13 Best Mailchimp Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)
What is Mailchimp — and why do people leave?
Mailchimp
Automate your marketing, reach your people. Email marketing platform owned by Intuit since 2021.
Mailchimp is one of the most recognizable email marketing platforms in the world: campaigns, automations, landing pages, and a large integration catalog under one roof. It's still a capable product — but since Intuit acquired it for $12B in 2021, the pricing story has changed, and that's what sends most people here.
- You pay for unsubscribed contacts. Mailchimp counts subscribed, unsubscribed, and non-subscribed contacts toward your billing tier unless you archive them one by one. Most alternatives on this page simply don't bill unsubscribed contacts.
- Repeated price increases. Paid plans rose roughly 20–30% between 2022 and 2024, with further hikes since — including increases for legacy grandfathered accounts in 2026.
- The free plan keeps shrinking. It once covered 2,000 contacts; it was cut to 500 contacts in 2023 and new accounts now get as little as 250 contacts and 500 sends per month, with support limited to the first 30 days.
- Send limits on every plan. Unlike several alternatives with unlimited sending, Mailchimp caps monthly sends at roughly 10–12× your contact count depending on the plan.
How we picked these Mailchimp alternatives
We compared each tool on the things people actually leave Mailchimp over: real monthly pricing at 500, 2,500 and 10,000 contacts, free plan generosity, whether unsubscribed contacts count toward your bill, send limits, and automation depth. All prices below are USD, monthly billing, verified on the vendors' official pricing pages in July 2026. Several tools on this list are launched and reviewed by makers on Uneed; inclusion and ranking are editorial and not paid.
Top Mailchimp Alternatives
Here are the 13 best alternatives to Mailchimp in 2026, ranked by overall value for a typical small business or creator moving off Mailchimp.
1. MailerLite
The most popular direct Mailchimp replacement: drag-and-drop campaigns, automation, landing pages, and websites with a cleaner interface and consistently lower prices.
The default answer to "what should I switch to?". Same job as Mailchimp, 20–30% cheaper at every tier, and unsubscribed or bounced contacts never count toward your bill.
- Cheaper than Mailchimp at every list size ($89 vs $110+ at 10k contacts)
- Never bills unsubscribed or bounced contacts
- Automation included on the free plan
- Modern, genuinely easy editor
- Free plan was cut in June 2026 (250 subs, 2,500 emails/mo)
- Approval process for new accounts can take a day
- 24/7 live chat only on the Power plan
2. Brevo
The all-in-one marketing and CRM platform (formerly Sendinblue): email, SMS, WhatsApp, transactional email, and a built-in sales CRM — priced by emails sent, not contacts stored.
The pricing model outlier: unlimited contact storage on every plan, including free. A 10,000-contact list that sends one newsletter a month costs around $19 — versus $110+ on Mailchimp.
- Pay per email sent — contacts are always unlimited
- Free plan sends 300 emails/day
- SMS, WhatsApp, and transactional email built in
- Included CRM replaces a separate sales tool
- Daily (not monthly) cap on the free plan
- Email editor less polished than MailerLite
- Advanced automation and A/B testing gated to the Business plan
3. Kit
The email-first operating system for creators (formerly ConvertKit): broadcasts, sequences, paid newsletters, digital product sales, and the Creator Network for cross-promotion.
The free plan is the headline: up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends — 40× Mailchimp's free contact limit. Monetization (paid newsletters, products, tip jars) is native, not bolted on.
- Free up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends
- Creator Network drives real subscriber growth
- Built-in paid newsletters and digital product sales
- Tag-based subscriber model beats rigid lists
- Paid plans are pricey ($39/mo at 1,000 subs)
- Free plan limited to 1 sequence and 1 automation
- Email templates are deliberately minimal
4. Klaviyo
The ecommerce email and SMS platform: deep Shopify/WooCommerce data sync, predictive analytics, and revenue attribution on every flow and campaign.
For online stores, nothing on this page touches Klaviyo's data model — every abandoned cart, browse event, and LTV prediction is usable in segments. You pay for that power at scale.
- Best-in-class Shopify integration and store data sync
- Revenue attribution on every email and flow
- Predictive analytics (churn risk, expected LTV)
- SMS in the same flows
- Gets expensive fast ($150/mo at 10k profiles)
- All emailable profiles count toward billing since 2025
- Overkill outside ecommerce
5. Omnisend
Ecommerce marketing automation combining email, SMS, and web push in the same workflows, with pre-built cart-abandonment and post-purchase flows.
