Happy Valley

Mailchimp vs MailerLite

Mailchimp and MailerLite are both email marketing tools aimed at small businesses and creators. MailerLite costs less, from $12/mo versus $13/mo for Mailchimp. Both have a free plan.

Mailchimp

The best-known email marketing platform

MailerLite

Simple, affordable email marketing

PricingFreemium · $13Freemium · $12
Starting price$13/mo$12/mo
Free planYesYes
Free trial14 days14 days
Built forSmall businesses, CreatorsSmall businesses, Creators, Freelancers
Platformsweb, ios, androidweb, ios
CountryUS · 2001LT · 2010
Rating——

Choose Mailchimp if

Small businesses and e-commerce stores that want an easy, well-integrated email tool and send a few campaigns a month.

  • Familiar, polished editor and huge template library
  • Deep e-commerce integrations and revenue reporting
  • Mature deliverability infrastructure

Look elsewhere if: Newsletter creators (Kit, beehiiv), high-volume senders on a budget (Brevo), or SaaS lifecycle messaging (Customer.io, Loops).

Choose MailerLite if

Small businesses, bloggers and nonprofits who want a polished tool at a low price.

  • Among the lowest prices as lists grow
  • Clean, modern editor and templates
  • Free plan to get started

Look elsewhere if: Advanced automation or e-commerce personalization needs.

Mailchimp vs MailerLite pricing

Mailchimp

  • Free$0Up to 250 contacts, 1 audience
  • Essentials$13/moStarting price; 14-day free trial, 3 audiences
  • Standard$20/mo6,000 emails/mo; 14-day free trial, 5 audiences
  • Premium$350/mo150,000 emails/mo, advanced tools, priority support

MailerLite

  • Free$0250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo, 2 seats
  • Comfort$12/mo500 subscribers; $10.80/mo billed yearly; 3 seats, 50 automations
  • Power$25/mo500 subscribers; $22.50/mo yearly; unlimited emails, seats
  • EnterpriseCustom200K+ subscribers, dedicated IP, priority support

Mailchimp · Key features

  • Drag-and-drop email builder with templates and brand kit
  • Customer journeys (automation) with branching and triggers
  • Audience segmentation, tags and predictive demographics
  • Landing pages, signup forms, pop-ups and SMS marketing (US)
  • Reporting with revenue attribution for connected stores
  • Creative Assistant and generative AI for copy and images

Cons

  • Contact-based pricing gets expensive fast; unsubscribed contacts can still count
  • Free plan is now very limited
  • Automation builder lags Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign

MailerLite · Key features

  • Drag-and-drop, rich text and custom HTML editors
  • Automation workflows with triggers and conditions
  • Landing pages, websites, forms and pop-ups
  • Digital product sales and paid newsletters via Stripe
  • Segmentation, groups and A/B testing
  • E-commerce integrations and AI writing assistant

Cons

  • Approval process can delay new accounts
  • Automation less advanced than ActiveCampaign
  • Reporting is basic

Mailchimp vs MailerLite: FAQ

Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or MailerLite?

MailerLite starts at $12/mo and Mailchimp at $13/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.

Do Mailchimp and MailerLite have a free plan?

Yes, both Mailchimp and MailerLite have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.

Not sure yet?