Mailchimp Pricing in 2026 — All Plans Compared
See exactly how much Mailchimp costs in 2026. We break down every plan, every contact tier, and every feature so you can choose the right plan without overpaying.
Bottom line: Mailchimp pricing starts at $0 for 500 contacts on the Free plan and scales to $350/month for Premium. Most small businesses find the Standard plan ($20–$315/month) offers the best balance of features and value, but costs rise steeply as your list grows.
How Much Does Mailchimp Cost?
Mailchimp uses a contact-based pricing model. You choose a plan tier (Free, Essentials, Standard, or Premium) and your monthly price depends on how many contacts you have. All plans include the same core email builder and template library, but advanced features like automation, segmentation, and support levels vary by tier.
For a list of 500 contacts, Mailchimp pricing is straightforward: Free at $0, Essentials at $13/month, Standard at $20/month, and Premium at $350/month. As your contact list grows, the gap between Essentials and Standard widens, while Premium remains flat until you exceed higher contact thresholds.
One important detail: Mailchimp counts every unique contact across your audiences toward your limit. Unsubscribed and cleaned contacts do not count, but you should regularly archive inactive contacts to avoid paying for emails that will never convert.
Mailchimp Pricing by Plan
Below is a side-by-side comparison of what each Mailchimp plan includes at the 500-contact tier. This helps you identify which features you actually need before committing to a paid plan.
| Feature | Free | Essentials | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $0 | $13 | $20 | $350 |
| Contacts | Up to 500 | 500+ | 500+ | 500+ |
| Monthly Email Sends | 1,000 | 5,000 | 6,000 | 150,000 |
| Templates | Basic | All | All + Dynamic | All + Dynamic |
| Automations | Single-step | Single-step | Multi-step | Multi-step |
| A/B Testing | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Multivariate |
| Segmentation | Basic | Basic | Advanced | Advanced |
| Retargeting Ads | — | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Support | Email only | 24/7 Email & Chat | 24/7 Email & Chat | Phone + Priority |
| Custom Branding | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Team Seats | 1 | 3 | 5 | Unlimited |
Pricing shown is for 500 contacts. All paid plans scale with your contact count. Free plan limited to 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends per month.
Mailchimp Pricing by Contact Count
Mailchimp's biggest pricing shock comes from scaling your list. A plan that costs $20 at 500 contacts can balloon to $110 at 10,000 contacts. Here is the exact monthly pricing you will pay at common contact thresholds in 2026.
| Contacts | Free | Essentials | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $0 | $13 | $20 | $350 |
| 1,000 | N/A | $20 | $30 | $350 |
| 5,000 | N/A | $55 | $75 | $350 |
| 10,000 | N/A | $85 | $110 | $350 |
| 50,000 | N/A | $270 | $315 | $350 |
Notice the inflection point: at 50,000 contacts, Premium ($350/month) becomes cheaper than Standard ($315/month is close, but Premium offers far more features). For most businesses under 10,000 contacts, Standard is the sweet spot. Above that, the decision depends on whether you need multivariate testing and phone support.
Free Plan vs Paid Plans
Mailchimp's free plan is genuinely useful for testing the platform, but it comes with strict limits that force most growing businesses to upgrade within a few months. Here is how the free plan stacks up against paid options.
Free Plan Pros
- • $0 cost to get started
- • Includes landing pages and signup forms
- • Basic reporting and audience dashboard
- • Single-step automations (welcome emails)
- • Good for validating email as a channel
Free Plan Limitations
- • Mailchimp branding on all emails
- • No A/B testing capability
- • No multi-step automation journeys
- • No advanced segmentation
- • 500 contact hard limit
- • 1,000 monthly email send cap
If you are serious about email marketing, the free plan is a temporary starting point. The moment you need A/B testing, custom branding, or multi-step automations, you will need to upgrade to Essentials or Standard. For e-commerce businesses, Standard is almost always the minimum viable tier because it unlocks behavioral targeting and retargeting ads.
Is Mailchimp Worth the Price?
Mailchimp is one of the most recognizable names in email marketing, but recognition does not always equal value. Whether it is worth the price depends on your use case, team size, and technical requirements.
When Mailchimp Is Worth It
- You value simplicity.Mailchimp's drag-and-drop builder and template library are among the easiest to use. Non-technical teams can launch campaigns without training.
- You need an all-in-one platform. Mailchimp includes landing pages, social posting, basic CRM, and postcard marketing. Fewer tools means less integration complexity.
- You are a small list (<5,000 contacts). At smaller scales, Mailchimp's pricing is competitive with other major ESPs.
When Mailchimp Is Not Worth It
- Your list is growing fast. Mailchimp becomes expensive quickly. At 10,000 contacts, Standard costs $110/month. Competitors like Brevo or MailerLite charge significantly less at scale.
- You need advanced automation.Mailchimp's automation builder is visual but less flexible than ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. Complex conditional logic is harder to implement.
- You want transparent pricing. Mailchimp's contact-based model penalizes list growth. Send-based pricing (where you pay for emails sent, not contacts stored) is often more economical for infrequent senders.
Cheaper Mailchimp Alternatives
If Mailchimp's pricing does not fit your budget, several competitors offer comparable features at lower price points. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) uses send-based pricing and charges significantly less for large contact lists. MailerLite offers a generous free plan up to 1,000 subscribers and paid plans that undercut Mailchimp at nearly every tier. ConvertKit is popular with creators and offers better automation workflows.
For e-commerce brands, Klaviyo provides deeper Shopify integration and better revenue attribution, though it is not necessarily cheaper. We compared the best options side-by-side in our detailed guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Mailchimp cost per month?
Mailchimp pricing ranges from $0 to $350 per month for 500 contacts. The Free plan costs $0, Essentials starts at $13/month, Standard starts at $20/month, and Premium starts at $350/month. Prices increase as your contact list grows.
Is Mailchimp free to use?
Yes, Mailchimp offers a free plan for up to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month. The free plan includes basic templates, single-step automations, and a limited marketing CRM. However, it does not include A/B testing, custom branding, or advanced segmentation.
What is the difference between Mailchimp Standard and Premium?
Mailchimp Standard ($20/month for 500 contacts) includes multi-step automations, advanced segmentation, and retargeting ads. Premium ($350/month for 500 contacts) adds multivariate testing, phone support, unlimited seats, and higher send limits. Premium is designed for large teams with complex needs.
Does Mailchimp charge per email sent?
Mailchimp pricing is based on your number of contacts and plan tier, not strictly per email. Each plan includes a monthly email send limit. For example, the Free plan allows 1,000 emails per month, while the Premium plan allows up to 150,000 emails per month. Overage fees may apply if you exceed your send limit.
Can I cancel Mailchimp at any time?
Yes, Mailchimp operates on a month-to-month subscription model for paid plans. You can cancel at any time without long-term contracts. If you cancel, you retain access until the end of your current billing period. Your data can be exported before cancellation.