--- title: "10 Best Paid and Free Email SMTP Service Relay Providers – Reviewed | DuoCircle" description: "Join the thousands of organizations that use DuoCircle Find out how affordable it is for your organization today and be pleasantly surprised.Interested in" image: "https://www.duocircle.com/images/og-default.png" canonical: "https://www.duocircle.com/content/10-best-smtp-service-providers/" --- Content # 10 Best Paid and Free Email SMTP Service Relay Providers – Reviewed Join the thousands of organizations that use DuoCircle Find out how affordable it is for your organization today and be pleasantly surprised.Interested in [ Talk to an Expert → ](/contact/) [ See what we make ](/products/) ## 10 Best Paid and Free Email SMTP Service Relay Providers – Reviewed Choose from these best SMTP service providers and find a secure solution to your mail deliverability problems. [Fix Your SPF Errors Now](/content/spf-permerror) ###### [EMAIL SECURITY SERVICES](/) ###### [PLANS AND PRICING](/email/outbound-smtp#pricingarea) ###### [OUTBOUND SMTP](/email/outbound-smtp) ### Understanding SMTP In Brief _Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is the industry standard for sending emails over the internet_. Since it uses proper **authentication methods** for sending a mail, it ensures that the marketing and transactional emails get successfully delivered to the customer’s inbox. Organizations that host their websites on WordPress must be aware of the importance of emails. WordPress uses emails to: - Register new accounts - Recover lost passwords - Send notifications about any changes done Since _there seems to be a delay problem with WordPress’s default method_ (PHP mail) for sending emails, enterprises need to ensure that their customers get their emails on time! An [SMTP service](/email/outbound-smtp) provider comes to their rescue, which helps alleviate their mail delivery problems. Let’s dive into the **best SMTP services**, which organizations hosting their websites on WordPress can use. [![outbound smtp](https://www.duocircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/smtp-reputation.jpg)](/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/smtp-reputation.jpg) ### SMTP [SMTP.com](https://www.smtp.com/?utm%5Fsource=referral&utm%5Fmedium=sponsor&utm%5Fcampaign=duocircle) is a leading SMTP service provider in marketing used by hundreds of thousands of businesses worldwide. [SMTP.com](https://www.smtp.com/?utm%5Fsource=referral&utm%5Fmedium=sponsor&utm%5Fcampaign=duocircle) offers a robust API to send transactional emails and has an easy to integrate WordPress plugin. Because SMTP relay is the core focus of their business, they offer some of the best deliverability on the market for extremely high volumes of emails. #### Pricing [SMTP.com](https://www.smtp.com/?utm%5Fsource=referral&utm%5Fmedium=sponsor&utm%5Fcampaign=duocircle) offers affordable delivery services and caters to all kinds of businesses. Their plans range from $25 to $500 and above. The best part about this platform is that all the features are available in all the plans. The prices change only based on the volume of emails sent monthly. Even with the lowest price pack, users can get access to 24×7 customer support and all the SMTP tools. The Reputation Defender for list cleaning is an add-on feature available for all users. [![](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/04/smtp-1024x584.png)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/04/smtp.png) [SMTP.com’s Email API](https://www.smtp.com/?utm%5Fsource=referral&utm%5Fmedium=sponsor&utm%5Fcampaign=duocircle) is available if you wish to integrate your company with an email relay provider. You can interface with your business using this simple-to-use API infrastructure in under five minutes. You may find comprehensive API documentation on the [SMTP.com](https://www.smtp.com/?utm%5Fsource=referral&utm%5Fmedium=sponsor&utm%5Fcampaign=duocircle) website. The integration of the API with your apps is described in this. Additionally, it describes how to utilize the service, including setting up email accounts and sending emails. You must try it out! ### SendinBlue It has been a **reliable SMTP email provider** for some time now, which offers a powerful marketing platform with SMS marketing, [email marketing](https://phonexa.com/blog/what-is-cpm-in-email-marketing/), transactional emails, and live chat. It integrates [easily with WordPress](https://docs.themeisle.com/article/879-how-to-integrate-sendinblue-wordpress-plugin-to-your-website) and other platforms like Salesforce, OptinMonster, Google Analytics, and others. Its API and [SMTP service](/email/outbound-smtp) is highly extensible, which improves email delivery. #### Pricing [SendinBlue](https://optinmonster.com/refer/sendinblue-marketing/) offers a lifetime free plan with an email restriction of **300 per day**. However, users can choose the paid plans from $25 a month, which offer 4,000 emails a month with no sending limit (daily). #### Installation 1. Login to the WordPress dashboard 2. Take the mouse pointer over **Plugins** and then click on **Add New.