Comparison
VuloMail vs SMTP Mailer.
SMTP Mailer does one thing: it sends WordPress email through an SMTP server you configure. There are no API connections, no backup and no alerts, and the email log is part of a $59.99 add-on bundle. It’s a fine choice if you want the smallest possible plugin. VuloMail does far more, still for free.
At a glance
The numbers, side by side.
From the WordPress.org plugin directory on 13 October 2026. VuloMail is new: it was listed on 12 Oct 2026, so it has no install base or reviews yet. Weigh that against the feature list below.
Active installs
Under 10 (new)
70K+
Rating
No reviews yet
4.6/ 5 · 67 reviews
Current version
1.0.0
1.1.28
Last updated
12 Oct 2026
7 Sep 2026
On WordPress.org since
12 Oct 2026
20 Dec 2015
Requires
WordPress 6.4+ · PHP 7.4+
WordPress 7.1+ · PHP not stated
Tested up to
WordPress 7.1.3
WordPress 7.1.3
Features
What’s free, and what isn’t.
Each row says whether SMTP Mailer includes a feature in its free plugin, keeps it for a paid plan, or doesn’t offer it. VuloMail has no paid plan, so everything it does is included.
Sending
Email services built in
VuloMail
22 email APIs, plus 18 one-click SMTP presets
SMTP Mailer
SMTP only
Any SMTP server
VuloMail
SMTP Mailer
Gmail / Google Workspace
VuloMail
SMTP preset with an app password; no Google sign-in
SMTP Mailer
Only through manual SMTP settings
Microsoft 365 / Outlook
VuloMail
SMTP preset with an app password; no Microsoft sign-in
SMTP Mailer
Only through manual SMTP settings
Amazon SES
VuloMail
SMTP preset
SMTP Mailer
Only through manual SMTP settings
Sends through your own provider account
VuloMail
SMTP Mailer
Rules that route emails to different providers
VuloMail
One primary and one backup for all email
SMTP Mailer
Reliability & visibility
Backup connection when the primary fails
VuloMail
Plus WordPress's own mailer as a last resort
SMTP Mailer
Log of every email sent
VuloMail
Email and SMS in one log
SMTP Mailer
Email Logger add-on
Resend from the log
VuloMail
When message-content storage is switched on
SMTP Mailer
Alert when an email fails
VuloMail
By SMS, at most one text every 15 minutes
SMTP Mailer
Sender-domain DNS check (SPF/DMARC)
VuloMail
Checked from your own server
SMTP Mailer
Open / click tracking
VuloMail
SMTP Mailer
SMS
Text-message (SMS) alerts
VuloMail
Twilio, Vonage, Plivo or Clickatell
SMTP Mailer
WooCommerce order & stock texts to you
VuloMail
Orders, failed payments, refunds, stock, reviews
SMTP Mailer
Order-update texts to customers
VuloMail
Processing, completed, refunded, cancelled, notes
SMTP Mailer
Admin
WP-CLI commands
VuloMail
SMTP Mailer
Multisite network settings
VuloMail
Not documented
SMTP Mailer
Pricing
What it costs.
Plugin prices only. Your email or SMS provider bills you separately with either plugin, except where noted.
VuloMail
$0
No paid plan, no account, no limits set by VuloMail. Every feature on this page is in the free plugin.
SMTP Mailer
Free version: One SMTP server, From name and address, and a test email.
Add-on bundle
$59.99
Unlimited
Email Logger, Cc and Reply-To add-ons
Strengths
Where each one wins.
We list theirs first. If one of these matters most to you, it should decide it.
- Very small and simple: one settings screen for one SMTP server.
- Native API connections for 22 email services, which still work when a host blocks SMTP ports.
- A free email log, backup connection, failure alerts and diagnostics.
- SMS alerts and WooCommerce texts.
Verdict
Which one should you pick?
Choose SMTP Mailer if
- You want the smallest possible plugin and only ever use one SMTP server.
Choose VuloMail if
- You want to see what was sent, have a backup, or send over an API instead of SMTP.
Switching
Moving from SMTP Mailer.
Add the same account
Add the provider you use in SMTP Mailer as a VuloMail connection. Nothing changes until you set it as primary.
Set it as primary
Optionally add a backup connection, so a second provider takes over if the first fails.
Send a test
Tools → Send a test email goes through live routing. Diagnostics confirms your SPF and DMARC records.
Deactivate SMTP Mailer
Two plugins handling the same email compete for it. VuloMail's Diagnostics flags any it recognises.
Sources & method
Checked on 13 October 2026. Plugin numbers come from the WordPress.org plugin directory; features and prices come from each vendor's own listing and pricing pages. Products change, so check the vendor's current page before you decide.
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