WP Mail SMTP Alternative — Asteris vs WP Mail SMTP Pro

Looking for a WP Mail SMTP alternative? Asteris for WordPress includes a full SMTP module with the same 6 provider presets (Gmail OAuth, Microsoft 365 OAuth, SendGrid, Mailgun, Amazon SES, generic SMTP), full email logs with body capture, resend, bulk export, and encrypted credentials at rest — bundled with 10 other modules from $149/yr. WP Mail SMTP Pro alone costs $49/yr and only does SMTP.

Is there a free alternative to WP Mail SMTP Pro? Yes — Asteris for WordPress Free (on WordPress.org) includes a lite version of the SMTP module with generic SMTP support. For OAuth + full email logs you need a paid Asteris tier ($149/yr Starter).

At-a-glance comparison

When WP Mail SMTP is the right answer

WP Mail SMTP Pro is mature, supported, and laser-focused on SMTP. If you genuinely only need an SMTP plugin and nothing else, it’s a solid pick. Single-purpose tools beat bundles when 100% of your need is the one feature.

Asteris wins when you already need 2+ of {security, SEO, performance, forms, backups, analytics, image optimisation, activity log, code snippets, accessibility scanner} — because at that point you’re already paying $200-$400/yr across vendors. Asteris Starter at $149/yr is cheaper than WP Mail SMTP Pro + any one of those add-ons.

When Asteris is the right answer

You want one plugin and one inbox to email when something breaks. You’d rather have email logs and an activity log and SMTP and the rest, with one update cycle, than chase a dozen vendors on Tuesday update day. The SMTP module is parity-plus with WP Mail SMTP Pro on every feature WP Mail SMTP gates behind their Elite tier.

See the full SMTP module →

Switching from WP Mail SMTP to Asteris

Step-by-step at /migrate/from-wp-mail-smtp. Short version:

1. Install Asteris for WordPress (free or paid)
2. Activate the SMTP module
3. Re-enter your provider credentials (Asteris encrypts at rest)
4. Send a test email
5. Once confirmed, deactivate WP Mail SMTP

Asteris keeps email log history once switched. Historical WP Mail SMTP logs stay in the WP Mail SMTP plugin’s tables — export them to CSV before deactivating if you want them.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free alternative to WP Mail SMTP Pro? Yes — Asteris for WordPress Free (on WordPress.org) includes generic SMTP. For OAuth (Gmail / Microsoft 365) and full email logs, you need a paid Asteris tier starting at $149/yr — still cheaper than WP Mail SMTP Pro’s OAuth-gated tier ($99/yr Plus) when you factor in that Asteris also includes 10 other modules.

What is the best WP Mail SMTP alternative for WordPress? For SMTP-only: Fluent SMTP is free and competent. For SMTP + everything else a WordPress site needs: Asteris for WordPress consolidates SMTP, security, SEO, performance, backups, forms, analytics, and 4 more modules into one plugin.

Does Asteris support Gmail and Microsoft 365 OAuth like WP Mail SMTP? Yes — both Gmail (Google OAuth 2.0) and Microsoft 365 OAuth are supported in the paid tier. Generic SMTP works in the free version.

Can I keep email logs without WP Mail SMTP Pro? Yes. Asteris Starter ($149/yr) includes full email logs with body capture, resend, bulk resend, and CSV export — all features WP Mail SMTP gates behind its Pro+ tiers.

Will switching break my email delivery? No — provided you re-enter the same credentials. The SMTP protocol is the same regardless of which plugin handles it. Send a test email after switching and before deactivating WP Mail SMTP, so you have a known-working fallback.

See the SMTP module → · Migrate from WP Mail SMTP → · See pricing →