FluentSMTP review 2025: the best free SMTP plugin for WordPress?

Are your WordPress e-mails going to spam, or worse, never arriving? This is a common problem linked to WordPress’s default mailbox(wp_mail()), which is incapable of ensuring good deliverability.

Result: lost WooCommerce confirmations, ignored forms, missing notifications.

The solution lies in a reliable WordPress SMTP plugin capable of overcoming these limitations. In this guide, discover our full review of FluentSMTP, the free solution that promises to simplify e-mailing from your WordPress site.

Why aren’t your WordPress emails arriving?

The limitation of the default mail function ( wp_mail())

By default, WordPress sends your e-mails via the wp_mail() function. Problem: this method uses PHP mail() without authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). For modern mail servers, this looks like spam. Your e-mails are then blocked or sent to the junk folder.

Consequences: forms ignored, WooCommerce orders lost, notifications missing

The impact can be critical:

• A WooCommerce customer who doesn’t receive an order confirmation.
• A prospect who sends in a contact form but never gets a reply.
• An administrator who doesn’t receive WordPress notifications (new comment, new order).

👉 In all these cases, your credibility and sales are directly at stake.

Why an SMTP plugin is essential for improving deliverability

An SMTP plugin like FluentSMTP bypasses wp_mail() and relies on an authenticated SMTP server (Gmail, Amazon SES, Brevo, etc.). The result: your e-mails are signed, secured and accepted by messaging services.
With a plugin like this, you can drastically improve the deliverability of WordPress e-mails and ensure that every important message reaches the inbox.

What is FluentSMTP?

Origin and philosophy

FluentSMTP is developed by WPManageNinja, the team behind Fluent Forms and FluentCRM. Their philosophy: to offer a free, comprehensive solution to a critical WordPress problem – reliable e-mail delivery. Unlike many competitors, there’s no hidden premium version: all features are included.

A free, comprehensive solution

Where plugins such as WP Mail SMTP require you to upgrade to the Pro version to activate logs or routing, FluentSMTP offers everything free of charge. As soon as you install it, you have a robust alternative to the default WordPress mailbox, capable of sending e-mails from your WordPress site via real SMTP servers.

👉 Its major assets:

• Compatibility with Gmail, Amazon SES, SendGrid, Brevo, Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail, Mailgun…
• Comprehensive logging and visual reports integrated into the FluentSMTP dashboard.
• Conditional routing and backup connections included free of charge.

Who is FluentSMTP for?

• Bloggers and freelancers who want a simple, free and effective solution.
• WooCommerce stores who can’t afford to lose order confirmations.
• Web agencies who want to offer their customers a reliable plugin at no extra cost.

In short, FluentSMTP is a WordPress SMTP plugin that provides a solution accessible to everyone, from showcase sites to e-commerce, with a simple promise: to improve the deliverability of WordPress emails without complexity or hidden costs.

Key features of FluentSMTP

Multiple connections to major SMTP services

FluentSMTP connects your WordPress site to all the major SMTP providers: Gmail, Google Workspace, Amazon SES, SendGrid, Brevo (ex-Sendinblue), Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail, Mailgun, Postmark, SparkPost…

👉 You can even use multiple connections in parallel (e.g. customer notifications via Amazon SES + forms via Brevo).

E-mail logging

Each e-mail sent is recorded in a log stored in the WordPress database. You’ll find: recipient, date, status (successful or unsuccessful). In the event of failure, you can resend an e-mail with a single click.

⚠️ Warning: for large volumes, these logs can weigh down the database. FluentSMTP offers options for regular purging.

Visual reports and statistics

From the FluentSMTP dashboard, you have access to clear graphics: number of e-mails sent, failure rate, active services. These reports help you quickly identify deliverability problems.

👉 For a WooCommerce site, this is a valuable guarantee: you know whether your order confirmations are going through.

Conditional routing and backup connections

Premium feature in others, free here: you can define routing rules. Example: send WordPress notifications via Gmail, and customer invoices via Amazon SES. In case of failure, a fallback SMTP server automatically takes over.

Security and encryption

FluentSMTP supports TLS, SSL and OAuth 2.0, guaranteeing a secure connection between WordPress and your SMTP providers.
What’s more, the WPManageNinja team regularly updates the plugin to correct vulnerabilities and keep up with modern standards.

