Moosend SMTP Settings and Configuration (2026)
SMTP included on Pro plan and above (not Free)
Moosend offers native SMTP relay and a Transactional API through its Pro plan (starting at $9/month, contact-based pricing) and Moosend+ enterprise tier. The Free plan does not include transactional email capabilities. SMTP is a first-class feature on paid plans, not a separate add-on line item — but it is off by default and must be enabled per account.
Moosend is a Greece-founded marketing ESP acquired by Sitecore in 2021. It positions primarily as a small-to-mid business email marketing platform (newsletters, drip campaigns, automations, landing pages) with transactional SMTP and API bundled as a secondary capability. One quirk to know upfront: Moosend’s SMTP infrastructure uses the smtp.mailendo.com hostname — a legacy brand carried through the Sitecore acquisition — not smtp.moosend.com as most users expect.
Quick reference
| SMTP hostname | smtp.mailendo.com not smtp.moosend.com |
|---|---|
| Ports supported | 25, 587, 25000 (per official docs), 465 works in practice |
| Recommended port | 587 (STARTTLS) |
| Encryption | Port 25 unencrypted, port 587 STARTTLS, port 465 SMTPS |
| Auth | Moosend account email + account password |
| Plan requirement | Pro ($9/mo) or Moosend+ enterprise |
| Free plan SMTP | Not available |
| Delivery methods | SMTP relay OR Transactional API |
| Ownership | Sitecore (since 2021) |
| Pricing model | Contact-based subscription (not per-email) |
SMTP configuration
Direct SMTP relay
For any application sending transactional or bulk email through Moosend
Setup steps
- Sign up at
moosend.comand upgrade to the Pro plan (or Moosend+ if you need enterprise features). The Free plan does not include SMTP. - Log into your Moosend account. On the menu bar, click More › Settings.
- In the left-hand menu, click Direct SMTP. Toggle the Use SMTP switch to On. SMTP is off by default even on Pro plans — you must enable it explicitly.
- Note the SMTP hostname (
smtp.mailendo.com) and choose a port: 587 (STARTTLS, recommended), 25 (unencrypted, for legacy environments), 465 (SMTPS with implicit TLS), or 25000 (fallback if standard ports are blocked). - Configure your application with the hostname, port, your Moosend account email as username, and your Moosend account password as SMTP password. This dual-purpose credential is different from providers like SendGrid or Postmark that require dedicated API keys.
- Send a test message via your app or a tool like smtper.net. A successful send confirms your account is on a plan tier with SMTP access and the Direct SMTP toggle is active.
- Verify domain authentication (SPF, DKIM) via Settings › Sender Verification for better deliverability — this step is optional for initial testing but essential for production.
Authentication caveat
Unlike most modern SMTP providers, Moosend reuses your account login credentials as SMTP authentication. There is no separate SMTP-scoped credential generation flow — the email and password you use to log into app.moosend.com are the same email and password your application uses on smtp.mailendo.com. Two consequences to plan for:
- Rotating your account password rotates your SMTP password. Every password change requires updating any application currently pointed at Moosend SMTP.
- You cannot revoke SMTP access without changing your account password. There is no per-integration credential to disable when you sunset an app.
- If SSO is used for account access, the SMTP flow still requires a static password. Confirm with Moosend support that a password can be set alongside SSO for SMTP integrations.
Deliverability and domain authentication
Moosend runs its own IP infrastructure with pooled shared IPs across accounts. Sender authentication (SPF and DKIM) is configured under Settings › Sender Verification where Moosend displays the DNS records to add to your domain. Dedicated IP is available as part of the Moosend+ enterprise plan — not on standard Pro.
Common setup gotchas
Hostname is smtp.mailendo.com, not smtp.moosend.com
The most common Moosend SMTP setup failure: developers assume the hostname follows the brand pattern (smtp.moosend.com) and get connection refused. The actual hostname is smtp.mailendo.com — a legacy from the Mailendo brand that Sitecore kept when it acquired Moosend in 2021. Verify the hostname exactly as shown in More › Settings › Direct SMTP.
Free plan does not include SMTP — upgrade required
Moosend’s Free plan covers newsletter sending and basic automation but excludes transactional email capabilities entirely. If you sign up on Free expecting SMTP to work, all connections will be rejected. Upgrade to Pro ($9/mo) minimum to enable the Direct SMTP toggle in Settings.
SMTP is off by default even on Pro plans
Upgrading to Pro grants SMTP capability but does not activate it — you must go to More › Settings › Direct SMTP and toggle Use SMTP to On. Failed test sends with a Pro plan almost always point to this toggle being off. Check this before troubleshooting hostname, port, or credential issues.
