Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES
A lightweight plugin that sends all WordPress email through Amazon SES using plain SMTP. No API keys, no other providers, no upsells.
Use with caution
Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 3 months ago, and scores 55/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Daninger's SMTP for Amazon… stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| Amazon SES | #34 |
| >100 | |
| mailer | >100 |
| smtp | >100 |
About Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES
From the official readme · v1.1.0Description
Daninger’s SMTP for Amazon SES reconfigures the WordPress wp_mail() function to deliver email through Amazon SES using your SES SMTP credentials. It hooks into phpmailer_init and points PHPMailer at the Amazon SES SMTP endpoint for your region.
This plugin does one thing only. There are no other mailer integrations, no onboarding wizards, no usage tracking, no email logging, and no upsells.
Daninger’s SMTP for Amazon SES is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon Web Services. “Amazon SES” and “Amazon Web Services” are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Features
- Send WordPress email via Amazon SES SMTP
- Simple settings page (enable, region, host, port, encryption, username, password, from email/name, force-from)
- Region helper that auto-fills the correct SES SMTP host
- Secure defaults: port 587, TLS encryption
- Built-in test email form
- Force-from option to override the From address set by other plugins
- SMTP password is stored but never displayed back in the admin
What it does NOT do
- It does not use the AWS SDK or the SES API — it uses plain SMTP only.
- It does not include any other email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Mailgun, SendGrid, Brevo, etc.).
External services
This plugin sends your site’s outgoing email through Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES), a third-party email delivery service operated by Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS). You must supply your own Amazon SES account and SMTP credentials; the plugin does not create an account for you and does not connect to any service operated by the plugin author.
What data is sent, and when: whenever WordPress sends an email (for example password resets, new-user notifications, contact-form messages, or the built-in test email), and the plugin is enabled and configured, it connects over SMTP to the Amazon SES endpoint you specify (e.g. email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com) and transmits that email — including the recipient address, subject, body, headers, and any attachments — to Amazon SES for delivery. Your SMTP username and password are sent to Amazon SES to authenticate the connection. No email or data is sent to Amazon SES unless WordPress itself triggers an email.
The plugin does not collect analytics and does not contact any other external service.
Amazon SES is provided by Amazon Web Services, Inc.:
- Service information: https://aws.amazon.com/ses/
- AWS Service Terms: https://aws.amazon.com/service-terms/
- AWS Privacy Notice: https://aws.amazon.com/privacy/
Configuration
- SES Region — must match the region where your SES account is verified.
- SMTP Host — e.g.
email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com,email-smtp.us-west-2.amazonaws.com,email-smtp.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com. - Port —
587or25for STARTTLS/TLS,465or2465for SSL. - Encryption —
TLS(recommended),SSL, orNone. - From Email — must be a verified SES identity.
Installation
- In the Amazon SES console, verify your sending domain or email address.
- In the Amazon SES console, open SMTP settings and Create SMTP credentials. Save the SMTP username and password (these are different from your AWS access keys).
- Upload and activate this plugin.
- Go to Settings → Daninger’s SMTP.
- Choose your SES Region (this fills in the SMTP host), enter your SMTP username and password, set the From Email to a verified SES identity, then Enable the plugin and save.
- Use the Send a Test Email form to confirm delivery.
Frequently asked questions
My SES account is in sandbox mode. Can I send to anyone?
No. While your SES account is in the sandbox, both the From and To addresses must be verified identities. Request production access in the SES console to send to arbitrary recipients.
Where do I get the SMTP username and password?
In the Amazon SES console under SMTP settings → Create SMTP credentials. They are not your AWS access key ID/secret.
Is my password safe?
The password is stored in the WordPress options table (like all SMTP plugins) and is never displayed back in the admin once saved.
Changelog
Plugin renamed to "Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES" with WordPress.org compliance updates.
1.1.0
- Renamed plugin to “Daninger’s SMTP for Amazon SES”.
- Enqueued the admin region-helper script instead of inline output.
- Added an External Services section documenting Amazon SES usage.
- Distinctive prefixes for all functions, options, and the main class.
1.0.0
- Initial release: send WordPress email through Amazon SES SMTP via the
phpmailer_inithook. - Simple settings page, region helper, and built-in test email form.
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES alternatives
All Amazon SES plugins →
FAQ
Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 7, 2026
Is Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES free?
Yes. Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES safe to use in 2026?
Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 3 months ago, and scores 55/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES?
Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 181 times since it launched in July 2026. It was downloaded 53 times in the last 30 days.
Does Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES work with WordPress 7.1?
Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.7, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES need?
Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES last updated?
The latest version, 1.1.0, was released on July 13, 2026 (3 months ago).
Who makes Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES?
Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES is developed and maintained by daninger4995.
What are the best alternatives to Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES?
The most popular alternatives to Daninger's SMTP for Amazon SES are FluentSMTP (700K+ installs), WP Offload SES Lite (10K+ installs) and SFLWA Identity & Tenant Pro… (<10 installs).
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