Email marketing can be highly effective for lead generation, often delivering strong ROI compared to other channels like social media and PPC, though results vary by industry and strategy. But I know from experience that picking the right WordPress email marketing plugin can be a real headache. Some tools lack integrations, others are too complex, and many just don’t deliver the results you expect.

I’ve heard about these problems repeatedly from readers and clients. So, to save you from these troubles, I’ve handpicked the best WordPress email plugins for WordPress in 2025.

Let me walk you through the most popular email marketing services!

Disclaimer: This article evaluates various email marketing plugins, including Sender, which our company owns. I present assessments based on research, industry standards, and user feedback. I selected these platforms after comparing their features, pricing, and performance. I don’t earn any commissions from links in this article.

What is WordPress Email Marketing?

WordPress Email Marketing connects your website directly to your email campaigns. You build contact lists from your WordPress database and send targeted marketing emails to subscribers based on their past behavior or purchase history.

This approach can be cost-effective for smaller operations, though factors like deliverability, server resources, and compliance requirements should be considered as you scale. WordPress serves as your primary platform, handling both your website content and email marketing needs.

I’ve found that business owners particularly value WordPress email marketing for lead generation forms, as it effectively turns visitors into customers without requiring technical expertise.

What Features to Consider in WordPress Email Marketing Plugins?

A useful email marketing plugin does more than sending emails—it builds relationships and turns visitors into loyal fans.

Here’s what I recommend looking for in WordPress plugins for email marketing:

  • Simple integration. Your plugin should connect effortlessly with email service provider platforms. No headaches, just smooth functionality.
  • Subscription forms. Choose one with drag-and-drop builders to create attractive WordPress subscription forms that fit your site perfectly.
  • Automated workflows. Save time with plugins that automate tasks like welcome emails or follow-ups triggered by user actions.
  • Ecommerce tools. Look for advanced features like abandoned cart emails or product recommendations to boost sales and engagement.
  • Advanced analytics. Data insights based on user activity and behavior help you optimize campaigns and send targeted emails every time.

Top WordPress Email Plugins — A Quick Roundup Table

Before I dive into the nitty-gritty details, here’s a quick overview of my top picks for WordPress email marketing plugins in 2025:

  • Sender — Free WordPress Plugin for Email Marketing;
  • OptinMonster — Email Marketing Plugin with a Popup Tool Collection;
  • Mailchimp for WordPress — Email Marketing Plugin with Popup Builder;
  • MailPoet — Great Plugin for Creating and Sending Newsletters ;
  • FluentCRM — Best WordPress Email Marketing CRM Plugin;
  • Brevo — Email Marketing Solution for Small Businesses;
  • Klaviyo — WooCommerce Email Marketing Plugin for Business;
  • WPForms — WordPress Plugin for Building Your Email List;
  • WP Mail SMTP — Best for WordPress Email Deliverability;
  • HubSpot — Best Free WordPress Email Plugin with Built-in CRM.
ToolBest ForKey FeaturesPricing
SenderAutomated email & SMS campaigns for small to mid-sized businessesDrag-and-drop email builder; segmentation; automation; popupsFree plan available; paid plans from $7/month
OptinMonsterConverting website visitors into email subscribers via popups & formsPopup builder; behavioral targeting; exit-intent; real-time testingNo free plan; paid plans start at $7/month
Mailchimp for WordPressLead capture & automated newslettersPopup builder; automation; A/B testing; analyticsFree plan available; paid plans start at $13/month
MailPoetNewsletters & automations directly inside WordPressNative integration; email templates; WooCommerce automations; segmentationFree plan available; paid plans start at $10/month
FluentCRMSelf-hosted email CRM within WordPressWorkflows; dynamic segmentation; full contact profilesNo free plan; paid (one-time/annual) pricing starts at $129/year
BrevoAffordable multi-channel marketing (email, SMS, chat)SMS/WhatsApp automation; personalization; landing pagesFree plan available; paid plans start at $8/month
KlaviyoData-driven ecommerce email & SMS automationReal-time segmentation; dynamic content; AI insightsFree plan available; paid plans start at $20/month
WPFormsBuilding signup & contact forms with integrationsDrag-and-drop builder; templates; conditional logic; email integrationsFree (lite) version; paid plans start at $49.50/year
WP Mail SMTPImproving email deliverability via SMTPSMTP authentication; multiple mailers; logging; testsFree version available; paid plans start at $49/year
HubSpotAll-in-one CRM + email marketing for WordPressCRM; email automation; forms; analyticsFree plan available; paid plans start at $15/month

10 Best WordPress Email Marketing Plugins

Here’s my list of the best email marketing plugins for running your email campaigns right from your WordPress admin dashboard.

