Mailchimp vs MailerLite

Last checked: Oct 18, 2026 · Prices can change—always confirm on the vendor’s site.

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The short answer

Both suit small businesses. MailerLite includes nearly all features on every paid plan (from $12/month per its FAQ) and its free plan includes automations; Mailchimp offers a larger integration ecosystem (300+) but gates features like dynamic content to Standard and above.

Mailchimp

All-round email marketing from one of the best-known brands.

Visit Mailchimp (opens official site)

MailerLite

Simple, affordable email marketing with a generous toolset.

Visit MailerLite (opens official site)

Side-by-side

	Mailchimp	MailerLite
Free plan	Free plan for under 250 contacts: max 500 sends/month (250/day), 1 seat, 1 audience; email support for the first 30 days only.	Free plan: up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails, 2 seats, 3 active automations, 1 website and 1 landing page.
Starting paid price	Check site for current pricing	From $12/mo
Plans	Free, Essentials, Standard, Premium	Free, Comfort, Power, Enterprise
Billing	Monthly; annual plans available for Standard/Premium at 10,000+ contacts via sales. Prices render dynamically on the official page.	Starting prices from MailerLite’s official FAQ; yearly billing saves 10%. Exact price at each list size is shown by the on-page calculator.
Standout features	Marketing automation flows (up to 200 on Standard/Premium; 4 steps on Essentials) Popup and signup forms on all plans Generative AI features (Intuit Assist) on Standard/Premium Custom reports and dynamic content on Standard and Premium	Drag & drop, rich-text and custom HTML editors Visual automation builder with ecommerce triggers Websites, landing pages and blog Sell digital products, bookings and paid newsletters
Notable limits	Free plan capped at 250 contacts and 500 sends a month Overage billing applies automatically if you exceed contact or send limits on paid plans Essentials automation is limited to 4 flow steps	Free plan caps sending at 2,500 emails/month and 3 active automations Comfort sending capped at 10× the subscriber tier ceiling Sending locked on free accounts above 250 active subscribers
Sources	Mailchimp pricing	MailerLite pricing

Key differences

Strengths: Mailchimp — Very well known, with a large integration ecosystem (300+); MailerLite — Low starting price with a full feature set on paid plans.
Watch-outs: Mailchimp — Free plan is small (250 contacts, 500 sends); MailerLite — Free plan is limited to 250 subscribers.

Which should you choose?

Choose Mailchimp if…

Small and mid-sized businesses that want a familiar, all-round platform with room to grow into automation.
Free plan and a 14-day trial of Essentials/Standard

Choose MailerLite if…

Small businesses and creators who want an easy, budget-friendly tool with automation and landing pages included.
Free plan includes automations and a landing page

Read the full reviews: Mailchimp review · MailerLite review · all tools table

FAQ

Is Mailchimp or MailerLite better?

It depends on your needs. Mailchimp is great for: Small and mid-sized businesses that want a familiar, all-round platform with room to grow into automation. MailerLite is great for: Small businesses and creators who want an easy, budget-friendly tool with automation and landing pages included.

Do Mailchimp and MailerLite have free plans?

Mailchimp: Free plan for under 250 contacts: max 500 sends/month (250/day), 1 seat, 1 audience; email support for the first 30 days only. MailerLite: Free plan: up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails, 2 seats, 3 active automations, 1 website and 1 landing page.