MailerLite or Mailchimp: which should you pick?
| If you are | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A small business on a tight budget that wants automations from day one | MailerLite | Its free plan includes 3 automations, and the paid Comfort plan lists 50 active automations from $12 a month. Mailchimp’s free plan has no automation flows. |
| Someone who will stay on a free plan for a while | MailerLite | Both free plans stop at 250 subscribers, but MailerLite allows 2,500 emails a month against Mailchimp’s 500. |
| A larger team that wants phone support and many integrations | Mailchimp | Premium lists phone and priority support, unlimited seats and audiences, and Standard and Premium include 300+ integrations. |
| A business that also wants SMS marketing in the same tool | Mailchimp | Mailchimp lists an SMS add-on on Essentials and SMS and MMS on Standard and Premium. MailerLite’s pricing page does not list SMS. |
MailerLite and Mailchimp do the same core job: build a list, design emails, send them, and automate the follow-ups. Mailchimp is the name most people know. MailerLite is the one people tend to move to when Mailchimp’s limits or price start to bite. The real question is which one gives you more for what you pay at your list size.
This comparison uses both companies’ pricing pages, read on 13 October 2026. We have not run campaigns in both tools for this page, so it is labelled as researched. Read how we test for what that means. For more on each, see our MailerLite review and our list of Mailchimp alternatives.
MailerLite vs Mailchimp at a glance
| MailerLite | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan subscribers | Up to 250 | Up to 250 |
| Free plan sends | 2,500 a month | 500 a month, 250 a day |
| Free plan automations | 3 | None |
| Free plan support | Community | Email for the first 30 days |
| Entry paid plan | Comfort, listed as starting at $12 a month | Essentials, $13 a month for 12 months (later price not shown) |
| Next plan | Power, listed as starting at $25 a month | Standard, listed as starting at $20 a month |
| Top published plan | Power (Enterprise is custom) | Premium, $350 a month for 12 months |
| Monthly sends on entry plan | 10 times your subscriber tier | 10 times your contacts |
| Automations on paid plans | 50 on Comfort, unlimited on Power | Up to 4 flow steps on Essentials, up to 200 flows on Standard |
| Seats | 3 on Comfort, unlimited on Power | 3 on Essentials, 5 on Standard, unlimited on Premium |
| Websites and landing pages | 10 on Comfort, unlimited on Power | Not part of the plan table we read |
| SMS | Not listed | Add-on from Essentials |
| Yearly billing | Listed as saving 10% | 15% off listed for 10,000+ contacts |
| Nonprofit discount | 30% | 15% on request |
Where MailerLite beats Mailchimp
More free sending, and automations on the free plan. Both free plans stop at 250 subscribers, but MailerLite lets you send 2,500 emails a month. That is enough to mail a full free list ten times. Mailchimp’s free plan allows 500 sends a month, which is two emails to a full list. MailerLite also includes 3 automations on free, so a welcome sequence costs nothing. Mailchimp’s free plan has no automation flows.
Automations on the cheapest paid plan. Comfort lists 50 active automations. Mailchimp’s Essentials lists flows of up to 4 steps, and you need Standard for up to 200 flows. If a welcome series, an abandoned-signup nudge and a re-engagement email are on your list, MailerLite gets you there at the lower tier.
A website and landing pages included. Comfort includes 10 websites and landing pages, and Power makes them unlimited. A freelancer can run a simple site, signup forms and newsletter from one account.
Clearer ongoing pricing. MailerLite lists starting prices without a first-year promotion. On the Mailchimp page we read, Essentials and Premium showed promotional prices for 12 months and left the “then” price blank. You cannot plan a budget around a blank.
Where Mailchimp beats MailerLite
Support on higher plans. Essentials and Standard list 24/7 email and chat support, and Premium adds phone and priority support. Premium also adds a dedicated onboarding specialist. MailerLite’s Power lists 24/7 live chat and email, with a dedicated success manager only on Enterprise.
SMS in the same account. Mailchimp lists an SMS add-on on Essentials and SMS and MMS on Standard and Premium. If text messages are part of your plan, that keeps them next to your email data.
Integrations and reporting. Standard and Premium include 300+ integrations, custom reports, dynamic content and predictive segmentation. Mailchimp’s long history means many shop and CRM tools connect to it first.
Pay as you go. If you send a handful of emails a year, Mailchimp’s email credits avoid a monthly bill. We could not see credit prices, so check them first.
MailerLite and Mailchimp drawbacks
MailerLite’s free plan is small, and its pricing page did not show actual prices for each subscriber tier. The cards showed only “per month”, and the figures came from the FAQ. Use the slider on the pricing page with your real list size. Free accounts that go over 250 active subscribers have sending locked until they upgrade.
Mailchimp’s free plan is the most restrictive here, with no automation and a tight send cap. Sending pauses if you go over the limits. Its paid prices showed first-year promotions, and generative AI is only offered from Standard as a no-cost add-on.
How to choose between MailerLite and Mailchimp
- Count your sends, not just your contacts. If you email a small list weekly, MailerLite’s free allowance lasts much longer.
- List the automations you need. If you want more than a single short flow, compare MailerLite Comfort with Mailchimp Standard, not Essentials.
- Decide whether you need SMS or phone support. If yes, Mailchimp’s higher plans cover it. If no, MailerLite usually costs less for the same job.
For most small businesses and freelancers starting out, MailerLite is the better value. Mailchimp earns its higher price if you need its support, SMS or integration depth. Both companies change prices often, so confirm the final figure on each vendor’s pricing page before you pay.
MailerLite: check current pricingMailchimp: check current pricing
MailerLite vs Mailchimp: frequently asked questions
Is MailerLite cheaper than Mailchimp?
On the pages we read, usually yes for small lists. MailerLite’s Comfort plan is listed as starting at $12 a month. Mailchimp’s Essentials showed $13 a month for the first 12 months, but the ongoing price was blank, and Standard was listed as starting at $20 a month. Check both calculators with your real subscriber count.
Which free plan is better?
Both cap you at 250 subscribers. MailerLite’s free plan allows 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats, 3 automations, a website and a landing page. Mailchimp’s free plan allows 500 sends a month (250 a day), 1 seat and no automation flows, with email support for the first 30 days only.
Can I move from Mailchimp to MailerLite?
Yes. MailerLite lists a Mailchimp importer among its integrations, which moves your subscribers. Automations, templates and signup forms usually have to be rebuilt by hand, so plan an afternoon for it.
Does Mailchimp have a pay-as-you-go option?
Yes. Mailchimp lists email credits you can buy instead of a monthly plan, aimed at people who send rarely. Credit prices were not shown on the page we read.
