Mailchimp vs Sprout Social — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo. Sprout Social starts at $249/mo. Mailchimp is $236/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Sprout Social.
See price history: Mailchimp · Sprout Social
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Mailchimp (Per Usage) — Mailchimp bills on usage — contacts on top of a paid plan starting at $13/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.
- Sprout Social (Unknown model) — Sprout Social bills on a fixed plan from $249/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
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.
Social media management platform positioned as the modern, marketer-friendly alternative to Hootsuite — known for its polished UI + better analytics + Salesforce/Zendesk-tier support integrations. Distinctive for its Smart Inbox (unified message queue) and best-in-class reporting used by 34,000+ brands. Priced $199-$499/user/mo across Standard/Professional/Advanced tiers plus custom Enterprise. Public since 2019 (NASDAQ: SPT), $1.5B market cap. Acquired Tagger (influencer marketing) in 2023 and Repustate (AI/sentiment analysis) in 2022.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Mailchimp monthly | Mailchimp annual | Sprout Social monthly | Sprout Social annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free / — | Free | — | — | — |
| Entry paid | Essentials / Standard | $13 | — | $249 | $199 |
| Mid tier | Standard / Professional | $20 | — | $399 | $299 |
| Pro / power | Premium / Advanced | $350 | — | $599 | $499 |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Mailchimp is worth it if… SMBs and solo creators who want email marketing + light e-commerce + landing pages — the household-name option with generous templates and easy setup. Free covers up to 500 contacts; Essentials adds automations; Standard adds journeys and A/B testing; Premium adds advanced segmentation.
Sprout Social is worth it if… marketing teams (5-100 people) that treat social as a revenue channel and want modern UI + deep analytics + CRM integrations — particularly if Hootsuite feels dated. Standard covers small teams (5 profiles); Professional adds unlimited profiles + competitive reports; Advanced adds chatbots + sentiment analysis; Enterprise adds SSO and advanced permissions.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Mailchimp over Sprout Social if…
Choose Mailchimp if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $13/mo).
- You match the profile Mailchimp is built for: SMBs and solo creators who want email marketing + light e-commerce + landing pages — the household-name option with generous templates and easy setup.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Sprout Social if…
- You're comfortable with Sprout Social's from $249/mo entry point.
- You match the profile Sprout Social is built for: marketing teams (5-100 people) that treat social as a revenue channel and want modern UI + deep analytics + CRM integrations — particularly if Hootsuite feels dated.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Mailchimp | Sprout Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Entry price | $13/mo | $249/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | — |
| Verification | Pricing under review | Pricing under review |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 28, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
See other alternatives in Marketing & Email
Explore more alternatives
Common questions about Mailchimp and Sprout Social
- How much does Mailchimp cost in 2026?
- Does Mailchimp have a free plan?
- How often does Mailchimp change prices?
- What are the best Mailchimp alternatives in 2026?
- How much does Sprout Social cost in 2026?
- Does Sprout Social have a free plan?
- How often does Sprout Social change prices?
- What are the best Sprout Social alternatives in 2026?