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Kit vs Mailchimp: cost and features compared (2026)
Last verified against official pricing pages · USD, monthly billing, excluding tax
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
Quick answer
- Basic newsletter: Kit is cheaper at every size we checked.
- With automations: Kit is cheaper at 25,000 subscribers; Mailchimp is cheaper at 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 subscribers.
- Paid newsletter: only Kit has a verified option at every size we checked.
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Cost at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | Kit | Mailchimp | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $0 (Free) | $26.50 (Essentials) | Kit by $26.50/mo |
| 5,000 | $0 (Free) | $75 (Essentials) | Kit by $75/mo |
| 10,000 | $0 (Free) | $110 (Essentials) | Kit by $110/mo |
| 25,000 | $199 (Creator) | $270 (Essentials) | Kit by $71/mo |
With automations (welcome sequences, drips)
| Subscribers | Kit | Mailchimp | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $39 (Creator) | $26.50 (Essentials, limited) | Mailchimp by $12.50/mo |
| 5,000 | $89 (Creator) | $75 (Essentials, limited) | Mailchimp by $14/mo |
| 10,000 | $139 (Creator) | $110 (Essentials, limited) | Mailchimp by $29/mo |
| 25,000 | $199 (Creator) | $270 (Essentials, limited) | Kit by $71/mo |
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/mo)
| Subscribers | Kit | Mailchimp | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $29 (Free) | n/a | Kit (only option in our verified data) |
| 5,000 | $145 (Free) | n/a | Kit (only option in our verified data) |
| 10,000 | $290 (Free) | n/a | Kit (only option in our verified data) |
| 25,000 | $924 (Creator) | n/a | Kit (only option in our verified data) |
Switching? Kit → Mailchimp cost · Mailchimp → Kit cost · Best platform for your needs
Cheapest plan on each platform that covers the list size and required features. Paid totals = plan + platform cut + Stripe card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per payment, estimate) + Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee on recurring payments where confirmed (beehiiv, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack and AWeber); not added for GetResponse (not confirmed); Kit's 3.5% + $0.30 is all-in. How we model fees. "limited" = feature is capped on that plan. Run your exact numbers →
Key differences
| Kit | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | free up to 10,000 subscribers | free up to 250 subscribers |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction (processing included) | not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages) |
| Cheapest plan with automations | Creator (from $39/mo) | Standard (from $20/mo) |
| Cheapest plan with own domain | Free (free) | not verified |
| Cheapest plan without platform branding | Creator (from $39/mo) | Essentials (from $13/mo) |
| Plans | Free, Creator, Pro | Free, Essentials, Standard, Premium |
| Prices verified | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-20 |
Who each is best for
Kit is best for
Creators who sell digital products and rely on automations and sequences — or who want a free plan for a list up to 10,000.
- Free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, but without visual automations or sequences, and Kit branding stays on. source
- Creator plan includes unlimited visual automations and sequences; Pro adds deliverability reporting and a referral system. source
- Charges 3.5% + 30¢ per paid-subscription transaction, inclusive of card processing. source
Mailchimp is best for
Small businesses that want an all-round email marketing tool with automation flows (Standard and up) and are fine with contact-based pricing and overage billing.
- Priced by stored contacts (the peak in each billing period); each tier includes a monthly send limit of 10× (Essentials), 12× (Standard) or 15× (Premium) your contacts. source
- Going over the contact or send limit on a paid plan adds overage charges rather than pausing sending. source
- Free plan: 250 contacts and 500 emails/month (250/day), no automation flows, Mailchimp branding stays. source
- Annual billing is only available through sales (Standard and Premium, 10,000+ contacts). On 2026-10-20 the page offered 15% off the first 12 months at 10,000+ contacts. source
FAQ
Is Kit cheaper than Mailchimp?
It depends on your list and needs. In our data (monthly billing, 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 subscribers): basic newsletter — Kit is cheaper at every size we checked. With automations — Kit is cheaper at 25,000 subscribers; Mailchimp is cheaper at 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 subscribers. Paid newsletter — only Kit has a verified option at every size we checked. Prices verified 2026-10-20.
Which has the bigger free plan, Kit or Mailchimp?
Kit: free up to 10,000 subscribers. Mailchimp: free up to 250 subscribers. Free plans have feature limits — see the comparison table.
Do Kit and Mailchimp take a cut of paid subscriptions?
Kit: 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction (processing included). Mailchimp: not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages).
What do Kit and Mailchimp cost at 10,000 subscribers?
On monthly billing, a basic newsletter costs $0/mo on Kit Free and $110/mo on Mailchimp Essentials. With automations: $139/mo (Kit Creator) vs $110/mo (Mailchimp Essentials).
Sources
- Kit pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Mailchimp pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Mailchimp: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/compare-plans/
- Mailchimp: mailchimp.com/help/about-additional-charges/
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
More comparisons: beehiiv vs Kit · beehiiv vs Substack · Kit vs MailerLite · beehiiv vs MailerLite · Substack vs Ghost · Mailchimp vs MailerLite · Brevo vs MailerLite · Brevo vs Mailchimp · AWeber vs MailerLite · AWeber vs Mailchimp · AWeber vs Kit · Constant Contact vs Mailchimp · Constant Contact vs MailerLite · AWeber vs Constant Contact · ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp · GetResponse vs Mailchimp · ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse · GetResponse vs MailerLite · beehiiv vs Ghost · Kit vs Substack · beehiiv vs Mailchimp · Kit vs Ghost · Substack vs MailerLite · Ghost vs MailerLite · beehiiv vs AWeber · Substack vs Mailchimp · AWeber vs Substack · AWeber vs Ghost · Ghost vs Mailchimp · all comparisons · Cheapest for 500, 1k, 2.5k, 5k, 10k, 25k subscribers · Best for: paid newsletters, beginners, small business, creators, nonprofits · Alternatives to Substack, Mailchimp, beehiiv, Kit
Guides: Is beehiiv worth it in 2026 · beehiiv Free plan (2026) · AWeber Free plan (2026)
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Recently flagged: Kit: 25% off the first year of Pro on annual billing (limited-time offer) (20 Oct 2026) · beehiiv renames plans and raises prices (Scale → Lite, Max → Pro) (1 Oct 2026)