The value pick for ecommerce: most of Klaviyo's job at roughly the price of Mailchimp, with 24/7 live support on every plan — including the free one.
- Email + SMS + web push in one workflow builder
- Pre-built ecommerce automation recipes
- 24/7 live support on all plans, free included
- Doesn't bill unsubscribed contacts
- Free plan capped at 250 contacts / 500 emails
- Weaker outside ecommerce use cases
- Standard plan caps sends at 12× contacts
6. ActiveCampaign
Marketing automation with the deepest workflow builder in this list — branching logic, lead scoring, site tracking, automation A/B tests — plus a native sales CRM.
Where "email tool" ends and "automation platform" begins. If your growth depends on sophisticated behavioral journeys rather than newsletters, this is the upgrade — at a real price premium.
- Most powerful automation builder of any tool here
- Native CRM and lead scoring
- Excellent deliverability track record
- Only active contacts count toward billing
- No free plan (14-day trial only)
- Expensive at scale ($189/mo at 10k contacts)
- Steeper learning curve than anything else on this page
7. Moosend
A straightforward, aggressively priced email platform: one Pro plan with everything included — automation, landing pages, forms, transactional SMTP — and unlimited sends.
No feature-gating games: a single plan with unlimited emails at $88/mo for 10,000 contacts, where Mailchimp Standard runs $135 with send caps. The trade-off is a smaller ecosystem.
- Unlimited email sends on every paid plan
- All features in one plan — no tier upsells
- Among the cheapest at every list size
- Capable automation for the price
- No free plan (30-day trial, then locked)
- Fewer integrations than Mailchimp
- Template selection is limited
8. beehiiv
The newsletter platform built by former Morning Brew engineers: publishing, referral program, ad network, paid subscriptions with 0% platform fee, and Boosts for paid growth.
If your "email marketing" is really a newsletter business, beehiiv replaces Mailchimp and Substack at once — free up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, and it takes no cut of paid subscriptions.
- Free up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends
- 0% fee on paid subscriptions
- Ad Network and Boosts monetize your list
- Built-in referral program and web publication
- Newsletter-focused — not a general marketing tool
- No automations on the free plan
- Paid plans jump to $49/mo quickly
9. Sender
A no-frills email and SMS platform with one of the most generous free plans in the industry: 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails per month, automation included.
The free plan alone covers what Mailchimp charges ~$45/month for. Paid tiers stay cheap ($57/mo at 10,000 contacts), making Sender the quiet bargain of this list.
- Free: 2,500 subscribers / 15,000 emails per month
- Automation available on the free plan
- SMS campaigns on paid plans
- Very cheap paid tiers
- Sender branding on free-plan emails
- Basic landing page/form builder
- Smaller template and integration library
10. EmailOctopus
Minimalist email marketing at rock-bottom prices: campaigns, simple automation, landing pages, and a free plan covering 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month.
The cheapest credible option at scale — $44.50/mo for 10,000 contacts is roughly a third of Mailchimp Standard. You give up advanced automation; you keep everything a newsletter actually needs.
- Cheapest at 10k contacts ($44.50/mo)
- Free: 2,500 subscribers / 10,000 emails
- Unsubscribed contacts never billed
- Clean, simple interface
- Automation is basic (simple sequences)
- Reports kept only 30 days on the free plan
- Duplicates across lists count twice
11. GetResponse
A veteran all-in-one marketing suite: email, unlimited sends on paid plans, plus webinars, a course creator, and conversion funnels Mailchimp simply doesn't offer.
The differentiator is channel breadth — it's the only tool here with native webinars and online courses, which can replace two extra subscriptions for coaches and educators.
- Unlimited monthly sends on all paid plans
- Native webinars and course creator
- Free plan: 500 contacts / 2,500 emails
- Conversion funnel templates
- Interface feels dated in places
- Best features live in higher tiers
- Paid tiers start at 1,000 contacts
12. Constant Contact
A long-running small-business platform with strong event management (invitations, registrations, RSVPs), social tools, and live phone support on every plan.
The pick for local businesses, nonprofits, and anyone who runs events — event campaigns are native, and you can call a human for help on any plan, something Mailchimp dropped years ago.
- Built-in event management and RSVPs
- Live phone support on all plans
- Nonprofit discounts up to 30%
- Only active contacts are billed
- No free plan (14-day trial)
- Automation is simpler than most rivals
- Gets pricey at scale ($120/mo at 10k, Lite)
13. AWeber
One of the original email marketing tools (since 1998), refreshed with a free plan, landing pages, and 24/7 human support — including on the free tier.
