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
SureMail
Free SMTP and email log plugin from Brainstorm Force with 15+ mailers, backup connections, auto-retry, resend and email simulation.
Free installs200K+WordPress.org, active
Rating4.7/525 reviews
Price fromFreeFree
Last updated8 Oct 2026Version 2.0.3
Overview
SureMail is a free SMTP and email logging plugin from Brainstorm Force, the company behind Astra and Spectra. It replaces WordPress’s default wp_mail() handling so site emails go out through a proper email service instead of the web server, which is the usual cause of password resets, form notifications and WooCommerce receipts landing in spam or vanishing.
You add one or more connections. Options include a generic SMTP server, Google Workspace or Gmail via OAuth, and API connections for Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Mailjet, MailerSend, Postmark, SparkPost, Elastic Email, Brevo, SMTP2GO, Netcore, Zoho Mail, Emailit and the vendor’s own SureContact service. Each connection gets a sequence number, so if the first one fails SureMail tries the next. If every connection fails it queues the message and retries the whole chain after 30 minutes.
Logging and safety features
- Email log with successful, failed, in-progress and blocked statuses, full content, headers and server response.
- Single and bulk resend from the log, plus optional attachment storage.
- Automatic log clean-up after a period you choose, and a weekly email summary.
- Email Simulation, which records emails without sending them (useful on staging).
- Reputation Shield / Content Guard, which checks message content before it reaches your provider.
Free vs paid
There is no Pro version: every mailer and feature is in the free plugin. The only paid elements sit outside the plugin. Failure alerts run through the separate OttoKit automation plugin, which has a free plan. SureContact is a managed sending service you can connect, and it includes 100 free sends.
Limitations
There is no Microsoft 365 / Outlook OAuth connection, no open or click tracking and no option to disable individual WordPress notification emails. Routing only matches the From address to a connection. There are no WP-CLI commands and credentials cannot be defined in wp-config.php, though they are encrypted in the database. The plugin is young (first release February 2025), so multisite behaviour is not documented.
Who should pick it: anyone who wants a capable, no-upsell SMTP plugin with failover, retries and resend. It suits agencies already using Astra or other Brainstorm Force products particularly well.
Best for: Site owners who want a free SMTP plugin with failover, retries and resend, without any Pro upsell.
SureMail gives away features that rivals usually reserve for paid tiers, such as backup connections, auto-retry, bulk resend and a staging mode. Its gaps are Microsoft 365 OAuth, tracking and developer tooling, but for most sites it is a strong free choice.
Pros
- Completely free with 15+ mailers, including Gmail OAuth and native APIs for SES, SendGrid, Postmark and Brevo
- Ordered backup connections plus an automatic retry 30 minutes after a total failure
- Detailed log with single and bulk resend, attachment storage and automatic clean-up
- Email Simulation mode stops real sending on staging while still logging messages
- Credentials encrypted in the database and a guided onboarding flow
Cons
- No Microsoft 365 / Outlook OAuth connection
- Failure alerts need the separate OttoKit automation plugin
- No open or click tracking and no switches to disable WordPress notification emails
- No WP-CLI commands or wp-config.php constants for credentials
- Young plugin (2025) with a short track record
Key features
What SureMail highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- 15+ SMTP and API mailers
- Gmail / Google Workspace OAuth
- Amazon SES, SendGrid, Postmark, Brevo APIs
- Ordered backup connections
- Auto-retry after 30 minutes
- Email log with full details
- Single and bulk resend
- Attachment storage in logs
- Automatic log clean-up
- Weekly email summary
- Email Simulation for staging
- Force From name and email
- Reputation Shield content check
- Encrypted stored credentials
Feature checklist
19 of 23 features we track in SMTP & Email Delivery, feature score 81/100
Sending & mailers 7/8
Any SMTP server Key
Send through any SMTP host with your own credentials.
'Other SMTP' connection takes any host, port, SSL/TLS and optional login.
Included
API mailer integrations Key
Native API connections to SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, Postmark and similar.
API connections for SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, Brevo, SparkPost, Mailjet, MailerSend, SMTP2GO and more.
Included
Gmail & Google Workspace Key
Sign in with Google (OAuth) instead of storing a password.
Google Workspace / Gmail connection authorises with Google OAuth using your Cloud client ID and secret.
Included
Microsoft 365 / Outlook
Send through Outlook or Microsoft 365 with OAuth.
No Microsoft 365 or Outlook OAuth connection among the listed providers; generic SMTP only.
Not included
Amazon SES
Native Amazon SES integration.
Dedicated Amazon SES connection.
Included
Backup connection Key
Falls back to a second mailer if the main one fails.
Connections for the same From email are tried in sequence until one succeeds.
Included
Smart routing
Send different emails through different connections by rules.
