Guide 2026
Starting price: $13 per month
Free plan: Yes
Free trial: Yes
Paid plans: Standard, Premium, Essentials
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Mailchimp
Used by 1140 members
30% off all plans for 12 months
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Pricing: $0 (Freemium)
Best for: Solo entrepreneurs, hobbyists, or small teams just getting started with email marketing
Mailchimp’s Free plan is perfect for those who want to build their first email list without having to pay for it. It has the essential features to start your first email list (an easy drag-and-drop editor, a few pre-designed templates, sign-up forms, and Mailchimp’s basic version of marketing CRM ). You will be limited to 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends a month, so it is probably best for small lists and a few newsletters. You are also limited to basic templated email with no automation or testing features, but you do have 30 days email support to assist you. Everything in this plan is sufficient for you if your main goal is to learn how email marketing works and connect with your audience. It is just enough to get you started without overwhelming you too much.
Main features
Up to 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends per month
Basic email templates
Signup forms and basic Marketing CRM
Pricing: $13 per month
Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses looking to grow their email list and start optimizing campaign
Mailchimp’s Essentials plan is ideal if you’re starting to take email marketing more seriously. It builds on the Free plan by expanding your sending capacity (up to 10x your contact count) and unlocking important tools like A/B testing and email scheduling—so you can start optimizing performance and planning campaigns in advance. You can also manage up to three audience segments and access Mailchimp’s full library of email templates, giving you more design flexibility. 24/7 email and chat support is included, which is especially helpful as your campaigns get more complex. Overall, Essentials hits a sweet spot for businesses that want to grow steadily without jumping straight to premium pricing.
Main features
Up to 50,000 contacts and 10x monthly email sends
Access to all email templates
24/7 email and chat support
Pricing: $20 per month
Best for: Businesses ready to take a data-driven approach with automation, personalization, and advanced reporting
Mailchimp’s Standard plan is the go-to for growing businesses that want to use data to personalize and automate their email marketing. In addition to everything in the Essentials plan, it adds advanced segmentation tools, dynamic content (so emails adjust based on subscriber behavior), and predictive insights like send-time optimization. This plan also includes a customer journey builder with up to 200 steps, allowing you to create automated campaigns that react to how users engage with your brand. It supports up to five distinct audiences and includes a personalized onboarding session to help you get up to speed quickly. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start scaling strategically, Standard is where that shift really happens.
Main features
Up to 100,000 contacts and 12x monthly email sends
Customer journey builder (up to 200 points)
Behavioral targeting and dynamic content
Pricing: $350 per month
Best for: Large enterprises and marketing teams handling high-volume campaigns with complex segmentation needs
Mailchimp’s Premium plan is built for large teams and enterprise-level marketers who need deep customization, high sending limits, and robust support. You can manage contact lists of 250,000+ and send up to 15x your contact total per month—great for high-volume outreach across multiple segments. This plan unlocks unlimited audiences, multivariate testing (testing multiple variables at once), and the most advanced reporting tools Mailchimp offers. It also includes top-tier customer support: priority phone access, a dedicated Customer Success Manager, migration help, and multiple onboarding sessions. If your email marketing program is large, complex, and revenue-critical, Premium gives you everything needed to run it at scale with confidence.
Main features
Up to 250,000+ contacts and 15x email sends
Unlimited audiences
Multivariate and advanced testing
Mailchimp’s Free and Essentials pricing plans accommodate different types of businesses at different stages of growth. The Free plan is well-suited for individuals or small teams starting to build an email list. It covers the basics without any cost, meaning the drag-and-drop email editor, a simple set of templates, signup forms, and basic CRM for managing your contacts. As with the Free pricing plan, you are limited to 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends each month, which is often enough if you don’t plan to send anything more than a few updates or newsletters. You will receive 30 days of email support to help you get started. The Free pricing plan works well for side projects, personal brands, or anyone who wishes to try using email marketing for the first time.
