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    Mailchimp preview

    Mailchimp Reviews, pricing and alternatives 2026

    The essential email marketing tool for small lists.

    From 11.26€/mo.

    Best for
    MarketingContent creatorE-commerce

    Solo / Freelance

    Can work

    Team

    Highly recommended

    What it does
    Email
    Marketing email
    Prospection

    Mailchimp

    ToolTrim Verdict
    3.6/5
    Decent

    As soon as you want to send your first newsletter and you have fewer than 500 contacts.

    Pricing verified on

    Our take

    Understanding Mailchimp.

    Mailchimp is often the first email marketing tool you come across: visual interface, ready-made templates, drag-and-drop editor. To launch a newsletter, send a campaign or automate a few welcome emails, it's simple and reassuring. The free tier up to 500 contacts lets you start without paying anything.

    The problem comes with growth. Pricing is indexed on the number of contacts, and it climbs fast: what seemed affordable at 500 subscribers becomes expensive at a few thousand, especially since Mailchimp also counts unsubscribed contacts on some plans. For many, the value for money degrades beyond a small list.

    Who it suits: someone starting out who wants a simple tool for a modest list. Once you grow or do serious automation, alternatives like Brevo (more generous free tier) or Kit (formerly ConvertKit, built for creators) often offer better value. Mailchimp remains a good starting point, rarely the finish line.

    Practical uses

    • Launch and send a first newsletter
    • Manage a small subscriber listTemplates
    • Automate a few welcome emails
    • Send simple campaigns to a modest audience

    Pros and cons

    What Mailchimp does especially well — and the limits to anticipate.

    Pros

    • Very easy to pick up: visual editor and ready-made templates
    • Free tier up to 500 contacts to get started
    • Well-known brand, many integrations and resources
    • Enough for a first newsletter or a small list

    Cons

    • Pricing climbs fast with the number of contacts
    • Some plans also bill unsubscribed contacts
    • Limited automation compared to more specialized tools
    • Brevo or Kit often offer better value beyond a small list

    Mailchimp: when it makes sense.

    As soon as you want to send your first newsletter and you have fewer than 500 contacts.

    Keep if

    You are launching your first newsletter. You have fewer than 500 subscribers

    Mailchimp becomes worthwhile when
    • You use it at least once a week
    • The monthly cost (€11) is small next to the time it saves you

    Challenge if

    You have +1000 subscribers (becomes expensive, choose GetResponse). You are a content creator (choose ConvertKit)

    Mailchimp becomes too expensive when
    • You use it less than once a month
    • Brevo (free) already covers the essentials for occasional use

    How much does Mailchimp cost?

    Free0 €

    Free up to 500 contacts (1 audience)

    Essentials11.26/mo

    $13/month (Essentials) to $350/month (Premium)

    Official pricing sourceverified on

    Best alternatives to Mailchimp.

    Mailchimp preview
    Mailchimp logo

    MailchimpCurrent

    The essential email marketing tool for small lists.

    3.6ToolTrim score
    Monthly price
    11€
    Free plan
    Included
    Brevo preview
    Brevo logo
    Brevo

    Email marketing, automation, SMS and lightweight CRM for SMBs.

    3.6ToolTrim score
    Monthly price
    9€
    Free plan
    Included
    Kit preview
    Kit logo
    Kit

    Newsletter, forms and automations for creators and independent businesses.

    3.6ToolTrim score
    Monthly price
    25€
    Free plan
    Included
    The AI angle

    Mailchimp vs AI

    AI augments this tool
    Go further with AI

    Mailchimp added an AI content generator to write emails and suggest subject lines, plus automatic send-time optimization. It helps kickstart a campaign, without changing the core product: deliverability and segmentation.

    Can AI replace it?

    Replace Mailchimp with an AI? No: ChatGPT can write an email's copy, but not manage a contact list, deliverability, automations and GDPR compliance. Verdict: AI helps write faster, the email infrastructure stays essential.

    The AIs that matter here

    Mailchimp Summary

    Category
    productivity tool.
    Price from
    11.26€/mo (Essentials).
    Best for
    teams and startups.
    Avoid if
    You have +1000 subscribers (becomes expensive, choose GetResponse); You are a content creator (choose ConvertKit).
    Alternatives
    Brevo, Kit.
    ToolTrim verdict
    As soon as you want to send your first newsletter and you have fewer than 500 contacts.

    Our verdict on Mailchimp.

    Why this verdict

    Decent

    Mailchimp is fairly easy to replace with an alternative, a free tier to test before paying, clearly documented use cases.

    Tool FAQ

    Frequently asked questions about Mailchimp

    Pricing, usage, alternatives, and context: useful answers before adding one more tool to your stack.

    What is Mailchimp used for?

    The essential email marketing tool for small lists.

    How much does Mailchimp cost?

    Mailchimp costs €11.26/month (Essentials plan). Price verified on 2026-06-15.

    Is Mailchimp suitable for beginners?

    Mailchimp is built mainly for teams rather than solo use.

    Is Mailchimp worth the price?

    As soon as you want to send your first newsletter and you have fewer than 500 contacts.

    What are the best alternatives to Mailchimp?

    The main alternatives to Mailchimp are: Brevo, Kit.

    Is there a free alternative to Mailchimp?

    Yes, Brevo is a free alternative to Mailchimp.