Mailchimp Pricing 2026: Complete Breakdown

By ToolVS Research Team · Last Updated April 2026

30-SECOND ANSWER

Mailchimp costs $0 for 500 contacts, $13/month for Essentials (500 contacts), $20/month for Standard (500 contacts), and $350/month for Premium (10,000 contacts). Pricing scales with contact count.

Mailchimp Plans & Pricing

Free

500 contacts

500 contacts
1,000 sends/month
1 audience
Basic templates
Marketing CRM

Essentials

$13

/mo (500 contacts)

500-50,000 contacts
Email scheduling
A/B testing
3 audiences
Remove Mailchimp branding

Standard

$20

/mo (500 contacts)

500-100,000 contacts
Customer journey builder
Send time optimization
5 audiences
Retargeting ads

Premium

$350

/mo (10,000 contacts)

10,000+ contacts
Advanced segmentation
Multivariate testing
Unlimited audiences
Phone support

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Prices increase dramatically with contact count: 5,000 contacts = $69/mo (Standard), 25,000 = $230/mo, 50,000 = $350/mo
Unsubscribed contacts still count toward your limit
Pay-as-you-go credits available but expensive ($0.02-0.03 per email)
Website and landing page builder is basic on lower tiers
SMS add-on starts at $20/month extra

Is Mailchimp Worth It?

Mailchimp free works for under 500 contacts with basic needs. Once you outgrow it, consider whether Mailchimp is still the best value. At 5,000 contacts, Mailchimp Standard costs $69/month while Brevo and MailerLite cost $25-35/month for similar features. Mailchimp strength is its integration ecosystem. If you need advanced automation, ActiveCampaign at $19/month offers more power. For newsletters, Beehiiv and ConvertKit are purpose-built.

Price Comparison: Mailchimp vs Competitors

Tool	Free	Starter	Mid-Tier	Enterprise
Mailchimp	$0	$13 /mo (500 contacts)	$20 /mo (500 contacts)	$350
Brevo	Free (unlimited contacts)	$25/mo (20K emails)	$65/mo (100K emails)	Custom
ConvertKit	Free (1,000 subs)	$25/mo (1K subs)	$50/mo (3K subs)	Custom
MailerLite	Free (1,000 subs)	$10/mo (500 subs)	$18/mo (2.5K subs)	Custom

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free plan for Mailchimp?

Yes, but it is limited to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends per month. This was reduced from 2,000 contacts. Many alternatives offer more generous free plans.

What is the cheapest Mailchimp plan?

Essentials at $13/month for 500 contacts. However, most businesses need Standard ($20/month) for automation features. Pricing scales sharply with contacts.

Does Mailchimp offer discounts?

No annual billing discount. Nonprofits get 15% off. Mailchimp for Startups offers credits through partner programs. No education discount.

Related: Mailchimp Alternatives — All Pricing Guides

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Last updated: April 15, 2026. Pricing verified monthly.