Mailchimp Pricing 2026: Plans, Real Costs and Is It Worth It?
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💲 Compare more tools at your list size. Our email marketing cost calculator prices Kit, MailerLite and ActiveCampaign today and in 12 months.
Mailchimp has four plans. Free covers up to 250 contacts, Essentials starts at $13 a month, Standard at $20 and Premium at $350.
Those prices are for 500 contacts and rise with your list. At 10,000 contacts, Standard costs $135 a month, while MailerLite Comfort costs $89.
Mailchimp plans at a glance
Mailchimp prices every plan by the number of contacts in your account. Each plan also caps how many emails you can send each month.
| Plan | Price at 500 contacts | Monthly sends | Automation | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (up to 250 contacts) | 500 a month, max 250 a day | Basic only | 1 seat |
| Essentials | $13 a month | 10x your contacts | Up to 4 flow steps | 3 seats |
| Standard | $20 a month | 12x your contacts | Up to 200 flows | 5 seats |
| Premium | $350 a month | 15x your contacts | Up to 200 flows | Unlimited |
Source: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing, and the plan comparison page, both checked 31 October 2026.
Standard is the plan Mailchimp recommends, and it is the one most growing businesses end up on. Essentials looks cheaper, but its automations stop at four steps.
Mailchimp price check at your list size
Slide to your list size
See every Mailchimp plan next to MailerLite and Kit. The cheapest alternative is highlighted.
Monthly billing for all tools. Kit’s smallest paid tier covers 1,000 subscribers and its 3,000 tier is used for 2,500. MailerLite at 15,000 is not in our MailerLite table, so check MailerLite pricing.
Mailchimp cost by list size
Mailchimp sells contact tiers, not exact counts. Moving from 1,500 to 1,501 contacts puts you in the next tier for the whole month.
| Contacts | Essentials | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 500 | $13 | $20 | $350 |
| 501 to 1,500 | $26.50 | $45 | $350 |
| 1,501 to 2,500 | $45 | $60 | $350 |
| 2,501 to 5,000 | $75 | $100 | $350 |
| 5,001 to 10,000 | $110 | $135 | $350 |
| 10,001 to 15,000 | $180 | $230 | $465 |
| 15,001 to 20,000 | $230 | $285 | $535 |
| 20,001 to 25,000 | $270 | $310 | $620 |
| 25,001 to 30,000 | $300 | $340 | $685 |
Regular monthly price after the first year. Source: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing, 31 October 2026.
The steepest jump is the first one. Standard more than doubles from $20 to $45 once you pass 500 contacts.
When we checked, Mailchimp offered 50% off any paid plan for the first 12 months. Budget for the full price above, because that is what you pay from month 13.
What the Mailchimp free plan includes
The Free plan now covers up to 250 contacts and 500 email sends a month, with no more than 250 in a day. It has one user seat, which is enough to test the editor, but not to run a real newsletter.
Automation on Free is basic, and Mailchimp branding stays on your emails. If you want a bigger free plan, Kit allows up to 10,000 subscribers. See our free email marketing plans compared.
Essentials vs Standard vs Premium
Essentials
- Email scheduling and A/B testing
- Automations of up to 4 steps
- 3 seats and 3 audiences
- 24/7 email and chat support
Standard
- Up to 200 automation flows
- Branded templates and custom reports
- Dynamic content and AI features
- 5 seats and 1 onboarding session
Premium
- Unlimited seats and audiences
- Phone and priority support
- 15x monthly sends
- Dedicated onboarding specialist
Pick Standard if automation brings you sales, such as welcome series or abandoned cart emails. Pick Essentials only if you send one newsletter at a time and never need a sequence.
Hidden costs to watch
- Contact tiers. One extra contact can move you into the next price band.
- Overages. Mailchimp charges extra if you go over your contact or send limit.
- The promo ends. The 50% discount lasts 12 months, then the regular price applies.
- SMS is extra. Text messages are a paid add-on, bought as credits.
- Yearly billing is limited. Annual plans are only offered on Standard and Premium from 10,000 contacts, through sales.
Mailchimp does offer a 15% discount for nonprofits and charities. It also has a Pay As You Go option with email credits, which suits people who send rarely.
Is Mailchimp worth it in 2026?
Mailchimp is worth it if you value its easy editor, polished templates and huge app library. It is also a safe choice if your team already knows it.
It is not the cheapest option. At 10,000 contacts, Standard costs $135 a month, MailerLite Comfort costs $89 and Kit Creator costs $139 on monthly billing.
| Contacts | Mailchimp Standard | MailerLite Comfort | Kit Creator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $45 | $19 | $39 |
| 2,500 | $60 | $33 | $59 |
| 5,000 | $100 | $49 | $89 |
| 10,000 | $135 | $89 | $139 |
Monthly billing. MailerLite and Kit prices from our MailerLite pricing and Kit pricing guides, checked 29 October 2026.
If cost is your main worry, our best Mailchimp alternatives guide lists cheaper tools. For a head to head, read MailerLite vs Mailchimp or Kit vs Mailchimp.
How to pay less for Mailchimp
- Archive contacts you no longer email. Archived contacts stop counting toward your plan.
- Stay just under a tier line. Clean your list before it crosses 500, 1,500 or 2,500 contacts.
- Use the first year discount wisely. Test Standard at half price, then decide before month 13.
- Ask about yearly billing. From 10,000 contacts, Standard and Premium can be billed yearly through sales.
- Compare before you renew. Moving is easier than it looks, as our Mailchimp to MailerLite migration guide shows.
Our verdict
Mailchimp is easy to use and full featured, but it gets expensive fast once you pass 500 contacts. Most small businesses on a budget will pay less on MailerLite.
Choose Mailchimp Standard if you need its integrations and templates, and use the first year discount to test it properly.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Mailchimp cost per month?
At 500 contacts, Essentials costs $13 a month, Standard $20 and Premium $350. Prices rise with your contact count, so Standard is $135 a month at 10,000 contacts.
Is Mailchimp still free?
Yes, for very small lists. The Free plan covers up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with Mailchimp branding on your emails.
Why is Mailchimp so expensive?
Mailchimp charges by contact tier and its prices climb quickly as your list grows. Standard more than doubles from $20 to $45 once you pass 500 contacts.
Is Mailchimp worth it for a small business?
It is worth it if you want an easy editor and lots of integrations. If cost matters most, MailerLite costs less at every list size we compared.
Does Mailchimp offer a discount?
When we checked, new paid plans had 50% off for the first 12 months. Nonprofits and charities can also request a 15% discount.
Related: Comparing two popular tools? Read Brevo vs Mailchimp, with a monthly cost calculator.
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