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WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 vs wp_mail return-path (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7

WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7

5(111)

9.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 3 months ago
View WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
VS
wp_mail return-path

wp_mail return-path

5(9)

5.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 2 years ago
View wp_mail return-path

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 has a higher user rating (5/5 from 111 reviews) and leads in active installations (9.0K+ vs 5.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 has accumulated 74K+ total downloads while wp_mail return-path has 33K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
5/5WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
wp_mail return-path5/5
Total Reviews
111WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
◄
wp_mail return-path9
Active Installs
9.0K+WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
◄
wp_mail return-path5.0K+
Total Downloads
74K+WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
◄
wp_mail return-path33K+
Support Resolution
N/AWP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
wp_mail return-pathN/A
Last Updated
3 months agoWP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
◄
wp_mail return-path2 years ago
First Released
2016WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
wp_mail return-path2015
Age
10 yearsWP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
wp_mail return-path11 years
WP Requires
3.5+WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
wp_mail return-path3.0.1+
PHP Requires
5.6+WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
wp_mail return-pathfalse+
Business Model
FreeWP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
wp_mail return-pathFree
Latest Version
1.1.0WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7
wp_mail return-path1.1.1

Rating Breakdown

WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7

5/5(111 reviews)
5
98%
4
1%
3
1%
2
0%
1
0%

wp_mail return-path

5/5(9 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 Reviews

by bobanristic

THANKS!

Thank you very much for your effort.

by hellogergej

Simple, Works perfectly

Thank You 🙂

by jjooa

Great job

Just works great

wp_mail return-path Reviews

by nigelpentland

Just what the doctor ordered

Works a treat and fixes an otherwise troublesome issue. Many thanks.

by Em

Works as expected

Needed to be able to set return-path email header in my WordPress emails so that they don’t get flagged as spam. This plugin does the trick.

by Anonymous User 9018418

Thanks for the plugin. To be honest, this should be part of WP.

It works, and it fixes a major flaw of WP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 or wp_mail return-path more popular?
WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 has 9.0K+ active installations while wp_mail return-path has 5.0K+. WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 or wp_mail return-path?
WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 has a 5/5 rating from 111 reviews, while wp_mail return-path has a 5/5 rating from 9 reviews.
Are WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 and wp_mail return-path free?
WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 is free and wp_mail return-path is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 or wp_mail return-path?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 was last updated 3 months ago and wp_mail return-path was last updated 2 years ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.