✅ You’re using WordPress and your e-mails are going to spam.
✅ You’re looking for a free but comprehensive SMTP plugin.
✅ You send a reasonable volume (less than 50,000 e-mails/month).
✅ You want to combine several SMTP services at no extra cost.
❌ You manage a very large volume (several hundred thousand/month).
❌ You need guaranteed contractual support (SLA).

Advantages and disadvantages of FluentSMTP

Highlights

FluentSMTP is one of the most comprehensive WordPress SMTP plugins available… yet it’s free. Its major assets :

• 100% free: no hidden Pro version.
• Simple interface: a clear dashboard, even for non-technical users.
• Broad compatibility: Gmail, Amazon SES, SendGrid, Brevo, Zoho, Microsoft 365…
• Comprehensive logging: precise tracking and e-mail forwarding capabilities.
• Conditional routing and fallback: a premium feature included free of charge.
• Active support: quick answers via the WordPress.org forum.

Limits to be aware of

No tool is perfect, and FluentSMTP also has a few limitations:

• High-volume performance: beyond hundreds of thousands of e-mails, logs can slow down the database.
• Perfectible documentation: some integrations (Microsoft 365, Azure) remain technical.
• Dependence on third-party SMTP services: if SPF/DKIM/DMARC configuration is incorrect, deliverability problems persist.

👉 Looking for a free solution to improve WordPress email deliverability?
Download FluentSMTP now from WordPress.org and say goodbye to lost messages.

FluentSMTP versus the competition

FluentSMTP vs WP Mail SMTP

WP Mail SMTP is the best-known SMTP plugin. Its free version remains basic: no logs, no conditional routing, and limited support. To access advanced features, you need to upgrade to WP Mail SMTP Pro (from $49/year).

👉 FluentSMTP sets itself apart by offering premium features (logs, fallback, conditional routing) free of charge. Bottom line: for a blogger or small WooCommerce store, it’s more cost-effective.

FluentSMTP vs Gravity SMTP

Gravity SMTP is designed for Gravity Forms users. It offers seamless integration, but its advanced features require a paid subscription.

👉 FluentSMTP, on the other hand, works with all WordPress forms (including Fluent Forms) and remains 100% free, even for conditional routing.

SMTP plugins comparison chart

👉 Verdict: FluentSMTP offers unbeatable value for money. Paid solutions only become interesting for sites with very high e-mail volumes or requiring contractual support.

Getting started with FluentSMTP (tutorial)

Installation in 3 easy steps

Installing FluentSMTP is child’s play:

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Extensions > Add.
2. Search for FluentSMTP, then click Install.
3. Activate the plugin: a new tab “FluentSMTP” appears.

👉 In less than 5 minutes, the plugin is ready.

Configuration with Gmail, Amazon SES and SendGrid

• Gmail / Google Workspace: use OAuth 2.0 or an application password (if dual authentication is enabled).
• Amazon SES: ideal for e-commerce sites thanks to its high deliverability and competitive cost. You need to validate your domain.
• SendGrid: perfect for newsletters and marketing campaigns, with a free offer of 100 e-mails/day.

👉 FluentSMTP is also compatible with Brevo, Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail, Mailgun, Postmark, SparkPost.

Best practices for optimizing configuration

• Activate “Send a test e-mail” before going into production.
• Configure your SPF, DKIM and DMARC records correctly to reinforce deliverability.
• Purge your logs regularly to avoid overloading the WordPress database.
• Set up conditional routing if you combine several SMTP services.

❌ Leave logs permanently active (heavy database).
❌ Neglect SPF/DKIM configuration → your e-mails risk being marked as spam.
❌ Ignore send failure notifications, which alert in the event of a problem.
❌ Fail to test configuration before launching a campaign.

👉 With these steps, your WordPress site will finally send secure, authenticated and delivered emails.

Who is FluentSMTP ideal for?

Bloggers and freelancers

FluentSMTP is a godsend for content creators and freelancers. Free, quick to set up and compatible with all hosting providers, it ensures that WordPress contact forms and notifications arrive in the inbox. 👉 No need to invest in a premium plugin to make your exchanges more reliable.

