The Best Free SMTP Server for Small Businesses

You need a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) server whether you want to send transactional emails or inform your customers of your latest upcoming sale. Since a quality free SMTP server can be challenging to come by, we put together a list of the best options available.

1. SendPulse

Out of every free SMTP server on this list, SendPulse is by far the best option. You get a whopping 15,000 emails per month and can reach 500 contacts. Because of its high monthly cap, it’s more beneficial for medium-sized businesses than beginners. Regardless, people who are just starting can use it to make future scaling easier.

Some of its key features include:

• A custom landing page editor.
• Basic analytics like delivery and open rate.
• 24/7 customer support.
• Three sender email addresses.

SendPulse gives you all of the core features to get started. Also, it has the biggest plan out of any other free SMTP server. If your business is growing rapidly or you have an extensive list of customers you want to reach out to, this service is your best option.

2. MailerSend

With MailerSend, you get up to send up to 3,000 emails monthly. If you need more flexibility but don’t want to upgrade to a paid account, it lets you buy an extra 1,000 for a single $1 payment. Its simple user interface (UI) and high delivery rate make it a good tool for beginners. 

Some of its key features include:

• Various design and editing tools like dynamic templates.
• Tracking and analytics with seven-day data retention.
• 24/7 technical customer support.
• One sender email address.

Since MailerSend is so easy to use, you’ll have no trouble engaging your customers. Plus, you’ll rarely have to worry about an email bouncing since it boasts a 99.5% uptime rate. Its high email cap, responsive support, and valuable tools make it a comprehensive service.

3. Smtp2Go

Smtp2Go is based in New Zealand and has data centers in the European Union, so its actions comply with consumer privacy laws. Since you need to follow the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) if you have EU recipients, it’s extremely helpful. You get 200 emails daily and have a cap of 1,000 emails monthly. 

Some of its key features include:

• A queue tool to schedule and store upcoming emails.
• Analytics with five-day data retention.
• 24/7 customer support in multiple languages.
• Up to five sender email addresses.

Since Smtp2Go gives you multiple sender email addresses, robust customer support, and insightful statistics, it may be the best free SMTP server. Its high delivery rates, fast processing times, and impressive analytics are appealing bonuses. 

4. SendGrid

Are you tired of hopping from one free trial to the next? If so, SendGrid can be your permanent solution because it gives you 100 daily emails. Also, it comes with real-time email validation and editing tools to simplify your work. 

Some of its key features include:

• Delivery optimization tools.
• Geographical or user-defined categories for analytics.
• 24/7 ticket support.
• One sender email address.

If you use this free SMTP server, you can bounce fewer emails, decrease your chance of being flagged as spam, and improve your performance. As a bonus, its customer statistics are super helpful for small business owners trying to figure out their demographics. 

5. Brevo SMTP

Formerly known as Sendinblue, Brevo offers a wide range of tools for its free plan. You can use the customizable templates and sign-up forms to give your messages a personal touch. Even though you have a cap of 300 emails per day, you get unlimited contacts. 

Some of its key features include:

• An automation tool for up to 2,000 contacts.
• Analytics features like page tracking and advanced segmentation.
• Extensive frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) pages and customer support.
• Unlimited sender email addresses.

Brevo is one of the few services offering unlimited contacts and sender email addresses, making it the best free SMTP server for medium-sized businesses. Plus, its fantastic automation and impressive statistic tracking tools are incredibly valuable.

6. Google SMTP

Google SMTP is a fantastic free SMTP server for entry-level entrepreneurs since its UI is familiar to most people. You get 500 emails daily and can send them to thousands of contacts. However, the catch is its rolling waiting period. After you exceed your message cap, it makes you wait a full 24 hours instead of resetting nightly.

Some of its key features include:

• An automation tool for transactional emails.
• Real-time delivery status reporting and email logs.
• Robust customer support and helpful FAQ pages in multiple languages.
• A custom domain name.

This option is ideal for people unfamiliar with SMTP servers because it’s recognizable and easy to use. Anyone who’s used Google Workspace before will already be familiar with the basics. It’s one of the best choices if you’re not technologically inclined.

7. Elastic Email

You can send 100 emails daily to 1,000 contacts with Elastic Email. Even though it offers a lower message limit than other services, its handy verification and segmentation tools more than make up for it.

Some of its key features include:

• Access to the email delivery engine.
• Analytics for the delivery rate and email logs.
• An FAQ page and contact information for customer support.
• One sender email address. 

With extra features like the email designer and landing page editor, you can personalize your messages. Considering about 62% of customers feel more loyal to a brand when they see custom marketing, they’re fantastic additions. 

8. Mailjet

Mailjet has an impressive cap of 6,000 monthly emails, making it the best free SMTP server for businesses with many customers. It lets you send 200 every day to an unlimited number of contacts, giving you an opportunity to personalize messages using your demographic data. 

Some of its key features include:

• A three-day-long queue tool.
• Basic statistics like delivery and bounce rate.
• Customer support in multiple languages. 
• One sender email address.

Since most free SMTP servers have low daily or monthly message caps, Mailjet is unique. You won’t find many others like it at this price point. If you have a massive client list or you’re working on multiple campaigns simultaneously, it’s your best option. 

9. Amazon Simple Email Service

Amazon SES is a great entry-level SMTP server since it’s reliable and GDPR-compliant. It offers 3,000 emails monthly for one year, which is higher than most other free options. However, you might end up paying for hidden expenses like transfer fees or outgoing mail data. 

Some of its key features include:

• A simulator tool to test scenarios like an email bouncing.
• Basic user statistics and extra analytics from Amazon Web Services integration. 
• Robust customer support. 
• Thousands of sender email address identities.

While Amazon SES isn’t permanently free, it’s still useful. People who want to experiment with an SMTP server get to use a company they trust. Its high delivery rate and monthly message cap also make it an appealing option.

10. Resend

With Resend, you get 3,000 emails monthly and can send 100 every day. It has plenty of fantastic integration and quality-of-life tools. For instance, you can use its modular webhooks to receive relevant notifications in real time.

Some of its key features include:

• Various message templates. 
• Analytics with one-day data retention.
• Basic customer support. 
• One sender email address. 

This SMTP server is a solid service for beginners since it only offers the basics. If you want something without the frills and complex tools, Resend is the right choice for you. Even though it only tracks basic statistics, you can still increase your return on investment by monitoring them.

Choose Your Free SMTP Server

Before you choose your SMTP server from this list, be sure to read up on every feature to see which one best fits your needs. Also, be mindful that some of these services put their branding on your outgoing emails in exchange for being free. Once you settle on one you like, you can get started right away.