rapidmail vs Mailchimp: Cost and Features Compared (2026)
Last verified against official pricing pages
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.
Two currencies. rapidmail publishes prices in euros, Mailchimp in US dollars. We show every price as published. The ≈ figures convert euros at the ECB reference rate on 20 Oct 2026 (€1 = $1.1215) and are approximate; the "Cheaper" column compares on that converted basis. Euro prices exclude VAT; US dollar prices exclude tax.
Short answer
- Basic newsletter (no automations): rapidmail is cheaper at every size we checked (compared on the converted ≈ figure).
- With automations: rapidmail is cheaper at every size we checked (compared on the converted ≈ figure).
- Paid newsletter: neither has built-in paid subscriptions in our data.
Visit rapidmail Visit Mailchimp
Cost at 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | rapidmail | Mailchimp | Cheaper (≈) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | €20 (Essential) ≈ $22.43 | $26.50 (Essentials) | rapidmail (≈ $4.07/mo less) |
| 5,000 | €55 (Essential) ≈ $61.68 | $75 (Essentials) | rapidmail (≈ $13.32/mo less) |
| 10,000 | €92.50 (Essential) ≈ $103.74 | $110 (Essentials) | rapidmail (≈ $6.26/mo less) |
| 25,000 | €171 (Essential) ≈ $191.78 | $270 (Essentials) | rapidmail (≈ $78.22/mo less) |
With automations
| Subscribers | rapidmail | Mailchimp | Cheaper (≈) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | €20 (Essential, limited) ≈ $22.43 | $26.50 (Essentials, limited) | rapidmail (≈ $4.07/mo less) |
| 5,000 | €55 (Essential, limited) ≈ $61.68 | $75 (Essentials, limited) | rapidmail (≈ $13.32/mo less) |
| 10,000 | €92.50 (Essential, limited) ≈ $103.74 | $110 (Essentials, limited) | rapidmail (≈ $6.26/mo less) |
| 25,000 | €171 (Essential, limited) ≈ $191.78 | $270 (Essentials, limited) | rapidmail (≈ $78.22/mo less) |
Cheapest fitting plan on each platform, monthly billing. "limited" = the feature is capped on that plan (e.g. a single automation). ≈ = converted at the ECB reference rate on 20 Oct 2026 (€1 = $1.1215), for orientation only.
Key differences
| rapidmail | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Price currency | Euros, excl. VAT (business customers only) | US dollars, excl. tax |
| Free plan | No (first mailing to up to 2,000 contacts is free) | Up to 250 subscribers |
| Unlimited automations from | Unlimited (from €35/mo) | Standard (from $20/mo) |
| No platform branding from | Not verified | Essentials (from $13/mo) |
| Paid subscriptions | Not offered | Not verified |
| Annual billing | No annual price published | No annual price published |
| Plans | Essential, Performance, Unlimited | Free, Essentials, Standard, Premium |
| Prices checked | 20 Oct 2026 | 20 Oct 2026 |
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Who each one suits
Who rapidmail suits
German businesses that want simple monthly pricing with unlimited mailings, servers in Germany and a pay-per-send option for occasional newsletters.
- There is no free plan: the first mailing to up to 2,000 contacts is free, and lists of up to 10 contacts can always be emailed for free. Source
- Billing counts active contacts on the billing date, including contacts emailed in the period who then unsubscribed or were deleted; duplicates across lists count once. Source
- Automations are capped by plan: 1 on Essential, 5 on Performance, unlimited on Unlimited. Source
- Prices are in euros excluding VAT, monthly and cancellable each month; rapidmail says all its servers are in Germany. Source
Who Mailchimp suits
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
Frequently asked questions
Is rapidmail cheaper than Mailchimp?
On monthly billing (1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers; compared on the converted ≈ figure): for a basic newsletter, rapidmail is cheaper at every size we checked. With automations, rapidmail is cheaper at every size we checked. Prices checked 20 Oct 2026.
What do rapidmail and Mailchimp cost for 10,000 subscribers with automations?
rapidmail: €92.50/mo (Essential), ≈ $103.74. Mailchimp: $110/mo (Essentials). Monthly billing.
Do rapidmail and Mailchimp have a free plan?
rapidmail: No (first mailing to up to 2,000 contacts is free). Mailchimp: Up to 250 subscribers.
Why are the prices in euros and US dollars?
We show each price in the currency the platform publishes it in. The ≈ figures are converted at the ECB reference rate on 20 Oct 2026 (€1 = $1.1215) and are approximate; what you actually pay depends on the exchange rate, your payment method and VAT.
Sources
- rapidmail: pricing (20 Oct 2026)
- Mailchimp: pricing (20 Oct 2026)
- ECB reference rate (20 Oct 2026)
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