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Mailchimp vs MailerLite: 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: MailerLite is cheaper at every size we checked.
- With automations: MailerLite is cheaper at every size we checked.
- Paid newsletter: MailerLite is cheaper at every size we checked.
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Cost at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | Mailchimp | MailerLite | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $26.50 (Essentials) | $19 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $7.50/mo |
| 5,000 | $75 (Essentials) | $49 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $26/mo |
| 10,000 | $110 (Essentials) | $89 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $21/mo |
| 25,000 | $270 (Essentials) | $179 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $91/mo |
With automations (welcome sequences, drips)
| Subscribers | Mailchimp | MailerLite | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $26.50 (Essentials, limited) | $19 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $7.50/mo |
| 5,000 | $75 (Essentials, limited) | $49 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $26/mo |
| 10,000 | $110 (Essentials, limited) | $89 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $21/mo |
| 25,000 | $270 (Essentials, limited) | $179 (Comfort) | MailerLite by $91/mo |
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/mo)
| Subscribers | Mailchimp | MailerLite | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | n/a | $45.60 (Comfort) | MailerLite |
| 5,000 | n/a | $182 (Comfort) | MailerLite |
| 10,000 | n/a | $355 (Comfort) | MailerLite |
| 25,000 | n/a | $844 (Comfort) | MailerLite |
Switching? Mailchimp → MailerLite cost · MailerLite → Mailchimp cost · Best platform for your needs
Cheapest plan on each platform that covers the list size and required features. Paid-newsletter totals include the plan, any platform cut and estimated card processing (Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 per payment; Kit's all-in fee instead). "limited" = feature is capped on that plan. Run your exact numbers →
Key differences
| Mailchimp | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | free up to 250 subscribers | free up to 250 subscribers |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages) | 0% platform cut + Stripe fees |
| Cheapest plan with automations | Standard (from $20/mo) | Comfort (from $12/mo) |
| Cheapest plan with own domain | not verified | Comfort (from $12/mo) |
| Cheapest plan without platform branding | Essentials (from $13/mo) | Comfort (from $12/mo) |
| Plans | Free, Essentials, Standard, Premium | Free, Comfort, Power |
| Prices verified | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-20 |
Who each is best for
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
MailerLite is best for
Budget-conscious senders who want automations, landing pages and their own domain at a low monthly price.
FAQ
Is Mailchimp cheaper than MailerLite?
It depends on your list and needs. In our data (monthly billing, 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 subscribers): basic newsletter — MailerLite is cheaper at every size we checked. With automations — MailerLite is cheaper at every size we checked. Paid newsletter — MailerLite is cheaper at every size we checked. Prices verified 2026-10-20.
Which has the bigger free plan, Mailchimp or MailerLite?
Mailchimp: free up to 250 subscribers. MailerLite: free up to 250 subscribers. Free plans have feature limits — see the comparison table.
Do Mailchimp and MailerLite take a cut of paid subscriptions?
Mailchimp: not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages). MailerLite: 0% platform cut + Stripe fees.
What do Mailchimp and MailerLite cost at 10,000 subscribers?
On monthly billing, a basic newsletter costs $110/mo on Mailchimp Essentials and $89/mo on MailerLite Comfort. With automations: $110/mo (Mailchimp Essentials) vs $89/mo (MailerLite Comfort).
Sources
- Mailchimp pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Mailchimp: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/compare-plans/
- Mailchimp: mailchimp.com/help/about-additional-charges/
- MailerLite pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- MailerLite: paid subscriptions
- MailerLite: mailerlite.com/substack-alternative
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
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