Mailchimp
Email marketing platform with a free plan, automations and contact-based pricing
- Pricing
- Free plan, paid from $13/mo
- Free options
- Free version
- Deployment
- Cloud / SaaS
- Popular with
- Agencies and marketing, Retail and ecommerce
About Mailchimp
Mailchimp pricing at a glance: Email marketing platform with a free plan and contact-based pricing: Essentials from about $13, Standard from about $20, Premium from about $350 per month.
Mailchimp is one of the best-known email marketing platforms, combining a drag-and-drop campaign builder, audience tools, simple automations and landing pages. Its free plan has long been the first stop for small senders.
Mailchimp pricing is based on how many contacts you store, not how many emails you send. Essentials starts around $13 a month, Standard around $20 and Premium around $350, and monthly sends are capped as a multiple of your list size. Unsubscribed and inactive contacts can count toward your total unless you archive or delete them.
That model suits compact, engaged lists. If your audience is large or includes many inactive contacts, compare equivalent plans from competitors that price by sends or by active subscribers.
Mailchimp suits small businesses, online shops and creators that want an approachable tool with templates, automations and a free starting point. It is strongest when your list is modest and engaged, and you value the broad integration catalogue and reporting.
Before choosing a plan, estimate your contact count including inactive subscribers, and decide whether you will archive or delete stale contacts to stay in a lower tier. Check the monthly send multiplier for your plan against your campaign frequency, and compare the all-in cost at your list size with Brevo, MailerLite and Constant Contact.
Keep researching: best email marketing software for small business, best free email marketing software, how to choose email marketing software.
Popular with: Agencies and marketingRetail and ecommerce
Features
- Audience segmentation
- Automation
- Drag-and-drop email builder
- Email campaigns
- Landing pages
- Reporting and analytics
Integrations
Pricing
Free
Up to 250 contacts and about 500 sends a month
Essentials
Scales to 50,000 contacts; 10x monthly sends
Standard
Up to 100,000 contacts; behavioural targeting; 12x monthly sends (a $17 first-year promo has been reported)
Premium
Unlimited contacts; dedicated IP; 15x monthly sends
Pricing verified November 2026 against the vendor pricing page. Check the vendor for current pricing. How we evaluate software.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Familiar interface and a large template library
- Free plan to start small
- Wide integration catalogue
- Good reporting and audience tools on Standard
Cons
- Pricing is based on stored contacts, including inactive ones
- Send caps tied to contact count
- Adding seats can require a higher plan
- Costs climb quickly as lists grow
Frequently asked questions
How much does Mailchimp cost?
Plans start free, then Essentials from about $13, Standard from about $20 and Premium from about $350 per month, scaling with contacts.
Is Mailchimp free?
Yes, a free plan covers up to 250 contacts with a monthly send limit.
Does Mailchimp charge for unsubscribed contacts?
Unsubscribed and inactive contacts can count toward your total unless archived or deleted.
What are the send limits?
Monthly sends are capped as a multiple of your contacts, from 2x on Free to 15x on Premium.
What are the best alternatives to Mailchimp?
Brevo, MailerLite, ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo are common alternatives.
User reviews
Alternatives to Mailchimp
Behaviour-based email automation with built-in CRM workflows
Best for: SMBs needing behavioural automation
ActiveCampaign is known for visual automation builders that trigger email and other messages based on subscriber behaviour. It combines segmentation, lead scoring and a…
Long-running email marketing platform with templates, landing pages and 24/7 support
Best for: Small businesses and solopreneurs who value support and a stable platform
Established email marketing platform with templates, landing pages and 24/7 support. Plans from $15 per month.
Newsletter platform with a free plan, growth tools and built-in monetisation
Best for: Newsletter publishers and media creators who want growth and monetisation tools built in
Newsletter platform with a free plan up to 2,500 subscribers and paid plans from about $49 per month billed annually.
Mailchimp vs ActiveCampaign
| Mailchimp | ActiveCampaign | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $13/mo | $15/mo |
| Free version | Yes | No |
| Free trial | No | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud / SaaS | Cloud / SaaS |
| Best for | Small businesses and creators starting with email who value ease of use | SMBs needing behavioural automation |
| Not ideal for | Large lists with many inactive contacts or teams that want flat send-based pricing | Teams wanting a free plan |
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