Let me walk you through each of these WordPress plugins one by one.

Sender — Free WordPress Plugin for Email Marketing

Ever feel tired from planning personalized email campaigns for your audience? I’ve been there, and Sender takes the headache out of creating email & SMS marketing campaigns for you.

Overall rating:
4.7
/5
G2:
4.7
Trustpilot:
4.8
Capterra:
4.7

Sender Pricing: Starts at $7/month for 12,000 emails to 1,000 subscribers; Sender Free Plan: 15,000 emails/month to 2,500 subscribers.

With features like a drag-and-drop email editor, email template library, premium segmentation, and pre-made automation templates, Sender helps you start free email marketing for WordPress websites.

Plus, it comes with several useful tools like a popup builder, spin-to-win popups, and a visual automation builder. I’ve found that all these features help you save time while creating WordPress email campaigns and promoting your WordPress website. Finally, it has a WooCommerce email integration that most will find hard working without.

Leverage Sender’s premium features to build, grow, and engage your email list for free using its generous free plan.

Sender-email-builder-2025

Key Features

  • Useful free plan. You can send up to 15,000 emails monthly to 2,500 subscribers without spending a penny – that’s pretty generous compared to most competitors I’ve tested.
  • Visual email builder. Their drag-and-drop interface is intuitive, and I appreciate that the templates adapt well to different screen sizes – a must these days.
  • Smart segmentation. You can split your list based on behavior, demographics, or engagement levels, which I’ve found helps deliver more relevant content.
  • Marketing automation. Create automated emails sequences triggered by specific actions like website visits or purchases – this saves tons of time in my experience.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Genuinely useful free plan with generous sending limits;
  • Straightforward, intuitive interface requiring minimal learning curve;
  • Impressive deliverability rates that keep emails out of spam folders.

Cons:

  • Sender branding in free plan;
  • SMS messaging only in paid plans.

Best For

I’ve seen Sender work well for all kinds of businesses, enabling automation, personalized messaging, and better engagement. By combining email with SMS marketing, it creates a unified approach that boosts effectiveness and return on investment.

  • Automated email campaigns. Set up welcome sequences, abandoned cart reminders, and post-purchase follow-ups that run on autopilot. Automated workflows can help recover abandoned carts, with some stores seeing significant improvements in cart recovery rates.
  • Multi-channel marketing on a budget. Launch coordinated email and SMS campaigns without breaking the bank, perfect for small businesses needing professional marketing tools with generous free tier limits.

Plans & Pricing

  • Sender Free Plan: 15,000 emails/month to 2,500 subscribers;
  • Standard Plan: Starts at $7/month for 12,000 emails to 1,000 subscribers;
  • Professional Plan: From $14/month for up to 1,000 subscribers;
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for larger operations with specific needs like unlimited campaigns.

OptinMonster — Email Marketing Plugin with a Popup Tool Collection

OptinMonster helps you convert website visitors into active email subscribers through engaging email opt-in forms.

Overall rating:
4.2
/5
G2:
4.4
Trustpilot:
4.0
Capterra:
4.2

OptinMonster Pricing: Starts at $7/month for 2,500 pageviews.

You can create beautiful popups without coding using its drag-and-drop builder. Then use its behavioral automation features to target visitors at the right time with advanced targeting capabilities.