** 3. Type **Sendinblue** in the search box 4. Click on **Install Now** and then choose **Activate.** ![smtp service](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/sendinblue.jpg) #### Configuration 1. After you activate the plugin, an icon will appear on the left side menu. Now, click on **Create an Account**. 2. The software will redirect you to the [SendinBlue signup page](https://app.sendinblue.com/account/register). You can either use your Gmail account for signing up or create an account manually. 3. Proceed to enter your profile details. _You can even skip this step and fill in the details later._ 4. Choose the plan you would like to choose on the next page. 5. Then, you will get redirected to the following welcome screen. ![hosted smtp](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/sendinblue2.jpg) #### Validation 1. You need to complete your profile and verify the contact number for validating your account. 2. Open the WordPress dashboard and choose the SendinBlue icon on the left side menu. 3. Click on **get API keys**. The following page will open. ![email hosting smtp](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/sendinblue3.jpg) 1. Copy any of the APIs which are visible here and paste the chosen [API in the plugin](https://developers.sendinblue.com/docs/how-it-works). 2. Click on activate. Congratulations! You have activated both your SendinBlue account and plugin. ## Mailtrap [Mailtrap](https://mailtrap.io/) is an email delivery platform designed for product companies with high sending volumes. It offers SMTP and email API services for sending user-triggered, transactional emails, as well as an email marketing suite you can use to launch campaigns. Since deliverability is the primary focus of Mailtrap, the platform offers some of the best inboxing rates out there, followed by industry-best analytics, and 24/7 customer support. #### Pricing Mailtrap offers a free forever plan you can use to send up to 3,500 emails per month (150 per day). If you want advanced features and a higher sending allowance, you might want to check out its ‘Business’ plan, which offers dedicated IPs, deliverability consultations, and more from $85 per month for 100,000 emails. [![](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/09/image1.png)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/09/image1.png) #### Getting started 1. Create a [free Mailtrap account](https://mailtrap.io/register/signup?ref=header). 2. Follow the instructions to verify your sending domain. 3. In your WordPress admin dashboard, install the WP Mail SMTP plugin. 4. Open WP Mail SMTP settings, scroll down to the **Mailer** section, and select **Other SMTP**. [![ WP Mail SMTP settings](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/09/image2.png)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/09/image2.png) 1. Insert your Mailtrap SMTP credentials and click on **Save Settings** (you can find them under **Sending Domains** in your Mailtrap account). [![other SMTP](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/09/image3.png)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/09/image3.png) 1. To ensure the SMTP is set up correctly, navigate to the **Email Test** tab, enter the desired test email, and press **Send Email**. [![Test email](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/09/image4.png)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2025/09/image4.png) 1. Once the email lands in your inbox, go to the **SMTP/API** tab in your Mailtrap account and press **Verify Setup**. | Key Features | Cost | | | ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Mailtrap | High deliverability rates In-depth analytics 24/7 expert support | Up to 3,500 emails per month on the free plan Paid plans start from $15 for 10,000 emails | ### Mailgun Developers and businesses who want a popular **SMTP Service provider** that offers a powerful API for sending transactional emails can