PLATFORMS
Mailchimp, the incumbent you pay to stay with
The incumbent every tool integrates with, priced accordingly.
Mailchimp is the default everyone integrates with, and it prices like a default: the ladder climbs faster than most rivals, billing is monthly only, and exceeding a limit triggers overage fees rather than a pause. It is a safe, familiar choice you often pay a premium to keep.
Choose Mailchimp for
- A known quantity with every integration under the sun
- Teams that value familiarity over price
Look elsewhere if
- Price-sensitive lists: the ladder climbs faster than most rivals
- Annual discounts: billing is monthly only, with overage fees
The plan ladder and its multiples
| Mailchimp | 500 contacts | 1,500 contacts | 2,500 contacts | 5,000 contacts | 10,000 contacts | 25,000 contacts | 50,000 contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free up to 250 contacts, 500 emails/mo | ||||||
| Essentials | $13/mo | $26.50/mo | $45/mo | $75/mo | $110/mo | $270/mo | $385/mo |
| Standard | $20/mo | $45/mo | $60/mo | $100/mo | $135/mo | $310/mo | $450/mo |
| Premium | · | · | · | · | $350/mo | $620/mo | $815/mo |
Monthly billing only; sending allowances are 10x, 12x or 15x the contact tier depending on plan, and overages are charged. There is no 1,000-contact tier: between 501 and 1,500 contacts you pay the 1,500 tier. Current amounts: the official Mailchimp pricing page.
Amounts are the USD list prices from the official pricing data; prices shown in other currencies on the page are exchange-rate estimates.
Essentials, Standard and Premium price by contacts, with sending capped at 10x, 12x and 15x the contact tier. There is no thousand-contact rung: between 501 and 1,500 you pay the 1,500 tier. Premium does not exist below ten thousand contacts. Billing is monthly only, so no annual discount narrows the gap. See how it compares at your size in the cost calculator.
What you pay the premium for
Mailchimp's real asset is ubiquity: nearly every ecommerce platform, form builder and CRM integrates with it out of the box, and most teams already know the interface. If that integration breadth or familiarity saves you real work, the premium can be worth it. If not, several platforms in this registry do the same sending for less.
Overages, not pauses
On paid plans, exceeding your contact or send limit adds overage charges rather than stopping the send; you climb a tier or trim the audience to stop them. The free plan behaves differently, suspending sends until the next cycle. Either way, watch the contact count near a threshold, because the jump is billed automatically. Paid plans at GetResponse do not meter sending at all; the GetResponse vs Mailchimp comparison runs both on the same newsletter and welcome sequence. If the overages push you to leave, the Mailchimp to GetResponse and Mailchimp to MailerLite guides list what moves and what you rebuild.
Inside Mailchimp
Ready to try Mailchimp?
Free up to 250 contacts, 500 emails/mo · free plan, paid from $13/mo. Price it against the whole shortlist first if you are unsure.
Questions people also ask
Is Mailchimp more expensive than the alternatives?
At most sizes, yes, and it lacks annual discounts because billing is monthly only. What you buy is integration breadth and familiarity. The alternatives page lists cheaper equivalents by need.
Does Mailchimp have annual billing?
No; plans are monthly only. Rivals that offer annual discounts can widen the price gap further over a year.
What happens if I go over my limit?
On paid plans, overage fees apply and you move up a tier to stop them. On the free plan, sending is suspended until the next monthly cycle instead.