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Mailchimp Pricing: Free Plan Limits and What Paid Unlocks

Mailchimp offers a free plan (now limited to 250 contacts), with paid plans starting at $13/month. The platform has evolved from a simple email tool into a broader marketing platform, but pricing has increased significantly along the way.

$13/mo starting3 paid plans14-day free trialFree plan available
Prices verified Apr 20, 2026
Data from Buddy's database, updated regularly
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Price Snapshot

How much does Mailchimp cost?

Mailchimp starts at $13/mo for a paid plan, with a free plan for smaller teams. Annual and biennial billing bring the per-month price down further.

Plans

Mailchimp plans and pricing

3 paid plans · Prices shown for annual billing · Verified Apr 20, 2026

Free
$/mo
Contacts limit: 250 contactsEmail sends: 500 sends per month (250 max per day)Users: 1 SeatAudiences: 1 audience+1 more
Essentials
$13/mo
Save Save 15% annually

From $13/mo at 500 contacts; scales with list size (see tier ladder).

Contacts: 500 contacts includedEmail sends: 10 times your maximum contact countUsers: 3 SeatsPre-built Email Templates: Included+4 more
StandardRecommended
$20/mo
Save Save 15% annually

From $20/mo at 500 contacts; scales with list size.

Contacts: 500 contacts includedEmail sends: 12 times your maximum contact countUsers: 5 SeatsPre-built Email Templates: Included+6 more
Premium
$350/mo$297.5/mo billed annually
Save Save 15% annually

From $350/mo (10,000 contacts minimum); scales with list size.

Contacts: 10,000 contacts includedEmail sends: 15 times your maximum contact countUsers: UnlimitedPre-built Email Templates: Included+11 more
Free plan available

The free plan includes 250 contacts, 500 monthly emails, and basic email support for your first 30 days.

Recommendation

Which plan should you choose?

+
Free PlanComplete Beginners

The free plan supports 250 contacts with basic email marketing features, giving beginners a no-cost introduction to the platform. You can create campaigns, build landing pages, and set up simple automations at this tier. The 250-contact limit is tighter than it used to be, so you may hit the cap faster than expected as your list grows. Upgrade to Essentials when you exceed 250 contacts or need to remove Mailchimp branding from your emails.

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EssentialsSmall Businesses

Essentials at $13/month removes Mailchimp branding and adds A/B testing, which improves the professionalism and optimization of your campaigns. The plan scales based on contact count, so your costs increase as your list grows. For small businesses running regular campaigns and wanting basic optimization tools, Essentials covers the fundamentals. Move to Standard when you need advanced automations, AI-powered tools, or deeper audience segmentation.

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StandardGrowing E-commerce

Standard adds AI tools and advanced automation that support ecommerce-specific workflows like product recommendations and behavioral targeting. For online stores where email drives repeat purchases, these features help personalize campaigns at scale. Advanced segmentation lets you target customers based on purchase history and browsing behavior. Upgrade to Premium if you need multiple users or the most advanced analytics and testing capabilities.

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StandardMarketing Agencies

Standard's support for multiple users makes it practical for agency teams managing client email campaigns collaboratively. The advanced automation and segmentation tools provide the campaign sophistication that agency clients typically expect. For agencies managing a handful of client accounts, Standard balances capability with cost. Premium is only justified when you need dedicated support, unlimited users, or the most advanced feature set available.

+
PremiumEnterprise Teams

Premium includes dedicated support, unlimited users, and the most advanced features in Mailchimp's lineup. For enterprise teams where email marketing is a critical revenue channel, dedicated support ensures faster issue resolution when problems arise. Unlimited users means no per-seat costs as your marketing team grows or changes. The premium pricing is significant, so confirm that your team's needs exceed what Standard provides before committing to this tier.

Editorial

My take on Mailchimp pricing

Joonas Rotko
Joonas RotkoAuthor & founder of That Marketing Buddy

Mailchimp's biggest strength is its ecosystem. With more third-party integrations than any other email marketingplatform, it connects to virtually every tool, CMS, and e-commerce platform. Deliverability rates remain strong, and the Standard plan's AI tools and automation are useful.

The pricing has become increasingly aggressive. The free plan was reduced from 2,000 to 250 contacts, and Mailchimp counts unsubscribed contacts toward your plan limit. That means you are paying for contacts who will never see your emails. Compare with Moosend, which starts at $9/month with fairer contact counting, or MailerLite, which offers a free plan with 500 subscribers.

Mailchimp still makes sense for businesses deeply integrated into its ecosystem or those who need the broadest possible integration library. For new businesses building an email list, more affordable platforms offer comparable features without the pricing gotchas.

Hidden Costs

What the pricing page doesn't tell you

1

Overage charges for exceeding contact or email limits

Mailchimp charges additional fees if you exceed your plan's contact or email send limits. The pricing page repeatedly mentions that overages apply but does not specify the exact costs.

2

15% discount limited to first 12 months only

The 15% discount for accounts with 10,000+ contacts only applies to the first 12 months. After that, customers pay the full monthly rate without the discount.

3

Email send limits vary by plan tier

Standard plans allow 12 times your contact count in monthly emails, Premium plans allow 15 times, and Essentials plans allow 10 times. Free plans are limited to 500 sends per month with a daily limit of 250.

4

SMS marketing charged as separate add-on

SMS marketing is not included in any plan pricing and requires a separate add-on purchase. It's not available for free plans at all.

5

Free plan sending paused when limits exceeded

Unlike paid plans that charge overages, the free plan completely pauses your ability to send emails if you exceed the 250 contact limit or 500 monthly send limit (250 daily maximum).

6

Non-USD pricing subject to exchange rate fluctuations

Prices shown in non-USD currencies are estimates and the actual amount charged will vary based on exchange rates at time of payment processing. Taxes and fees are also added to all purchases.

7

Free trial converts to paid plan after 14 days

The Standard plan 14-day free trial automatically converts to a paid subscription. Without a credit card, you're limited to 100 email sends during the trial.

Deals

Available discounts

%

Annual Discount

Save 15% when paying annually on all paid plans

%

Volume Discount

15% discount for first 12 months for customers with 10,000+ contacts

Verdict

Is Mailchimp Worth the Price?

Mailchimp remains one of the most recognized email marketing platforms, but recognition does not always equal best value. The pricing has crept upward while competitors have gotten more generous. The Standard plan at $16.99/month offers the best feature-to-cost ratio if you commit to Mailchimp. Just be aware of how quickly costs scale with contact growth.

Read my full Mailchimp review or compare it with Moosend and MailerLite.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Your sending will be paused until you upgrade or remove contacts. Overage fees apply on paid plans.

Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time. Changes take effect immediately.

No setup fees on any plan. You only pay the monthly or annual subscription cost.

All paid plans come with a 14-day free trial with full access to features.

No credit card required for the free plan. You can start sending emails immediately.

Yes, you can cancel your subscription anytime. No cancellation fees or long-term contracts.

Mailchimp accepts all major credit cards and PayPal for subscription payments.

See the pricing for yourself

14 days free. No credit card. See which plan fits before you pay.

Start Free Trial on Mailchimp

More on Mailchimp

Joonas Rotko

Joonas Rotko

Author & founder of That Marketing Buddy

I score marketing software for AI-stack fit (MCP, API, agent-readiness), backed by 10+ years in digital marketing. Building the most trustworthy marketing software database so you can trust the pricing data on this site.

Pricing checked dailyResearch-based pricing analysis

This page may contain affiliate links. I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences pricing data.

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