Emails go to the connection matching their From address; no other routing rules.
Partial
Setup wizard
Guided setup with a test email at the end.
Onboarding wizard (v1.7+) sets up the first connection; the SureContact path ends with a test step.
Included
Logs & monitoring 6/7
Email log Key
Keeps a record of every email sent from the site.
Logs every email with status, body, headers, attachments and server response.
Included
Resend from the log
Resend failed or individual emails from the log.
Resend one email or bulk-resend selected emails from the log.
Included
Open & click tracking
See whether emails were opened and links clicked.
Logs show delivery status only; no open or click tracking is offered.
Not included
Failure alerts Key
Alerts by email, Slack, SMS or push when sending fails.
Needs the separate OttoKit plugin (free plan available) using the 'Email Failed to Send' trigger.
Via add-on
Automatic retry & queue
Queues emails and retries failed sends automatically.
Failed emails are retried automatically across all connections after 30 minutes.
Included
Delivery reports
Charts or weekly summaries of sent and failed emails.
Dashboard charts of sent and failed emails plus an optional weekly email summary.
Included
Log retention & attachments
Control how long logs are kept, with optional attachment storage.
Choose when logs are auto-deleted; optional attachment storage.
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 From Name toggles override other plugins.
Included
Turn WordPress emails on or off
Disable individual core, update or WooCommerce notification emails.
No settings to switch off individual WordPress or WooCommerce notification emails.
Not included
Stop sending / test mode
Block outgoing email on staging sites or while testing.
Email Simulation logs outgoing emails without delivering them.
Included
Test email & diagnostics
Send a test email and see a readable error if it fails.
Send Test Mail from the Connections tab; failures show the provider's response in the log.
Included
Security & admin 3/4
Secure credential storage
Store keys in wp-config constants or encrypted in the database.
Connection credentials are encrypted in the database; no wp-config.php constants.
Partial
Multisite support
Network-wide or per-site settings on multisite.
Multisite support is not documented.
Not verified
No paywalled mailers
All supported mailers are available in the free version.
No paid version; every mailer is in the free plugin.
Included
Developer hooks & WP-CLI
Hooks, filters or WP-CLI commands for developers.
Filters such as suremails_before_send_email and suremails_provider_list, plus Abilities API; no WP-CLI.
Included
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Free
Freeper yearUnlimited
Every feature and mailer is free. Optional SureContact sending service includes 100 free sends; OttoKit alerts need the OttoKit plugin.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use SureMail?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
200K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
—
The vendor does not publish a total.
Estimated Pro / paid installs
n/a
There is no paid version.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
16,270 downloads last week, 1.8M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 2.0.3 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 8 Oct 2026 (26 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 5.4+, PHP 7.4+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 0 of 2 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 22 Jan 2025 |
Company & policy
| Founded | 2025 (source, 11 Oct 2026) Plugin's first release (1.0.0) was 4 Feb 2025; Brainstorm Force itself is the company behind Astra. |
|---|
SureMail compared
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FAQ
Is SureMail free?
Yes. SureMail has a free version on WordPress.org.
How many sites use SureMail?
WordPress.org reports 200K+ active installations of the free version.
Does SureMail have any smtp server?
Yes: included. 'Other SMTP' connection takes any host, port, SSL/TLS and optional login.
Does SureMail have api mailer integrations?
Yes: included. API connections for SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, Brevo, SparkPost, Mailjet, MailerSend, SMTP2GO and more.
Does SureMail have gmail & google workspace?
Yes: included. Google Workspace / Gmail connection authorises with Google OAuth using your Cloud client ID and secret.
Does SureMail have backup connection?
Yes: included. Connections for the same From email are tried in sequence until one succeeds.
Does SureMail have email log?
Yes: included. Logs every email with status, body, headers, attachments and server response.
Does SureMail have failure alerts?
Yes: via add-on. Needs the separate OttoKit plugin (free plan available) using the 'Email Failed to Send' trigger.
Is SureMail really free?
Yes. There is no Pro version; all mailers, backup connections, retries, logs and resend are in the free plugin. Optional extras such as the SureContact sending service or OttoKit automations have their own plans.
Can SureMail send through Microsoft 365 or Outlook?
Not with OAuth. There is no dedicated Microsoft connection, so you would need the generic SMTP option where your Microsoft account allows authenticated SMTP.
How does the backup connection work?
Connections that share the same From address are tried in order of their sequence number. If all fail, SureMail retries the whole chain after 30 minutes.
Can I stop emails going out from a staging site?
Yes. Email Simulation records outgoing emails in the log without delivering them.
How do I get notified when an email fails?
Install OttoKit (free plan available) and create a workflow on SureMail's 'Email Failed to Send' trigger to alert you by email, Slack or other apps.
Last updated 11 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.