MailPoet is a complete email marketing solution that runs entirely within WordPress, allowing you to create, send, and manage newsletters without using a third-party service like Mailchimp or ConvertKit. It includes a drag-and-drop email builder, subscription form creator (popup, slide-in, fixed bar, embedded), subscriber management with segmentation, and automation workflows. The plugin handles everything from email design to delivery through its own MailPoet Sending Service, which provides high deliverability rates without requiring you to configure SMTP manually. For WooCommerce stores, MailPoet supports abandoned cart emails, first purchase automations, and product-specific campaigns. For site owners who want email marketing managed from within WordPress without monthly subscription fees based on subscriber count, MailPoet is the most complete self-hosted solution, competing with FluentCRM and MC4WP.
The plugin stores subscriber data in your WordPress database and sends emails through the MailPoet Sending Service or your own SMTP server. It uses cron-based sending with batch processing for reliable delivery at scale.
Competitive Features
- Email builder — drag-and-drop newsletter creation with 20+ responsive templates
- Subscription forms — popup, slide-in, fixed bar, embedded, and exit intent form types
- WooCommerce emails — abandoned cart, first purchase, product-specific, and category-based automations
- Automation — automated email sequences with segmentation, conditions, and branching
- MailPoet Sending Service — high-deliverability sending infrastructure (free up to 1,000 subscribers)
- Subscriber management — lists, segments, tags, and engagement tracking with scoring
- Transactional emails — customize WooCommerce order emails with brand styling
Key Features
- Newsletter editor — drag-and-drop builder with 20+ pre-built templates for different campaign types
- Form editor — customizable subscription forms with multiple placement options
- Automation workflows — triggered emails for new subscribers, post notifications, and WooCommerce events
- Segmentation — multi-condition subscriber segments based on engagement, purchase history, and custom fields
- Post notifications — automatically send new blog posts as email newsletters
- A/B testing — test subject lines, content, and send times (Premium)
- Google Analytics — track email campaign performance with GA integration (Premium)
Comparison with Competitors
MailPoet Premium vs FluentCRM
| Aspect | MailPoet Premium | FluentCRM |
|---|---|---|
| Email sending | MailPoet Sending Service or SMTP | Your SMTP/SES |
| Automation | Yes (basic) | Yes (visual builder) |
| CRM features | Basic (lists + segments) | Full CRM |
| WooCommerce | Yes | Yes (deep) |
Bottom line: FluentCRM is a full CRM with advanced automation and unlimited contacts. MailPoet Premium is simpler to set up and includes the sending service, making it better for beginners who don’t want to configure SMTP.
MailPoet Premium vs MC4WP
| Aspect | MailPoet Premium | MC4WP |
|---|---|---|
| Email sending | Built-in | Via Mailchimp |
| Forms | Drag-and-drop | HTML templates |
| Automation | Built-in | Via Mailchimp |
| WooCommerce | Yes | Yes (Premium) |
Bottom line: MC4WP is free and works with your existing Mailchimp account. MailPoet Premium is a complete email marketing system that doesn’t require a third-party service.
Recommended Stack: MailPoet handles email marketing campaigns. For growing your subscriber list with targeted popups, pair it with OptinMonster.
Official Changelog
Version 5.38.0
Release Date: September 8, 2026
- Added: Filters to override the author and categories shown in newsletters that include posts.
- Improved: Validation of the admin notice dismissal request.
- Improved: Validation of form preview requests.
- Improved: Social icon rendering in the block email editor.
- Fixed: Personalization tags showing HTML-encoded characters in email subjects and plain-text emails.
- Fixed: The Amazon SES region list now matches AWS, with seven regions added and non-SES regions removed.
- Fixed: One background job that fails to start no longer stops the rest of them, so bounce processing, WooCommerce sync and other scheduled jobs keep running.
- Fixed: Restricted AI subject line suggestions to users who can manage emails.
- Fixed: Back button sizing in the block email editor on WordPress 7.1.
- Fixed: Missing Personalization Tags toolbar button on Button blocks in the block email editor.
Version 5.37.0
Release Date: September 1, 2026
- Added: Admins can now see and set a subscriber’s email-tracking-consent state on the edit-subscriber page.
- Improved: When you ask subscribers for tracking consent, the email editors now check that your email has a tracking opt-out link and the form editor checks that your form has the consent checkbox.
- Improved: The public PHP API can now record tracking consent, so integrations and headless stores can pass their own consent checkbox result to addSubscriber or updateSubscriber.
- Improved: Personalization tag links in block editor emails now record clicks and resolve to the correct per-recipient URL.
- Improved: Subscriber import and export now carry tracking consent: the state, when it changed, how it was collected, and the wording the subscriber saw.
Version 5.36.1
Release Date: August 25, 2026
- Added: Latest posts block for the email editor with a composable per-post layout, category and tag filtering, and manual post selection.
- Improved: Recent category of the email template modal now lists draft, scheduled and sending emails.
- Changed: Timezone field in the subscriber edit form is now hidden when subscriber time zone collection is disabled.
- Fixed: Background sending not resuming after a plugin update.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MailPoet free?
MailPoet is free for up to 1,000 subscribers. Paid plans start at $10/month for larger lists and include the MailPoet Sending Service, advanced automation, and priority support.
Can I send emails with my own server?
Yes. You can use any SMTP provider including SendGrid, Amazon SES, or your web host’s mail server. However, the MailPoet Sending Service is recommended for best deliverability.
Does MailPoet work with WooCommerce?
Yes. MailPoet supports abandoned cart emails, first purchase automation, product-specific campaigns, and custom WooCommerce transactional emails with your brand styling.
How does MailPoet handle email deliverability?
MailPoet’s Sending Service is built specifically for WordPress email delivery, with automated bounce handling, complaint management, and SPF/DKIM authentication. It achieves a 98.5% global deliverability rate.
Can I create automated email sequences?
Yes. MailPoet supports automation workflows triggered by subscriber actions, including welcome emails, post notifications, and WooCommerce events. Premium adds conditional branching for more complex automations.
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