FluentSMTP vs WP Mail SMTP
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
WP Mail SMTP leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #12, ahead of FluentSMTP at #97. Over the last 7 days WP Mail SMTP held its place and FluentSMTP climbed 1 place. WP Mail SMTP has the largest install base, roughly 6.7× the next: 4M+ active installs against 600K+ for FluentSMTP. Downloads this week: FluentSMTP 239,194 and WP Mail SMTP 119,440. Ratings: FluentSMTP 4.8★ from 404 and WP Mail SMTP 4.8★ from 5,193 reviews.
| Metric | FluentSMTP | WP Mail SMTP |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #97 ▲ 1 | #12 ▬ |
| Active installs | 600K+ | 4M+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 239,194 | 119,440 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (404) | 4.8★ (5,193) |
| Last updated | Sep 8, 2026 | Jun 25, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.4.0 | 4.9.0 |
| Best rank on record | #97 | #12 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 51 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2021 | Sep 2007 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, FluentSMTP or WP Mail SMTP?
By active installs, WP Mail SMTP: 4M+ sites run it against 600K+ for FluentSMTP, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 13, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, FluentSMTP or WP Mail SMTP?
WP Mail SMTP, at #12 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with FluentSMTP at #97. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are FluentSMTP or WP Mail SMTP alternatives to each other?
Yes. All of them are smtp & email delivery plugins, so a site would normally run one of them. The figures above show which one more WordPress sites choose and how that has changed over time.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.