The Essentials plan works best for small businesses or startups that need more flexibility, more features, and a higher degree of professionalism. With Essentials, you can manage up to 50,000 contacts and send upwards of 10 times that amount of emails per month, and you get features like A/B testing to optimize your message, email scheduling to automate your campaigns, and the ability to remove Mailchimp branding from your emails. Essentials also makes all email templates available and provides you with 24/7 email and chat support, so you’ll always have help when you need it. In addition, you can manage up to three audiences, which is helpful if you have different segments (like customers, prospects, and newsletter readers).
For those ready to step up their email marketing, and want more control and professionalism in their email campaigns, we would recommend the Essentials pricing plan. It is the ideal balance of price and power, and is an excellent option for small businesses and start-ups.
The Standard and Premium pricing plans are for companies who are willing to put a little more money on the table for more advanced email marketing features; albeit at varying degrees of complexity and scale. The Standard pricing plan is ideal for companies that are experiencing steady growth and want tools to automate, personalize, and optimize their marketing campaigns without complicating the work-load for their teams. The Standard pricing plan gives you everything included in the Essentials pricing plan, but also extra features like behavioral targeting (send email based on what subscribers do), dynamic content (customize for unique users in the same email), and send-time optimization (automatically send emails to those most likely to open them). With the Standard pricing plan, you can build automated journeys with up to 200 total steps and manage up to 5 separate audiences. While Standard considers an allowed limit of 100k contacts and allows for 12x email sends per month, your campaign will be in solid shape to scale your marketing efforts carefully and in a data-driven way.
The Premium pricing plan is designed for large teams, and campaigns at enterprise scale. The limits are significantly higher on the Premium pricing plan. Namely, you could manage up to 250k+ contacts and 15x email sends each month, plus no limit on how many audiences you can manage. You also gain access to multivariate testing (which lets you test more than one variable at the same time - A/B testing allows you to only test one variable), and superior segmentation tools, along with priority support by phone and with a Customer Success Manager. Another bonus is that Mailchimp offers both onboarding support and migration support for bigger teams, helping you to get moving right away.
If your company runs complex campaigns and desires to scale frictionlessly, we recommend the Premium pricing plan.
The best Mailchimp pricing plan for your company comes down to where your company is in its email marketing journey, and what tools you really need right now.
If you are just getting started—maybe you’re building your first list or sending the occasional newsletter—the Free plan is a free way to dip your toes into email. It has the basics, including templates and a simple editor and a CRM that allows you to manage up to 500 contacts. Just keep in mind it will have limits, so if you grow your audience quickly, you will likely need to make a decision sooner rather than later.
If you’re ready to get past the basics, then the Essentials plan is a good, practical option. It gives you options in terms of how you can set it up, unlocks features such as A/B testing and custom branding (no more Mailchimp logos), while also allowing for more contacts and email sends. The Essentials plan is a good choice for smaller teams or growing teams that want to look more professional and improve campaign performance without jumping into the higher cost plans.
When you move to the Standard plan, things start to feel a little more strategic. The types of features available are much more strategic such as behavioral targeting, automations and even predicting send time optimization. The Standard plan will be a good fit for businesses that are growing, actively engaging with customers at multiple touchpoints and want to send more personalized, relevant content that drives engagement.
If you are managing a robust database, planning complex campaigns, and/or working with multiple teams, the Premium plan gives you the depth and flexibility needed to scale operations. As just examples, it will allow unlimited audience segmentation, multivariate testing, phone support, and onboarding assistance. This is important when email marketing is a core part of your marketing engine.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer here. Choose the plan that meets your needs today, but make sure it will allow you to grow with your business. One of the advantages of using Mailchimp is they make it easy to upgrade when you’re ready for the more advanced tools.
When comparing Mailmodo and Mailchimp, the choice largely hinges on your specific needs. Mailmodo is a compelling choice for marketers focused on engagement through interactive emails. Its tools for creating AMP emails enable dynamic content like forms and polls directly within the email, which can significantly increase user interaction.
On the contrary, Mailchimp excels with its user-friendly automation, wide array of design templates, and scalability, making it a favorite among businesses of all sizes. However, the cost factor with Mailchimp becomes prominent as subscriber lists grow.