choose [Mailgun](https://www.mailgun.com/). They can integrate it with their WordPress website quickly and easily. _MailGun ensures the users get an SMTP service that is easy to scale according to the business requirements_. So whether you are a small business, an eCommerce website, or a membership store, MailGun will offer a scalable platform for your transactional and marketing emails. #### Pricing Mailgun offers the **first 10,000 mails free** to its users as part of its ‘pay as you go’ plan, which is sufficient for smaller websites. _Users who want improved deliverability with a dedicated IP address can choose the paid plan starting at $79 a month_. #### Install and Configure 1. The first step is choosing a domain or subdomain to send emails through your website. ![reliable smtp server](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/mailgun.jpg) 1. Then open your DNS provider’s dashboard and add the listed records on the Mailgun’s configuration page. 2. Make sure you verify the records to ensure successful configuration on the Mailgun Domains page. ![service smtp](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/mailgun2.jpg) 1. **Open the WordPress Dashboard and navigate to Plugins.** 2. Now click on add new and search **Mailgun for WordPress**. ![smtp solutions](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/mailgun3.png) 1. After installing, you can activate the Mailgun plugin. Then, configure it from the Settings > Mailgun section. ### Amazon SES _Amazon Web Services has become the global leader when it comes to cloud computing infrastructure_. Amazon also offers a robust **cloud-based SMTP service** provider ([Amazon Simple Email Service](https://aws.amazon.com/ses/)), suitable for [web developers](https://seahawkmedia.com/services/wordpress-development/) and marketers. They can easily carry out transactional, notification, and marketing email campaigns. It _offers high email deliverability and is a cost-efficient choice_. #### Pricing Websites hosted on AWS can use their service free of cost for sending **62,000 emails a month**. Other websites have to choose the paid plan, which starts at $0.10 for 1,000 emails. #### Signing up and sending emails ##### AWS Console 1. Login to your [AWS account](https://aws.amazon.com/account/) or create one. 2. Under Application services, click on SES. Next, navigate to Identity Management. 3. Click on **Domains**, then **Verify a New Domain**. 4. Next, navigate to email addresses and verify your email address. 5. Click on **SMTP settings** and note down the server name and port numbers. 6. In [SMTP settings](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/send-an-email-using-smtp.html), choose **to Create my SMTP Credentials**. After creating, note down the username and password. ![outbound email service](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/amazon-ses.jpg) ##### WordPress 1. After logging in to the WordPress dashboard, activate the [WP SES plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-ses/) (or a similar one). 2. Click on _Settings_ \> _Ex SMTP Mail Setting_. 3. In the **from** the field, enter your name. 4. Select **_Send all WordPress_** **email\*\*\*\*_s via SMTP_** _in the_ **_Mailer section._** 5. Make the following changes, and you are good to go! 1. _SMTP Host_: _Server Name_ provided by Amazon SES. 2. _SMTP Port_: Enter _587_, 25 or 465. 3. _Encryption_: _TLS encryption_. 4. _Authentication_: _Yes: Use SMTP authentication_. 5. _Username_: Enter the username provided by SES. 6. _Password_: Enter the password provided by SES. 7. Click on _Save Changes_. ![outbound email server](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/amazon-ses2.jpg) ### Postmark It is easy to use [SMTP service](/email/outbound-smtp) tailored for marketers, businesses, and websites. The key USP is fast email delivery, which comes at simple price options and easy integration. Since designers of [Postmark](https://postmarkapp.com/) are experts in sending transactional emails, they _emphasize deliverability and speed_. #### Pricing Their email service starts from $10 a month, which allows businesses to send **10,000 emails**. After that, it is $1.25 for every 1,000 emails. #### Setting up 1. Download the Postmark plugin for WordPress. 2. Upload your postmark directory to the **/wp-content/plugins directory.** 3. In your WordPress admin dashboard, activate the [Postmark plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/postmark-approved-wordpress-plugin/). 4. Click on **Settings > Postmark**, and enter the Postmark details. 