MailerLite vs Mailchimp: Which Is Better in 2026?
Choosing between MailerLite and Mailchimp? Both are email marketing platforms for opted-in subscribers, but they target different users. One gives you a simpler interface at a lower price. The other gives you 300+ integrations and more advanced marketing features.
Quick comparison
| Feature | MailerLite | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 1,000 subs / 12,000 emails/mo | 500 subs / 1,000 emails/mo |
| Starting paid plan | ~$9/mo (Growing Business) | ~$13/mo (Essentials) |
| At 10,000 subscribers | ~$73/mo | ~$100/mo |
| Interface | Clean, minimal | Feature-rich, cluttered |
| Integrations | ~140 | 300+ |
| Automation | Simple workflows | More advanced branching |
| Landing pages | Unlimited (paid) | Included all plans |
| Built-in website builder | Yes | Yes |
| Sell digital products | Yes (native) | Via integrations |
| AI writing assistant | Yes | Yes |
| Cold email support | No | No |
| Best for | Bloggers, creators, small business | Integrations-heavy marketing teams |
What is MailerLite?
MailerLite is an email marketing platform founded in Lithuania in 2010. It focuses on simplicity and affordability for bloggers, creators, and small businesses sending newsletters to opted-in subscribers. Used by over a million businesses worldwide.
Key strengths:
- Cleanest, simplest interface in the category
- Most generous free plan (1,000 subs, 12,000 emails/month)
- Lower pricing at every tier
- Native digital product selling (e-books, paid newsletters, courses)
Key weaknesses:
- Strict account approval process (rejects many affiliate marketers)
- Automation simpler than competitors
- Fewer integrations (~140 vs Mailchimp's 300+)
- No cold email support
Read our full MailerLite review and MailerLite pricing breakdown.
What is Mailchimp?
Mailchimp is the best-known name in email marketing. Founded in 2001 and acquired by Intuit in 2021, it's now positioned as an all-in-one marketing platform with email, landing pages, social posting, and basic CRM. Used by 13+ million businesses.
Key strengths:
- 300+ native integrations (Shopify, WordPress, Salesforce, WooCommerce)
- All-in-one marketing (email + landing pages + social + postcards)
- Deepest automation and segmentation on Premium plans
- Massive template library
Key weaknesses:
- Interface has gotten cluttered since Intuit acquisition
- Pricing scales steeply as list grows
- Smaller free plan (500 subs vs MailerLite's 1,000)
- Strict on affiliate marketing content
Read our full Mailchimp review and Mailchimp pricing breakdown.
Pricing comparison
Pricing is where MailerLite clearly wins. It's cheaper at every subscriber tier.
| Subscribers | MailerLite (Growing Business) | Mailchimp (Essentials) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 500 | ~$9/mo | ~$13/mo | -$4/mo |
| 1,000 | ~$15/mo | ~$20/mo | -$5/mo |
| 2,500 | ~$25/mo | ~$45/mo | -$20/mo |
| 5,000 | ~$39/mo | ~$75/mo | -$36/mo |
| 10,000 | ~$73/mo | ~$100/mo | -$27/mo |
| 25,000 | ~$145/mo | ~$230/mo | -$85/mo |
Pricing is approximate and changes frequently. Verify on each tool's pricing page.
Free plan comparison
| Feature | MailerLite Free | Mailchimp Free |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriber limit | 1,000 | 500 |
| Email sends per month | 12,000 | 1,000 |
| Drag-and-drop editor | Yes | Yes |
| Landing pages | 10 | Yes (basic) |
| Website builder | 1 website | 1 website |
| Automation | Basic (single-trigger) | Basic (single-step) |
| Email support | 30 days, then knowledge base | 30 days, then knowledge base |
| Branding | MailerLite footer on free plan | Mailchimp footer on free plan |
MailerLite's free plan is significantly more generous: 2x the subscribers, 12x the emails. For anyone starting out, MailerLite's free tier is the clear winner.
You're starting a newsletter and expect to grow to 800 subscribers in the first year, sending weekly. Which free plan fits?
Right! Mailchimp's free plan caps at 500 subscribers and 1,000 emails/month. Weekly sends to 800 people = 3,200 emails/month, which exceeds both Mailchimp limits. MailerLite's free plan covers both.
