Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) vs Kadence Mail
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
Kadence Mail leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #667, ahead of Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) at #2,603. Over the last 7 days Kadence Mail held its place and Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) climbed 5 places. Kadence Mail has the largest install base, roughly 8.6× the next: 60K+ active installs against 7K+ for Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor). Downloads this week: Kadence Mail 1,141 and Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) 186. Ratings: Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) 4.2★ from 68 and Kadence Mail 4.2★ from 52 reviews.
| Metric | Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) | Kadence Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #2,603 ▲ 5 | #667 ▬ |
| Active installs | 7K+ | 60K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 186 | 1,141 |
| Rating | 4.2★ (68) | 4.2★ (52) |
| Last updated | Dec 1, 2025 | May 12, 2026 |
| Current version | 6.3 | 3.0.0 |
| Best rank on record | #2,598 | #654 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2009 | Nov 2012 |
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
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- Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) vs YaySMTP – WP Mail SMTP with Email Logs, Tracking & Reports
- Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) vs SMTP Mailer
- Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) vs Check & Log Email - Easy Email Testing & Mail logging
- Kadence Mail vs Check & Log Email - Easy Email Testing & Mail logging
- Kadence Mail vs Email Deliverability - SMTP Replacement, Email API Deliverability & Email Log
- Kadence Mail vs WP Mail Logging
- Kadence Mail vs GoSMTP
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) or Kadence Mail?
By active installs, Kadence Mail: 60K+ sites run it against 7K+ for Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor), according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) or Kadence Mail?
Kadence Mail, at #667 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) at #2,603. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Swift SMTP (formerly Welcome Email Editor) or Kadence Mail alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
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.