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.

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.
Read More: Brevo (Sendinblue) as a WordPress SMTP Server

Mailgun as a WordPress SMTP Server

Mailgun is mature developer-focused email infrastructure. HTTP API and SMTP relay, permanent free tier of 100 emails/day, inbound routing, email validation, and granular event webhooks. Fits high-volume, developer-led projects and agencies running per-domain sending reputation.
MailHawk as a WordPress SMTP Server

MailHawk is a WordPress-native sending service from the Groundhogg team. $1/mo Basic tier for 1,000 emails, no external dashboard, plugin-only interface. Fits Groundhogg-based operations and WordPress operators who want sending managed entirely inside the admin.
Mailjet as a WordPress SMTP Server

Mailjet’s free tier sends 6,000 emails/month from WordPress. Marketing and transactional email run on one account, with EU data centers. Fits sites already using Mailjet campaigns or wanting a single EU provider for both.
MailPoet as a WordPress SMTP Server

MailPoet is a WordPress newsletter platform (500K+ installs, by Automattic) with its own sending service. Built for newsletters and marketing automation from inside WordPress; not designed as a standalone transactional SMTP relay.
SendLayer as a WordPress SMTP Server

SendLayer is a transactional relay from Awesome Motive (WPBeginner / WP Mail SMTP), with turnkey Quick Connect setup through Easy WP SMTP. Annual plans from $5/mo.
Resend as a WordPress SMTP Server

Resend gives a WordPress site 3,000 emails a month free, a dedicated third-party plugin, native WP Mail SMTP support, and per-domain regions across four continents. For most sites, that is the answer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.