At a glance
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress
The #1 Mailchimp plugin for WordPress. Allows you to add a multitude of newsletter sign-up methods to your site.
Easy WP SMTP – WordPress SMTP and Email Logs: Gmail, Office 365, Outlook, Custom SMTP, and more
Make SMTP email sending and delivery easy. Configure Gmail, Outlook, Brevo, SendGrid, Mailgun, SendLayer or connect to any SMTP server.
Full Comparison
Technical Specs
| Metric | MC4WP | Easy WP SMTP |
|---|---|---|
| Requires WP | 5.3+ | 5.5+ |
| Requires PHP | 7.4+ | 7.4+ |
| Tested up to WP | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Plugin age | 13 yrs | 13 yrs |
Quick Verdict
Choose MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress if your priority is building a Mailchimp subscriber list. It has 1.0M+ active installs, which is 2x more installs than Easy WP SMTP. That scale reflects its status as the #1 Mailchimp plugin for WordPress. Choose Easy WP SMTP if your main problem is transactional email delivery (password resets, order confirmations) and you need a tool to fix WordPress not sending emails. These plugins solve completely different problems, so your use case dictates the winner.
Feature Comparison: MC4WP vs Easy WP SMTP
| Feature | MC4WP | Easy WP SMTP |
|---|---|---|
| Primary function | Mailchimp newsletter sign-up forms | SMTP email sending configuration |
| Email service integration | Mailchimp only | Gmail, Outlook, Brevo, SendGrid, Mailgun, SendLayer, custom SMTP |
| Form builder | Built-in sign-up forms, pop-ups, and widgets | None (not a form plugin) |
| Email logging | No email log feature | Built-in email log viewer |
| Mailchimp audience sync | Two-way sync for subscribers, groups, and tags | No Mailchimp connection |
| SMTP debugging tools | No SMTP features | Built-in test email and connection debugger |
| Third-party service support | Mailchimp API only | Gmail API, Microsoft Graph API, SMTP credentials |
Who Should Use MC4WP
- Site owners who want to add mailchimp form to wordpress quickly. With 1.0M+ active installs, it's the most trusted plugin for this single task.
- Marketers who need a mailchimp popup form wordpress without buying a separate popup builder. MC4WP includes built-in pop-up and slide-in form types.
- Users who value high satisfaction ratings. 92% of its 1496 reviews give it 5 stars, indicating reliable performance for the best mailchimp plugin for wordpress use case.
Who Should Use Easy WP SMTP
- Site owners who need to fix WordPress not sending emails to users (registration, password resets). This plugin is the best smtp plugin for wordpress for that specific problem.
- Developers who want a wordpress email log plugin to debug failed sends. Easy WP SMTP logs every outgoing email so you can see delivery errors.
- Anyone managing multiple email providers. It supports Gmail, Outlook, Brevo, SendGrid, Mailgun, and SendLayer out of the box, simplifying smtp settings wordpress configuration.
Community & Support
MC4WP holds a 92% 5-star rating and only 3% 1-star rating across 1496 total reviews. Easy WP SMTP shows 89% 5-star and 8% 1-star ratings. The 1-star gap (3% vs 8%) suggests MC4WP users report fewer critical issues. Support thread data for both plugins involves sample sizes too small for reliable conclusions, so user ratings offer the clearest signal of community satisfaction.
Verdict: MC4WP or Easy WP SMTP for WordPress sites?
Pick MC4WP if you are looking to integrate Mailchimp into WordPress. It holds 2x more installs than Easy WP SMTP (1.0M+ vs 500K+) and a higher 5-star rating (92% vs 89%). It's the proven standard for how to integrate mailchimp in wordpress.
Pick Easy WP SMTP if your site has email delivery failures, you need a wordpress email log plugin, or you must configure multiple SMTP providers. Its 8% 1-star rate is higher than MC4WP's 3%, but it solves a problem MC4WP cannot touch: getting WordPress transactional emails delivered.
Both plugins serve distinct needs. For newsletter growth, MC4WP is the clear winner. For email reliability, Easy WP SMTP is the correct tool.
This comparison is AI-generated from live WordPress.org data. Install counts, ratings, versions and support statistics sync weekly, so the numbers on this page stay current. Content passes automated quality checks before publishing, and pages below our quality threshold are held for human review.
Read our full methodologyFrequently Asked Questions
Q How many people use MC4WP compared to Easy WP SMTP?
MC4WP has 1.0M+ active installs while Easy WP SMTP has 500K+, meaning MC4WP is used on more sites.
Q Which has better user ratings — MC4WP or Easy WP SMTP?
MC4WP averages 4.8/5 from 1,496 reviews, while Easy WP SMTP averages 4.6/5 from 704 reviews — MC4WP has the higher average rating.
Q Which is more actively maintained — MC4WP or Easy WP SMTP?
MC4WP was last updated on Jun 4, 2026 and Easy WP SMTP on Apr 1, 2026, so MC4WP received the more recent update.
Q Are MC4WP and Easy WP SMTP both free?
Yes — both MC4WP and Easy WP SMTP are free to install from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Some features may require a paid upgrade offered by the plugin author.
Q Is MC4WP or Easy WP SMTP better for WordPress sites?
If you need to grow your email list with Mailchimp, MC4WP is the better choice because it is built specifically for adding Mailchimp sign-up forms and popups to your site. If your problem is that WordPress emails are not being delivered to your users, Easy WP SMTP is better because it fixes email sending by routing through Gmail, Outlook, or other SMTP providers. They solve completely different problems, so the 'better' plugin depends entirely on whether you need a newsletter tool or a reliable email delivery system.
Q Which is easier to set up for a WordPress beginner — MC4WP or Easy WP SMTP?
MC4WP is easier for a beginner because you can create a Mailchimp sign-up form with a few clicks and place it anywhere on your site without touching any code. Easy WP SMTP requires you to configure SMTP server settings like host, port, and authentication, which can be confusing if you are not familiar with email protocols. Most beginners find MC4WP more straightforward since it works right after you connect your Mailchimp account.
Q What is the biggest feature difference between MC4WP and Easy WP SMTP?
The biggest difference is that MC4WP is a Mailchimp integration plugin for building email subscriber forms and popups, while Easy WP SMTP is an email delivery plugin that logs all outgoing emails and sends them through a proper SMTP server. MC4WP has no email logging or SMTP configuration, and Easy WP SMTP has no Mailchimp form builder or newsletter subscription features. They do not overlap in functionality at all.
Q Can you switch from MC4WP to Easy WP SMTP (or the other way) without losing data?
You can switch between them without losing data because they manage completely separate things, MC4WP stores your Mailchimp form settings and subscriber connections, while Easy WP SMTP stores your SMTP credentials and email logs. Uninstalling one plugin will not delete your Mailchimp audience or your email log history, as those are stored in your Mailchimp account and the WordPress database respectively. Just be aware that you will need to reconfigure your forms or email settings if you switch.
Q Which type of site should choose MC4WP, and which should choose Easy WP SMTP?
Choose MC4WP if you run a blog, business site, or online store that needs to collect email subscribers and send newsletters through Mailchimp. Choose Easy WP SMTP if your site has problems with contact form emails not arriving, password reset emails getting lost, or if you need a log of all emails sent from WordPress. If you need both features, you can install them together since they work on different parts of your site.