WooCommerce stores and transactional sites

In e-commerce, every e-mail counts: order confirmations, invoices, delivery updates… FluentSMTP secures these critical messages.

• Compatible with WooCommerce right out of the box.
• Ideal for sites sending up to 50,000 e-mails/month.

👉 Beyond that, consider a premium solution with priority support.

Web agencies and designers

For a WordPress agency, offering FluentSMTP to its customers means :

• Install a reliable plugin that’s free by default.
• Centralize e-mail delivery from the WordPress dashboard.
• Seamless integration with Fluent Forms and FluentCRM.

👉 Many service providers have adopted it as the SMTP standard for all their customer projects.

Cases where a paid plugin is preferable

• Sites with very high e-mail volumes (several hundred thousand per month).
• Large companies requiring a contractual SLA.
• Projects requiring priority technical support.

👉 In 90% of cases, FluentSMTP is more than sufficient. For extreme needs, WP Mail SMTP Pro or Postmark remain options.

User opinions and community feedback

An average rating of 4.8/5 on WordPress.org

With over 300,000 active installations and an average rating of ⭐ 4.8/5, FluentSMTP is one of the highest-rated SMTP plugins on the official WordPress directory. This recognition reflects its reliability and user satisfaction.

Positive user feedback

Reviews regularly highlight :

• Ease of use: “Installation and configuration in less than 10 minutes.”
• Unbeatable value for money: “At last, a free, full-featured WordPress SMTP plugin.”
• Responsive support: “Response within 24 hours on the WordPress.org forum.”

👉 Many point out that FluentSMTP has improved the deliverability of WordPress emails, where other solutions were failing.

Critical points and areas for improvement

Some less enthusiastic feedback concerns :

• Performance on very large volumes (heavy logs in the database).
• Limited documentation for advanced cases (Microsoft 365, Azure).
• Lack of ultra-detailed statistics (only available via third-party services).

Inspiring case studies

• A WordPress blogger: thanks to FluentSMTP, his newsletters sent via SendGrid finally arrive in the main mailbox.
• A WooCommerce store: no more lost orders, confirmations now go via Amazon SES.
• A web agency: standardizes FluentSMTP on all its client sites, combined with Fluent Forms for seamless integration.

As a WordPress freelancer, I finally found a free and reliable SMTP plugin. FluentSMTP saved me hours of customer support for emails that never arrived.

My final review of FluentSMTP

After several tests and cross feedbacks, my opinion is clear: FluentSMTP is today the best free SMTP plugin for WordPress. It combines simplicity, reliability and rich functionality, without forcing users to upgrade to a premium version.

Review summary

✅ Free and complete right out of the box
✅ Intuitive interface, clear logs and reports
✅ Conditional routing and fallback included
✅ Wide compatibility (Gmail, Amazon SES, SendGrid, Brevo, etc.)
⚠️ Limits on very large volumes (heavy logs)
⚠️ Documentation to be improved for complex cases

👉 F inal rating: 9/10

Profile recommendations

• Freelance / blogger: perfect for securing your forms and notifications.
• WooCommerce store: reliable up to 50,000 emails/month.
• WordPress agency: ideal as an SMTP standard for your customer projects.
• Large enterprises: prefer a premium solution if you need an SLA or priority support.

👉 Download FluentSMTP for free from WordPress.org and improve the deliverability of your WordPress emails today.

✨ Bonus: with code schoolsWP20, get 20% off the Fluent ecosystem (FluentCRM, Fluent Forms).

FAQ FluentSMTP

Conclusion

If your WordPress e-mails end up in spam, FluentSMTP is the simple, free solution you’ve been waiting for. With its extensive compatibility, advanced features and intuitive interface, it’s sure to be the SMTP plugin of choice in 2025.

👉 Take back control of your WordPress emails:

• No more lost confirmations on WooCommerce.
• No more forms ignored by your prospects.
• No more missing admin notifications.

🎯 Download FluentSMTP for free today, and enjoy optimal deliverability with no hidden costs.

✨ Bonus: to complete your stack, get 20% off FluentCRM and Fluent Forms with the schoolsWP20 promo code.