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The WordPress Email Authority

WordPress SMTP Services

Transactional email — password resets, order confirmations, contact-form notifications — needs an SMTP relay that authenticates as the sending domain. The providers below are reviewed for deliverability defaults, pricing at small WordPress volumes, and the realities of getting WordPress to talk to them. Some run their own infrastructure; some resell AWS SES — the difference shows up in support, pricing edges, and what happens when reputation tanks.

  • Microsoft 365 as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Microsoft 365 as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Microsoft 365 can relay WordPress mail through Exchange Online via SMTP AUTH or OAuth. Per-mailbox cap is 10,000 recipients per day, 30 messages per minute. SMTP AUTH Basic Authentication is default-off on existing tenants from the end of December 2026; OAuth is the only path that survives the cutoff.

  • Elastic Email as a WordPress SMTP server

    Elastic Email as a WordPress SMTP server

    Elastic Email’s transactional API starts at $19/month for 50,000 emails. The Free plan includes SMTP and API access with a 3,000 emails/month cap and 100 emails/day limit. Competitive at volume, overpriced below 30K sends/month for WordPress.

  • Gmail as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Gmail as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Gmail can relay WordPress emails via SMTP using OAuth2 or App Passwords. Free accounts allow 500 sends/day; Workspace allows 2,000. Not a transactional service.

  • Zeptomail (by Zoho) as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Zeptomail (by Zoho) as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Zeptomail is Zoho’s transactional-only email relay. Credit-based pricing at $2.50/10K emails with no monthly fee. Best for sites already using Zoho.

  • Netcore Email API (formerly Pepipost) as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Netcore Email API (formerly Pepipost) as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Netcore Email API (formerly Pepipost) is an enterprise-focused relay. Netcore has retired the public pricing page; paid tiers are sales-gated. Free tier allows 100 emails/day. Most WordPress sites should use simpler alternatives.

  • SendGrid as a WordPress SMTP server

    SendGrid as a WordPress SMTP server

    SendGrid is a high-volume email platform owned by Twilio. Essentials plan starts at $19.95/month for 50,000 emails. Priced and featured above what most WordPress sites need, but a defensible choice at enterprise scale.

  • Postmark as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Postmark as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Postmark review, for WordPress: pricing from $15/mo for 10,000, stream separation, WP Mail SMTP setup. The right transactional default.

  • Amazon SES as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Amazon SES as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Amazon SES sends email at $0.10 per thousand – the cheapest in this category. The trade-off: IAM credentials, sandbox restrictions, no permanent free tier.

  • Bird (formerly MessageBird, formerly SparkPost) as a WordPress SMTP server

    Bird (formerly MessageBird, formerly SparkPost) as a WordPress SMTP server

    SparkPost operates as Bird’s email product after the 2022 acquisition. Self-service Starter ($20/mo) and Premier ($75/mo, dedicated IP included) tiers are back; Enterprise handles 5M+/mo. The official WordPress plugin remains closed as of March 2025.

  • Zoho Mail as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Zoho Mail as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Zoho Mail is a mailbox service usable as WordPress SMTP relay via OAuth plugin or generic SMTP. Free for 5 users. Adequate for low-volume sites already on Zoho.

  • SMTP.com as a WordPress SMTP Server

    SMTP.com as a WordPress SMTP Server

    SMTP.com is a high-volume email relay with 22+ years of operation. Entry at $25/mo for 50K emails. Overpowered for typical WordPress sites; relevant for large WooCommerce or membership platforms.

  • Resend as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Resend as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Resend is the React Email team’s developer-first sending service: generous free tier, clean API. For WordPress operators, does the developer pitch translate?

  • Mailchimp Transactional Email (formerly Mandrill) as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Mailchimp Transactional Email (formerly Mandrill) as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Mailchimp Transactional Email runs on Mandrill’s infrastructure but requires a $20/month Mailchimp Standard plan before any 25,000-email block can be purchased.

  • Mailjet as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Mailjet as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Mailjet’s free tier sends 6,000 emails/month from WordPress. A marketing platform with decent SMTP, but Brevo’s free tier is more generous and the Mailjet branding on free emails is a drawback.

  • SMTP2GO as a WordPress SMTP Server

    SMTP2GO as a WordPress SMTP Server

    SMTP2GO is a transactional email relay with a free tier (1,000 emails/month) and no marketing overhead. Starter plan is $10/month. The right tool when WordPress just needs email to work.

  • MailPoet as a WordPress SMTP Server

    MailPoet as a WordPress SMTP Server

    MailPoet is a WordPress newsletter platform (500K+ installs, by Automattic) with its own sending service. Use it for email marketing, not as a standalone SMTP relay.

  • SendLayer as a WordPress SMTP Server

    SendLayer as a WordPress SMTP Server

    SendLayer is a transactional relay from the WPBeginner/Awesome Motive ecosystem. Annual plans from $5/mo. Outpriced by SMTP2GO and Postmark at every tier.

  • Brevo (Sendinblue) as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Brevo (Sendinblue) as a WordPress SMTP Server

    Brevo’s free tier sends 300 emails/day from WordPress via SMTP or API. A marketing platform that also handles transactional email – good fit for some sites, more platform than others need.

  • MailHawk as a WordPress SMTP Server

    MailHawk as a WordPress SMTP Server

    MailHawk is a WordPress-only email service with plugin-based integration. Basic plan $1/mo for 1,000 emails. A niche option for Groundhogg users; most sites are better served by standard SMTP relays.