MailPoet vs Simple Newsletter (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Newsletter Plugins top 10: MailPoet at #1 and Simple Newsletter at #9. MailPoet leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
MailPoet
MailPoet – Newsletters, Email Marketing, and Automation
Send beautiful newsletters from WordPress. Collect subscribers with signup forms, automate your emails for WooCommerce, blog post notifications & more
Simple Newsletter
Simple Newsletter Plugin – Noptin
A fast, GDPR-compliant newsletter plugin. Collect newsletter subscribers, let users subscribe to new post notifications, and send newsletters. ★★★★★
Who leads on what
MailPoet leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
MailPoet ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #9 in Newsletter Plugins.
MailPoet has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Simple Newsletter is rated higher: 4.5 out of 5 from 118 reviews, against 4.4 from 1,432 reviews.
MailPoet has more reviews behind its score: 1,432 against 118.
MailPoet was updated more recently, on September 1, 2026; Simple Newsletter on August 20, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
MailPoet
Pick MailPoet if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Simple Newsletter
Pick Simple Newsletter if the review score matters most to you.
MailPoet vs Simple Newsletter side by side
| MailPoet | Simple Newsletter | |
|---|---|---|
| Newsletter Plugins ranking | #1 | #9 |
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| Reviews | 1,432 | 118 |
| Active installs | 500,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Total downloads | 69,108,843 | 681,846 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Sep 1, 2026 | Aug 20, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 28, 2016 | Mar 6, 2019 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
MailPoet ratings
Simple Newsletter ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither MailPoet nor Simple Newsletter can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Newsletter Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
MailPoet vs Simple Newsletter: common questions
Is MailPoet better than Simple Newsletter?
MailPoet leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. MailPoet ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #9 in Newsletter Plugins.
Which has more users, MailPoet or Simple Newsletter?
MailPoet ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #9 in Newsletter Plugins.
Which is rated higher, MailPoet or Simple Newsletter?
MailPoet has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are MailPoet and Simple Newsletter free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. MailPoet is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. Simple Newsletter may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to MailPoet and Simple Newsletter
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.