Mailmodo vs Mailchimp
Choosing between Omnisend and Mailchimp depends largely on your business needs and marketing strategies. Omnisend is a powerful option for those looking to leverage a variety of channels beyond email, offering a unified approach to customer engagement. Its sophisticated automation tools are designed to deliver personalized experiences at scale, making it a strong contender for businesses aiming to automate their marketing efforts comprehensively.
Mailchimp, on the other hand, shines with its simplicity and ease of use, making it a favorite among newcomers and those who prioritize quick, efficient campaign setup without a steep learning curve.
Omnisend vs Mailchimp
The question of whether Constant Contact is better than Mailchimp depends on your specific needs and preferences.
Both tools are popular email marketing platforms that offer a range of features and tools to help businesses create, manage, and automate their email marketing campaigns.
Constant Contact is known for its user-friendly interface and simplicity, making it a better choice for users with limited technical knowledge than Mailchimp. The software provides comprehensive features, while Mailchimp, on the other hand, is a more robust and feature-rich platform.
Constant Contact vs Mailchimp
When it comes to email marketing, a few tools can outshine Mailchimp, especially if you’re looking for more specialized features or advanced automation. If automation is a big focus for your business, ActiveCampaign is often seen as a step up. It’s built with powerful workflow tools that let you create highly personalized customer journeys based on user behavior, site visits, email interactions, and more. It’s especially helpful for businesses that want to go beyond basic sequences and build a more tailored communication strategy.
Klaviyo is the best tool for e-commerce brands. It’s deeply integrated with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, and it shines when it comes to creating targeted, revenue-driven campaigns based on purchase history, cart activity, and customer lifetime value. If you’re running an online store, Klaviyo’s features can translate directly into better retention and higher sales. For more information, visit our page comparing Klaviyo vs Mailchimp.
If you're looking for something broader than just email, HubSpot brings everything under one roof—CRM, email marketing, landing pages, live chat, automation, and reporting. It’s more expensive, but it’s designed to align your marketing, sales, and support teams in one platform. This can be a big plus if your business is growing quickly and you want tighter integration across departments.
There can be a better tool than Mailchimp, depending on what you're after. If you just need a reliable, easy-to-use platform for newsletters and basic campaigns, Mailchimp is more than capable. But if you're scaling fast, need complex workflows, or want to maximize e-commerce revenue, it's worth exploring other platforms that specialize in those areas.
Brevo (ex. Sendinblue)
Used by 4647 members
Centralize marketing and sales tools to increase your growth
75% off the annual Starter and Standard Plans
Save up to $5,661
Customer.io
Used by 1033 members
Communication and marketing automation platform
1 year free on the Essentials plan (30k profiles)
Save up to $3,900
Unbounce
Used by 250 members
A marketing platform to boost your conversion rate
20% off for 3 months or 35% off for 1 year
Save up to $2,725
SurveyMonkey
Used by 12 members
Smarter surveys powered by real-time AI insights
Additional 20% off annual Team plans
Save up to $2,208
Yes, Mailchimp offers a free plan, perfect for anyone just starting with email marketing! This plan allows you to manage up to 500 contacts and send 1,000 emails each month, which gives you plenty of room to start building connections with your audience. You’ll have access to essential tools, like basic email templates, an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, signup forms, and a basic CRM to keep track of your contacts. Plus, you can create landing pages and forms to help grow your subscriber list.
The Free plan is a fantastic way to explore Mailchimp’s platform and get a feel for email marketing without any upfront cost. It’s a great option if you’re looking to test out the platform and see how Mailchimp can support your marketing efforts. And, as your business grows, you always have the flexibility to upgrade and unlock even more tools tailored to help your brand thrive.
Mailchimp’s free plan offers a solid starting point for email marketing, but it does come with a few limitations that may impact you as your business grows. First off, there’s a cap of 500 contacts and a limit of 1,000 emails per month, with a daily limit of 500 emails. This can be a bit restrictive once your audience begins to grow.
