Mailchimp vs Mailerlite: Pricing Comparison (2026)
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo. Mailerlite starts at $12/mo. Mailerlite is $1/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Mailchimp.
See price history: Mailchimp · Mailerlite
The original email marketing platform for SMBs, now owned by Intuit ($12B acquisition, 2021). Distinctive for pricing per subscriber rather than per email sent — which surprises teams with large-but-inactive lists. Free tier up to 500 contacts. Paid tiers get expensive fast as your list grows ($350/mo Premium at 10K+ contacts). Losing SMB share to Beehiiv (creators) and Klaviyo (e-commerce) but still the default for non-technical marketers.
European (Lithuanian) email platform positioned as the value alternative to Mailchimp for SMBs. Distinctive for its transparent pricing (public tiers, no per-contact games) and generous free tier (up to 1K subscribers, 12K emails/month). Priced $10-$29/mo across three tiers. Owned by Vista Equity Partners since 2021 — recently raised annual rate from $8.30 to $9/user/mo, narrowing the annual discount from 17% to 10%. Popular with creators and small businesses in Europe.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | Mailchimp monthly | Mailchimp annual | Mailerlite monthly | Mailerlite annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Essentials / Comfort | 13 | — | 12 | 12 |
| 3 | Standard / Power | 20 | — | custom | custom |
| 4 | Premium | 350 | — | — | — |
What each is best for
The original email marketing platform for SMBs, now owned by Intuit ($12B acquisition, 2021). Distinctive for pricing per subscriber rather than per email sent — which surprises teams with large-but-inactive lists. Free tier up to 500 contacts. Paid tiers get expensive fast as your list grows ($350/mo Premium at 10K+ contacts). Losing SMB share to Beehiiv (creators) and Klaviyo (e-commerce) but still the default for non-technical marketers.
European (Lithuanian) email platform positioned as the value alternative to Mailchimp for SMBs. Distinctive for its transparent pricing (public tiers, no per-contact games) and generous free tier (up to 1K subscribers, 12K emails/month). Priced $10-$29/mo across three tiers. Owned by Vista Equity Partners since 2021 — recently raised annual rate from $8.30 to $9/user/mo, narrowing the annual discount from 17% to 10%. Popular with creators and small businesses in Europe.
At a glance
| Mailchimp | Mailerlite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $13/mo | $12/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Usage |
| Last verified | July 28, 2026 | July 28, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified July 28, 2026. Tracked daily.