/100 against 23/100) and includes backup connection, secure credential storage and setup wizard that Gmail SMTP does not. Gmail SMTP still has the edge on Gmail & Google workspace and developer hooks & WP-CLI. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Gmail SMTP: included. Site Mailer: not included. Core feature: OAuth 2.0 authorisation with a Google Cloud client ID and secret.
Gmail SMTP: not included. Site Mailer: partial. Falls back to native wp_mail if the Elementor service errors (v1.2.2); no second provider.
Gmail SMTP: not included. Site Mailer: partial. No provider keys stored; the site links to an Elementor account through a connect flow.
Gmail SMTP: not included. Site Mailer: partial. One-click connect plus a custom domain DNS wizard; test email is sent separately from settings.
Gmail SMTP: not included. Site Mailer: partial. Tracks opens and open rate; no click tracking.
Gmail SMTP: not included. Site Mailer: partial. Dashboard totals for sent, delivered, opened and failed; no charts or email summaries.
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, Gmail SMTP or Site Mailer?
Site Mailer scores higher on our feature checklist (36/100 against 23/100) and includes backup connection, secure credential storage and setup wizard that Gmail SMTP does not. Gmail SMTP still has the edge on Gmail & Google workspace and developer hooks & WP-CLI. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Site Mailer includes 11 of the 23 features we track, against 6 for Gmail SMTP. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Gmail SMTP free?
Gmail SMTP has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $39.99.
Is Site Mailer free?
Site Mailer has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $228/yr.
Feature data last changed 11 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Gmail SMTP or Site Mailer. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.