Mailchimp
6.6/10Intuit-owned email marketing platform with automation flows, signup forms, segmentation and optional SMS, priced by contact count for small and growing businesses.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
Mailchimp, owned by Intuit since its roughly 12 billion dollar acquisition closed in 2021, is an email marketing platform. It covers campaign building, popup signup forms, automation flows, audience segmentation, reporting, and an optional SMS add-on in select countries. It suits small businesses and marketing teams that want a well-known, template-driven tool they can start using quickly. Pricing is set by contact count. A Free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. Essentials starts at 13 USD a month, Standard at 20 USD and Premium at 350 USD, and prices rise steeply as your list grows. For example, Standard costs about 135 USD a month at 10,000 contacts. Higher tiers add more seats and audiences, generative AI tools, predictive segments, multivariate testing, enterprise SSO and phone support. A pay-as-you-go credit option exists for occasional senders. The main limitation is cost at scale. Unsubscribed and unconfirmed contacts count toward billing for new accounts, going over your plan limit triggers overage fees, and Essentials caps automations at four flow steps. Reviewers also report that support is slow or inconsistent, and the Free plan was cut sharply in early 2026.
Our Rating
Who Mailchimp is best for
Good fit
Low entry prices and an easy template-based editor suit small lists, although costs climb quickly as contacts grow.
Standard and Premium add multiple seats, roles, predictive segments and custom reports for team workflows.
Starting on Essentials or Standard is cheap, but the 2026 Free plan with 250 contacts is now too limited for most startups to grow on.
Less suited
The Free and Essentials plans cover basic newsletters, but the single-user, 500-send free cap is restrictive.
- Mid-Market6/10
Premium adds unlimited seats, SSO and phone support, but starts at 350 USD a month and rises with list size.
Premium offers SSO and onboarding, but contact-based pricing at large volumes and reported support problems limit its appeal for enterprises.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Reviewers on G2 and Capterra often praise the template library and easy navigation, which help non-technical users send campaigns quickly.
- Large review base, with a 4.5 rating on Capterra from more than 17,000 reviews and 4.3 on G2.
- Standard includes up to 200 automation flows, predictive segments and generative AI tools at a low starting price.
- Premium adds enterprise SSO, unlimited seats and dedicated onboarding for larger teams.
Cons
- Costs rise steeply with list size. Premium starts at 350 USD a month, and reviewers rank pricing as the top complaint.
- New accounts are billed for unsubscribed and unconfirmed contacts, and going over the plan limit triggers overage fees.
- In January 2026 the Free plan was cut to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, and automations were removed from it.
- Reviewers on G2 and Capterra say support is slow or inconsistent, especially for integration troubleshooting.
- Essentials limits automation flows to four steps.
Key Features
Mailchimp Pricing
Free
- 1 audience
- Mailchimp branding
- Up to 250 contacts
- Email support for first 30 days
- 500 sends per month, 250 per day
- Limited pre-built templates and popup forms
Essentials
- Branding removal
- Testing and scheduling
- 3 audiences and 2 roles
- 24/7 email and chat support
- Automation flows up to 4 steps
- Starting price for 500 contacts
- Sends up to 10x contacts per month
Standard
- Generative AI tools
- Predictive segments
- 1 onboarding session
- 5 audiences and 4 roles
- Up to 200 automation flows
- Starting price for 500 contacts
- Custom reports and dynamic content
- Sends up to 12x contacts per month
Premium
- Enterprise SSO
- Custom-coded templates
- Phone and priority support
- A/B and multivariate testing
- Dedicated onboarding specialist
- Sends up to 15x contacts per month
- Starting price for 10,000 contacts
- Unlimited seats and audiences, 5 roles
Frequently Asked Questions
It covers up to 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, with a cap of 250 a day. It includes 1 user and 1 audience, limited templates, and Mailchimp branding. Email support is available only for the first 30 days.
Yes, for new users and for accounts moving from Free or pay-as-you-go to a monthly plan, unsubscribed and unconfirmed contacts count toward billing. You can archive contacts to stop paying for them.
Essentials and Standard come with a 14-day trial. Premium offers a one-month trial to qualified customers through sales.
Yes. Pay As You Go credits are an option. According to a third-party review, 5,000 emails cost 200 USD, and credits expire after 12 months.
No. SMS is a paid add-on for Essentials, Standard and Premium in select countries. Credits are bought monthly and unused credits expire.
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