MailerPress – vs My Newsletter

MailerPress is a free email marketing and newsletter plugin for WordPress. Build professional email campaigns with a drag-and-drop editor, manage unlimited subscribers and lists, schedule newsletters, and send automated emails — all from your WordPress dashboard. Whether you’re a blogger sending a weekly newsletter, an online store owner looking to customize WooCommerce emails (paid plan required), or a marketer running large-scale email campaigns, MailerPress gives you everything you need — with no subscriber limits and no sending restrictions. Drag-and-Drop Email Editor Create beautiful email newsletters without writing a single line of code. The MailerPress email editor is inspired by the WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg), so it feels instantly familiar: Drag-and-drop blocks to build your email layout Pre-built email templates to get started in seconds Save and reuse your own custom layouts Full theme.json support for consistent branding with Full Site Editing Google Fonts integration with local hosting for fast loading MJML template import for advanced email designs Responsive emails that look great on every device Subscriber Management & List Building Grow your email list with powerful subscriber management tools, completely free: Unlimited subscribers, lists, and tags — no restrictions Customizable opt-in forms with shortcode — works with any page builder (Elementor, Bricks, Divi, and more) Gutenberg opt-in form block for the Block Editor Embeddable opt-in forms for external websites Double opt-in with customizable confirmation emails CSV import and export for easy subscriber migration Advanced subscriber segmentation GDPR-compliant subscription management with built-in unsubscribe Email Campaigns & Newsletter Scheduling Send newsletters and email campaigns on your schedule: Create and send email campaigns to your subscriber lists Schedule newsletters for future delivery Merge tags for personalized email content (subscriber name, custom fields, and more) Content retrieval from posts and pages Flexible click and open tracking (track, anonymize, or disable) Detailed campaign analytics and performance reports Email Automation Automate your email marketing to save time and boost engagement: Automated post notification emails when you publish new content Scheduled email campaigns with precise timing Automated double opt-in confirmation follow-ups (paid plan required) Advanced automation workflows with triggers and conditions (paid plan required) Supported WordPress Plugin Integrations Connect MailerPress with popular form, page builder, e-commerce, membership, and automation plugins: Explore all available integrations: https://mailerpress.com/integrations/ Contact Form 7 (free) — map form fields, lists, tags, custom fields, and double opt-in settings to add subscribers Gravity Forms (paid plan required) — add form submissions to MailerPress lists with field mapping Fluent Forms (paid plan required) — capture form submissions and synchronize subscriber data Elementor (paid plan required) — use the MailerPress widget and Elementor Pro form action Bricks Builder (paid plan required) — build opt-in forms with the native MailerPress element Divi Builder (paid plan required) — connect the Divi Email Optin module to MailerPress WooCommerce (paid plan required) — capture checkout opt-ins, manage subscriber preferences, and customize transactional emails Paid Memberships Pro (paid plan required) — collect newsletter opt-ins at checkout and display subscription preferences in member accounts Advanced Custom Fields / ACF (paid plan required) — use ACF content in Query blocks and campaign content WordPress users (paid plan required) — synchronize WordPress user accounts with MailerPress contacts Third-party automation integrations are also available for Bit Flows, FlowMattic, OttoKit, and SureForms. These integrations are maintained by their respective plugin authors, and feature availability may depend on their plans. WooCommerce Email Marketing (paid plan required) Turn your WooCommerce store into an email marketing machine: Design custom WooCommerce transactional emails with the drag-and-drop editor Override default WooCommerce order confirmation, shipping, and account emails Send promotional email campaigns to your customers Retrieve WooCommerce product content directly in your newsletters Segment subscribers based on purchase behavior Incoming & Outgoing Webhooks (paid plan required) Connect MailerPress to any external system: Incoming webhooks to add subscribers from external platforms Outgoing webhooks to send real-time events to third-party services Build custom integrations with your existing tools Email Sending Options Send emails using your preferred method: PHP Mail (default — works out of the box) Custom SMTP configuration Brevo / Sendinblue integration (paid plan required) SendGrid integration (paid plan required) Gmail / Google Workspace integration (paid plan required) Mailgun integration (paid plan required) Mailjet integration (paid plan required) Postmark integration (paid plan required) Amazon SES integration (paid plan required) Emailit integration (paid plan required) SMTP2GO integration (paid plan required) Resend integration (paid plan required) Bounce management via email provider APIs (paid plan required) All Free Features Drag-and-drop email editor inspired by WordPress Block Editor Unlimited subscribers, lists, tags, and campaigns Email newsletter creation and scheduling Customizable opt-in forms (shortcode + Gutenberg block) Double opt-in with confirmation emails CSV import/export for subscriber migration Subscriber segmentation Contact Form 7 integration Email campaign analytics Post and page content retrieval for newsletters Click and open tracking (with anonymous option) Merge tags for email personalization MJML template import Google Fonts with local hosting GDPR-compliant with built-in unsubscribe Self-hosted — your data stays on your server Full theme.json and FSE support Hundreds of developer hooks and filters REST API for custom integrations Paid Plan Features Upgrade to MailerPress for advanced email marketing capabilities: WooCommerce email customization — design and override transactional emails (order confirmation, shipping, account emails) with the drag-and-drop editor Professional email delivery — Brevo, SendGrid, Gmail / Google Workspace, Mailgun, Mailjet, Postmark, Amazon SES, Emailit, SMTP2GO, Resend AI-powered email content — OpenAI, Claude by Anthropic, DeepSeek, Mistral, and Google Gemini for content optimization and image generation Advanced form integrations — Gravity Forms and Fluent Forms Page builder integrations — Elementor, Bricks Builder, and Divi Builder E-commerce and membership integrations — WooCommerce and Paid Memberships Pro WordPress user synchronization — keep WordPress user accounts connected with MailerPress contacts Advanced Custom Fields integration — use ACF content in Query blocks and campaigns Incoming and outgoing webhooks — connect MailerPress to external apps and automation platforms Advanced automation workflows — triggers, conditions, and behavioral targeting Custom fields and advanced segments — target subscribers based on behavior and data Premium email templates — professional designs ready to use Embed opt-in forms on external websites — grow your list beyond WordPress Bounce management — automatic handling via email provider APIs Automated double opt-in follow-ups — re-engage pending subscribers White-label options — customize MailerPress branding Priority support — dedicated customer assistance Developer-Friendly MailerPress is built for developers who need full control: Hundreds of hooks and filters — customize every aspect of the plugin REST API — build custom integrations and applications MJML support — use MJML templates for advanced email design workflows React-based architecture — modern, extensible, and performant Privacy & GDPR MailerPress is fully GDPR-compliant and privacy-first. No data is collected by us — everything stays on your server. Built-in unsubscribe links, double opt-in, and data export tools help you stay compliant. When using third-party email providers, please review their respective privacy policies. Translations MailerPress is available in English, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Arabic. Help translate MailerPress into your language. From the same team Try SEOPress, the best SEO plugin for WordPress

My Newsletter is a lightweight WordPress newsletter plugin focused on a practical use case many site owners need immediately: Send a campaign to WordPress users. Send a campaign to commenters (optionally only commenters from a specific post). Import and manage your own mailing list (CSV/TXT upload, simple XLSX upload, or paste emails). Queue the campaign and process it in the background (batch sending). Include unsubscribe links in every message. Track basic campaign progress in the admin area. Optional file logging for troubleshooting large sends. Optional built-in SMTP settings (with SMTP test) (no external SMTP plugin required). Save and load reusable email templates (v2.5.0). Manage templates (edit/rename/duplicate/delete) from My Newsletter → Templates (v2.6.0). Import/export templates as JSON for backup and migration (My Newsletter → Templates) (v2.6.1). This plugin is intentionally simple and WordPress-native: Email sending uses wp_mail() (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_mail/). Background processing uses WP-Cron (https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/cron/). File uploads in the admin import flow use wp_handle_upload() (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_handle_upload/). Mailing list import & management (v2.3.0) My Newsletter lets you import and manage your own subscriber list: Import subscribers via CSV/TXT upload, simple XLSX upload, or copy/paste. Preview the first rows before writing to the database. Choose merge behavior: Update existing or