In what scenarios should PHP developers consider using classes like PHPMailer instead of native PHP functions for sending emails?

When sending emails in PHP, developers should consider using classes like PHPMailer instead of native PHP functions when they require more advanced features such as SMTP authentication, HTML email support, attachments, and better error handling. PHPMailer provides a more robust and reliable solution for sending emails, especially in scenarios where security and customization are important.

<?php
require 'PHPMailer/PHPMailer.php';
require 'PHPMailer/SMTP.php';

$mail = new PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer();

$mail->isSMTP();
$mail->Host = 'smtp.example.com';
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;
$mail->Username = 'your@example.com';
$mail->Password = 'yourpassword';
$mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls';
$mail->Port = 587;

$mail->setFrom('from@example.com', 'Your Name');
$mail->addAddress('recipient@example.com', 'Recipient Name');

$mail->isHTML(true);
$mail->Subject = 'Subject Here';
$mail->Body = 'Email body here';

if(!$mail->send()) {
    echo 'Message could not be sent.';
    echo 'Mailer Error: ' . $mail->ErrorInfo;
} else {
    echo 'Message has been sent';
}
?>