SAR Friendly SMTP
by Samuel Aguilera · Email & Marketing
Also makes 13 other plugins · 86.9K+ installs across the portfolio →
A friendly SMTP plugin for WordPress. No third-party, simply using WordPress native possibilities.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 87/100
no flags
Active installs
2K+
≈2.5K estimated
Momentum
+3%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “email”, “notifications” and “smtp” for “friendly”, “sendgrid smtp” and “smtp plugin”. “email” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “friendly” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “notifications” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “sendgrid smtp” sits at #12 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “smtp” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #12. “smtp plugin” sits at #12 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
87 health vs 66 average across 2,122 Email & Marketing plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →5.3%
of downloads still active
At least 2K of 37.6K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Email & Marketing plugin keeps 0.9%, across 1,295 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Email & Marketing plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 1 release in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 109 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.0.8, the current branch or newer
4.6★ over 46 reviews, smoothed to 4.34★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
38
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.2
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
16%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+0.1
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| sar | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| sendmail your tag | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| friendly | #6 | #11 | 0 |
| phpmailer your tag | #8 | #6 | down 1 |
| smtp your tag | #12 | #11 | 0 |
| smtp plugin | #12 | #15 | down 1 |
| third party | #16 | #16 | up 6 |
| sendgrid smtp | #12 | #8 | down 1 |
| gmail smtp | #12 | #11 | up 1 |
| my smtp wp | #8 | #9 | 0 |
| custom smtp | #8 | #7 | down 1 |
| wordpress smtp | #14 | #12 | 0 |
| wp smtp | #15 | #13 | 0 |
| wp phpmailer | #15 | #12 | 0 |
| email your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| notifications your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
34 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 14 listed. 20 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “email”, “notifications” and “smtp” for “friendly”, “sendgrid smtp” and “smtp plugin”. “email” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “friendly” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “notifications” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “sendgrid smtp” sits at #12 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “smtp” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #12. “smtp plugin” sits at #12 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “smtp”. #12 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 460 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
1
releases in the last 12 months
4mo ago
latest release · v1.2.6 · 15 Jul 2026
9
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 99% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “2K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 2.2 years ago; the previous band took 4.7 years to cross, which places it about 53% of the way through.
Install history since 14 Nov 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ sayginer2.3y ago
It is clean and simple plugin. It does what is needed without annoying ads. Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mahyulan2.5y ago
I used to use PostMan SMTP – now Post SMTP plugin, but this has become very annoying. Because it has become a bulky plugin that almost forces you to go to a paid subscription. The Post SMTP zip file is 8,7MB, while this SAR Friendly SMTP is only 38kB! Of course the other plugin has many more options, but if you just need the mail to be sent by SMTP this SAR Friendly SMTP plugin is absolutely fabulous. Therefore I just made a small donation.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Qorege2.9y ago
Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Joseph3.8y ago
Perfect and tiny in size…just awesome
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jschoellen4.2y ago
We tried Postmark. We tried Post SMTP. They would either not deliver e-mails at all (via a SendGrid API relay)… or would only relay text versions. With this plugin, it just WORKED. Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ seofreelance4.7y ago
This is just what it needs to be. A few settings, a simple easy way to proof them OK and just care for your server or hosting has everything in place, as the plugin works just great. ¡Gracias Samuel!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ swinggraphics5.2y ago
It probably works fine, but I uninstalled it immediately after activating it because it clutters up the admin menu with a new top-level item, even though you only interact with it once.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Evan Emerson5.6y ago
This is one of the most efficient plugins we use for every site build. Today I had a need for smtp on a multisite network and wanted the same account for all sites. I almost spent $200 on commercial, premium plugin but looked at the SAR Friendly SMTP documentation to find I can add the settings as constants in wp-config.php. Game changer. I’m very happy to continue using this plugin with this multisite install. For the record, I’m a supporter of many premium plugins and spend 4 figures a year on just plugin renewals. But, why add more complexity and cost when it’s not needed?
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.2.6 WordPress Coding Standards changes. 1.2.6
- — Version 1.2.5 Added own styles to settings page to fix placement of messages shown when settings are overridden by values set in the wp-config.php file. Added Settings Saved notice. Minor changes to text shown in Send Email Test page. 1.2.5
- — Version 1.2.3 Added missing closing div tag in settings page. Fixed saving From Name in settings page when single quotes are used (e.g. O’Brian). Shortened menu title in dashboard menu to “SMTP”. 1.2.3
- — Version 1.2 Added handling of fatal errors in Send Email Test page. Added setting to allow the use of SMTP servers with invalid SSL setup. More information Added SAR_FSMTP_DEBUG_MODE and SAR_FSMTP_ALLOW_INVALID_SSL constants, check 1.2
- — Version 1.1.3 Fix overriden checking for SAR_FSMTP_USER in settings page. Fix replacing FROM address and name when new constants are not being used but they have values in settings page. Hide input field for a setting when it’s being 1.1.3
- — Version 1.1 Added constants SAR_FSMTP_SMTP_USER, SAR_FSMTP_PASSWORD, SAR_FSMTP_HOST, SAR_FSMTP_PORT, SAR_FSMTP_ENCRYPTION, SAR_FSMTP_FROM, SAR_FSMTP_FROM_NAME to override settings from wp-config.php Added links to Settings and Send 1.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 1 language, 1 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
6 of 8 pass · checked 26 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 6 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 6 of 6 read like questions a user would type.
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("if you need", "if you want").
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Gravity Forms.
- ✓ Headings and lists 4 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,229 characters of description.
- ! Tags match the text Only 2 of 5 tags appear in the text ("Notifications", "phpmailer", "sendmail" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2024-08-09 3K+ → 2K+ down after 1731 days in tier
- 2019-11-13 2K+ → 3K+ up after 718 days in tier
- 2017-11-25 1K+ → 2K+ up after 413 days in tier
- 2016-10-08 800+ → 1K+ up after 281 days in tier
- 2016-01-01 700+ → 800+ up after 22 days in tier
- 2015-12-10 600+ → 700+ up after 26 days in tier
- 2015-11-14 500+ → 600+ up after 47 days in tier
- 2015-09-28 100+ → 500+ up after 124 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
SMTP Mailer 70K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A -
ActiveCampaign Postmark for WordPress 50K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags C -
WPO365 | MICROSOFT 365 GRAPH MAILER 10K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
Configure SMTP 6K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags C -
MailerSend – Official SMTP Integration 2K+ installs · 3.4★ · 3 shared tags B - S Send From 500+ installs · 4.3★ · 3 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for SAR Friendly SMTP into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/sar-friendly-smtp" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="SAR Friendly SMTP — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> SAR Friendly SMTP: 2K+ active installs, 4.6★ (46 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/sar-friendly-smtp
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