I like that integrations with email marketing tools help you nurture captured prospects and turn them into hot leads and customers.

optinmonster_dashboard

Key Features

  • Drag-and-drop builder. Their intuitive visual editor makes creating professional-looking popups and forms exceptionally easy in my experience.
  • Extensive template library. OptinMonster provides a large collection of professionally designed, conversion-optimized templates for every campaign type and industry.
  • Behavior automation targeting. Their platform tracks visitor actions in real-time and triggers perfectly timed offers based on engagement patterns.
  • Real-time testing and adjustments. OptinMonster allows you to modify campaigns instantly based on performance data without requiring new code deployments.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Industry-leading exit-intent technology that captures leaving visitors;
  • Extensive targeting options for highly personalized campaigns;
  • Impressive template variety with professional designs.

Cons:

  • Higher price point than many competitors;
  • No free plan (only paid options with trial);
  • Can be overwhelming for beginners with its feature set.

Best For

I’ve found that OptinMonster specializes in converting website visitors into email subscribers through strategically timed popups and forms. Its behavioral targeting ensures the right message reaches visitors at the perfect moment to maximize conversions.

  • Reducing cart abandonment. Display exit-intent popups with special offers when shoppers attempt to leave, capturing emails and recovering potentially lost sales. Exit-intent technology can help reduce abandoned cart rates for e-commerce sites.
  • Lead capture and list growth. Create eye-catching popups, slide-ins, and floating bars with advanced targeting rules based on visitor behavior, traffic source, and browsing patterns to rapidly grow your email list.

Plans & Pricing

  • Basic Plan: $7/month for 2,500 pageviews;
  • Plus Plan: $19/month for 2 sites and 10,00 pageviews;
  • Pro Plan: $29/month for 3 sites and 25,000 pageviews;
  • Growth Plan: $49/month for 5 sites and 100,000 pageviews.

Note: The popup feature caught your eye? Check out these 8 best form builders for WordPress (including free plugins).


Mailchimp for WordPress — Email Marketing Plugin with Popup Builder

I’ve found Mailchimp useful for capturing leads on your WordPress website and sending automatic email marketing campaigns.

Overall rating:
3.9
/5
G2:
4.3
Trustpilot:
2.8
Capterra:
4.5

Mailchimp Pricing: Starts at $13/month for 5,000 emails to 500 contacts; Mailchimp Free Plan: Up to 5,000 emails/month to 500 contacts.

Its popup builder helps you set up a website popup quickly to help you grow your email list on autopilot. Then you can use its built-in features to send automated emails based on how visitors interact with your website or products.

Plus, you get detailed analytics reports to optimize your email marketing strategy for better results.

mailchimp-email-campaign

Key Features

  • Popup customization. Their platform offers extensive options to design eye-catching signup forms and popups that match your brand identity.
  • Behavior-based targeting. Mailchimp tracks how users interact with your content and automatically adjusts messaging accordingly.
  • Detailed analytics. Their comprehensive reporting dashboard provides clear insights into campaign performance, subscriber growth, and engagement metrics with detailed email reports.
  • A/B testing options. Mailchimp makes it simple to test different subject lines, content variations, and send times.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Extensive template library with professional design options;
  • Robust A/B testing capabilities for continuous optimization;
  • Excellent popup and form creation tools with targeting options.

Cons:

  • Pricing increases significantly as subscriber count grows;
  • Interface can become cluttered with advanced features;
  • Customer support can be slow to respond on lower-tier plans.

Best For

Mailchimp seamlessly integrates with WordPress websites, making it simple to capture leads and manage email campaigns. I’ve seen its combination of powerful automation and user-friendly design work well for businesses at any stage.

  • Newsletter campaigns and content distribution. Automatically notify new subscribers when you publish new blog posts, send curated content digests, and maintain regular communication that keeps your audience engaged with your brand.
  • Audience segmentation and personalization. Divide subscribers based on interests, behavior, and engagement levels to send targeted campaigns that resonate. Segmented campaigns typically achieve higher open rates than non-segmented broadcasts.

Plans & Pricing

  • Free Plan: Up to 5,000 emails/month to 500 contacts;
  • Essentials Plan: From $13/month for 5,000 emails to 500 contacts;
  • Standard Plan: From $20/month for 6,000 emails to 500 contacts;
  • Premium Plan: From $350/month for 150,000 email to 500 contacts.

