Choosing a mail service
Updated
On this page
Compare the mail services CRM-NG SMTP supports by cost, connection type and the kind of email they suit, then pick one.
CRM-NG SMTP does not send email by itself. It hands each message to a mail service you choose, called a mailer. This article helps you pick one. It is for anyone setting up the plugin who is not sure which service fits their site.
Three questions to ask first
1. Do you already pay for business email? If your team uses Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or Zoho Mail, you can send from that same account. No new vendor, and your messages come from a real mailbox. These suit low and moderate volumes, such as contact forms, password resets and small shops.
2. How much will the site send? A brochure site may send ten emails a day. A busy shop or a membership site can send thousands. Dedicated sending services (SendLayer, Brevo, Postmark and the rest) are built for volume and give you delivery reports. Mailbox providers like Gmail have daily sending caps.
3. Is it transactional or marketing email? Transactional email is triggered by one person's action: an order receipt, a login link, a form copy. Marketing email goes to a list. Some services split the two, and some forbid bulk mail on cheaper plans. For WordPress site email, choose a service that is strong at transactional mail.
How each mailer connects
| Connection | What you give CRM-NG SMTP | Mailers |
|---|---|---|
| OAuth / app registration | An app you create with the provider, then you sign in or grant consent | Google / Gmail, 365 / Outlook |
| API key | A key copied from the service's dashboard | SendLayer, SMTP.com, Brevo, SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, SparkPost, SMTP2GO, Mailjet, Elastic Email, MailerSend, Mandrill, Resend, Pepipost |
| Access keys | An access key ID, a secret and a region | Amazon SES |
| App password over SMTP | A mailbox address and an application-specific password | Zoho Mail |
| Plain SMTP | Host, port, encryption, username and password | Other SMTP |
API keys and OAuth are the safer choices. They talk to the provider over HTTPS, which web hosts rarely block, and a key can be revoked without changing your mailbox password. Plain SMTP is the most flexible but the most fragile: many hosts block SMTP ports. See Other SMTP.
Quick comparison
Free allowances change often. Treat the figures below as a guide and confirm on the provider's own pricing page before you decide.
| Mailer | Starting point | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| SendLayer | Free trial | WordPress sites that want simple setup. Recommended. |
| SMTP.com | 30-day trial | Established transactional sender. Recommended. |
| Brevo | Free plan with a daily cap (around 300 a day) | Small sites that also want marketing tools. Recommended. |
| Google / Gmail | Included with your Google account | Low volume from a Gmail or Workspace address |
| 365 / Outlook | Included with Microsoft 365 | Organisations already on Microsoft 365 |
| Zoho Mail | Included with Zoho Mail | Organisations already on Zoho |
| Amazon SES | Very low pay-per-use price | High volume, technical teams comfortable with AWS |
| SendGrid | Free tier (small daily cap) | Growing sites, good reporting |
| Mailgun | Trial, then pay as you go | Developers, EU region option |
| Postmark | Small free test allowance | Fast, reliable transactional mail |
| SparkPost | Free test account | High volume, analytics |
| SMTP2GO | Free plan (around 1,000 a month) | Simple, global delivery |
| Mailjet | Free plan (around 200 a day) | Mixed transactional and marketing |
| Elastic Email | Free plan with limits | Budget-conscious senders |
| MailerSend | Free monthly allowance | Modern transactional API |
| Mandrill | Paid add-on to Mailchimp | Existing Mailchimp customers |
| Resend | Free plan (around 3,000 a month) | Developers |
| Pepipost | Trial allowance | Existing Netcore customers |
| Other SMTP | Whatever your SMTP provider charges | Any service that only offers SMTP |
| Default (none) | Free | Nothing. It is the host's PHP mail and often lands in spam. |
Our suggestions
- Not sure? Start with SendLayer, SMTP.com or Brevo. They are the plugin's recommended mailers, connect with a single API key, and handle any normal WordPress site.
- Already on Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or Zoho? Use that account if you send fewer than a few hundred emails a day.
- Sending a lot, and comfortable with cloud consoles? Amazon SES is the cheapest at scale.
- Want a safety net? Whatever you choose, you can add a second route that takes over if the main one fails. See Backup SMTP transport.
Whichever service you pick, you will also add DNS records for your domain so receivers trust your mail. See Adding DNS records: SPF, DKIM and DMARC.