Skip existing. Built-in list tools: search, export CSV, delete selected, delete all matching search, and delete by domain. Suppression list (unsubscribed): view/export and remove suppression (admin-only). Important: You are responsible for ensuring you have a lawful basis/consent to email imported contacts, and every campaign must include a working unsubscribe option. Then, when composing a campaign, choose Mailing list (imported) as the recipient source. Core functionality Campaign composer (admin screen) Create a newsletter subject and HTML content. Use the WordPress editor for message body content. Choose recipient source: Users + Commenters Users only Commenters only Commenters on a specific post Mailing list (imported) Background queue processing Recipients are queued in custom plugin tables. Sending runs in batches through WP-Cron (instead of trying to send everything in one browser request). Reduces the risk of timeouts and broken sends on slower hosting. Test email before full campaign Send a test message to any email address from the composer screen. Uses the same rendering path and unsubscribe footer logic as real sends. Secure unsubscribe links Every email includes an unsubscribe URL. Unsubscribe tokens use an HMAC-based signature (derived from WordPress salts; see wp_salt() https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_salt/). Unsubscribed addresses are stored and skipped in future campaigns. Email templates (save/load) (v2.5.0) Save the current subject + content as a template. Load a saved template into the composer to reuse it for a new campaign. Templates are stored locally on your site (not sent anywhere). Template variables (placeholders) {{site_name}} {{site_url}} {{recipient_name}} {{recipient_email}} {{unsubscribe_url}} Settings screen From name From email Reply-To (optional) Max emails per cron run (batch size) Footer HTML (appended to outgoing emails) Logging (optional) Optional log file (v2.3.3) Enable logging in Settings → Logging. View, download, and clear logs in My Newsletter → Logs. Logs are stored in wp-content/uploads/my-newsletter/wpnl.log. Basic campaign tracking Shows recent campaigns in admin. Displays queue progress (total / sent / failed / queued). User Guide (v2.3.3) 1) Quick start (5–10 minutes) Install and activate the plugin. Go to My Newsletter → Settings and set: From name From email (prefer an address on your domain) Go to My Newsletter (campaign composer) and send a Test email to your own address first. Create a campaign: Enter Subject Enter Message (HTML supported via the editor) Choose recipients (Users / Commenters / Mailing list) Click Queue & Start Sending (wording may vary by screen) If you don’t see progress, read the “WP‑Cron” section below. 1B) Email templates (Save / Load) (v2.5.0) On the My Newsletter campaign screen you can reuse content without retyping: Write your Subject and Content (or load an existing template). To save: enter a template name and click Save Email Template. To load: choose a template from the dropdown and click Load Email Template. Tip: keep templates generic (e.g. “Welcome email”, “Promo template”), then adjust the final message before queuing. 1C) Manage Templates (v2.6.0) Use My Newsletter → Templates to manage your saved templates: Add New to create a template from scratch. Edit to update the template name (rename), subject, or body. Duplicate to quickly create a variation. Delete to remove a template you no longer need. Templates are local to your site and can be loaded into the campaign composer using Load Email Template. 2) Settings explained (My Newsletter → Settings) From name / From email Used as the sender identity in outgoing messages. WordPress email is sent via wp_mail() and your mail transport decides the final headers (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_mail/). Reply‑To (optional) If you want replies to go to a different inbox than “From”. Max emails per cron run (batch size) Limits how many emails each WP‑Cron run tries to send. Smaller batches reduce timeouts on shared hosting. WP‑Cron is traffic-driven by default (https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/cron/). Footer HTML Appended to every message. Best practice is to include: your site name, a short reason why the recipient is receiving the email, and an unsubscribe link (the plugin can insert {{unsubscribe_url}}). Logging (optional, v2.3.3) Enable logging when troubleshooting unexpected queue behavior or mail failures. Go to My Newsletter → Settings → Logging and enable the log file. Re-run sending (WP-Cron or “Run queue now”). Open My Newsletter → Logs to view, download, or clear the log. Logs are stored in wp-content/uploads/my-newsletter/wpnl.log. 3) Creating a campaign (My Newsletter → Campaigns) Subject: what recipients will see. Message body: use the editor; HTML is allowed. Placeholders: you can personalize using: {{recipient_name}}, {{recipient_email}} Recipients: choose one: Users (WP users) Commenters (emails from approved comments) Commenters for a specific post Mailing list (imported) Then click the action button to queue recipients and start sending. 