Mailchimp Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Best Value
Quick answer: Mailchimp Free caps at ~250 contacts (~500 sends/mo). Paid entry (≈500 contacts) is about Essentials ~$13/mo and Standard ~$20/mo. Premium starts ~$350/mo (≈10,000 contacts). Price scales with contacts + send multipliers (Essentials 10×, Standard 12×, Premium 15×). Overages bill automatically.
Checked against Mailchimp’s public marketing pricing + 2026 plan tables in August 2026. Confirm the contact slider before you buy.
Related: Kit (ConvertKit) pricing, beehiiv pricing, GetResponse pricing, Mailchimp alternatives, Mailchimp review.
Pick a plan in 30 seconds
- Tiny list, light sends → Free (≤250 contacts).
- Basic campaigns + A/B, no deep automation → Essentials (~$13/mo at 500).
- Multi-step journeys, ecommerce insights → Standard (~$20/mo at 500).
- Phone support, multivariate tests, huge seats → Premium (~$350/mo+).
- Creator newsletter + products → also price Kit / beehiiv.
Pricing plans
| Plan | Monthly Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | Up to ~250 contacts, max ~500 sends/mo (or ~250/day), basic tools, no AI/optimization stack |
| Essentials | From ~$13/mo (500 contacts) | Templates, A/B testing, scheduling, email support; sends ~10× contacts |
| Standard | From ~$20/mo (500 contacts) | Multi-step automation, behavioral targeting, send-time optimization; sends ~12× contacts |
| Premium | From ~$350/mo (~10k contacts) | Multivariate testing, advanced segmentation, priority/phone-class support; sends ~15× contacts |
14-day free trial of Standard/Essentials is common (send caps until a card is added). Businesses with 10,000+ contacts often see ~15% off first-year promos.
Rough scale (monthly, verify live): 5k contacts ≈ Essentials $75 / Standard $100; 10k ≈ $110 / $135; Premium jumps hard above 10k.
Hidden costs
- Contacts ≠ engaged subscribers — cleaned vs unclean lists still bill.
- Send overages — exceed 10×/12×/15× and Mailchimp charges or pushes tiers.
- SMS credits — add-on; unused credits typically expire.
- Audiences/users — Essentials/Standard cap audiences and seats; Premium unlocks more.
- Creator stacks — Kit/beehiiv may be cheaper for newsletters without ecommerce CRM needs.
Who should pay
Essentials — Small shops that only need broadcasts and simple tests.
Standard — Brands running welcome/abandoned-cart style automations.
Premium — Large teams that will actually use phone support and advanced testing.
When to skip Mailchimp
Skip if:
- You’re a creator selling digital products — Kit (ConvertKit).
- You want a newsletter site + ad network — beehiiv.
- You want webinars/courses in one ESP — GetResponse.
Final Verdict
Most growing SMBs should start the trial on Standard (~$20/mo at 500 contacts) — Essentials is a trap if you need real automations. Recalculate the bill at your real contact count, not the marketing “starts at” row. Skip Premium until $350/mo features are non-negotiable.
Pricing checked August 2026. Verify on mailchimp.com/pricing. See our affiliate disclosure.
How Mailchimp compares to alternatives
Next: Kit (ConvertKit) pricing, beehiiv pricing, GetResponse pricing, Mailchimp alternatives, Mailchimp review.