Hi @bestranger,
Thank you for sharing your feedback and for sharing more on your experience with the plugins.
I apologize for any confusion around the features on the plugin and first, I’d like both WP Mail SMTP and Easy WP SMTP have solid free versions that support a number of mailers at no cost, including Gmail, SendGrid, Mailgun, Brevo, and more. Many users run their WordPress email sending successfully without ever needing a paid plan.
Regarding Microsoft 365, previously, users were able to connect to Microsoft 365/Outlook on the free version using SMTP credentials through the Other SMTP mailer. However, Microsoft deprecated Basic Authentication (username/password over SMTP) and enforced Modern Authentication (OAuth), which broke that method for most users. This was a change made on Microsoft’s end, not ours. The API-based Microsoft 365 mailer, which uses OAuth and is more reliable, has always been a Pro feature due to the complexity involved in building and maintaining it.
For some more insight and if you’re looking for a free alternative with similar reliability, we’d recommend Brevo, they have a generous free tier, and all versions of both plugins can connect to it via a built-in mailer using the Brevo API and you can still use this with your Microsoft 365 / Outlook based domain email. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get it set up.
We’re always happy to help find the right setup for your needs and also don’t hesitate to open a support thread if you hit any blockers or need further guidance on this.
Kind regards.
