Mailchimp
FreemiumTurn emails into revenue
About Mailchimp
Mailchimp is an email marketing platform acquired by Intuit in 2021. Free tier: 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/mo. Essentials starts at $13/mo, Standard at $25/mo, Premium at $350/mo — all priced per contact, which gets expensive fast for large lists. The platform covers email campaigns, landing pages, automation sequences, segmentation, and A/B testing. The email builder is drag-and-drop and solid for basic use. Automation is more limited on Essentials versus tools like ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo. Reddit email communities frequently note that ConvertKit handles creator audiences better, Klaviyo handles e-commerce better, and ActiveCampaign has deeper automation at lower price points. The main defense of Mailchimp is brand recognition and ease of use for first-timers. At 10K contacts, Standard runs $100+/mo. For teams just starting with email marketing who need a recognizable platform with decent templates, Mailchimp works. For teams with growing lists or serious automation needs, alternatives like Brevo or ActiveCampaign are almost always cheaper per equivalent feature.
Key Features
Pricing Plans
Verified April 2026Free
- 500 contacts
- 1,000 emails/month
- Basic templates
- Limited automations
Essentials
- 5,000 emails/month
- A/B testing
- 24/7 support
- Remove Mailchimp branding
Standard
- 6,000 emails/month
- Advanced automations
- Retargeting ads
- Custom templates
Premium
- 150,000+ emails/month
- Phone support
- Advanced segmentation
Pros
- Well-known and trusted
- Good free tier for starting out
- Easy to use
- Lots of integrations
Cons
- Gets expensive quickly
- Limited automation on lower tiers
- Pricing based on contacts, not sends
Best For
- Small businesses starting with email marketing for the first time
- Teams needing a recognizable all-in-one platform with landing pages and basic automations
- Nonprofits and small teams where name recognition and support availability matter
Not Ideal For
- Lists above 5,000 contacts -- pricing becomes uncompetitive vs. Brevo or ActiveCampaign
- E-commerce teams -- Klaviyo is purpose-built and substantially more capable
Potential Deal Breakers
- Contact-based pricing gets very expensive at 10,000+ contacts
- Advanced automation is locked to Standard and Premium tiers
- Competitors like Brevo and ActiveCampaign offer more features at lower price points for growing lists
Data & Privacy
Owned by Intuit since 2021. Intuit privacy policy permits using customer data to develop and improve products including AI/ML features. Mailchimp shares aggregated campaign data for benchmarking. Contact data and campaign content are processed on US servers. Full list and campaign export available. Free tier users have fewer privacy controls than paid.
Who Is This For?
Hands-on tested May 2026
Signup Experience
Email signup with business details. Free tier supports up to 500 contacts and 1000 emails per month — significantly reduced from the old generous free tier. The email builder uses drag-and-drop blocks. Template selection is good. First campaign can be sent within 15 minutes of signup. The interface has become cluttered with upsell prompts.
For Home Users
The free tier works for personal newsletters, community updates, or small club communications up to 500 contacts. The drag-and-drop editor makes creating professional-looking emails easy without HTML knowledge. For personal blogs or hobby newsletters, consider Buttondown or Substack instead — they are simpler and designed for individual creators.
For Business Users
Standard at $13/mo (500 contacts) adds A/B testing, scheduling, and basic automation. Premium at $175/mo adds advanced segmentation and predictive analytics. Mailchimp was the default for small business email marketing but pricing has increased significantly under Intuit ownership. For creator newsletters, Kit (ConvertKit) or Beehiiv offer better value. For e-commerce, Klaviyo is more powerful. Mailchimp remains strong for small businesses wanting email plus landing pages plus basic CRM in one place. The brand recognition makes it easy to get organizational buy-in.
Our Verdict
Mailchimp is the most recognized email marketing tool and easiest to start with, but its pricing model punishes growth. Contact-based pricing gets expensive fast, and competitors like ActiveCampaign and Brevo offer deeper automation at lower price points. The Intuit acquisition has not noticeably improved the product.
Related Articles
ConvertKit vs Mailchimp in 2026: Which Email Tool Is Best for Creators?
ConvertKit (now Kit) was built for creators — bloggers, podcasters, and course sellers who need tags, sequences, and paid newsletter monetization. Mailchimp was built for small businesses and e-commerce. Picking the wrong one is an expensive mistake to fix once you've built a list.
Read moreComparisonsMailchimp vs ConvertKit vs Beehiiv 2026: Email Marketing Platforms Compared
Mailchimp is built for businesses selling products. ConvertKit is built for creators selling themselves. Beehiiv is built for newsletter operators selling content. This comparison covers pricing, features, automations, and monetization to help you pick the right platform.
Read morePrice History
Mailchimp Standard raised from $20 to $25/mo (base price)
Third price increase in two years since Intuit acquisition. Overage charges for exceeding contact limits also increased. Free tier now limited to 500 contacts (down from 2,000 in 2023).