Flamingo vs CL Simplest SMTP (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, CL Simplest SMTP has a higher user rating (5/5 from 4 reviews) while Flamingo leads in active installations (800K+ vs 30). Both are free WordPress plugins. Flamingo has accumulated 8.2M+ total downloads while CL Simplest SMTP has 1.8K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Flamingo | CL Simplest SMTP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 118 | ◄ | 4 |
| Active Installs | 800K+ | ◄ | 30 |
| Total Downloads | 8.2M+ | ◄ | 1.8K+ |
| Support Resolution | 33% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2012 | 2024 | |
| Age | 14 years | 2 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.7+ | 5.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.6.1 | 1.2.3 |
Rating Breakdown
Flamingo
CL Simplest SMTP
Download Trends
Recent Reviews
Flamingo Reviews
Works Really Well
Its a great addition to contact form 7 and much needed if you don’t have your email server setup yet.
Only works with PHP sendmail, not external SMTP
This plugin only works with contact forms using PHP mail. It doesn’t seem to work with an external SMTP mail server. I tested it out and there were no messages collected in DB. Also there’s no option
Great! (But has a minor bug)
This is a great tool, especially with its integration into the Contact Form 7 plugin. However, there’s a minor bug when exporting non-Latin characters, such as Persian. It seems the encoding is set to
CL Simplest SMTP Reviews
No reviews yet
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Flamingo or CL Simplest SMTP more popular?
Which has better ratings — Flamingo or CL Simplest SMTP?
Are Flamingo and CL Simplest SMTP free?
Which plugin has better support — Flamingo or CL Simplest SMTP?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.