The dependable veteran: nothing flashy, but honest pricing (unsubscribes never billed since 2024), a usable free plan, and round-the-clock human support at every level.
- 24/7 human support on all plans, free included
- Unsubscribed contacts not billed
- Free plan: 500 subscribers / 3,000 emails
- Huge template library
- Editor feels older than MailerLite or Kit
- Lite plan limits you to 3 automations
- Less capable segmentation
Mailchimp Alternatives: Pricing Comparison (2026)
Monthly billing, USD, entry-level paid plan of each platform, verified July 2026. Mailchimp (Essentials) is included as the baseline. "Bills unsubscribed?" tells you whether contacts who opt out still count toward what you pay — Mailchimp's most criticized policy.
| Tool | Free plan | 500 contacts | 2,500 contacts | 10,000 contacts | Bills unsubscribed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | 250 contacts / 500 emails | $13 (Essentials) | $45 | $110 | Yes |
| MailerLite | 250 subs / 2,500 emails | $12 | $33 | $89 | No |
| Brevo | Unlimited contacts / 300 emails per day | $9 | $9–19 | $19–29 (by volume) | No |
| Kit | 10,000 subs / unlimited sends | $39 | $59 | $139 | Partly |
| Klaviyo | 250 profiles / 500 emails | $20 | $60 | $150 | Partly |
| Omnisend | 250 contacts / 500 emails | $16 | ~$25–59 | $132 | No |
| ActiveCampaign | No free plan (trial) | $19 (1k min) | $49 | $189 | No |
| Moosend | No free plan (trial) | $9 | $32 | $88 | n/a |
| beehiiv | 2,500 subs / unlimited sends | $0 | $0 | $109 (Scale) | No |
| Sender | 2,500 subs / 15,000 emails | $0 | $19 | $57 | No |
| EmailOctopus | 2,500 subs / 10,000 emails | $10 | $20 | $44.50 | No |
| GetResponse | 500 contacts / 2,500 emails | $19 (1k min) | $29 | $79 | n/a |
| Constant Contact | No free plan (trial) | $12 | $50 | $120 | No |
| AWeber | 500 subs / 3,000 emails | $15 | $35 | $100 | No |
Brevo prices by email volume with unlimited contact storage, so its cost barely changes with list size. ActiveCampaign and GetResponse start at 1,000-contact tiers (shown at 500). Klaviyo counts all emailable profiles since its 2025 billing change. Annual billing is typically 10–20% cheaper everywhere.
Feature Comparison
| Tool | Unlimited sends | SMS | Standout feature | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | Best price-to-polish ratio | Small businesses switching from Mailchimp | ||
| Brevo | Pays per email, not per contact | Big lists with light sending volume | ||
| Kit | Creator monetization built in | Creators & newsletter writers | ||
| Klaviyo | Deep ecommerce data & attribution | Ecommerce stores (Shopify) | ||
| Omnisend | Klaviyo features at Mailchimp prices | Ecommerce on a budget | ||
| ActiveCampaign | Deepest automation & CRM | Automation-heavy B2B & SaaS | ||
| Moosend | Unlimited sends, single plan | Budget-conscious senders | ||
| beehiiv | Newsletter monetization stack | Newsletter businesses | ||
| Sender | Most generous free plan (with automation) | Tight budgets & side projects | ||
| EmailOctopus | Lowest cost per subscriber | Cheapest at scale | ||
| GetResponse | Webinars & courses included | Coaches & course creators | ||
| Constant Contact | Events & phone support | Local businesses & nonprofits | ||
| AWeber | 24/7 human support, even free | Simple lists with human support |
Which Mailchimp alternative should you choose?
- You want Mailchimp, but cheaper and fairer: MailerLite is the classic upgrade path — a similar drag-and-drop experience at roughly 20–30% less, without billing unsubscribed contacts.
- You have a big list but send rarely: Brevo charges per email sent, not per contact — a 10,000-contact list that sends one campaign a month can cost under $20/mo.
- You're a creator or newsletter writer: Kit (free up to 10,000 subscribers) and beehiiv (free up to 2,500, with built-in monetization) are built for you.
- You run an ecommerce store: Klaviyo for deep Shopify data and revenue attribution, or Omnisend for the same job at a lower price.
- Automation is your priority: ActiveCampaign has the deepest workflow builder of anything on this page.
- Budget above all: EmailOctopus ($44.50/mo at 10,000 contacts), Sender, and Moosend are the cheapest credible options.
