WP Mail SMTP
Widely used SMTP plugin from the WPForms team: 15 mailers free, with logs, alerts, backup connections and smart routing in Pro.
96
FluentSMTP
Completely free, open-source SMTP plugin from WPManageNinja with native API mailers, email logs, resend, fallback and chat-app alerts.
Free installs700K+WordPress.org, active
Vendor claims700K+Vendor's own figure
Rating4.8/5410 reviews
Price fromFreeFree
Last updated27 Sep 2026Version 2.4.1
Overview
FluentSMTP is a free, open-source email delivery plugin from WPManageNinja, the team behind Fluent Forms and FluentCRM. Its defining feature is that there is no paid tier: the developer states it will never release a Pro version, so every mailer and tool is in the WordPress.org download.
How it works
You add one or more connections, each tied to a sender address. Native API drivers cover Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, Postmark, SparkPost, SMTP2GO, Elastic Email, Netcore, Cloudflare Email Sending and toSend, while Gmail, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365/Outlook connect through OAuth. Zoho Mail and any other server use standard SMTP. Each email is sent through the connection that matches its From address, with a default connection for the rest and an optional fallback connection if the default fails.
Logging and monitoring
Every email can be logged to its own database table with headers, body, attachments and the provider’s raw response, then filtered, searched and resent singly or in bulk. Logs auto-delete after a period you choose (7 days to 2 years). A dashboard shows sending charts, an email summary can go out on chosen weekdays, and failure alerts can be pushed to Slack, Telegram, Discord or Pushover. Email Simulation stops real delivery while still logging, which suits staging sites.
Strengths and limitations
- Everything is free, with no feature limits or upsell screens.
- Secrets are encrypted with WordPress salts, or kept in wp-config constants.
- WP-CLI commands for test sends, health checks, stats and log pruning.
- Routing is by From address only, with no rules based on subject or source plugin.
- No open or click tracking, no option to switch off individual WordPress notification emails, and multisite is configured per subsite.
- Support is via the WordPress.org forum and docs rather than a paid ticket desk.
Who should pick it: anyone who wants logs, resending, fallback sending and Microsoft 365 or Amazon SES support without paying, especially developers and agencies managing many sites. Pick a commercial option if you need open tracking, rule-based routing or guaranteed support.
Best for: Sites and agencies that want full logging, fallback sending and Microsoft 365 or Amazon SES support at no cost.
FluentSMTP delivers most of what commercial SMTP plugins charge for, including logs, resend, fallback and alerts, entirely free. It lacks open tracking and rule-based routing, and support is community-level, but for most sites it is the best-value option in the category.
Pros
- Every feature is free, with no Pro version or paid add-ons
- Native API drivers plus OAuth for Gmail, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365
- Email log with bulk resend, provider responses and configurable auto-deletion
- Fallback connection and per-sender connections for transactional and marketing mail
- Failure alerts to Slack, Telegram, Discord or Pushover, plus WP-CLI commands
Cons
- Routing only by From address, not by subject or originating plugin
- No open or click tracking
- No controls to disable individual WordPress notification emails
- Real-time failure alerts do not go by email; multisite is per subsite only
Key features
What FluentSMTP highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- 100% free, no Pro version
- Native API mailers incl. Amazon SES
- Gmail and Microsoft 365 via OAuth
- Any SMTP server supported
- Logs with headers and server response
- Single and bulk resend
- Fallback connection on failure
- Per-sender connection routing
- Slack, Telegram, Discord, Pushover alerts
- Sending charts and email summaries
- Email Simulation for staging
- Encrypted keys or wp-config constants
- WP-CLI test, health and stats commands
Feature checklist
20 of 23 features we track in SMTP & Email Delivery, feature score 89/100
Sending & mailers 8/8
Any SMTP server Key
Send through any SMTP host with your own credentials.
Generic SMTP driver for any host, such as Yahoo, Outlook.com or cPanel mail.
Included
API mailer integrations Key
Native API connections to SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, Postmark and similar.
API drivers for SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, Postmark, SparkPost, SMTP2GO and more.
Included
Gmail & Google Workspace Key
Sign in with Google (OAuth) instead of storing a password.
Gmail and Google Workspace connect through OAuth.
Included
Microsoft 365 / Outlook
Send through Outlook or Microsoft 365 with OAuth.
Outlook/Office 365/Microsoft 365 connection via OAuth API, free.
Included
Amazon SES
Native Amazon SES integration.
Native Amazon SES API driver included free.
Included
Backup connection Key
Falls back to a second mailer if the main one fails.
Fallback connection is used when the default connection fails.
Included
Smart routing
Send different emails through different connections by rules.
