Easy WP SMTP Review: Is This the Easiest SMTP Plugin?

Sending emails from your WordPress site shouldn’t feel like a guessing game. But if you’ve ever had a contact form submission vanish or an order confirmation land in spam, you know how unreliable WordPress email delivery can be out of the box.

That’s where an SMTP plugin comes in. I’ve been testing Easy WP SMTP to see if it lives up to its name, and I want to share what I found. From setup to advanced features like smart routing and multi-channel alerts, I’ll cover everything you need to know before deciding if it’s right for your site.

If you’re dealing with email delivery issues in WordPress, this review should help you figure out whether Easy WP SMTP is the fix you need.

My Favorite Easy WP SMTP Features

The Easy WP SMTP WordPress plugin has 600,000+ active installations and has added a lot of new features since it first launched. I tested the plugin myself so I could bring you an accurate picture of what it offers today. Here’s a breakdown of the core features.

1. Easy WP SMTP Setup Wizard

Who doesn’t love a good setup wizard? After you sign up for an Easy WP SMTP account and download the plugin, a setup wizard walks you through configuring your settings.

I found that pretty much everything was covered in the setup wizard, so let’s take a closer look at what it entails.

First, you get the option to choose your SMTP mailer. This is the service that actually sends the emails, and Easy WP SMTP is compatible with all the major providers in the industry.

Absolute beginners might not know much about the mailers to be able to choose. To help you make the best decision about what you need, there’s a complete mailer guide linked that gives more information.

Easy WP SMTP gives you options to use some of the top SMTP mailers, including Amazon SES, Gmail (offering an easy connection without the need to set up your own app), Mailgun, Microsoft Outlook, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), SendGrid, SMTP.com, Postmark, SparkPost, Zoho Mail, and more.

If you want to send WordPress emails using Gmail SMTP, the one-click OAuth setup makes it straightforward. After selecting your mailer, the wizard guides you through the process of configuring the mailer settings.

Don’t miss the linked documentation as you go through this step. It will help you understand the steps you’re taking and why.

After configuring your mailer settings, including adding your API key, you’ll go through enabling the email features you want to use and configuring email logs.

Finally, the setup wizard will check the mailer configuration. If everything checks out, you’re golden. If it doesn’t, though, it will walk you through the steps to troubleshoot the issue.

SMTP configuration can be intimidating to people who don’t fully understand what it is or why they need it. Easy WP SMTP makes setup easy with the setup wizard. Users who are new to SMTP will certainly benefit from how clear and easy it is to set up.

SendLayer Quick Connect

One of the standout additions to Easy WP SMTP is the SendLayer Quick Connect feature. This is worth calling out because it takes what’s already a simple setup process and makes it even faster.

Here’s how it works. In your Easy WP SMTP settings, when you select SendLayer as your mailer, you’ll see a Quick Connect button. Click it, and a popup walks you through creating a SendLayer account right from within the plugin.

You enter your email, name, and password, verify your email with a 6-digit code, and choose a plan. There’s even a free tier with 200 emails and 1 sender domain to get started.

The best part? Once you’re connected, Easy WP SMTP automatically generates your API key, sets up a shared sending domain, and configures everything for you.

You don’t have to copy API keys between two dashboards, add DNS records manually, or dive into other specifics for email sending. You go from zero to sending in about 2 minutes.

For anyone who’s ever struggled with configuring SMTP settings, this is a big deal. It removes virtually all the friction from getting started.

2. Email Reports Dashboard

Easy WP SMTP offers a basic email reports dashboard so you can see your emails at a glance. You can set it to whatever date range you want to monitor for emails sent, emails failed, emails opened, links clicked, and more.

While it might not have all the bells and whistles that other SMTP plugins feature on their dashboards, it sticks to Easy WP SMTP’s commitment to simplicity. All the information you need is there, and it’s easy to read.

3. Comprehensive Email Logs

If you enable email logging, you can access every email you’ve sent based on the settings you’ve configured. You can also set up detailed WordPress email logs if you want a more thorough tracking setup.

The log interface looks very much like the backend of WordPress, which makes it intuitive for users. You can click on any message for more info, such as the email ID or attachments.

What I like is that the logs also support open and click-through tracking. So you’re not just seeing whether an email was sent, you can tell whether the recipient actually opened it and clicked any links inside.

