Flamingo vs Gmail 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, Flamingo has a higher user rating (4.2/5 from 118 reviews) and leads in active installations (800K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Flamingo has accumulated 8.2M+ total downloads while Gmail SMTP has 723K+. Gmail SMTP has a higher support resolution rate (50% vs 33%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Flamingo | Gmail SMTP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | ◄ | 4.1/5 |
| Total Reviews | 118 | ◄ | 101 |
| Active Installs | 800K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 8.2M+ | ◄ | 723K+ |
| Support Resolution | 33% | ► | 50% |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2012 | 2015 | |
| Age | 14 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.7+ | 6.9+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.6.1 | 1.2.3.18 |
Rating Breakdown
Flamingo
Gmail SMTP
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Flamingo averaged approximately 1,834 daily downloads while Gmail SMTP averaged 118.
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
Gmail SMTP Reviews
Good when it works, only for small sites installed at root
The plugin is great when it works. The plugin suddenly stopped working. I contacted support, they checked the site, and stopped answering. They did not say yes, no, we can or cannot fix it. They st
Works well, simple clean interface.
It’s wonderful when you can find a plugin that is not bloated. Thank you to the developer for this great, easy to use and easy to follow instructions!
Worked Like Magic!
this plugin works like magicdirectly to the inboxDaaamn its really goodif you are using your own vps – dont forget to open port 587 and 465 in tcp protocolotherwise it wont work – open them also in yo
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Flamingo or Gmail SMTP more popular?
Which has better ratings — Flamingo or Gmail SMTP?
Are Flamingo and Gmail SMTP free?
Which plugin has better support — Flamingo or Gmail SMTP?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.