Mailchimp vs Shopify: Pricing Comparison (2026)
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo. Shopify starts at $39/mo. Mailchimp is $26/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Shopify.
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.
The e-commerce platform that grew from $19/mo startup roots to a $95B market cap public company powering ~10% of all US e-commerce. Positioned as the alternative to running your own e-commerce infrastructure or fighting Amazon's marketplace rules. Distinctive for the 8,000+ app ecosystem plus Shopify Payments (which is where the real margin comes from, on top of $39-$399 subscription). Shopify Plus at $2,300+/mo dominates enterprise e-commerce. Also runs the payment infrastructure for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shopping. Recent 2026 shift raised Basic from $29 to $39 monthly with a new POS Pro add-on at $89/mo per location.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | Mailchimp monthly | Mailchimp annual | Shopify monthly | Shopify annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free / Basic | 0 | — | 39 | 29 |
| 2 | Essentials / Grow | 13 | — | 105 | 79 |
| 3 | Standard / Advanced | 20 | — | 399 | 299 |
| 4 | Premium / Plus | 350 | — | 2300 | — |
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.
The e-commerce platform that grew from $19/mo startup roots to a $95B market cap public company powering ~10% of all US e-commerce. Positioned as the alternative to running your own e-commerce infrastructure or fighting Amazon's marketplace rules. Distinctive for the 8,000+ app ecosystem plus Shopify Payments (which is where the real margin comes from, on top of $39-$399 subscription). Shopify Plus at $2,300+/mo dominates enterprise e-commerce. Also runs the payment infrastructure for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shopping. Recent 2026 shift raised Basic from $29 to $39 monthly with a new POS Pro add-on at $89/mo per location.
At a glance
| Mailchimp | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Entry price | $13/mo | $39/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | — |
| Last verified | August 30, 2026 | August 30, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified August 30, 2026. Tracked daily.