With Sender, it’s free as long as you want it
Send up to 15,000 emails to 2,500 subscribers completely free. Automation, segmentation, email templates, landing pages and popups included.
Start With Free Plan

MailPoet — Great Plugin for Creating and Sending Newsletters

MailPoet is a dedicated newsletter plugin designed for WordPress users.

Overall rating:
3.3
/5
G2:
4.2
Trustpilot:
1.7
Capterra:
4.0

MailPoet Pricing: Starts at $10/month for unlimited emails to 500 contacts; Free Plan: Up to 5,000 emails/month to 500 contact.

You can set it up directly into your WordPress dashboard and start creating beautiful emails. Use it to send newsletters, automate welcome emails, and notify readers of your latest posts.

I appreciate that features like list segmentation and behavior-based email automation make it a useful plugin if you want to set up personalized or automated emails for your email list.

mailpoet-dashboard

Key Features

  • WordPress-focused features. Their plugin integrates natively with WordPress, syncing seamlessly with your existing users, posts, and WooCommerce products.
  • Automated campaigns. MailPoet enables you to create sophisticated email sequences triggered by specific user actions or time intervals.
  • Email template library. Their collection includes dozens of professionally designed, responsive templates specifically optimized for WordPress businesses.
  • List segmentation. MailPoet allows you to divide subscribers based on engagement metrics, purchase history, and custom fields.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Native WordPress integration with seamless user experience;
  • Works directly from your dashboard without third-party logins;
  • WooCommerce-specific features for e-commerce sites.

Cons:

  • Limited functionality compared to standalone platforms;
  • Free version caps at 500 subscribers;
  • Fewer advanced automation options than specialized tools.

Best For

I’ve noticed that MailPoet operates entirely within your WordPress dashboard, eliminating the need for external platforms. This native integration makes it particularly effective for WordPress-focused businesses wanting streamlined email marketing automation without platform switching.

  • WordPress content marketing. Send newsletters featuring your latest posts, create automated post notification emails, and engage readers without leaving your WordPress admin. Automated newsletters can help drive more traffic back to your blog content.
  • WooCommerce email automation. Set up abandoned cart emails, post-purchase follow-ups, and product recommendation campaigns that leverage your existing WooCommerce data for personalized customer communication.

Plans & Pricing

  • Free Plan: Up to 5,000 emails/month to 500 contact;
  • Business Plan: From $10/month for unlimited emails to 500 contacts;
  • Agency Plan: From $30/month for unlimited emails to 500 contacts/site.

FluentCRM — Best WordPress Email Marketing CRM Plugin

FluentCRM is a self-hosted email marketing automation plugin for WordPress. Manage leads and customers, broadcast email campaigns, automate email flows directly from your WordPress dashboard.

Overall rating:
4.6
/5
G2:
4.6

FluentCRM Pricing: Starts at $129 for single site.

I find that sending targeted email campaigns is easy with FluentCRM. Create beautiful emails and choose dynamic segments, or simply filter out contacts using custom queries before sending a campaign.

FluentCRM_Dashboard

Key Features

  • Email campaign management. Their WordPress-native platform streamlines the entire process from creation to scheduling and performance tracking.
  • Automated email sequences. FluentCRM offers powerful workflow automation that triggers personalized emails based on specific user actions and timeline conditions.
  • Smart contact segmentation. Their system uses dynamic tags and lists that automatically categorize contacts based on behaviors, interests, and engagement patterns.
  • 360° subscriber & customer data tracking. FluentCRM creates comprehensive profiles that capture every interaction across your website, products, and marketing touchpoints.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Fully native WordPress integration with no external dependencies;
  • One-time payment option instead of recurring subscriptions;
  • Deep integration with popular WordPress plugins and forms.

Cons:

  • Newer platform with fewer templates than established competitors;
  • Limited direct integrations with non-WordPress services;
  • Learning curve for maximizing advanced features.

Best For

FluentCRM provides self-hosted email marketing and CRM functionality directly within WordPress. I appreciate this approach as it gives you complete control over your data while eliminating recurring subscription costs for growing contact lists.

