Mailchimp vs MailerLite
Quick verdict
As of 2026-07-05, MailerLite is the cheaper email marketing tool, starting at $12/mo versus Mailchimp at $13/mo. That's $1/mo less on the entry option. Both offer a free plan. Mailchimp has 3 priced options; MailerLite has 2 priced options. Mailchimp includes a built-in CRM; MailerLite does not.
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo and has a free plan. MailerLite starts at $12/mo and has a free plan.
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Against the $15.50/mo median entry price across the 12 tools we track, Mailchimp's $13/mo is 16% below and MailerLite's $12/mo is 23% below. 7 of 12 email marketing tools include a free plan.
| Mailchimp | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $13/mo | $12/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Priced options | 3 | 2 |
| Pricing model | per contacts | per contacts |
| Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✓ | ✗ |
| SMS | Add-on (Essentials/Standard); included on Premium (US/CA/UK) | ✗ |
| Ecommerce | Shopify/WooCommerce integrations, product retargeting, abandoned cart, purchase segmentation | Sell digital products & subscriptions; Shopify/WooCommerce/Stripe; product blocks; revenue tracking |
| Entry plan limit | from 500 contacts (max 50k) | from 500 contacts (max 200,000) |
| Integrations | 300+ | 130+ native (Zapier bridges 5,000+) |
| Visit site | Visit site → | Visit site → |
Sources: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing, verified · mailerlite.com/pricing, verified
Mailchimp — pros & cons
Pros
- Best-known brand, easiest on-ramp
- Huge template/integration library (300+)
- Genuine (reduced) free tier
- Strong Intuit/QuickBooks ties
Cons
- Price jumps steeply with contacts (top reason for churn)
- Bills for unsubscribed/non-subscribed unless archived
- Free plan gutted Jan 2026
- Multi-step automation locked behind Standard
MailerLite — pros & cons
Pros
- Excellent price-to-feature ratio (from $12/mo)
- Modern intuitive UI, useful free plan
- Website builder, landing pages, digital-product sales
- Custom HTML + drag-drop editors
Cons
- No native SMS
- No CRM/webinars
- Free plan capped at only 250 subs
- Strict manual account approval delays onboarding
ToolFit Score: Mailchimp
Mailchimp scores 67/100 on the ToolFit Score, computed from our maintained pricing, feature, and fit dataset.
| What we scored | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price competitiveness | 19.84/24 | entry $13/mo is 16% below the $15.5/mo category median. |
| Feature breadth | 18.06/20 | supports 5 of the 9 feature flags the ToolFit Score tracks natively (3 more on a higher tier). |
| Best-for coverage | 10/16 | tagged as a best fit for 2 use cases. |
| Integrations | 9/12 | lists 300+ integrations. |
| Free-tier availability | 10/8 | includes a free plan. |
| Review sentiment | — | no published review-sentiment data yet. |
Computed deterministically from our gold dataset — pricing, features, fit, integrations, and a count-weighted third-party review-sentiment aggregate. Weights v2.0.0 — how we score.
ToolFit Score: MailerLite
MailerLite scores 65/100 on the ToolFit Score, computed from our maintained pricing, feature, and fit dataset.
| What we scored | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price competitiveness | 21.77/24 | entry $12/mo is 23% below the $15.5/mo category median. |
| Feature breadth | 13.89/20 | supports 4 of the 9 feature flags the ToolFit Score tracks natively (2 more on a higher tier). |
| Best-for coverage | 15/16 | tagged as a best fit for 3 use cases. |
| Integrations | 3.9/12 | lists 130+ integrations. |
| Free-tier availability | 10/8 | includes a free plan. |
| Review sentiment | — | no published review-sentiment data yet. |
Computed deterministically from our gold dataset — pricing, features, fit, integrations, and a count-weighted third-party review-sentiment aggregate. Weights v2.0.0 — how we score.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailchimp or MailerLite cheaper?
MailerLite is cheaper to start. Mailchimp begins at $13/mo and MailerLite at $12/mo, a gap of $1/mo. Both usually bill less on an annual plan, so weigh yearly pricing before deciding. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-07-05.
Does Mailchimp or MailerLite have a free plan?
Mailchimp has a free plan and MailerLite has a free plan. Both let you start for free, so you can trial each before paying for higher limits. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-07-05. We source it from each vendor's own pricing page, not a paid placement.
Which has more features, Mailchimp or MailerLite?
Mailchimp supports 3 of the 5 features we compare on this page and MailerLite supports 2, so Mailchimp covers more out of the box. Choose on the specific capabilities — automation, CRM, SMS, ecommerce, or landing pages — that matter most for how you plan to send.
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