Simple SMTP

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

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.

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.

15 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 4 listed. 11 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.

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

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 100% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 22 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.

1. ★★★★★ guguan123

   1.5y ago

   Perfectly and elegantly meets my needs, the best STMP plugin I’ve used so far.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ alexmigf

   2.2y ago

   The Simple SMTP plugin truly lives up to its name, offering a straightforward and effective solution for managing email communications, especially when paired with MailPit. I’ve been using it locally with great success, and it has become an indispensable tool in my workflow.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ Dan Claudiu G.

   3.3y ago

   Thank you for developing this module, it works great and currently it doesn’t include many other things that could bloat the site.

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ zoomstop

   3.3y ago

   Lots of bloated SMTP plugins happy to take your money. I appreciate the heck out of this free plugin. It’s open source, works perfect, and does the job needed and only the job needed.

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ lenasterg

   3.6y ago

   Does what it says.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ Montri Udomariyah

   4.3y ago

   As it titles, Why need complex UI and dirt on other plugin. go for this one, it’s support WP-CLI. Save my day debuging host and mail server connection.

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ tony.h

   4.4y ago

   A simple (no thrills) SMTP plugin that works with environmental variables in the wp-config.php file. 1. Install and activate the plugin 2. Define the values in wp-config.php docker-compose users: Define the values in the docker-compose.yml file and then add the variable to the wp-config. For example: define( 'SMTP_PASS ', getenv_docker('SMTP_PASS', '') ); This topic was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by tony.h. This topic was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by tony.h. This topic was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by tony.h.

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ Themeisle

   4.6y ago

   Very well thought plugin with powerful configuration options to set up the SMTP connection.

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 1.3.4.1 Changed Fixes for issues highlighted in #175 by @DanielHudson2 in https://github.com/soup-bowl/simple-smtp/pull/181 Contributors @DanielHudson2 made their first contribution in https://github.com/soup-bowl/simple-smtp/pu 1.3.4.1
2. — Version 1.3.4 Changed Branding changes to comply with WordPress trademark policies. Bump the dev-dependencies group with 5 updates by @dependabot[bot] in https://github.com/soup-bowl/wp-simple-smtp/pull/155 Bump the dev-dependencies g 1.3.4
3. — Version 1.3.3 Verified working with WordPress 6.3. Fix: $log_service deprecation notice ( #146 ). Added: None encryption setting ( #148 ). 1.3.3
4. — Version 1.3.2.2 Verified working with WordPress 6.1 and 6.2. Fix: PHP warning on the CLI interface ( #140 ). Notice You may notice there’s 3 unexpected new files in the wp-simple-smtp directory: DOCKER_ENV docker_tag output.log These fi 1.3.2.2
5. — Version 1.3.2.1 Rollback: #116 fix regressed due to relying on a function not found in the general scope. 1.3.2.1
6. — Version 1.3.2 Added: Mail view now displays from, cc, bcc & the headers stored when logging is enabled. Fix: Infinite loop when a plugin hooks into the mail routine functions and sends an email ( #116 ). 1.3.2

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.8.3

Translated into 6 languages, 3 at 90% or more

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.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2025-01-09 1K+ → 2K+ up after 1 days in tier
2. 2025-01-08 2K+ → 1K+ down after 1 days in tier
3. 2025-01-07 1K+ → 2K+ up after 8 days in tier
4. 2024-12-30 2K+ → 1K+ down after 1 days in tier
5. 2024-12-29 1K+ → 2K+ up after 4 days in tier
6. 2024-12-25 2K+ → 1K+ down after 1 days in tier
7. 2024-12-24 1K+ → 2K+ up after 59 days in tier
8. 2024-10-26 2K+ → 1K+ down after 4 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).

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Drop a live Pulse card for Simple SMTP into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Simple SMTP: 2K+ active installs, 5.0★ (11 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/simple-smtp