  • Email marketing automation with full control. Create sophisticated automation workflows, segment contacts dynamically, and manage campaigns without monthly per-subscriber fees. The one-time payment model can result in significant savings compared to monthly subscription services, especially as your contact list grows.
  • WordPress-based customer management. Track customer interactions, purchases, and engagement across your WordPress ecosystem while maintaining complete data ownership and privacy compliance without third-party dependencies.

Plans & Pricing

  • Basic Plan: Yearly payment of $129 for single site;
  • Plus Plan: Yearly payment of $249 for 5 sites;
  • Agency Plan: Yearly payment of $499 for 50 sites.

Brevo — Email Marketing Solution for Small Businesses

Brevo is designed for small business owners who want to capture website leads and engage them with personalized emails.

Overall rating:
4.5
/5
G2:
4.5
Trustpilot:
4.4
Capterra:
4.6

Brevo Pricing: Starts at $8/month for 5,000 emails to unlimited contacts; Brevo Free Plan: Up to 300 emails/day.

Create engaging email campaigns, manage sales pipelines, or connect with customers through chat and SMS, directly from your WordPress dashboard. You can also connect it with 150+ digital tools to simplify workflow and enhance productivity.

brevo-email-campaign

Key Features

  • Text & WhatsApp automation tools. Their platform enables seamless scheduling and automation of both SMS and WhatsApp messages alongside your email campaigns.
  • A/B testing. Brevo provides robust split testing capabilities for all aspects of your campaigns from subject lines to content blocks.
  • Advanced personalization features. Their system goes beyond basic name insertion with dynamic content blocks that adapt based on recipient data, behaviors, and preferences.
  • Landing page builder. Brevo offers an intuitively fantastic tool for creating conversion-focused landing pages without needing separate software or coding skills.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Affordable pricing structure ideal for growing businesses;
  • Multi-channel marketing capabilities (email, SMS, chat);
  • Excellent transactional email features alongside marketing tools.

Cons:

  • Template customization options are somewhat limited;
  • Mobile app lacks some desktop functionality;
  • Advanced segmentation requires higher-tier plans.

Best For

I’ve found that Brevo combines email, SMS, and chat capabilities into one affordable platform. Its multi-channel approach helps small businesses create cohesive marketing automation campaigns that reach customers through their preferred communication channels.

  • Multi-channel customer communication. Coordinate email campaigns with SMS messages and live chat for comprehensive customer engagement. Multi-channel approaches can improve response rates compared to email-only strategies.
  • Transactional and marketing emails combined. Send both promotional newsletters and critical transactional emails like order confirmations from one platform, simplifying your email infrastructure while maintaining high deliverability rates.

Plans & Pricing

  • Free Plan: Up to 300 emails/day to unlimited subscribers (verify contact limits and current restrictions);
  • Starter Plan: From $8/month for 5,000 emails to unlimited contacts;
  • Starter Plan: From $16/month for 5,000 emails to unlimited contacts;
  • Professional Plan: From $449/month for 150,000 emails to unlimited contacts;
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom price for unlimited contacts and emails.

Klaviyo — WooCommerce Email Marketing Plugin for Business

I’ve found Klaviyo to be a useful email marketing tool for WooCommerce store owners who want to capture behavioral data for personalizing campaigns.

Overall rating:
3.9
/5
G2:
4.6
Trustpilot:
2.4
Capterra:
4.6

Klaviyo Pricing: Starts at $20/month for 500 contacts and 5,000 emails; Klaviyo Free Plan: Up to 250 contacts and 500 emails/month.

It syncs automatically to your WooCommerce dashboard to help you design and personalize campaigns based on online activity. Personalize content, send contextual SMS, or automate review requests.

The analytics dashboard helps track the average cart size, average order count, average order value, and order details to help with data-driven decision making.

klaviyo-email-campaign

Key Features

  • Real-time segmentation. Their platform allows you to instantly divide your audience based on behaviors, purchases, and engagement patterns.
  • Dynamic email content. Klaviyo automatically personalizes email content for each recipient using their browsing history and purchase data.
  • AI-driven insights. Their artificial intelligence analyzes customer data to provide actionable recommendations and predictive analytics.
  • 2-way SMS conversations. Beyond standard text messaging, Klaviyo enables genuine conversations with customers via SMS.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Sophisticated e-commerce marketing automation specifically for online stores;
  • Exceptional customer segmentation based on purchase behavior;
  • Powerful predictive analytics for customer lifetime value.