4) Recipient sources: what exactly is included Users Uses WordPress user emails (typically wp_users.user_email). WordPress user data is stored in core tables (https://developer.wordpress.org/apis/wpdb/). Commenters Uses emails from comment records (typically wp_comments.comment_author_email) and only approved comments are considered in typical implementations (WordPress comment basics: https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_comments/). Commenters on a specific post Same as Commenters, but filtered by post ID. Mailing list (imported) Uses subscribers stored by this plugin in its own table. This list is independent from WP users/comments. 5) Mailing list import (My Newsletter → Mailing List) You have two import methods: Upload file or Paste. 5A) Upload (CSV/TXT) Best and most reliable method. Recommended columns * email (required) * name (optional) CSV example email,name [email protected],Ana [email protected],Marko The plugin will: * accept comma/semicolon/tab-delimited CSV (delimiter auto-detected), * accept a header row if it contains email, * validate emails with WordPress helpers like sanitize_email() and is_email() (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/sanitize_email/ and https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/is_email/), * deduplicate by email during the import batch, * skip emails that are already unsubscribed. Export from Excel / Google Sheets * Export to CSV. XLSX support exists, but CSV is safer for complex sheets. 5B) Upload (XLSX) XLSX support is intentionally minimal to keep the plugin lightweight. Requirements: * First worksheet (sheet1) * Column A = email * Column B = name (optional) * If cell A1 contains “email”, that row is treated as header and skipped If your XLSX is more complex, export to CSV first. 5C) Paste emails (copy/paste) Paste supports: * one email per line, * comma/semicolon separated emails, * Name , * 2-column lines: email,name or name,email (comma/tab/semicolon). Examples: [email protected] [email protected],Marko Ana Example [email protected] Marko Example [email protected] After import, the screen shows: * imported count, * invalid count, * duplicate count, * skipped unsubscribed count. 5D) Import workflow (Preview + merge rules) Go to My Newsletter → Mailing List. Upload a file (CSV/TXT/XLSX) or paste emails. Click Preview import. Confirm you have lawful basis/consent (required). Choose merge behavior: Update existing (recommended): update name/source/updated_at for existing emails. Skip existing: only add new emails. Click Import now. After import, you can export and clean the list using: * Export subscribers CSV, * Delete selected (bulk), * Delete all matching search, * Delete by domain (e.g. example.com). 6) Viewing and managing the list In My Newsletter → Mailing List, you can: * see the total subscriber count, * search by email or name, * browse paginated results, * export subscribers as CSV, * delete selected subscribers (bulk), * delete all subscribers matching the current search (with confirmation), * delete by domain (e.g. example.com) for quick cleanup. In Mailing List → Suppression list, you can: * view unsubscribed emails (suppressed), * export suppression list as CSV, * remove suppression (admin-only) if you need to re-subscribe someone manually. 7) WP‑Cron and reliable background sending This plugin uses WP‑Cron to send queued emails in batches. WP‑Cron runs on site visits (traffic). On low‑traffic sites, campaigns may send slowly (https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/cron/). For reliable sending on production: * Configure a real server cron to hit wp-cron.php at a fixed interval. WordPress explains this approach here: https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/cron/#what-is-wp-cron. Admin tools: * In My Newsletter → Settings, use Run queue now (admin-only) to process one batch immediately for testing/troubleshooting. * The Settings screen includes ready-to-copy cron examples (curl/wget) for common hosting setups. 8) Deliverability (what matters most) This plugin hands off email to WordPress via wp_mail() (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_mail/). Deliverability depends on your mail transport and DNS. If you care about inbox placement: * Use an SMTP provider (or transactional email service). * Use a sender on your own domain. * Configure SPF/DKIM/DMARC (vendor-specific docs). 9) Compliance and consent (your responsibility) The plugin provides unsubscribe links, but it does not enforce consent or double opt‑in. You must only email people you have a lawful basis to contact and you must honor opt‑outs. FTC CAN‑SPAM overview: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business EU GDPR overview (lawful basis, consent, etc.): https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/reform/what-does-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr-govern_en