Another thing to consider is that the free plan doesn’t include more advanced features like A/B testing, advanced segmentation, or multivariate testing, which are really helpful for optimizing your campaigns and understanding what resonates with your audience. You’ll also find that emails sent with the free plan come with Mailchimp branding - understandable for a free tool, but it can feel less polished when you’re trying to build a brand presence. If you’re into data and insights, it’s worth noting that the free plan offers only basic reporting and automation capabilities are pretty limited. Customer support is also restricted to the first 30 days via email, which could be a challenge if you need ongoing assistance.
Overall, the free plan is great for getting familiar with email marketing and seeing if Mailchimp is the right fit for you. But if you’re aiming for more polished, targeted campaigns with deeper insights, you might find yourself looking to upgrade sooner rather than later.
Email and Marketing Automation
30% off all plans for 12 months
Save up to $5,760
HubSpot
Used by 2764 members
CRM, marketing automation & customer service software suite
90% off the Professional and Enterprise plans for 1 year
Save up to $7,000
HubSpot
Used by 2764 members
CRM, marketing automation & customer service software suite
30% off Professional and Enterprise plans for 1 year across all Hubspot products
Save up to $2,000
Klaviyo
Used by 472 members
Elevate your e-commerce success
Forever Free Plan with 500 monthly email sends
Save up to $100
Darrel Rich
“As a small business, keeping marketing costs manageable is a priority—and Mailchimp makes that easy. Their free plan gave us exactly what we needed to start building our list and getting a feel for the platform. When it came time to upgrade, the pricing felt fair for what we got in return—more flexibility, better tools, and no unnecessary add-ons. It’s been a practical and cost-effective solution for us.”
Stefanie Escobar
“What I really appreciate about Mailchimp is that it gives you access to powerful marketing features without charging enterprise-level prices. We’re using automation, segmentation, and analytics that actually help us improve performance—without blowing our budget. It’s one of the few tools I’ve used where the value genuinely outweighs the cost, especially for a lean marketing team like ours.”
Frank Davidson
“We started with Mailchimp’s free plan just to get our email strategy off the ground. As our audience grew and our needs became more complex, upgrading felt like a natural move—and it didn’t break the bank. The added features we got access to, like advanced reporting and better audience controls, really helped us run more effective campaigns. It’s been a smooth, scalable fit for our business.”
How much do Mailchimp plans cost?
Mailchimp’s plans’ costs vary depending on the subscription you choose and the number of contacts you have. There are four main tiers—Free, Essentials, Standard, and Premium. The Free plan lets you work with up to 500 contacts and send 1,000 emails per month. It’s a good place to start if you're building your list and just want the basics without any upfront cost. Once you need more control or features, you can move up to the Essentials plan, which starts at $13 per month for 500 contacts. It adds tools like A/B testing, access to more email templates, and better support.
The Standard plan kicks in at $20 per month for the same contact base and gives you more advanced functionality like automation workflows, behavioral targeting, and predictive sending. Then there’s the Premium plan, designed for large teams or companies managing high-volume campaigns. It starts at $350 per month for up to 10,000 contacts and includes features like multivariate testing, advanced segmentation, unlimited audiences, and priority support.
As your contact list grows, so will your monthly cost. For example, if you’re on the Essentials plan and managing 50,000 contacts, you’ll be looking at around $385 per month. The Standard plan at 100,000 contacts could cost close to $800, and Premium for 200,000 contacts or more can exceed $1,600 per month.
Mailchimp’s pricing is flexible enough to suit your business no matter its size or stage of growth.
Does Mailchimp offer a free trial?
Yes, Mailchimp offers a 30-day free trial for its Essentials and Standard plans. It’s a chance to try out more advanced features—like automation, A/B testing, email scheduling, and branding customization—before deciding if a paid plan makes sense for your business. These are tools that aren’t available on the Free plan, so the trial gives you a much clearer picture of what Mailchimp can really do.
Getting started is pretty straightforward. You just choose a plan on their website, provide your business info, and enter your payment details. You won’t be charged during the trial, and as long as you cancel within the 30-day window, there’s no cost.