Cons:

  • Premium pricing structure that can be costly for small businesses;
  • Steep learning curve to utilize full feature set;
  • Can be overkill for simple email marketing needs.

Best For

Klaviyo delivers powerful data-driven marketing automation specifically designed for e-commerce businesses. I’ve seen its deep integration with online stores enable highly personalized campaigns based on actual shopping behavior and purchase history.

  • Ecommerce email and SMS automation. Create sophisticated flows for browse abandonment, post-purchase upsells, and win-back campaigns that leverage real-time shopping data. E-commerce stores using advanced automation often see strong returns on their email marketing investment.
  • Predictive analytics and customer insights. Use AI-powered recommendations to identify high-value customers, predict next purchase dates, and calculate lifetime value for data-driven marketing decisions that maximize revenue.

Plans & Pricing

  • Free Plan: Up to 250 contacts and 500 emails/month;
  • Email Plan: Starting at $20/month for 500 contacts and 5,000 emails;
  • Email & SMS Plan: Starting at $20/month for 500 contacts and 5,000 emails;
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for businesses with over 500,000 contacts.

WPForms — WordPress Plugin for Building Your Email List

WPForms is a beginner-friendly form builder that helps you create professional contact forms, surveys, and email signup forms without coding.

Overall rating:
4.6
/5
G2:
4.7
Trustpilot:
4.8
Capterra:
4.3

WPForms Pricing: Starts at $49.50/year for 1 site.

WPForms’ drag-and-drop interface makes building forms incredibly simple, while smart conditional logic ensures you capture the right information from visitors. The plugin integrates seamlessly with popular email marketing services like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and AWeber, automatically adding form submissions to your mailing lists.

You can embed forms anywhere on your WordPress site using shortcodes or blocks. WPForms also includes spam protection, email notifications, and entry management features. With millions of active installations, it’s widely used by businesses for lead generation and list building.

wpforms-dashboard-25

Key Features

  • Drag-and-drop form builder. Their intuitive interface allows you to create complex forms in minutes without touching any code or requiring technical knowledge.
  • Pre-built form templates. WPForms provides hundreds of professionally designed templates for contact forms, surveys, payment forms, and registration forms ready to customize.
  • Email marketing integrations. Their plugin connects seamlessly with major email services, automatically syncing form submissions to your mailing lists in real-time.
  • Smart conditional logic. WPForms enables you to show or hide form fields based on user responses, creating dynamic, personalized form experiences.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Extremely user-friendly interface perfect for non-technical users;
  • Extensive template library covering virtually every form type;
  • Strong spam protection with multiple validation options.

Cons:

  • Premium features require paid plans (free plugin version is limited);
  • Advanced functionality like conditional logic only in pro version;
  • Can add bloat to your site if you only need basic forms.

Best For

I’ve seen WPForms excel at capturing leads and managing form submissions across any WordPress website. Its intuitive builder and extensive integrations make it accessible for beginners while offering advanced features for experienced marketers.

  • Email list building. Create high-converting signup forms with custom fields that automatically sync contacts to your email marketing platform. Strategic placement of signup forms across your site can help grow your subscriber base consistently.
  • Lead generation and qualification. Design multi-step forms with conditional logic that segment prospects based on their responses, ensuring your sales team receives qualified leads with detailed information.

Plans & Pricing

  • Basic Plan: $49.50/year for 1 site with email marketing integrations;
  • Plus Plan: $99.50/year for 3 sites with surveys and polls;
  • Pro Plan: $199.50/year for 5 sites with advanced features;
  • Elite Plan: $299.50/year for unlimited sites with all addons.

WP Mail SMTP — Best for WordPress Email Deliverability

WP Mail SMTP fixes WordPress’s email delivery problems by replacing the default PHP mail function with proper SMTP authentication. This significantly improves your email deliverability rates, ensuring important messages like password resets, order confirmations, and contact form notifications actually reach inboxes instead of spam folders.

WP Mail SMTP Pricing: Starts at $49/year for 1 site.

