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Gmail SMTP vs Solid Mail

Updated 11 Oct 2026. 23 features compared side by side.

Gmail SMTP

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.1 (103)

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.

Free installs10K+
From$39.99
UpdatedNov 2026
Visit site Full profile
VS

Solid Mail

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.2 (52)

Free SMTP plugin from SolidWP (formerly WP SMTP, now moving to Kadence) with provider presets, From-based routing, fallback and an email log.

Free installs60K+
FromFree
UpdatedMay 2026
Visit site Full profile

Choose Gmail SMTP if…

  • You need Gmail & Google workspace

Choose Solid Mail if…

  • You need API mailer integrations and any SMTP server
  • You also want backup connection and Amazon SES
  • You want the more complete feature set (40/100 vs 23/100)
  • You prefer the more widely used option

Gmail SMTP includes 1 feature that Solid Mail lacks, including Gmail & Google Workspace; Solid Mail has 6 that Gmail SMTP lacks, including Any SMTP server, API mailer integrations and Amazon SES. Both include 5 of the 23 features we track. 3 features are not yet verified for one or both plugins.

At a glance

Gmail SMTP
Solid Mail
23/100
Feature score
40/100
6 of 23
Features included
12 of 23
4.1/5
WordPress.org rating
4.2/5
10K+
Active installs
60K+
0%
Support threads resolved
0%

Feature comparison

Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.

Feature
Gmail SMTP
Solid Mail
Sending & mailers1/85/8
Any SMTP server KeySend through any SMTP host with your own credentials.
Gmail SMTP Not included

Only connects to Gmail's SMTP server; no custom SMTP host.

Solid Mail Included

Manual SMTP connection for any host with port, encryption and authentication.

API mailer integrations KeyNative API connections to SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, Postmark and similar.
Gmail SMTP Not included

No API mailers; Gmail SMTP is the only transport.

Solid Mail Partial

Presets for SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo and Postmark; most connect via the provider's SMTP relay, not its API.

Gmail & Google Workspace KeySign in with Google (OAuth) instead of storing a password.
Gmail SMTP Included

Core feature: OAuth 2.0 authorisation with a Google Cloud client ID and secret.

Solid Mail Not included

No Google OAuth; Gmail works only through manual SMTP with an app password.

Microsoft 365 / OutlookSend through Outlook or Microsoft 365 with OAuth.
Gmail SMTP Not included

No Microsoft 365 or Outlook support.

Solid Mail Not included

No Microsoft OAuth; Outlook/365 only via manual SMTP settings.

Amazon SESNative Amazon SES integration.
Gmail SMTP Not included

No Amazon SES support.

Solid Mail Partial

SES preset uses SES SMTP credentials and endpoint rather than the SES API.

Backup connection KeyFalls back to a second mailer if the main one fails.
Gmail SMTP Not included

Single Gmail connection with no fallback mailer.

Solid Mail Included

Default connection plus 'Use Alternative Connections on Failure' retries via other connections.

Smart routingSend different emails through different connections by rules.
Gmail SMTP Not included

One connection for all emails.

Solid Mail Partial

Each connection handles emails from its own From address; no other rule types.

Setup wizardGuided setup with a test email at the end.
Gmail SMTP Not included

Settings form plus a written guide; no guided wizard.

Solid Mail Not included

Per-provider setup forms but no guided wizard; test email is a separate tab.

Logs & monitoring1/73/7
Email log KeyKeeps a record of every email sent from the site.
Gmail SMTP Via add-on

Paid Email Logger add-on ($39.99, unlimited sites) logs every email.

Solid Mail Included

Mail Log records sender, recipient, subject, time and SMTP errors.

Resend from the logResend failed or individual emails from the log.
Gmail SMTP Not verified

The Email Logger page does not say whether emails can be resent.

Solid Mail Not included

No resend option in the log.

Open & click trackingSee whether emails were opened and links clicked.
Gmail SMTP Not included

No open or click tracking.

Solid Mail Not included

No open or click tracking.

Failure alerts KeyAlerts by email, Slack, SMS or push when sending fails.
Gmail SMTP Not included

No alerts when sending fails.

Solid Mail Not included

No email or chat alerts when sending fails.

Automatic retry & queueQueues emails and retries failed sends automatically.
Gmail SMTP Not included

No queue or automatic retry.

Solid Mail Partial

Failed sends are retried immediately through another connection; no queue or delayed retries.

Delivery reportsCharts or weekly summaries of sent and failed emails.
Gmail SMTP Not included

No delivery charts or summaries.