The trial is especially useful if you’re trying to decide between plans or want to see how automation and audience insights could fit into your workflow. But if you're still early in your email marketing journey and don’t need those extras yet, Mailchimp's forever-free plan is still a solid entry point. It includes essential tools and enough monthly email sends to get your first campaigns out the door while you figure out what kind of strategy works for you.
How can Mailchimp help my business?
Mailchimp’s easy, reliable way to manage email marketing can help your business, whether you're running a one-person shop or leading a growing team. The platform is designed to be approachable—even if you've never built an email campaign before. With ready-made templates and a drag-and-drop editor, you can create professional-looking emails without needing to know how to code or design.
But it’s not just about sending emails. As your business grows, Mailchimp gives you tools to automate follow-ups, personalize messages based on how people interact with your content, and organize your audience into meaningful segments. That means you can deliver more relevant messaging without having to manually manage every part of the process.
Mailchimp also supports campaigns beyond your inbox. You can build landing pages to capture leads, run paid ads on social media, and even send physical postcards—all from the same dashboard. It’s especially useful if you’re looking to reach your audience across multiple touchpoints without juggling a bunch of disconnected tools.
What types of businesses use Mailchimp?
Mailchimp is used by all kinds of businesses—from solo creators and side hustlers to growing startups and established enterprises.
What makes Mailchimp stand out is its adaptability—it delivers value whether you’re emailing a list of 50 or 500,000.
Is Mailchimp worth the cost?
Mailchimp is worth the cost for many businesses, especially if you’re looking for a reliable, all-in-one email marketing platform. The free plan is generous enough to get started without risk, and once your needs expand, the paid plans unlock features that save time and make your campaigns more effective—things like automation, advanced audience targeting, and A/B testing.
One of Mailchimp’s biggest strengths is how approachable it feels. The interface is clean and user-friendly, which means you don’t need to be a designer or a marketer to build professional emails or understand how they’re performing. You can jump in, create something that looks polished, and track your results without spending hours figuring out where everything is.
Now, for larger businesses with big lists, the monthly cost can start to add up—but for many, the time saved and performance gains make it worth it. And for small or mid-sized companies, it often hits that rare mix of being powerful without being overwhelming. If you're looking for something that helps you look professional, stay organized, and grow without having to cobble together five different tools, Mailchimp makes a strong case for itself.
Which Mailchimp plan do most businesses choose?
For a lot of small and mid-sized businesses, the Standard plan tends to be the most chosen plan. It offers more than just the basics but doesn’t come with the price tag of the higher-tier Premium plan. At $20 per month for 500 contacts, it unlocks features that can make a real difference—things like customer journey automation, behavioral targeting, and the ability to use custom-coded templates. These tools help move beyond one-size-fits-all email blasts and into more personalized, effective campaigns.
What makes this plan especially appealing is how much flexibility it gives growing teams. You can send up to 12 times your contact count in emails each month, which is helpful if you’re running regular newsletters, drip sequences, or promotional campaigns. It’s enough capacity to stay consistent without immediately hitting a ceiling.
While many businesses start with the Free or Essentials plans, the Standard tier is often where things start to click. It gives you the tools to not only manage your list, but actually turn email into a channel that drives meaningful results. If you’re ready to create campaigns that speak more directly to your audience and get smarter about how and when you send, the Standard plan offers a strong foundation without overcomplicating things.
Are there any tips for saving on Mailchimp?
If you’re looking for tips on how to save on Mailchimp then you’re in the right place! With a few smart moves, you can cut down costs while still making the most of its powerful email marketing tools. Here’s how:
A little maintenance and planning can go a long way toward saving money without losing access to the features that matter most.
How much does it cost to send 5,000 emails on Mailchimp?
The cost to send 5,000 emails through Mailchimp depends on two main things: the plan you’re on and how many people are on your list. Mailchimp doesn’t charge based solely on the number of emails you send—it also factors in the size of your audience, so your contact count plays a big role in the final cost.
Keep in mind: Mailchimp bills you based on your contact list, not just the number of emails sent. If your contact list grows, your monthly cost increases—even if your email volume stays the same.