Email marketing
Mailchimp and MailerLite, side by side
Compare your audience and sending needs before the starting price. The services count people differently and the captured paid prices use different billing terms.
Starting paid prices
The figures below are US prices from the captured pages, before taxes and add-ons. Check the price for your own list size and billing period.
Mailchimp
Essentials
From $13 / month
The captured page shows a 14-day trial before the starting price; eligibility varies. Mailchimp's guidance says the starting tier includes up to 500 contacts; price and sending allowance increase with the selected tier.
Pricing captured November 5, 2026
View Mailchimp pricing
MailerLite
Comfort · 500 subscribers
$10.80 / month equivalent
The capture shows $129.60 billed yearly for 500 subscribers, with 5,000 emails per month. It also shows $12 per month on monthly billing.
Pricing captured November 5, 2026
View MailerLite pricingThese are different commitments and audience definitions, not a like-for-like quote. Trials, existing-account terms and current prices may differ.
Details that change the decision
Free sending
Mailchimp: Its captured page says Free is for under 250 contacts; current plan guidance describes up to 250 contacts, 500 sends per month and a 250-send daily limit.
MailerLite: Free lists up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. Its guidance says sending is locked if a free account exceeds its active-subscriber limit.
Counting your audience
Mailchimp: Subscribed, unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts count. Archived, cleaned and deleted contacts do not count toward the contact total.
MailerLite: Billing counts addresses active at any point in the billing cycle, even if deleted later; unsubscribed and bounced subscribers do not count. The count resets monthly on the billing anniversary.
Growing past a tier
Mailchimp: On paid monthly plans, exceeding the contact limit can add a charge. On Free, exceeding the contact limit pauses live and test email sending until you reduce the total or upgrade.
MailerLite: Its guidance says paid accounts that exceed their active-subscriber limit move to the next tier and the card is charged. Power's unlimited sending is subject to fair use.
Comfort send limit
MailerLite: Its plan-update guidance says exceeding Comfort's send limit triggers an automatic tier upgrade. Its pricing FAQ instead describes upgrading to Power or waiting for the next billing cycle. Confirm the behavior for your account before reaching the limit.
What to compare
Count your contacts and active subscribers under each provider's rules, then check the sending allowance, billing term, renewal price and features for the tier you need. A campaign to 500 people uses 500 sends.
Plan and counting guidance checked November 5, 2026. Existing accounts may have different terms.
Mailchimp’s reviewed changes
The archive includes earlier changes to Free plan contacts and monthly sending.