Netcore Email API (formerly Pepipost) is aimed at developers and enterprises, not typical WordPress operators. The entry paid plan starts at $25/month for 150,000 emails – a volume tier that few WordPress sites reach. A perpetual free tier (100 emails/day, approximately 3,000/month) exists for testing and low-volume use.
The platform handles both transactional and marketing email at scale. Its differentiator is infrastructure breadth (US, EU, and Indian data residency) and volume: the service processes large email volumes for enterprise customers. For a typical WordPress site sending hundreds or low thousands of emails per month, Netcore is overspecced and overpriced.
SMTP settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Host | smtp.pepipost.com |
| Port | 587 (recommended), 25, or 2525 |
| Encryption | TLS |
| Authentication | API key |
The smtp.pepipost.com hostname persists from the Pepipost era. Authentication uses an API key generated in the Netcore dashboard.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | $0 | 100 emails/day (~3,000/mo) |
| Trial | Free (30 days) | 30,000 emails |
| Entry | $25/mo | 150,000/mo |
| Mid | $85/mo | 400,000/mo |
| Growth | $145/mo | 600,000/mo |
| Scale | $245/mo | 1,000,000/mo |
| Enterprise | $445/mo | 2,000,000/mo |
Overage charges decrease at higher tiers. Annual billing saves 30%.
The free tier at 100 emails/day is adequate for a small WordPress site’s A transactional email is the automated message a WordPress site sends in response to a single user action – a password reset, an order confirmation, a form receipt – addressed to the user who triggered it. Read full reference →. For comparison: SMTP2GO offers 1,000/month (200/day) free with no restrictions, and Brevo offers 300/day free. Netcore’s free tier is smaller than either.
The paid plans are enterprise-oriented: the $25/month entry point buys 150,000 emails – more volume than most WordPress sites need. If you actually send 150,000 emails/month from WordPress, Netcore’s per-email cost ($0.17/1K) is competitive with Amazon SES ($0.10/1K) and better than Mailgun at equivalent volume.
WordPress integration
FluentSMTP – FluentSMTP includes a native Pepipost/Netcore integration. Enter your API key, select Pepipost as the mailer, done.
Generic SMTP – Any mailer plugin (WP Mail SMTP, Post SMTP) can connect to smtp.pepipost.com using the SMTP settings above.
A dedicated Netcore WordPress plugin existed (Pepipost plugin) but appears to be no longer actively maintained. Use FluentSMTP or generic SMTP instead.
Assessment
Netcore Email API is a capable, enterprise-grade email infrastructure service with strong deliverability credentials. For the narrow use case of high-volume WordPress email (100K+ messages/month), it offers competitive per-email pricing on cloud-native infrastructure.
For WordPress sites at typical transactional volumes:
- Under 1,000/month: SMTP2GO free tier covers this with zero cost and zero complexity.
- 1,000-10,000/month: SMTP2GO Starter ($10/mo), Postmark ($15/mo), or Brevo (free for 300/day) serve this range with simpler setup and better WordPress ecosystem support.
- 10,000-100,000/month: Mailgun or Amazon SES are more commonly used in the WordPress ecosystem at this scale.
- 100,000+/month: Netcore becomes relevant alongside Amazon SES and Mailgun Scale plans.
The platform’s developer-focused interface and enterprise pricing make it a poor fit for most WordPress operators. The free tier (100/day) is functional but outmatched by competitors. Netcore earns consideration only when volume and infrastructure requirements push beyond what the WordPress-focused relay market typically serves.
For the broader setup that places Netcore Email API inside the WordPress email stack, see the WordPress email setup guide.
SMTP settings from third-party documentation review. Pricing from third-party review sources (Netcore does not publish pricing publicly). Free tier and trial details confirmed across multiple sources.