MailerLite vs Mailchimp (2026): which is better?

Updated: August 24, 2026. Prices checked: August 24, 2026. By: Stack Briefs Editorial.

Affiliate disclosure: We compare products independently. If you buy through an affiliate link or an officially approved partner code, we may earn a commission; that does not change our verdict or the price we report.

Our verdict

MailerLite is the better default for a small business that mainly needs newsletters, forms and automations. Mailchimp is the better choice when its larger integration ecosystem, built-in SMS add-on or deeper reporting is worth the extra cost and complexity.

At the entry level, both products now cap their free plan at 250 contacts/subscribers. The meaningful difference is sending: MailerLite Free allows 2,500 emails per month and three active automations, while Mailchimp Free allows 500 emails per month and no Marketing Automation Flows. Paid plans start at $12/month for MailerLite Comfort and $13/month for Mailchimp Essentials. Those are starting prices, not quotes for every list size.

All USD prices and limits above were captured from the vendors' official pages on August 24, 2026. Taxes, regional pricing, temporary trials and list-size tiers can change the checkout total.

How we compared MailerLite and Mailchimp

We compared the public US-dollar pricing pages, current help documentation and product policies rather than reproducing feature lists from third-party reviews. We normalized the comparison around a small permission-based list, then checked the limits that change day-to-day operation: monthly sends, active automations, seats, transactional delivery, SMS access, billing behavior and compliance thresholds. We did not run an inbox-placement test, so this page does not claim that either vendor has a universally higher deliverability rate.

How much do MailerLite and Mailchimp cost in August 2026?

Sources: MailerLite pricing and full plan comparison, MailerLite's June 2026 Free-plan change, and Mailchimp Marketing pricing and plan limits. MailerLite bills active subscribers on a cumulative basis within the billing cycle: deleting an address does not immediately remove it from that cycle's count. Mailchimp pricing is also contact-tiered, and its official pricing page warns that overages apply when a paid contact or send limit is exceeded.

The headline prices require context. MailerLite Comfort's allowance is ten times the top of the subscriber tier. On an up-to-1,000 tier, that means 10,000 monthly emails whether the account has 200 or 900 active subscribers. Mailchimp expresses its allowances as a multiplier of the selected contact tier: 10× on Essentials, 12× on Standard and 15× on Premium.

Which product gives a small list more usable automation?

MailerLite wins the free-plan comparison. Its revised Free plan permits three active automations. Comfort permits 50, and Power permits unlimited automations plus multiple triggers. Mailchimp Free includes no Marketing Automation Flows; Essentials supports up to 200 flows but caps each at four steps, while Standard and Premium support up to 200 flows without that published four-step entry-plan limit. Sources: MailerLite pricing, MailerLite automation triggers, and Mailchimp pricing.

One easily missed MailerLite behavior matters when a workflow becomes sophisticated: the Power plan can attach up to three segment triggers to one automation. Another operational difference is that Mailchimp can temporarily block audience bulk actions when an audience is connected to an Automation Flow; an active, paused or draft flow can prevent an audience from being combined or deleted until the flow is removed. Source: Mailchimp bulk-action limits.

Does either plan include transactional email?

Not as an unrestricted part of the core marketing subscription.

MailerLite routes transactional email, SMS and inbound routing through the separate MailerSend product. The marketing-plan comparison labels transactional email as “Try MailerSend”; MailerSend's Free plan includes 500 emails, while its Hobby example includes 5,000 emails and charges $1.50 per extra 1,000 emails. Source: official MailerSend pricing.

Mailchimp Marketing can send limited order notifications and abandoned-cart messages through built-in automations. Its developer-oriented Mailchimp Transactional API is a paid add-on available only with a Standard or Premium monthly Marketing plan, sold in blocks of 25,000 emails. The one-time demo permits 500 transactional emails, caps sending at 25 per hour and stores message history for 30 days. Sources: Mailchimp transactional overview, add-on requirements, and demo limits.

For an app that sends password resets or high-volume receipts, compare the combined marketing-plus-transactional bill—not just the marketing plan shown in the first pricing table.