Account password doubles as SMTP password
Moosend does not offer separate SMTP credentials scoped to specific applications. Your account login password is the SMTP password. Rotating account passwords for security breaks every integration pointing at Moosend SMTP simultaneously — plan rotations during maintenance windows and coordinate credential updates across all sending apps.
Marketing campaigns and transactional share the same account reputation
Because Moosend bundles marketing and transactional on one account with shared IPs, a marketing send that generates complaints degrades transactional deliverability. Teams with meaningful transactional volume should discuss dedicated IP options with the Moosend+ enterprise team, or keep marketing on Moosend and transactional on a separate dedicated provider like Postmark.
Contact-based pricing may not fit high transactional volume
Moosend bills on contacts stored, not emails sent. For pure transactional workloads with a small contact list but high send frequency (order confirmations, password resets), this pricing model can be economical — but for the reverse (large contact list, low transactional volume), per-email providers like Amazon SES ($0.10 per 1,000) may be cheaper. Model both against your projected traffic before committing.
If Moosend does not fit
Moosend works well for teams that already use it for marketing and want transactional included on the same bill. If SMTP is your primary use case or you need advanced transactional features, consider :
- Postmark — transactional-only, simple setup, per-email pricing ($1.25 per 1,000), owned by ActiveCampaign since 2022.
- MailerSend — transactional focus with a 500/mo free tier, per-email pricing, dedicated developer-facing platform.
- Amazon SES — cheapest at scale ($0.10 per 1,000), self-serve, AWS-native.
- SendGrid — unified marketing + transactional at larger scale, dedicated SMTP credentials, richer developer tooling.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Moosend SMTP hostname?
The Moosend SMTP hostname is smtp.mailendo.com, not smtp.moosend.com. This is a legacy from the Mailendo brand carried through the Sitecore acquisition of Moosend in 2021. Verify the exact hostname in your account under More › Settings › Direct SMTP — the setup screen displays it explicitly.
Which ports does Moosend SMTP support?
Per official Moosend documentation, ports 25 (unencrypted), 587 (STARTTLS, recommended), and 25000 (fallback) are supported. Port 465 (SMTPS with implicit TLS) also works in practice per user reports, useful when WordPress hosting providers block ports 25 and 587. Port 587 is the recommended default for modern integrations.
Can I use Moosend SMTP on the Free plan?
No. Moosend’s Free plan does not include SMTP or Transactional API access. You need to upgrade to the Pro plan (starting at $9/mo, contact-based pricing) or Moosend+ enterprise tier to unlock SMTP. Once on Pro, you must also toggle Use SMTP to On under More › Settings › Direct SMTP — it is off by default.
What credentials do I use for Moosend SMTP authentication?
Your Moosend account email as the SMTP username, and your Moosend account password as the SMTP password. Moosend does not offer a separate SMTP credential flow — the same email and password you use to log into app.moosend.com authenticate your SMTP connection. This means rotating your account password requires updating every integration pointed at Moosend SMTP.
Does Moosend give me a dedicated IP for SMTP?
Not on standard Pro plans. Moosend uses shared IP pools across Pro accounts. Moosend+ enterprise plans can include dedicated IP as part of the custom plan configuration — discuss with your Moosend account contact when negotiating the Moosend+ contract. If dedicated IP is a hard requirement and you are not on Moosend+, providers like Postmark or Amazon SES offer dedicated IP add-ons at defined price points.
Why does my SMTP test succeed externally but fail from my application?
The most common cause is that external SMTP testers like smtper.net use different network paths than your application’s hosting environment. If your app runs on a shared WordPress host, cloud provider, or corporate network with outbound SMTP restrictions, ports 25 or 587 may be blocked from your app but open from the tester’s IP. Try port 465 (SMTPS) or 25000 from your app’s environment as fallbacks. Also verify the Direct SMTP toggle is still On in Moosend settings.
Should I use Moosend SMTP or the Transactional API?
Use SMTP when your existing application or CMS already supports SMTP (WordPress, Magento, PrestaShop, most out-of-the-box mail libraries) — setup takes minutes. Use the Transactional API when you need dynamic templating with Moosend-managed templates, richer personalization, structured metadata for tracking, or when you want to trigger sends without maintaining an open SMTP connection. Both hit the same delivery infrastructure and share account-level deliverability signals.
This review follows our email infrastructure testing methodology. We disclose affiliate relationships in our editorial independence policy.