That’s a level of insight you don’t always get from SMTP plugins at this price point. You can also customize what’s included in your email logs by going into the Easy WP SMTP settings.

4. Instant Alerts for Failed Emails

Nothing is more frustrating than learning too late that your emails haven’t been delivered. Easy WP SMTP solves this with real-time notifications.

Easy WP SMTP supports a wide range of notification channels. You can receive alerts via email, SMS (through Twilio), Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, WhatsApp, and even push notifications.

By being notified instantly, you can address the issue quickly, minimizing the impact on your communications and start resending failed emails right away.

I’ve found the multi-channel approach particularly useful. I have Slack alerts set up for my team so everyone knows immediately if something goes down, without needing to check a dashboard.

5. Backup Connection for Email Continuity

With the backup connection system, Easy WP SMTP automatically switches to a secondary SMTP provider if your main one fails. It’s like having a safety net for your email delivery.

You don’t have to monitor everything constantly or scramble to fix things at the last minute. The plugin handles it in real-time, ensuring that emails continue to send without interruptions.

Another great thing is how easy it is to set up. You just configure your secondary SMTP provider in the plugin, and it does the rest.

If the first provider fails, the plugin instantly switches over, and you won’t even notice a gap in email delivery. For me, this has been incredibly useful during provider outages or unexpected spikes in email volume.

6. Smart Email Routing

Whether it’s transactional emails like order confirmations or marketing campaigns, this feature allows me to organize and optimize how these emails are sent, ensuring everything reaches its destination smoothly.

With smart email routing, I can set up rules to send specific types of emails through different SMTP providers. For example, I route all my transactional emails, like password resets, through a reliable and secure provider.

On the other hand, marketing emails, which often involve bulk sending, go through a different service designed to handle high volumes efficiently. This way, I ensure that each email is sent via the provider best suited for the job.

Setting up smart email routing was straightforward. The interface allows me to define specific criteria for routing, such as the type of email or even the recipient’s domain.

7. Miscellaneous Email Tools

Easy WP SMTP also includes a Tools section with utilities for email export, test emails, scheduled actions, and debug events.

The plugin uses the Action Scheduler library, which means you can schedule and process large-scale tasks in the background without slowing your site down for visitors.

The Tools area also lets you view and configure debugging events to help resolve email send errors. There’s an event log where you can click on any item for more details. It’s not flashy, but it gives you what you need for troubleshooting.

8. Email Controls

This is a feature that often goes overlooked, but it’s genuinely practical. Email Controls let you manage which default WordPress emails are sent from your site.

WordPress sends a lot of emails automatically like new user registrations, password resets, plugin update notices, admin notifications.

Not all of them are necessary, and in some cases they just add clutter to your inbox. With Email Controls, you can selectively disable the ones you don’t need while keeping the important ones active.

It’s a small feature, but once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you managed without it.

9. WordPress Multisite Support

If you manage a WordPress Multisite network, Easy WP SMTP has you covered. The plugin supports Multisite installations, so you can configure your SMTP settings once at the network level and have them apply across all your sites.

This is particularly useful for agencies, educational institutions, or any organization running multiple WordPress sites from a single dashboard. Instead of setting up SMTP individually on each site, you handle it centrally.

10. Support and Documentation Overview

One thing I’ve learned from managing email setups is that problems can pop up when you least expect them. That’s why having a reliable support team to turn to can make all the difference.

With Easy WP SMTP, the support is responsive and genuinely helpful. I’ve worked with other plugins before, and I can confidently say that the support from Easy WP SMTP stands out.

Their documentation is thorough and covers everything from initial setup to specific mailer configurations. If you’re buying Easy WP SMTP, you can also purchase their White Glove Setup.

That means the Easy WP SMTP team will configure the plugin for you. It’s a nice option if you’d rather hand the technical work off to someone who does it every day.

How Much Does Easy WP SMTP Cost?

Easy WP SMTP offers a free version on WordPress.org that you can use to get a feel for the plugin. It handles basic SMTP configuration, but features like email logging, reports, and alerts are reserved for premium plans.

