OquMail vs SMTP2GO: Free Mailboxes with API vs Managed SMTP Relay

SMTP2GO is a managed SMTP relay: point your website, printer or CRM at it and it delivers mail with reporting. OquMail is a free email host with mailboxes and a send API. They solve neighbouring problems, and a small business often needs to decide whether one of them is enough.

Quick summary

• Mailboxes: SMTP2GO none; OquMail up to 15 free
• Free plan: SMTP2GO a free tier with a monthly send cap; OquMail free plan with 3 domains and 5 GB per mailbox
• API: SMTP2GO REST API and SMTP relay; OquMail send API with Bearer keys and SMTP for mail clients
• DNS guidance: SMTP2GO SPF and DKIM for sending with a checker; OquMail MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC with live verification
• IMAP/SMTP: SMTP2GO SMTP only for outbound; OquMail IMAP and SMTP for reading and sending

Who each is for

SMTP2GO is for anyone who needs an outbound relay that works with any device or software and want bounce and open reporting without engineering. OquMail is for a small business that needs inboxes for its people and a simple way for its site to send confirmations, all on one domain, free.

Feature comparison

• Mailboxes: SMTP2GO none; OquMail up to 15 free
• Free plan: SMTP2GO a free tier with a monthly send cap; OquMail free plan with 3 domains and 5 GB per mailbox
• API: SMTP2GO REST API and SMTP relay; OquMail send API with Bearer keys and SMTP for mail clients
• DNS guidance: SMTP2GO SPF and DKIM for sending with a checker; OquMail MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC with live verification
• IMAP/SMTP: SMTP2GO SMTP only for outbound; OquMail IMAP and SMTP for reading and sending
• Storage: SMTP2GO activity reports by plan; OquMail 5 GB per mailbox plus per-message delivery logs

Where SMTP2GO wins

• Works with devices and legacy apps that only speak SMTP with a username and password
• Dashboard reporting on bounces, spam complaints and opens
• Higher sending volumes and dedicated IPs on paid tiers
• Global sending infrastructure and responsive support

Where OquMail wins

• Real mailboxes with webmail and IMAP so replies have somewhere to go
• Free for 15 mailboxes and 3 domains
• MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC guided and verified live in one dashboard
• Send API with a four-field JSON body that any language can call

Total cost at 5 and 15 users

SMTP2GO charges by monthly volume, and the free tier suits a low-traffic site; it never includes staff mailboxes, so 5 or 15 users still need an email host. OquMail is free at both sizes and covers mailboxes plus modest sending. If your relay volume grows beyond what a mailbox host should carry, add SMTP2GO for the heavy lifting and keep OquMail for people.

The free third option: OquMail

OquMail also offers SMTP on port 587 with STARTTLS for mail clients and low-volume site mail, so a WordPress contact form or invoicing tool can send through it with the mailbox credentials. For anything high-volume or device-heavy, SMTP2GO is the better relay.

• Free plan: up to 15 mailboxes, 3 domains, 5 GB per mailbox, no credit card
• Webmail included; IMAP/SMTP for Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and phones
• IMAP mail.oqumail.com port 993 (SSL/TLS); SMTP mail.oqumail.com port 587 (STARTTLS)
• Guided SPF, DKIM and DMARC with live DNS verification; MX is mail.oqumail.com priority 10
• Transactional send API at https://api.oqumail.com/api/v1/emails with Bearer API keys (from, to, subject, html)
• Per-message delivery logs so you can see the exact response a receiving server gave

Verdict by scenario

• Office with scanners, alarms and a CRM that all need to email: SMTP2GO
• Small business site with a contact form and order emails plus staff inboxes: OquMail
• Agency managing outbound for several client apps at volume: SMTP2GO
• Startup that wants to begin free and add a relay later: OquMail

Common questions

Can I use OquMail SMTP for my website form?

Yes, at modest volume. Use the mailbox credentials with port 587 and STARTTLS, or call the send API. Keep the from address on your verified domain.

Does SMTP2GO give me a mailbox to read replies?

No. SMTP2GO only sends. Replies go to whatever mailbox your from address points to, which OquMail can host free.

Which has better delivery reporting?

SMTP2GO has richer aggregate reports. OquMail shows per-message delivery logs with the receiving server's response, which is enough to debug a bounce on a small site.

What are the exact SMTP settings for OquMail?

Server mail.oqumail.com, port 587, encryption STARTTLS, username your full email address, password your webmail password. Choose STARTTLS rather than SSL/TLS on 587; picking SSL on that port is the most common cause of a silent sending failure. For IMAP use mail.oqumail.com on port 993 with SSL/TLS.