Mailchimp Pricing Calculator 2026
Estimate your real Mailchimp monthly cost based on your contact list size — then see how much you could save by switching to a cheaper alternative.
How Mailchimp Pricing Works
Mailchimp charges based on the number of contacts in your account — not emails sent. This means even inactive subscribers count toward your bill. Plans are tiered: Essentials, Standard, and Premium.
- Free plan: 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month — no automation
- Essentials: starts at ~€13/month for 500 contacts
- Standard: starts at ~€18/month — includes automation
- Annual billing saves ~15%
- Unsubscribed contacts still count toward your limit
Mailchimp Cost by List Size (2026)
| Contacts | Mailchimp/mo | MailerLite/mo | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | €13 | Free | €13+ |
| 1,000 | ~€20 | Free | €20+ |
| 2,500 | ~€35 | ~€15 | ~€20 |
| 5,000 | ~€59 | ~€25 | ~€34 |
| 10,000 | ~€100 | ~€32 | ~€68 |
| 25,000 | ~€230 | ~€90 | ~€140 |
| 50,000 | ~€350 | ~€170 | ~€180 |
Prices approximate, monthly billing. MailerLite shown as comparison — use the calculator below for all 15+ tools.
When Does Mailchimp Become Expensive?
Mailchimp is reasonably priced below 500 contacts (it's free). The pain starts when your list grows:
- At 1,000+ contacts — you're paying ~€20/month while MailerLite is still free
- At 5,000+ contacts — you're paying 2× what most competitors charge
- At 10,000+ contacts — Mailchimp costs €100+/month vs €25-45 elsewhere
- Unsubscribed contacts still count — if you never clean your list, you overpay even more
- Annual billing required for best price — monthly rates are even higher
Cheaper Mailchimp Alternatives by Use Case
Cheapest overall
MailerLite — free up to 1,000 contacts, ~€15/mo at 2,500, ~€32/mo at 10,000
Best EU option (GDPR + EU data hosting)
Brevo — French company, EU servers by default, volume-based pricing great for large lists with lower send frequency
Best for creators & newsletters
Kit (ConvertKit) — built for bloggers and creators, but pricey. MailerLite is cheaper with similar features
Best for eCommerce
Omnisend — abandoned cart, product emails, SMS. Built for online stores
Best for automation & CRM
ActiveCampaign — most powerful automation engine, includes CRM, cheaper than Mailchimp at scale
Compare Mailchimp Against 15+ Tools
Enter your contact count and instantly see what Mailchimp costs vs every alternative — side by side.
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