The WP Mail SMTP plugin supports major email providers including Gmail, SendGrid, Mailgun, and Amazon SES. Setup is straightforward with step-by-step configuration wizards for each provider. You can test your email settings directly from the dashboard and monitor delivery logs to troubleshoot issues.

Whether you’re running an e-commerce store or membership site, reliable email delivery is critical for maintaining customer trust and communication. This is among the best WordPress SMTP plugin options available.

wp-mail-smtp-dashboard

Key Features

  • SMTP authentication setup. Their plugin replaces unreliable PHP mail with authenticated SMTP server connections, significantly improving email deliverability rates across all providers.
  • Multiple mailer support. WP Mail SMTP works with SendGrid, Mailgun, Gmail, Amazon SES, Outlook, and other popular email services for flexible SMTP configuration WordPress options.
  • Email logging and tracking. Their system records all outgoing emails with detailed logs, making it easy to troubleshoot delivery issues and monitor success rates.
  • Built-in email testing. WP Mail SMTP includes a test email feature that verifies your configuration is working correctly before sending to actual recipients with proper email authentication.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Solves WordPress’s notorious email deliverability issues effectively;
  • Compatible with all major SMTP plugins providers and services;
  • Detailed email logs help diagnose delivery problems quickly;
  • Simple setup process with clear setup wizards.

Cons:

  • Free version lacks email logging and backup features;
  • Requires external SMTP service (additional cost for high volume);
  • Limited functionality beyond fixing email delivery.

Best For

I’ve found that WP Mail SMTP ensures critical emails reach their destination by replacing WordPress’s unreliable default email system with authenticated SMTP connections. It’s essential for maintaining professional communication and customer trust.

  • Transactional email delivery. Guarantee order confirmations, password resets, and account notifications reach recipients reliably, preventing customer frustration and support tickets from missed emails. This is a reliable WordPress SMTP plugin for WordPress transactional email needs.
  • WordPress site administration. Ensure you receive critical admin notifications about security alerts, form submissions, and site updates that keep your website running smoothly and securely.

Plans & Pricing

  • Pro Plan: $49/year for 1 site;
  • Elite Plan: $99/year for 1 site and unlimited priority.

HubSpot — Best Free WordPress Email Plugin with Built-in CRM

HubSpot combines powerful email marketing with a full-featured CRM system, completely free for WordPress users.

Overall rating:
3.7
/5
G2:
4.4
Trustpilot:
2.1
Capterra:
4.5

HubSpot Pricing: Starts at $15/month; HubSpot Free plan: 2,000 emails/month.

The HubSpot’s plugin automatically captures visitor information and tracks their interactions with your website, creating detailed contact profiles. You can design beautiful emails using their drag-and-drop editor, segment your audience based on behavior and properties, and automate follow-up sequences.

The integrated CRM helps you manage customer relationships, track deals through your sales pipeline, and monitor all interactions in one centralized location.

HubSpot also includes live chat, forms, analytics, and reporting tools, plus push notifications for real-time engagement. While the free plan is generous, premium features unlock advanced automation, A/B testing, and additional marketing tools for growing businesses seeking an all-in-one solution.

hubspot-email-templates

Key Features

  • Free built-in CRM system. Their comprehensive customer relationship management platform tracks all visitor interactions, contact details, and deal progress without any cost limitations.
  • Email marketing automation. HubSpot allows you to create sophisticated automated email workflows triggered by specific behaviors, form submissions, or contact properties.
  • Lead capture forms. Their plugin includes customizable popup forms, embedded forms, and live chat widgets that automatically feed contacts into your CRM database.
  • Advanced analytics dashboard. HubSpot provides detailed insights into email performance, website traffic, conversion rates, and ROI metrics all in one centralized reporting hub.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Genuinely powerful free plan with CRM and marketing tools;
  • All-in-one solution eliminates need for multiple plugins;
  • Excellent integration between email, CRM, and analytics;
  • Scalable platform that grows with your business needs.

Cons:

  • Can be overwhelming for users wanting simple email marketing;
  • Advanced features require expensive premium plans;
  • Heavier plugin that may impact site performance;
  • Steeper learning curve compared to simpler alternatives.

