Mailchimp vs MailerLite: Features, Pricing and Verdict
Mailchimp and MailerLite both offer free plans, but pricing and automation differ sharply. We compare plans, features and sending limits to pick a winner.
By Galactic News Editorial · Published 2026-11-08T13:29:30+00:00 · Updated 2026-11-08T13:29:30+00:00
Mailchimp vs MailerLite is a common choice for small teams picking an email platform. Both tools send campaigns, build automations, and offer free plans. The differences sit in pricing structure, automation depth, and ease of use. This guide compares the two on verified plan details so you can pick with confidence.
The short answer to Mailchimp vs MailerLite is simple. MailerLite is usually cheaper as a list grows. Mailchimp offers a wider marketing toolkit, including SMS and ecommerce tools. Your list size and your need for automation decide the winner.
Mailchimp vs MailerLite at a glance
The table below sums up the key facts. Prices are starting list prices in US dollars. Both vendors charge by audience size, so costs rise with your list.
| Attribute | Mailchimp | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0, up to 250 contacts, 500 sends a month | $0, up to 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month |
| Entry paid plan | Essentials from $13 a month (500 contacts) | Comfort from $12 a month (500 subscribers) |
| Mid paid plan | Standard from $20 a month (500 contacts) | Power from $25 a month (500 subscribers) |
| Top paid plan | Premium from $350 a month (10,000 contacts) | Enterprise, custom pricing (over 200,000 subscribers) |
| How pricing scales | By contact count and plan tier | By active subscriber count; all paid plans share the full feature set |
| Automation | Multi-step flows from Standard; basic flows on Essentials | Visual automation builder on every plan, including Free |
| Extras | SMS, websites, transactional email (separate products) | Websites, landing pages, signup forms on every plan |
Mailchimp vs MailerLite pricing
Pricing is where Mailchimp vs MailerLite part ways. Mailchimp sells four marketing plans: Free, Essentials, Standard, and Premium. The free plan covers up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a daily cap of 250 sends. Essentials starts at $13 a month for 500 contacts. Standard starts at $20 a month for the same audience size. Premium starts at $350 a month and covers 10,000 contacts.
Send limits scale with the plan. Essentials allows 10 times your contact limit in sends each month. Standard allows 12 times. Premium allows 15 times. Essentials caps at 50,000 contacts. Standard caps at 100,000 contacts. Premium caps at 200,000 contacts. Prices rise as your contact count grows, and unsubscribed contacts can still count toward your total unless you archive them.
In Mailchimp vs MailerLite, MailerLite takes a simpler approach. It sells Free, Comfort, Power, and Enterprise. The free plan covers up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month. Comfort starts at $12 a month for 500 subscribers. Power starts at $25 a month for the same size. Annual billing saves 10% on both paid plans. Enterprise is custom priced for lists above 200,000 subscribers.
The key difference in Mailchimp vs MailerLite is what you pay for. Mailchimp charges for the plan tier and the audience size. MailerLite charges for audience size and sending volume. Every paid MailerLite plan includes the full feature set. Comfort allows 10 times your subscriber tier in monthly sends. Power includes unlimited monthly emails, subject to a fair use policy. At 500 subscribers, the entry paid price is close: $13 against $12. The gap widens as lists grow, and MailerLite usually stays cheaper at the same list size.
Watch the extras in Mailchimp vs MailerLite too. Mailchimp prices SMS and transactional email as separate products. SMS starts at $20 a month for 1,000 credits on paid plans. MailerLite includes landing pages and a simple website on every plan, even Free. Nonprofits can request a 15% discount from Mailchimp and a 30% discount from MailerLite. Check the live pricing page before you buy, since both vendors adjust prices during the year.
Mailchimp vs MailerLite: features and automation
In Mailchimp vs MailerLite, both platforms cover the basics well. Each one offers drag-and-drop editors, signup forms, landing pages, segmentation, and reporting. The gap opens in automation and in the wider toolkit.
Mailchimp gates its deeper tools by plan. Essentials supports automation flows of up to four steps. Standard raises the limit and adds multi-step journeys, predictive segmentation, and generative writing tools. Premium adds unlimited seats and audiences, plus phone and priority support. In the Mailchimp vs MailerLite comparison, the platform also bundles SMS, a website builder, and ecommerce tools. That breadth suits stores that want email, SMS, and sales data in one place.
MailerLite keeps automation open. Its visual automation builder runs on every plan, including Free. Comfort allows 50 automations. Power allows unlimited automations. Comfort adds multivariate testing, dynamic emails, campaign auto-resend, smart sending, and an unsubscribe page builder. Power adds unlimited forms, sites, and seats, plus live chat support. The trade-off is scope. MailerLite does not sell SMS as a core product. It focuses on email, forms, and simple sites.
For a newsletter or a creator business, MailerLite wins the Mailchimp vs MailerLite choice with less friction. For a store that needs abandoned-cart flows, SMS, and revenue attribution, Mailchimp has more to offer. The choice depends on how much of the wider toolkit you will actually use.
Mailchimp vs MailerLite: ease of use and editors
In the Mailchimp vs MailerLite comparison, MailerLite has a reputation for a clean, simple interface. Its dashboard is uncluttered, and new users reach a first campaign fast. The free plan includes all three email editors: drag-and-drop, custom HTML, and a simple text editor. That matters for teams that want control without paying first.
On the Mailchimp side of Mailchimp vs MailerLite, the tool is more powerful and more complex. Its dashboard carries more menus, more products, and more settings. New users may need longer to find the right screen. The payoff is depth. Segmentation, reporting, and journey building go further once you learn the layout. Teams that send often will value that depth. Teams that send a monthly newsletter may find it heavy.
Support differs by plan too. MailerLite offers email support on Comfort and adds live chat on Power. New accounts get a 14-day trial of premium features, with live chat and email support during the trial. Mailchimp offers email support on paid plans and adds phone support on Premium. Both vendors publish help centers and video tutorials.
Mailchimp vs MailerLite free plans compared
In Mailchimp vs MailerLite, both free plans cap at 250 contacts or subscribers. That is a small audience, and it fits testing rather than routine sending. The send allowances differ sharply. Mailchimp allows 500 sends a month, with a daily cap of 250. MailerLite allows 2,500 emails a month. A 250-person list can send ten campaigns a month on MailerLite, but only two on Mailchimp.
MailerLite also includes more on Free in the Mailchimp vs MailerLite comparison. You get automations, a website, a landing page, signup forms, and all three editors. Mailchimp Free includes one seat and one audience, with no automation. If you exceed 250 subscribers on MailerLite, sending locks until you upgrade or remove subscribers. On Mailchimp, the free plan is best treated as a trial of the interface, not a long-term home.
For a brand-new list, MailerLite Free lasts longer in Mailchimp vs MailerLite. For a list that will grow fast, compare the paid tiers at your expected size. Run the numbers at 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers before you commit. The cheapest entry price is rarely the cheapest price at scale.
Bottom line: Mailchimp vs MailerLite verdict
Choose MailerLite if you want simple pricing, generous automation, and a free plan that does real work. It suits newsletters, creators, and small teams that send email and want little else. Comfort at $12 a month is a strong value for a small list.
Choose Mailchimp if you need a wider marketing platform. It suits ecommerce brands that want email plus SMS, predictive segments, and revenue reporting in one account. Standard at $20 a month is the sensible starting point, since Essentials limits automation to four steps.
Both tools are solid in Mailchimp vs MailerLite, and neither is a bad pick. The deciding question is scope. If email is the job, MailerLite wins on price and simplicity. If email is one part of a larger marketing setup, Mailchimp earns its higher price.