5. Send a test email to ensure that the plugin is set up correctly. ![outbound smtp server](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/postmark.jpg) 1. After verifying, click on **Enable.** It will override the **wp\_mail**, and you can start using Postmark to send emails. ### Pepipost It is another [cloud\*\*–\*\*based SMTP service](/email/outbound-smtp) provider which boasts of **lightning-fast deliveries**. They have servers located across the globe, which help push emails from suitable locations to _offer a fast service to its clients and reduce network latency_. Other key features of [Pepipost](https://pepipost.com/) include Real-Time Reports, Subaccount Management, Email API to connect your apps, etc. #### Pricing Users get **30,000 free emails** after signing up for 30 days and after that, 100 free emails a day. The starting plan costs $17.5 a month for an annual subscription, allowing users to send 150,000 emails. #### Integration with WordPress It is easy to integrate Pepipost with WordPress. Just follow the following instructions: 1. Login to your WordPress account and install the [Pepipost WordPress Plugin](https://pepipost.com/developers/integrations/wordpress/). 2. After installing, check the left-hand side menu, and it will display the Pepipost plugin. Click on “Pepipost Settings.” 3. Next, enter the details like API keys, from email, from the name, etc., and you are good to go! ![outbound email provider](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/pepipost.png) ### Elastic Email Organizations looking for an **affordable SMTP service** can choose [Elastic email](https://elasticemail.com/). Its key USP is that it offers 150,000 emails a month free of cost. Secondly, it provides an innovative set of suitable tools for designers, marketers, and developers. The global infrastructure helps ensure lightning-fast speeds for transactional emails. #### Pricing Organizations with small sending needs can feel satisfied with the **150,000 free emails** a month. However, if you send a higher number of emails, you can choose from the paid plans ranging from $150 to $4,000. #### Getting started 1. Sign in to the Elastic Email account. 2. Copy the API keys 3. Login to the WordPress dashboard and search for the [Elastic Email Sender plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/elastic-email-sender/). 4. Install the plugin and paste the API keys which you copied earlier from the Elastic Email account. 5. Send a test email. ![outbound smtp relay](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/elastic-mail.png) ### WP Mail SMTP It is another powerful SMTP plugin for WordPress that will allow you to use any **SMTP email provider** to send emails. The email service is available for free and is easy to set up. Its key USP is to use it to integrate other plugins to WordPress like Mailgun, SendGrid, Gmail, etc. #### Pricing _It is a free plugin_, but users can choose the pro version, which starts at $49/year. The Pro version of [WP Mail SMTP](https://wpmailsmtp.com/) only supports Microsoft SMTP and Amazon SES. #### Configuration 1. Login to your WordPress console and install the [WP mail SMTP plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-mail-smtp/). 2. Activate the plugin. 3. Next, visit **Settings > WP Mail SMTP** to configure the settings. 4. Here, enter the SMTP settings for using WP mail SMTP. ![outbound mail relay](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/12/wp-mail-smtp.png) ### G Suite Businesses can hang on to the Google interface’s familiarity and still get a professional email address. The advantage of using [G Suite](https://optinmonster.com/refer/gsuite/) is that you get access to the complete productivity suite, including Google Drive, calendar, docs, etc. This includes valuable tools to help [share PDFs online](https://www.flipsnack.com/share-pdf-online) among other things. #### Pricing _The pricing ranges from country to country._ #### Use WP Mail to setup Gmail mailer in WordPress 1. _Install the WP Mail plugin for WordPress_ and activate it. 2. Open **WP Mail SMTP > Settings** and fill in the following details: 3. **From Email:** You can leave the From Email as it is as Google will force it to match your authorized email account. 4. **From Name:** is the name linked to the mails which your website will send out. 5. **Return-Path:** You can leave the Return Path setting as is. 6. **Mailer:** select the Gmail option. 