The Freaky Blog
FluentCRM8.6/10WP Mail SMTP8.1/10

FluentCRM vs WP Mail SMTP

WP Mail SMTP wins 2 of the 3 points we can measure. Here's how they compare on price, features, ratings and deals.

At a glance

FeatureFluentCRMWP Mail SMTP
Our score8.6/10 (better)8.1/10
Starts at$103/year$49/year (better)
Free versionYesYes
Refund window–14 days
BillingSubscriptionSubscription
Active installs80K+4M+ (better)
Last Black Friday40% off–
CategoryEmail marketingEmail marketing
VendorFluentCRMWP Mail SMTP
Black Friday 2026Not announcedNot announced

Which should you choose?

Choose FluentCRM if…

  • WordPress site owners replacing a hosted email tool
  • Agencies managing email for client sites
FluentCRM reviewVisit FluentCRM (opens in a new tab)

Choose WP Mail SMTP if…

  • WordPress sites with email delivery problems
  • Agencies managing many client sites
  • You want the lower starting price
WP Mail SMTP reviewVisit WP Mail SMTP (opens in a new tab)

Features

FluentCRM

  • Email automation builder
  • Unlimited contacts and campaigns
  • Segmentation with tags and lists
  • Email campaign reports
  • Funnel builder
  • Built-in opt-in forms
  • 45+ free integrations

WP Mail SMTP

  • Many mail services
  • Email logging
  • Email reports
  • Failure alerts
  • Backup connections
  • Smart email routing

Pros and cons

FluentCRM

  • Free version available on WordPress.org
  • Priced by number of sites, with no fees as the contact list grows
  • Contact and campaign data is stored in your own WordPress database
  • Integrates with WooCommerce and common LMS and membership plugins
  • Email delivery depends on an SMTP service such as Amazon SES
  • Runs only inside the WordPress dashboard
  • No lifetime plan is listed on the pricing page

WP Mail SMTP

  • Free version on WordPress.org
  • Pro plan starts at 49 per year for one site
  • 14-day money-back guarantee
  • Works with many transactional mail services
  • Email logging, tracking and reports need the Pro plan
  • Setup done by the vendor costs extra on the Elite plan

Pricing plans

FluentCRM

  • Solo / BloggerStarts here

    $103/year

    1 site

    • Unlimited contacts
    • Unlimited email campaigns
    • 1 year plugin updates and priority support

  • Small Business

    $199/year

    5 sites

    • Unlimited contacts
    • Unlimited email campaigns
    • 1 year plugin updates and priority support

  • Agency

    $399/year

    50 sites

    • Unlimited contacts
    • Unlimited email campaigns
    • 1 year plugin updates and priority support

WP Mail SMTP

  • ProStarts here

    $49/year

    1 site sites

    • Email logging, tracking and reports
    • Email failure alerts
    • Standard support

  • Elite

    $99/year

    Not stated sites

    • Everything in Pro
    • White glove setup by the vendor's experts
    • Priority support

  • Developer

    $199/year

    20 sites sites

    • Everything in Pro
    • Priority support
    • Backup connections

What Reddit says

FluentCRM

Not enough Reddit discussion yet.

WP Mail SMTP

Reddit users mention WP Mail SMTP mostly in setup and troubleshooting threads. Users praise its simple setup with Gmail, while others report failed sends when paired with Brevo and confusion over SMTP login details.

FluentCRM vs WP Mail SMTP questions

Is FluentCRM better than WP Mail SMTP?

On our comparison WP Mail SMTP comes out ahead on 2 of 3 measurable points. The right pick still depends on what you build.

Which is cheaper, FluentCRM or WP Mail SMTP?

FluentCRM starts at $103/year and WP Mail SMTP starts at $49/year.

Can I get FluentCRM or WP Mail SMTP cheaper on Black Friday?

Both are on our Black Friday tracker. FluentCRM was 40% off last year.

Both products

Related comparisons