Mailchimp review
All-round email marketing from one of the best-known brands.
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Visit Mailchimp (opens official site)
This review is based on Mailchimp’s official pricing and documentation (see source link). We haven’t completed hands-on testing yet.
Overview
Mailchimp (owned by Intuit) is a broad email marketing platform covering campaigns, audience management, signup and popup forms, automation flows and reporting, with SMS available as a paid add-on in select markets.
Its plans are Free, Essentials, Standard and Premium. Pricing scales with your contact count, and each paid tier sets a monthly send allowance as a multiple of your contacts. Mailchimp also offers Pay As You Go email credits for infrequent senders.
Pricing
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.
| Plan | Starting price | Key limits / inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 250 contacts; 500 sends/mo |
| Essentials | Check site for current pricing | Sends 10× contacts; 3 seats; up to 4 flow steps |
| Standard | Check site for current pricing | Sends 12× contacts; 5 seats; up to 200 flows |
| Premium | Check site for current pricing | Sends 15× contacts; unlimited seats; phone & priority support |
Price by list size
Mailchimp’s official page calculates prices for 1,000 / 10,000 / 50,000 contacts dynamically, so we couldn’t confirm exact figures. Check site for current pricing at your list size: Mailchimp pricing.
Key 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
- 300+ integrations
- SMS/MMS as a paid add-on in select countries
- Pay As You Go email credits
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
Pros & cons
Pros
- Very well known, with a large integration ecosystem (300+)
- Free plan and a 14-day trial of Essentials/Standard
- Clear plan ladder from simple newsletters to advanced automation
- 15% nonprofit discount
Cons
- Free plan is small (250 contacts, 500 sends)
- Key features like dynamic content and custom reports require Standard or higher
- Automatic overage billing can surprise growing lists
Who it’s for
Great for: Small and mid-sized businesses that want a familiar, all-round platform with room to grow into automation.
Less ideal for: Very price-sensitive senders with large lists, or creators who mainly want paid newsletters.
Alternatives
- Brevo — Email, SMS and transactional messaging priced by volume
- MailerLite — Simple, affordable email marketing with a generous toolset
- Constant Contact — Email, social and events for small businesses and nonprofits
Verdict
Mailchimp remains a safe, broad choice with a polished experience and a huge integration library. The free plan is now quite limited, so most businesses will be on a paid tier quickly—compare its cost at your list size against MailerLite and Brevo before committing.
Check Mailchimp pricing (opens official site)
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FAQ
Does Mailchimp have a free plan?
Yes. Mailchimp’s Free plan is for under 250 contacts, with a maximum of 500 sends per month (250 per day) and one seat, according to its official pricing page.
How many emails can I send on Mailchimp paid plans?
Mailchimp sets monthly sends as a multiple of contacts: 10× on Essentials, 12× on Standard and 15× on Premium.
Is there a Mailchimp free trial?
Mailchimp offers a 14-day free trial of Standard or Essentials for eligible new customers.