Mailchimp Free Plan: What You Actually Get Before Paying
The Mailchimp free plan costs $0 and covers up to 250 contacts with 500 sends a month. This guide explains what is included, the limits, and when to upgrade.
By Galactic News Editorial · Published 2026-11-11T16:29:38+00:00 · Updated 2026-11-11T16:29:38+00:00
Mailchimp Free Plan: What You Actually Get Before Paying
The Mailchimp free plan costs $0 a month. It covers up to 250 contacts and 500 email sends a month, with a limit of 250 sends a day. It is a real free plan, not a trial. It also has sharp limits. Sending pauses if you pass the contact or send limit. This guide explains exactly what the free plan includes, the limits that matter, and when to upgrade. Prices and limits come from Mailchimp's own pricing page, checked in November 2026.
Mailchimp free plan: what you actually get
The free plan includes the core tools a beginner needs. You get one audience and one user seat. You can build campaigns with the drag-and-drop editor. You get limited pre-built templates and basic reporting. Popup forms are included. You can connect more than 300 integrations. Email support is available for the first 30 days.
You also get one one-click welcome email. That is the only automation flow on the free plan. You can create custom-coded templates, but you cannot send them without upgrading. The plan carries Mailchimp branding on your emails. That branding stays until you pay.
The free plan suits a new list. A blogger with 150 subscribers can send a monthly newsletter without paying. A small shop can test email marketing before committing. A side project can collect its first subscribers at no cost.
Mailchimp free plan limits that matter
The contact limit bites first. The free plan holds 250 contacts. Mailchimp counts subscribed, unsubscribed, and non-subscribed contacts toward the limit. Only archived or deleted contacts are excluded. A list with 200 subscribers and 60 unsubscribed contacts is already over the limit. Sending pauses until you reduce the total or upgrade.
The send limit bites second. You can send 500 emails a month, and no more than 250 in a day. A list of 250 contacts gets two full sends a month. A weekly newsletter to 250 contacts needs 1,000 sends a month. That is double the free allowance. A daily send is impossible at any list size above 250.
Missing features are the third limit. The free plan has no email scheduling. You must send each campaign by hand. It has no A/B testing. It has no generative AI features. It has no dynamic content or custom reports. It has no advanced segmentation. It offers no phone support. These gaps are manageable for a hobby list. They slow down a real business.
Mailchimp free plan vs paid plans
Mailchimp sells three paid plans. Prices rise with your contact count. The figures below are starting prices for the smallest contact tier, in US dollars.
| Plan | Price from | Contacts | Monthly sends | Users | Audiences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 a month | Up to 250 | 500 max (250 a day) | 1 | 1 |
| Essentials | $13 a month | From 500 | 10 times contacts | 3 | 3 |
| Standard | $20 a month | From 500 | 12 times contacts | 5 | 5 |
| Premium | $350 a month | From 10,000 | 15 times contacts | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Essentials adds A/B testing, scheduling, and 24/7 email and chat support. Standard adds generative AI features, up to 200 automation flows, predictive segments, and enhanced automations. Premium adds phone and priority support, multivariate testing, unlimited users, and a dedicated onboarding specialist. Paid plans also offer a 14-day free trial of Standard or Essentials. A pay-as-you-go option exists for infrequent senders who prefer to buy email credits.
When to upgrade from the Mailchimp free plan
Upgrade when your list passes 200 contacts. The 250 limit arrives fast, and unsubscribed contacts count toward it. Waiting until sending pauses means a missed newsletter. Move to Essentials at $13 a month before you hit the wall.
Upgrade when you need to schedule. A business that sends on a fixed day each week needs scheduling. The free plan forces manual sends. That is fine for one campaign a month. It is a chore for four.
Upgrade when you need automation. The free plan offers only a welcome email. Essentials allows up to 4 automation flow steps. Standard allows up to 200 flows. A shop that wants abandoned-cart emails or a welcome series needs at least Essentials. Standard is the better pick for behaviour-based automation.
Upgrade when branding matters. The free plan keeps Mailchimp branding on your emails. Paid plans let you remove it. That matters for a business that wants its emails to look fully its own.
How to make the Mailchimp free plan last
Follow these steps to stay inside the free limits for as long as possible.
- Archive unsubscribed contacts. They count toward your 250 limit until you archive or delete them.
- Send once a month, not weekly. A 250-contact list gets two full sends a month at most.
- Keep one audience. The free plan allows only one, so do not split your list.
- Clean your list each quarter. Remove inactive addresses before they push you over the limit.
- Plan your upgrade point. Decide in advance which paid plan you will take when the list grows.
Bottom line
The Mailchimp free plan is a fair way to start. It costs $0, covers 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, and includes the editor, templates, and basic reporting. Its limits are tight: no scheduling, no A/B testing, no automation beyond a welcome email, and sending pauses over the limit. It suits a new list under 250 contacts that sends once or twice a month. Once your list grows past 200 contacts, or you need scheduling and automation, Essentials at $13 a month is the sensible next step. Standard at $20 a month is the better pick for shops that want real automation.