Here’s a breakdown of the premium pricing:

Plan	Annual Price	Sites	Key Highlights
Basic	$49.50/year	1	Email logging, backup connections, smart routing, reports
Plus	$99.50/year	5	Everything in Basic + multisite management
Pro	$199.50/year	10	All features, ideal for developers
Elite	$299.50/year	50	All features + priority support + White Glove Setup

One of the things I really like about Easy WP SMTP’s pricing is that all premium plans include the full feature set. The main difference between plans comes down to how many sites you can use and the level of support.

Since plans bill annually, each plan includes one year of updates and support. There’s also a money-back guarantee, so you can try it without risk.

Easy WP SMTP: Pros and Cons

Here’s a quick summary of what stood out to me after testing the plugin:

What I liked:

• Setup wizard and SendLayer Quick Connect make getting started very fast
• Wide range of SMTP provider integrations (12+)
• Multi-channel failure alerts (email, SMS, Slack, Discord, Teams, WhatsApp, push notifications)
• Automatic backup connections for uninterrupted email delivery
• Smart email routing to separate transactional and marketing emails
• Email Controls to manage which WordPress emails get sent
• Clean, intuitive interface that doesn’t overwhelm beginners

Where it falls short:

• Free version is very limited — no email logging, no reports
• No built-in resend button for individual failed emails
• Primarily focused on transactional emails, not marketing campaigns

Is Easy WP SMTP Worth It?

Easy WP SMTP earns its name. If you’re looking for a WordPress SMTP plugin that doesn’t require any technical expertise, this is one of the best options out there.

The plugin covers all the essentials like reliable email delivery, logging, reports, multi-channel alerts, backup connections, and smart routing. And features like SendLayer Quick Connect and Email Controls show that the team is actively improving the product.

For small businesses, bloggers, and eCommerce sites that need their transactional emails (order confirmations, password resets, form notifications) to arrive reliably, Easy WP SMTP is a solid choice. The pricing is fair, and you get the full feature set on every premium plan.

If you need a more advanced feature set or you’re looking for deeper analytics and email marketing capabilities, you might want to take a look at WP Mail SMTP as an alternative. But for most WordPress sites, Easy WP SMTP delivers exactly what you need without the complexity.

FAQs about Easy WP SMTP

If you still have questions about Easy WP SMTP or using SMTP on WordPress, here are answers to the most common ones.

Why should I use an SMTP plugin?

An SMTP plugin like Easy WP SMTP improves email deliverability by sending emails through an SMTP server instead of using the PHP mail() function, which is native to WordPress. PHP mail() is known to have email deliverability issues, which is why SMTP is preferable.

Do I need to know any code to use Easy WP SMTP?

No, one of the best things about Easy WP SMTP is that you don’t need any coding knowledge. You can set it up using the setup wizard, and if you go with SendLayer Quick Connect, the entire process takes about 2 minutes.

Why are my emails still going to spam after configuring Easy WP SMTP?

If you’ve configured your SMTP plugin and your outgoing emails are still going to the spam folder, go into your settings and locate the From address. Make sure it matches your SMTP domain.

Also double-check your DNS, SPF, and DKIM records. For a more detailed walkthrough, check out our guide on how to fix email delivery issues in WordPress.

Is Easy WP SMTP free?

Easy WP SMTP has a free version available on WordPress.org. It supports basic SMTP configuration with a handful of mailer integrations.

However, important features like email logging, delivery reports, and failure alerts are only available in the premium plans, which start at $49.50/year.

Easy WP SMTP vs WP Mail SMTP: What’s the Difference?

Both plugins solve the same core problem, fixing WordPress email delivery. Easy WP SMTP focuses on simplicity and includes features like SendLayer Quick Connect and multi-channel alerts.

WP Mail SMTP offers a broader feature set with deeper analytics and more advanced configuration options. Which one is better depends on how much control and reporting you need.

Does Easy WP SMTP support WordPress Multisite?

Yes. Easy WP SMTP supports WordPress Multisite networks, allowing you to configure SMTP settings at the network level and apply them across all your sites.

Is Easy WP SMTP GDPR compliant?

Yes, Easy WP SMTP is GDPR compliant and does not store data that would violate those regulations.

Next, Improve Your WordPress Email Setup

Now that you know what Easy WP SMTP offers, here are a few more resources to help you get the most out of your WordPress email setup:

• Compare your options by looking at these Best WordPress SMTP Plugins.
• If you want to get a more detailed opinion, check out this SendLayer Review.
• Learn How to Automatically Send WordPress Order Form Receipts.

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