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Mailchimp price increase 2026: what actually changed (archived pricing pages)
Last verified against official pricing pages · published 20 Oct 2026
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.
Mailchimp's paid starting prices haven't moved in the archived copies of its pricing page we read (1 Oct 2023 to 1 Jul 2025), and they match our 20 Oct 2026 check: Essentials from $13, Standard from $20, Premium from $350 a month. The free plan is what shrank: 1,000 → 500 emails a month and 500 → 250 contacts. If your Mailchimp costs went up without a price change, the smaller free plan is the first thing to check.
What changed, with dates
- Free plan sends: 1,000 → 500 a month, between the 1 Dec 2025 and 1 Jan 2026 captures.
- Free plan contacts: 500 → 250, between the 1 Jul 2025 and 1 Apr 2026 captures (no clear capture in between).
- Paid starting prices (Essentials, Standard, Premium): unchanged in every capture.
| Captured | Plan | What the official page showed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | from $13/mo | archived copy | |
| Free | free plan: 1,000 emails/mo | archived copy | |
| Premium | from $350/mo | archived copy | |
| Standard | from $20/mo | archived copy | |
| Essentials | from $13/mo, for 500 contacts | archived copy | |
| Free | free up to 500 subscribers | archived copy | |
| Free | free plan: 1,000 emails/mo | archived copy | |
| Premium | from $350/mo, for 10,000 contacts | archived copy | |
| Standard | from $20/mo, for 500 contacts | archived copy | |
| Essentials | from $13/mo, for 500 contacts | archived copy | |
| Free | free up to 500 subscribers | archived copy | |
| Free | free plan: 1,000 emails/mo | archived copy | |
| Premium | from $350/mo, for 10,000 contacts | archived copy | |
| Standard | from $20/mo, for 500 contacts | archived copy | |
| Free | free plan: 1,000 emails/mo | archived copy | |
| Free | free plan: 1,000 emails/mo | archived copy | |
| Free | free plan: 1,000 emails/mo | archived copy | |
| Free | free plan: 500 emails/mo | archived copy | |
| Free | free plan: 500 emails/mo | archived copy | |
| Free | free up to 250 subscribers | archived copy | |
| Free | free plan: 500 emails/mo | archived copy | |
| Free | free up to 250 subscribers | archived copy | |
| Free | free plan: 500 emails/mo | archived copy |
Read by hand from Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) copies of the official page, kept separate from our own dated checks. All values: how newsletter platform prices changed 2023–2026 · JSON.
Starting prices are for the smallest tier (500 contacts; Premium 10,000). Archived pages show the "from" price only, so larger tiers may have moved without the headline changing. Our own dated checks of every tier start in October 2026: price changes log.
What Mailchimp costs today
| Contacts up to | Essentials | Standard | Cheapest tracked, basic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $13 | $20 | beehiiv $0 Free |
| 1,500 | $26.50 | $45 | beehiiv $0 Free |
| 2,500 | $45 | $60 | beehiiv $0 Free |
| 5,000 | $75 | $100 | Kit $0 Free |
| 10,000 | $110 | $135 | Kit $0 Free |
Per month, monthly billing. Source: Mailchimp pricing, checked 2026-10-20.
More: Mailchimp Free plan limits · how much Mailchimp costs · Mailchimp alternatives · Mailchimp to MailerLite · Mailchimp to beehiiv · all platforms' price changes
FAQ
Did Mailchimp raise its prices in 2026?
Not its paid starting prices. Archived copies of Mailchimp's pricing page from 1 Oct 2023 to 1 Jul 2025 show Essentials from $13, Standard from $20 and Premium from $350 a month, the same as our check on 20 Oct 2026. The free plan is what changed.
What changed on Mailchimp's free plan?
Monthly sends fell from 1,000 to 500 between the 1 Dec 2025 and 1 Jan 2026 captures, and the contact limit fell from 500 to 250 between the 1 Jul 2025 and 1 Apr 2026 captures.
Why does Mailchimp feel expensive?
It prices by stored contacts, and its tiers rise quickly: Standard is $135/month at 10,000 contacts in our data. Platforms priced by subscriber, or with flat pricing, are often cheaper at the same size.
What is cheaper than Mailchimp?
See our Mailchimp alternatives page: it ranks every tracked platform by real monthly cost at 1,000 to 25,000 subscribers.
Related guides: How much does Mailchimp cost? Per month, per year and per contact (2026) · Mailchimp Free plan limits (2026) · Mailchimp to MailerLite migration · Brevo Free plan limits (2026) · Mailchimp to beehiiv migration · How newsletter platform prices changed 2023–2026 (from archived pricing pages) · MailerLite Free plan (2026) · Is Constant Contact free? No free plan, a free trial, then from $12 a month · all guides
Comparisons: Mailchimp vs MailerLite · Brevo vs MailerLite · Brevo vs Mailchimp · Sender vs MailerLite · Sender vs Mailchimp · Sender vs Brevo · Cheapest for 500, 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000 subscribers
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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)