Best For

I’ve seen HubSpot provide a complete marketing and CRM solution that grows with your business. Its free plan offers powerful tools for startups, while premium features support enterprises managing complex sales funnels and customer relationships.

  • Integrated marketing campaigns. Combine email marketing, CRM tracking, and analytics in one platform to create cohesive campaigns. Unified platforms can improve lead conversion by providing complete visibility into customer journeys.
  • Customer relationship management. Track every customer interaction from first website visit through purchase and beyond, enabling personalized communication and improved retention through automated workflows and detailed contact insights.

Plans & Pricing

  • Free Plan: Free CRM with forms and email marketing (includes sending limits – verify current restrictions);
  • Starter Plan: From $15/month for advanced marketing automation features;
  • Professional Plan: From $800/month for marketing, sales, and service hubs;
  • Enterprise Plan: From $3,600/month for advanced customization and reporting.
With Sender, it’s free as long as you want it
Send up to 15,000 emails to 2,500 subscribers completely free. Automation, segmentation, email templates, landing pages and popups included.
Start With Free Plan

Advantages of WordPress Email Marketing

WordPress Email Marketing offers significant benefits for website owners looking to enhance their digital marketing strategy. By integrating email campaigns directly with your WordPress blog, you can create a seamless experience that drives engagement and conversions without switching between multiple platforms.

  • Integrated email marketing solution that reduces the need for multiple platforms, allowing you to manage your website and email campaigns from a single dashboard.
  • Access to all the data you need for targeted campaigns, including user behavior, purchase patterns, and engagement metrics stored directly in your WordPress database.
  • Easy creation and management of mailing lists based on various user segments, enabling personalized communication with different audience groups.
  • Ability to send bulk emails efficiently while maintaining deliverability standards, thanks to WordPress plugins that optimize email sending processes and help you send email at scale.
  • Cost-effective integration with SMTP services that improve email deliverability rates and provide detailed analytics on campaign performance without requiring technical expertise.

How to Get Started with WordPress Email Marketing

Email marketing remains a highly effective way to engage your audience, drive traffic to your website, and increase sales.

If you’re using WordPress, I can tell you that accessing this potential is simpler than you might think. Here’s my recommended guide to get you started:

  1. Choose your email marketing service. Select a platform that integrates well with WordPress. I recommend choosing one that offers features and pricing plans fitting your business needs.
  2. Install and connect the plugin. Most email marketing services offer dedicated WordPress plugins. Install your chosen plugin and connect it to your email marketing account through the setup wizard.
  3. Build your email list. Add signup forms to your website to collect visitor emails. I suggest placing forms strategically on your homepage, blog posts, and within your content using the plugin.
  4. Create engaging content. Divide your audience into segments and create emails tailored to their specific interests. I’ve found it helpful to offer valuable content like blog updates, special offers, or downloadable resources to keep them engaged.
  5. Send your email campaigns. Once ready, send your emails immediately or schedule them to reach your subscribers at optimal times.
  6. Track your results. Monitor important metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Use this data to refine your strategy and improve your campaigns going forward.

WordPress Email Marketing FAQs

Can I send emails directly from WordPress without a third-party service?

Yes, WordPress can send emails using its built-in PHP mail function, but from my experience, this approach is unreliable and often results in emails landing in spam folders or not being delivered at all.

For better deliverability, I recommend you’ll need either an SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP connected to an email service, or a self-hosted solution like MailPoet or FluentCRM that sends emails from your server with proper authentication.

Which WordPress email plugin is best for beginners?

In my opinion, Sender is the best choice for beginners due to its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, generous free plan (15,000 emails to 2,500 subscribers monthly), and pre-made automation templates that require minimal setup. Alternatively, I’ve found that MailPoet works well if you prefer managing everything directly from your WordPress dashboard without learning a separate platform.

How do I connect my contact forms to my email list?

Most form plugins like WPForms include built-in integrations with major email marketing services.

From my experience, you simply install your form plugin, navigate to its settings or integrations section, select your email marketing platform (like Sender, Mailchimp, or Brevo), enter your API key from your email service account, and map your form fields to your email list fields. New form submissions will automatically sync to your email list.