Mailai Contact Form vs Mesh SMTP – Easy WordPress SMTP &

Mailai Contact Form was built for founders and business owners who need a reliable way to receive leads without the bloat of traditional form builders. By allowing you to Bring Your Own SMTP, this plugin bypasses the often-unreliable native WordPress mail function and connects directly to your preferred provider (Amazon SES, Google Workspace, SendGrid, or private mail servers). Built with a performance-first mindset, the form uses Modern Vanilla JavaScript (AJAX) to submit data without refreshing the page, providing a seamless experience for your users. Key Features: * BYO SMTP: Total control over your email infrastructure. * Zero Bloat: No heavy CSS libraries or tracking scripts. * AJAX Submission: Fast, no-refresh form processing. * Security Focused: Uses WordPress Nonces and strict sanitization to protect your site. * SaaS Ready: Designed to work perfectly with modern business environments.

Mesh SMTP is a lightweight WordPress SMTP plugin for website owners who want a clear way to configure outgoing email without a crowded dashboard. Connect WordPress to Gmail, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail, Hostinger Email, SendGrid, Mailgun, or any custom SMTP server. The guided setup explains each field in plain language and separates mailer acceptance from real inbox delivery. Mesh SMTP works with email sent through WordPress wp_mail(), which commonly includes: Contact form notifications Password reset emails New user and administrator notifications WooCommerce transactional emails WordPress update and security notifications Messages sent by compatible themes and plugins Easy 3-Step WordPress SMTP Setup Choose your email provider from simple provider cards. Enter the SMTP connection details with clear host, security, port, authentication, username, password, and sender guidance. Send and confirm a test email so the dashboard does not claim delivery before you verify the inbox. Main Features Simple three-step SMTP setup wizard Provider presets for Gmail, Microsoft 365, Zoho, Hostinger, SendGrid, and Mailgun Custom SMTP support with optional authentication for trusted relays Test email flow with honest Accepted, Received and Confirmed, Failed, and Retest Required states Automatic test invalidation when SMTP settings change Clear SMTP host, TLS/SSL, port, authentication, username, password, From Email, and From Name fields Recommended port guidance without overwriting a custom port Saved password indicator with a dedicated Remove Saved Password action Warning when another common SMTP plugin appears active Microsoft 365 warning when OAuth or tenant SMTP AUTH policy may be required Privacy-first email logging: Off, failures only, or all mailer results Optional masked, hidden, or full recipient storage Optional subject logging and 7, 14, or 30-day retention Clear Logs and Clear Last Failure actions Masked support summary by default, with an explicit option to include personal details Safe JSON settings export and import without exporting the SMTP password wp-config.php constants for deployment-managed SMTP credentials WordPress Site Health integration Accessible provider cards, wizard steps, live status messages, and password controls Admin assets load only on the Mesh SMTP screen Capability checks, nonces, sanitization, and escaped output Honest Test Email Results A successful wp_mail() response means WordPress and PHPMailer accepted the sending request without returning an error. It does not prove that the message reached the Inbox. Mesh SMTP therefore uses a two-part verification flow: Accepted by mailer — WordPress returned no sending error. Received and confirmed — an administrator checked the Inbox or Spam folder and confirmed receipt. This avoids a misleading “delivered” message when the receiving mail server may still delay, filter, or reject the email. Privacy-First Email Logs Email logging is configurable. The recommended default stores failed emails only, masks recipient addresses, hides subject lines, and removes old entries after 14 days. Mesh SMTP never stores email bodies or attachments in its activity log. Supported Provider Presets Gmail and Google Workspace Outlook and Microsoft 365 Zoho Mail Hostinger Email SendGrid Mailgun Custom SMTP Microsoft 365 Note Some Microsoft 365 tenants do not allow username/password SMTP. OAuth 2.0 or an administrator-enabled SMTP AUTH policy may be required. Mesh SMTP currently supports standard SMTP credentials and displays a warning when the Microsoft preset is detected. Secure wp-config.php Constants Developers can define these constants in wp-config.php to override values saved in WordPress: MESHSMTP_ENABLED MESHSMTP_HOST MESHSMTP_PORT MESHSMTP_SECURE MESHSMTP_AUTH MESHSMTP_USERNAME MESHSMTP_PASSWORD MESHSMTP_FROM_EMAIL MESHSMTP_FROM_NAME The SMTP password is never shown back in the admin interface.