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wtf is swiftmailer?

swiftmailer/swiftmailer — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-24

★ 9,459PHPAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

TL;DR

An archived PHP library for sending email from web applications, now end-of-life since November 2021, the same team's Symfony Mailer is the officially recommended replacement for new and existing projects.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    Status
      End of life 2021
      No active support
    Replacement
      Symfony Mailer
      Same team built it
    Original features
      Compose messages
      Connect mail servers
      Deliver email
    License
      MIT permissive

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Migrate a legacy PHP project that uses Swift Mailer to Symfony Mailer using the migration guide

REASON 2

Reference the original API design to understand how to port email-sending code to a modern library

What's in the stack?

PHP

How it stacks up

swiftmailer/swiftmailerphpdocumentor/reflectiondocblockdingo/api
Stars9,4599,3879,352
LanguagePHPPHPPHP
Setup difficultyeasyeasymoderate
Complexity2/52/53/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

Library is no longer maintained since November 2021, use Symfony Mailer for all new projects and migrations.

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

Wtf does this do

Swift Mailer is a PHP library for sending email from web applications. It handles the mechanics of composing messages, connecting to mail servers, and delivering email, giving developers a structured way to send mail rather than using PHP's basic built-in mail function. The library is no longer maintained. The README states plainly that support ended in November 2021 and that users should move to Symfony Mailer, which the same team developed as a replacement. Symfony Mailer covers the same use cases and adds support for modern PHP features and third-party email service providers. Beyond noting its end-of-life status and pointing to the replacement, the README does not go into detail about features or usage. The full documentation was hosted externally. The library is released under the MIT license.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
I have a PHP project using Swift Mailer that I need to migrate to Symfony Mailer. What are the key API differences in how messages are created and transports are configured?
Prompt 2
Convert this Swift Mailer code to Symfony Mailer: a Swift_Message object sent via $mailer->send(), show me the equivalent Symfony Mailer code.
Prompt 3
What are the main improvements in Symfony Mailer over Swift Mailer, and which transport should I choose for sending through Gmail or SendGrid?

Frequently asked questions

wtf is swiftmailer?

An archived PHP library for sending email from web applications, now end-of-life since November 2021, the same team's Symfony Mailer is the officially recommended replacement for new and existing projects.

What language is swiftmailer written in?

Mainly PHP. The stack also includes PHP.

What license does swiftmailer use?

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

How hard is swiftmailer to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is swiftmailer for?

Mainly developer.

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