# FormSubmit alternative: free, with your own SMTP

> FormSubmit not working, or want form emails from your own address? FormSMTP sends through your SMTP: 1,000 free a month, logs, no confirmation step.

Source: https://formsmtp.com/alternatives/formsubmit · Last updated November 2, 2026

FormSubmit is a free form-to-email service: point your form at formsubmit.co with your address, confirm it once, and submissions arrive in your inbox. It does the sending for you, so there’s no SMTP to set up, and it doesn’t offer a way to send through your own SMTP account.

## FormSubmit not working? Check these first

- **You haven’t confirmed your address.** The first submission to a new address triggers a confirmation email, and nothing is delivered until you confirm. Look for it in your spam folder.
- **You turned reCAPTCHA off.** FormSubmit recommends keeping its reCAPTCHA on, because it imposes “technical limitations” from time to time to filter out bots.
- **Auto-replies don’t arrive.** FormSubmit’s docs say `_autoresponse` doesn’t work with reCAPTCHA disabled or with AJAX submissions.
- **Uploads fail.** All files in one submission must add up to 10 MB or less.
- **You missed an email.** FormSubmit keeps submissions for 30 days, and its archive API can be called 5 times a day.

FormSMTP has no per-form confirmation step: once your SMTP account passes *Test connection*, the form delivers from the first submission. Every submission appears under *Logs*, and when your SMTP server refuses one, you see its exact error instead of guessing.

## FormSubmit vs FormSMTP pricing

### FormSubmit

|  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FormSubmit | $0 | Unlimited forms and submissions |
| Archive API | $0 | Kept 30 days, 5 calls a day |

From [FormSubmit’s documentation](https://formsubmit.co/documentation), November 2026. FormSubmit has no paid plans.

### FormSMTP

|  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | 1,000 / month |
| Founding member | $0 | 10,000 / month (first 2,000 accounts) |
| Pro | $5/mo ($48/yr) | 50,000 / month |
| Agency | $15/mo ($144/yr) | 250,000 / month |

## Why people switch

- Emails come from your own address and SMTP account, with your own sender reputation
- Your key is locked to your websites, your inbox and an hourly limit
- Honeypot and spam filter by default; Turnstile, hCaptcha or reCAPTCHA only if you want one
- Logs with exact SMTP errors, plus contacts, templates and scheduled emails

## When FormSubmit is the better choice

- You want a completely free service with no account to create.
- Your form needs file uploads (up to 10 MB per submission).
- You want an automatic reply to the visitor, a CC on every submission, or a webhook.

## Switching takes five minutes

1. [Create a free account](https://app.formsmtp.com/#/signup) and connect your SMTP account.
2. Change your form’s `action` from `https://formsubmit.co/…` (or `formsubmit.co/ajax/…`) to `https://app.formsmtp.com/api/v1/form/YOUR_FORM_KEY`. `_subject`, `_replyto` and `_next` (same-site redirects) work as before; rename `_honey` to `_gotcha`. Other FormSubmit fields, such as `_captcha` and `_template`, are ignored.
3. Submit a test message and check *Logs*.

## FAQ

### Is FormSMTP a drop-in FormSubmit replacement?

For contact and signup forms, yes. Point your form at FormSMTP, keep your field names, and connect the SMTP account you want to send from. Change your form’s action from https://formsubmit.co/… (or formsubmit.co/ajax/…) to https://app.formsmtp.com/api/v1/form/YOUR_FORM_KEY. _subject, _replyto and _next (same-site redirects) work as before; rename _honey to _gotcha. Other FormSubmit fields, such as _captcha and _template, are ignored.

### Is FormSMTP cheaper than FormSubmit?

No. FormSubmit is free, with unlimited forms and submissions (its site, November 2026). FormSMTP is free for 1,000 emails a month, and Pro is $5/month for 50,000. What you get is sending from your own address and SMTP account, keys you can lock down, logs, contacts and scheduling.

### Why isn’t FormSubmit sending me emails?

Most often it’s the one-time confirmation: FormSubmit emails you a confirmation link on the first submission and delivers nothing until you click it. Check your spam folder for it. FormSubmit also recommends keeping reCAPTCHA on to avoid limits it applies to filter bots.

### What’s the catch?

You connect your own SMTP account (Gmail, Zoho, SES…). Most people already have one, and it means emails come from your own address with your own sender reputation.