Which is safer for a new sender worried about deliverability?

Neither platform can guarantee inbox placement, and we found no valid basis for a universal “winner.” Their published enforcement details are different, however.

MailerLite requires custom sending domains to be authenticated after the 14-day trial. Its anti-spam policy publishes investigation thresholds: spam complaints above 0.2%, bounces above 5%, unsubscribes above 1%, or opens below 3% can trigger immediate suspension and a consent review. It also says purchased, rented, scraped and third-party-acquired lists are not permitted. Sources: MailerLite domain authentication and MailerLite Anti-Spam Policy.

Mailchimp states that it monitors bounce, unsubscribe and abuse rates against industry standards and may review an audience after an import. Its current public compliance article does not give the same numerical thresholds. It requires permission for marketing email and prohibits purchased or rented lists. Sources: Mailchimp compliance guidance, account-review process, and Acceptable Use Policy.

Is MailerLite or Mailchimp better for teams and integrations?

MailerLite is simpler at the lower tiers: Free includes two seats, Comfort three and Power unlimited. Its directory advertises 100+ integrations and also lists third-party connectors such as Zapier and Make. Mailchimp lists 300+ integrations; its entry paid plan includes three seats, Standard five and Premium unlimited. Sources: MailerLite integrations, MailerLite pricing, and Mailchimp pricing.

Choose based on the exact systems that must sync, not the directory count. A connector can be native, vendor-supported or third-party, and those are not equivalent operationally.

Official MailerLite partner-code offer

Verification-required sample: An officially issued MailerLite partner code [CODE] may be shown here only after MailerLite confirms in writing that public display is allowed and confirms the exact customer benefit and expiry. Until those terms are recorded, [CODE] is not a discount claim and this block must not be published as a live offer.

This is deliberately not a coupon-farm claim. MailerLite's Affiliate Program Terms allow only coupons, promo codes or discounts explicitly issued through the program or pre-approved in writing. The same terms prohibit public display of an offer code unless MailerLite explicitly authorizes it. A production version must replace the placeholder with the issued code, state the verified price effect in the same paragraph, record the approval evidence and remove the block at expiry.

Who should choose MailerLite?

Choose MailerLite if your priority is a low-cost, email-first stack with meaningful automation on a small list. It is especially compelling when 2,500 free monthly sends are sufficient, or when the $12 Comfort tier's 50 automations and three seats cover the team. Remember that transactional messages live in MailerSend and that a paid account can automatically move to a higher subscriber tier when the active-subscriber limit is exceeded.

Who should choose Mailchimp?

Choose Mailchimp if you need a specific connector in its broader directory, a paid SMS/MMS add-on, more advanced reporting, or the Mailchimp Transactional ecosystem and accept the combined cost. It is a weak free choice for ongoing newsletters in 2026 because 500 monthly sends can be exhausted by only two campaigns to 250 contacts.

FAQ

Is MailerLite cheaper than Mailchimp in 2026?

At published entry prices, yes: MailerLite Comfort starts at $12/month and Mailchimp Essentials at $13/month. The final bill depends on list size, sending volume, regional taxes and add-ons, so compare the same audience tier at checkout.

Which free plan is better, MailerLite or Mailchimp?

MailerLite Free is more usable for email: 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly sends and three active automations. Mailchimp Free also allows 250 contacts but only 500 monthly sends and no Marketing Automation Flows.

Does MailerLite have unlimited email sending?

MailerLite Power includes unlimited monthly emails subject to its fair-use policy. Comfort is limited to ten times the ceiling of the selected subscriber tier; Free is limited to 2,500 emails per month.

Does Mailchimp include transactional email?

Mailchimp Marketing includes limited automated order messages. The full Mailchimp Transactional API is a paid add-on that requires a Standard or Premium monthly Marketing plan and is purchased in 25,000-email blocks.

Is there an official MailerLite promo code?

This sample contains [CODE], not a live code. A code may be displayed only after MailerLite issues or pre-approves it in writing and confirms the customer benefit and expiry; otherwise no discount should be claimed.