WordPress plugin comparison
Email Essentials vs WP Mail SMTP by WPForms
At a glance
- WP Mail SMTP by WPForms has more active installs: 4M+, against 50+ for Email Essentials.
- On a typical day, WP Mail SMTP by WPForms is downloaded about 40,526 times, Email Essentials about 14.
- Email Essentials has no reviews yet.
- Email Essentials was updated more recently: Oct 27, 2026, against Oct 20, 2026 for WP Mail SMTP by WPForms.
- WP Mail SMTP by WPForms is tested with a newer WordPress: 7.1.4, against 7.0.8 for Email Essentials.
- WP Mail SMTP by WPForms has been around longer: since 2007, against 2026 for Email Essentials.
Line by line
WP Mail SMTP by WPForms leads on 5 of 6 comparable lines.
| Metric |  Email Essentials |  WP Mail SMTP by WPForms |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #21,216 | #12 |
| Active installs | 50+ | 4M+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 460 | 2.9M |
| Rating | No ratings | 4.8(5.2K) |
| Support threads resolved | – | 83% |
| Tested up to | 7.0.8 | 7.1.4 |
| Search multiplier | ×0.23 | ×5.61 |
| Last release | 14 days ago | 20 days ago |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
From WordPress.org's public data, refreshed every night. Downloads are WordPress.org's official daily figures for the last 30 days.
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