How to migrate away from Mailchimp
Switching takes an afternoon for most small lists. The rough checklist:
- Export your audience: in Mailchimp, go to Audience → All contacts → Export audience. You'll get CSVs including subscriber status and tags. Export your unsubscribes too — you must import them as suppressed on the new platform to stay compliant.
- Export campaign templates and automation notes: templates rarely transfer cleanly; plan to rebuild your welcome flow in the new editor (most tools ship Mailchimp-import wizards — MailerLite, Brevo, Kit, and EmailOctopus all have one).
- Import and map fields: upload the CSV, map merge tags (FNAME, LNAME…) to the new platform's fields, and re-create your key segments.
- Set up domain authentication: add the new platform's SPF/DKIM/DMARC records to your DNS before the first send — deliverability depends on it far more than on which tool you pick.
- Rebuild forms and update integrations: swap embedded signup forms and reconnect Zapier/website integrations, then send a test campaign to a seed list.
- Warm up gradually if your list is large: above ~20k contacts, ramp sending volume over 1–2 weeks so inbox providers learn the new sending domain/IP.
Our verdict: the best Mailchimp alternative
For most small businesses, MailerLite is the safest switch: the same job as Mailchimp with a friendlier editor, lower prices at every tier, and no billing of unsubscribed contacts. If your list is large and your sending light, Brevo's pay-per-email model is the biggest money saver on this page. Creators should go straight to Kit or beehiiv, and ecommerce stores to Klaviyo or Omnisend. Mailchimp itself remains fine if you're deep in its integrations — but at 2,500+ contacts you're almost certainly overpaying for what you use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free alternative to Mailchimp?
Kit has the most generous free plan by far — up to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited sends, versus Mailchimp's 250 contacts and 500 emails per month. Sender (2,500 subscribers / 15,000 emails, automation included), EmailOctopus (2,500 / 10,000), and beehiiv (2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends) are the next best free options. Brevo is different but notable: unlimited contact storage with 300 free emails per day.
What is the cheapest Mailchimp alternative?
At 10,000 contacts, EmailOctopus is the cheapest credible option at $44.50/month, followed by Sender ($57) and GetResponse ($79) — versus $110–135 for Mailchimp. If you have a large list but send infrequently, Brevo can be even cheaper since it charges per email sent (around $19/month for 20,000 emails) with unlimited contact storage.
Does Mailchimp charge for unsubscribed contacts?
Yes. Mailchimp counts subscribed, unsubscribed, and non-subscribed contacts toward your billing tier — you have to archive them manually to stop paying for them. Most alternatives on this page (MailerLite, Brevo, Sender, EmailOctopus, AWeber, Omnisend, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact) only bill active subscribers.
What is the best Mailchimp alternative for ecommerce?
Klaviyo is the strongest for ecommerce thanks to its deep Shopify and WooCommerce integration, predictive analytics, and revenue attribution. Omnisend covers most of the same ground — email, SMS, and web push in one workflow — at a significantly lower price, and offers 24/7 live support on every plan including the free one.
What is the best Mailchimp alternative for creators and newsletters?
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) for creators selling products or running sequences — its free plan covers 10,000 subscribers and monetization is built in. beehiiv for newsletter-first businesses: unlimited sends on every plan, a referral program, an ad network, and paid subscriptions with a 0% platform fee.
Is there an open source alternative to Mailchimp?
Yes. Listmonk is a popular self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager (single binary, PostgreSQL), Mautic is a full self-hosted marketing automation platform, and Keila is a newer open source newsletter tool. You'll need your own SMTP provider (like Amazon SES) and a server, but costs can drop to a few dollars per month for very large lists.
Is Mailchimp still worth it in 2026?
Mailchimp remains a polished product with a huge integration catalog, and if you're on a legacy plan or rely on specific integrations it can still make sense. But for new projects it's hard to justify: the free plan is now among the smallest in the industry, unsubscribed contacts count toward your bill, and equivalent (or better) tools cost 30–70% less at every list size.
What is the easiest Mailchimp alternative to migrate to?
MailerLite, Brevo, Kit, and EmailOctopus all ship dedicated Mailchimp import wizards that pull in subscribers, tags, and in some cases templates automatically. In practice a small list (under 10,000 contacts) can be fully migrated — including domain authentication and rebuilt signup forms — in an afternoon.
What happened to Sendinblue and ConvertKit?
They rebranded. Sendinblue became Brevo in 2023, and ConvertKit became Kit in 2024. Both are the same products under new names, and both remain among the most recommended Mailchimp alternatives.