Routes each email to the connection matching its From address; no subject or plugin rules.
Partial
Setup wizard
Guided setup with a test email at the end.
Setup assistant to configure a connection and send a test email.
Included
Logs & monitoring 5/7
Email log Key
Keeps a record of every email sent from the site.
Logs every email with headers, body and server response in its own table.
Included
Resend from the log
Resend failed or individual emails from the log.
Resend any logged email singly or in bulk, failed or sent.
Included
Open & click tracking
See whether emails were opened and links clicked.
No open or click tracking is offered.
Not included
Failure alerts Key
Alerts by email, Slack, SMS or push when sending fails.
Instant failure alerts to Slack, Telegram, Discord or Pushover.
Included
Automatic retry & queue
Queues emails and retries failed sends automatically.
No automatic retry queue; failed emails are resent manually or handled by the fallback.
Not included
Delivery reports
Charts or weekly summaries of sent and failed emails.
Dashboard sending charts plus a scheduled email summary of sent and failed totals.
Included
Log retention & attachments
Control how long logs are kept, with optional attachment storage.
Delete Logs setting keeps logs from 7 days up to 2 years.
Included
Email control 3/4
Force from name & address
Override the sender name and address on every email.
Per-connection Force From Email and Force Sender Name options.
Included
Turn WordPress emails on or off
Disable individual core, update or WooCommerce notification emails.
No settings to disable individual WordPress or WooCommerce notification emails.
Not included
Stop sending / test mode
Block outgoing email on staging sites or while testing.
Email Simulation logs emails without sending; also a constant to force it.
Included
Test email & diagnostics
Send a test email and see a readable error if it fails.
Send plain or HTML test emails from settings or WP-CLI.
Included
Security & admin 4/4
Secure credential storage
Store keys in wp-config constants or encrypted in the database.
Keys encrypted with WordPress salts, or stored as wp-config constants.
Included
Multisite support
Network-wide or per-site settings on multisite.
Works on multisite but is configured per subsite, with no network-wide settings.
Partial
No paywalled mailers
All supported mailers are available in the free version.
Every mailer and feature is in the free plugin; no Pro version exists.
Included
Developer hooks & WP-CLI
Hooks, filters or WP-CLI commands for developers.
WP-CLI commands for test, health, stats and prune-logs, plus constants.
Included
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Free
FreelifetimeUnlimited
Free and open source; the developer says there will never be a Pro version or paid add-ons.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use FluentSMTP?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
700K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
700K+
Sites/users claimed on the vendor's website. source
Estimated Pro / paid installs
n/a
There is no paid version.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
42,738 downloads last week, 5.9M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 2.4.1 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 27 Sep 2026 (37 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 6.5+, PHP 7.4+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 22 of 23 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 18 Jan 2021 |
Company & policy
| Refund policy | Not applicable (free) (source, 11 Oct 2026) No paid plans to refund. |
|---|
FluentSMTP compared
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Solid Mail
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FAQ
Is FluentSMTP free?
Yes. FluentSMTP has a free version on WordPress.org.
How many sites use FluentSMTP?
WordPress.org reports 700K+ active installations of the free version. The vendor claims 700K+ sites in total.
Does FluentSMTP have any smtp server?
Yes: included. Generic SMTP driver for any host, such as Yahoo, Outlook.com or cPanel mail.
Does FluentSMTP have api mailer integrations?
Yes: included. API drivers for SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, Postmark, SparkPost, SMTP2GO and more.
Does FluentSMTP have gmail & google workspace?
Yes: included. Gmail and Google Workspace connect through OAuth.
Does FluentSMTP have backup connection?
Yes: included. Fallback connection is used when the default connection fails.
Does FluentSMTP have email log?
Yes: included. Logs every email with headers, body and server response in its own table.
Does FluentSMTP have failure alerts?
Yes: included. Instant failure alerts to Slack, Telegram, Discord or Pushover.
Is there a FluentSMTP Pro?
No. FluentSMTP is free and open source, and the developer says there is no Pro version, no paid add-on and no feature limit.
Which mailers does FluentSMTP support?
Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, Postmark, SparkPost, SMTP2GO, Elastic Email, Netcore, Cloudflare and toSend by API; Gmail, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 by OAuth; plus Zoho and any other SMTP server.
Can I migrate from WP Mail SMTP or Easy WP SMTP?
Yes, FluentSMTP offers a one-click import of settings from WP Mail SMTP and Easy WP SMTP.
Will it send email alerts when delivery fails?
Real-time failure alerts go to Slack, Telegram, Discord or Pushover. The Email Summary sent by email is a periodic report, not an instant failure alert.
Last updated 11 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.