Solid Mail Not included

No charts or summary reports.

Log retention & attachmentsControl how long logs are kept, with optional attachment storage.
Gmail SMTP Not verified

Retention options for the Email Logger add-on are not documented.

Solid Mail Partial

Logging can be turned off and logs deleted or exported; no automatic retention period.

Email control2/42/4
Force from name & addressOverride the sender name and address on every email.
Gmail SMTP Partial

From email and name are defaults when none is set; other plugins can override, and Gmail may rewrite the sender.

Solid Mail Partial

Each connection stores a From name and email, but there is no option to force one sender on all emails.

Turn WordPress emails on or offDisable individual core, update or WooCommerce notification emails.
Gmail SMTP Not included

No options to disable individual WordPress emails.

Solid Mail Not included

No options to disable individual WordPress or WooCommerce emails.

Stop sending / test modeBlock outgoing email on staging sites or while testing.
Gmail SMTP Not included

No option to block or simulate outgoing email.

Solid Mail Not included

No option to block or simulate outgoing email.

Test email & diagnosticsSend a test email and see a readable error if it fails.
Gmail SMTP Included

Test Email tab sends a message and shows SMTP debug output.

Solid Mail Included

Email Test tab sends a test through a chosen connection and records errors.

Security & admin2/42/4
Secure credential storageStore keys in wp-config constants or encrypted in the database.
Gmail SMTP Not included

Client secret and OAuth token are stored in plugin options; no encryption or wp-config constants.

Solid Mail Not included

Credentials are kept in the database without encryption; wp-config support was legacy (v1.1.10).

Multisite supportNetwork-wide or per-site settings on multisite.
Gmail SMTP Not verified

Multisite support is not documented.

Solid Mail Not verified

Multisite support is not documented.

No paywalled mailersAll supported mailers are available in the free version.
Gmail SMTP Included

Gmail is the only mailer and it is free; paid add-ons cover logging, Reply-To and Cc.

Solid Mail Included

Free plugin with no paid edition; all providers included.

Developer hooks & WP-CLIHooks, filters or WP-CLI commands for developers.
Gmail SMTP Partial

A few filters (gmailsmtp_reply_to, gmailsmtp_cc, advanced settings fields); no WP-CLI.

Solid Mail Partial

REST endpoints for connections and a few filters; no documented hooks or WP-CLI.

Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?

Pricing compared

Gmail SMTP Freemium

Free$0
FreeFree per year, Unlimited
Email Logger add-on$39.99 one-off, Unlimited
Add-on Bundle$49.99 one-off, Unlimited

Solid Mail Free

Free$0
FreeFree per year, Unlimited

Downloads trend

Gmail SMTP

4,576 downloads last week

Solid Mail

1,282 downloads last week

Verdict

Based on our feature data Checked 11 Oct 2026

Solid Mail scores higher on our feature checklist (40/100 against 23/100) and includes API mailer integrations, any SMTP server and backup connection that Gmail SMTP does not. Gmail SMTP still has the edge on Gmail & Google workspace. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Biggest differences

API mailer integrations

Gmail SMTP: not included. Solid Mail: partial. Presets for SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo and Postmark; most connect via the provider's SMTP relay, not its API.

Any SMTP server

Gmail SMTP: not included. Solid Mail: included. Manual SMTP connection for any host with port, encryption and authentication.

Gmail & Google Workspace

Gmail SMTP: included. Solid Mail: not included. Core feature: OAuth 2.0 authorisation with a Google Cloud client ID and secret.

Backup connection

Gmail SMTP: not included. Solid Mail: included. Default connection plus 'Use Alternative Connections on Failure' retries via other connections.

Amazon SES

Gmail SMTP: not included. Solid Mail: partial. SES preset uses SES SMTP credentials and endpoint rather than the SES API.

Smart routing

Gmail SMTP: not included. Solid Mail: partial. Each connection handles emails from its own From address; no other rule types.

Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.

Which would you choose?

0 votes so far. Vote to see the results.

FAQ

Which is better, Gmail SMTP or Solid Mail?

Solid Mail scores higher on our feature checklist (40/100 against 23/100) and includes API mailer integrations, any SMTP server and backup connection that Gmail SMTP does not. Gmail SMTP still has the edge on Gmail & Google workspace. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Which has more features?

Solid Mail includes 12 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 Solid Mail free?

Solid Mail has a free version on WordPress.org.

Feature data last changed 11 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Gmail SMTP or Solid Mail. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.