7. After choosing the mailer, you will see a new section titled Gmail. Create a web application from your Google account and fill in the required details. Your [G Suite SMTP](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-use-google-s-smtp-server) is set up! ### Moosend It is another SMTP service provider which is suitable for small organizations because it is affordable and offers a **98% email deliverability rate**. [Moosend](https://moosend.com/) includes a drag and drop builder interface, which makes designing transactional emails a breeze. It also _provides real-time email tracking ability_. #### Pricing It offers a free plan which can include **1,000 subscribers**. The paid plans start at $10 for a month. ### DuoCircle [DuoCircle](/) caters to every email need your business requires, be it _protecting the business domain from spoofing and phishing attempts_ or making sure that your clients are not missing out on the crucial emails sent from your domain by maintaining a **high sender reputation**. Hence, it’s an excellent choice for businesses looking for an _all-in-one solution for their email needs_. #### Pricing Available for free up to **1,000 monthly messages**. Further, paid plans are also very affordable if your business has a higher requirement or you want to run a marketing campaign targeting thousands of potential customers, starting at $4/month for 2,500 messages, $11 for 12,500 messages, and so on. Now that we’ve seen some of the [best SMTP services](/) available to deliver your business emails, here’s a summary of all the ten given services for you to make an informed choice for your business. | Key Features | Cost | | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | SendinBlue | Competitive pricing Variety of automation features Customizable email templates | The free plan offers 300 emails a day Paid plans start at $25 a month | | MailGun | Incredibly powerful Supports testing mode Suitable for developers | 10,000 emails free for a month The paid plan starts at $79 a month | | Amazon SES | Competitive prices Offers high email deliverability. | Free of cost for websites hosted on Amazon for 62,000 emails a month The paid plan starts at $0.10 for 1,000 emails | | Postmark | Detailed analytics Multiple server locations | Plans start at $10 for a month (10,000 mails) | | Pepipost | Real-Time Reports Sub Account Management Email API to connect various apps | Thirty thousand free emails after signing up for 30 days $17.5 a month for 150,000 emails | | Elastic Email | Innovative tools for designers, marketers, and developer Offers A/X testing | 150,000 free emails a month Paid plans range from $150 to $4000 | | WP Mail SMTP | Works with all the email services. Offers native Amazon SES and Microsoft integrations Offers full control over email notifications | Pricing starts at $49 for a year | | G Suite | Super cheap Suitable for small organizations Reliable infrastructure | Varies from country to country | | Moosend | Affordable plans Easy to use A/B testing options Good customer support | Free for up to 1,000 subscribers The paid plan starts at $10 for a month | | DuoCircle | Flexible & Affordable pricing DKIM signing with every plan Real-time reports & analytics Protection against virus attacks in case your network is compromised TLS Encryption for more secure email delivery Multiple ports available for relay mail 24/7 email, chat, and phone support 30-day money-back guarantee | 1,000 free emails for every user Paid plans start at $4/month for 2,500 emails and go up to $550/month for one-million emails | ### Final Words _The [SMTP services](/email/outbound-smtp), as mentioned above, offer powerful features at affordable rates_. _The key to choosing the best service is to look at the service’s email deliverability rates, high scalability, budget, and the most crucial part, on-the-go customer support_ so that you do not lose any business time in case there is a mishap. Thus, organizations can choose the most suitable option considering the above points to ensure their clients and potential customers get their emails always delivered on time! ##### Join the thousands of organizations that use DuoCircle --- Find out how affordable it is for your organization today and be pleasantly surprised. [Outbound SMTP - Sign Up FREE](/email/outbound-smtp)Interested in our Partner Program for MSPs and VARs? Visit Our [MSP Partner Program](/msp-partner-program). ## Ready to talk? Same-day response from someone technical. We tell you yes or no quickly. If yes, we get to work. 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