Mailchimp's free plan has a 500 subscriber cap and 1,000 email/month limit, you'd outgrow it within weeks. MailerLite's free plan (1,000 subs, 12,000 emails) fits the scenario.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Feature | MailerLite | Mailchimp | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Cheaper at every tier | More expensive | MailerLite |
| Free plan | 1,000 subs, 12,000 emails | 500 subs, 1,000 emails | MailerLite |
| Interface | Clean, minimal | Feature-rich but cluttered | MailerLite |
| Integrations | ~140 | 300+ | Mailchimp |
| Automation | Simpler, fewer triggers | Deeper workflows | Mailchimp |
| Template library | Smaller, well-designed | Large library | Mailchimp |
| Deliverability | Among best in industry | Strong, established | Tie |
| Landing pages | 10 on free plan | Included | Tie |
| Sell digital products | Native | Via integrations | MailerLite |
| Segmentation | Basic to good | Advanced on Premium | Mailchimp |
| Affiliate-friendly | Strict approval | Strict policy | Neither (use GetResponse) |
| Cold email support | Prohibited | Prohibited | Neither |
You need complex automation with conditional branching based on purchase behavior, email engagement, and custom fields. Which tool fits better?
Right! Mailchimp has deeper automation than MailerLite. For even more advanced branching and lead scoring, ActiveCampaign goes further but costs more.
Mailchimp's automation is deeper than MailerLite's. For the most advanced automation, ActiveCampaign (from $15/mo at 1k contacts) offers more than either.
Who should choose MailerLite?
- Bloggers and creators starting a newsletter
- Small businesses that find Mailchimp too expensive
- Anyone who wants a clean, distraction-free interface
- Creators selling digital products (e-books, paid newsletters, courses)
- Teams under 10,000 subscribers on a budget
Who should choose Mailchimp?
- E-commerce stores on Shopify or WooCommerce needing deep integration
- Marketing teams that use 10+ connected tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
- Businesses needing landing pages + social + postcards in one tool
- Teams willing to pay more for advanced segmentation and automation
- Established brands wanting the category-leading platform
Not convinced by either? If you run events or nonprofits and want phone support, read our Constant Contact review and pricing breakdown before you decide.
A note on cold email
Neither MailerLite nor Mailchimp allow cold emailing. Importing a list you scraped, bought, or collected without explicit opt-in will get your account suspended on both platforms. If you need cold outreach:
- Cold sales email: Instantly ($30/mo) or Lemlist ($39/mo)
- Link building outreach: MentionAgent ($99/mo), automates finding blogs, contacts, writing, and follow-ups
- PR outreach: Respona or Pitchbox
A simpler alternative for outreach: MentionAgent
If you're here because you want to grow through outreach rather than newsletters, neither MailerLite nor Mailchimp is the right tool. MentionAgent takes a different approach: it automates the entire link building workflow, finding relevant blogs in your niche, looking up contacts, writing personalized emails, and sending follow-ups. You just approve the emails.
- Price: $99/mo flat, no subscriber-based pricing
- Setup: Minutes, no list to import, no templates to write
- Manual work: Approve emails before they send. That's it.
You want to grow your SaaS by getting mentioned on relevant blogs, not by sending newsletters. Which tool fits?
Correct! MailerLite and Mailchimp are for newsletters to opted-in subscribers. For outbound blog outreach, MentionAgent automates finding prospects, writing emails, and following up.
Newsletter tools like MailerLite and Mailchimp can't do outbound outreach. MentionAgent ($99/mo) is built specifically for link building outreach.
Grow by getting mentioned
MentionAgent finds relevant blogs, looks up contacts, writes personalized pitches, and follows up. No leads to import, no templates to write, no subscriber limits.
Start Getting Mentioned For $99/moFrequently asked questions
Is MailerLite or Mailchimp better?
MailerLite is better for bloggers, creators, and small businesses that want a cleaner interface and lower pricing. Mailchimp is better for businesses that need extensive integrations and more advanced marketing features.
Which is cheaper, MailerLite or Mailchimp?
MailerLite is cheaper at every tier. Free plan: 1,000 subs vs 500. Entry paid plan: ~$9/mo vs ~$13/mo. At 10,000 subscribers: roughly $27/month cheaper.
Can I switch from Mailchimp to MailerLite?
Yes. Export your subscribers as CSV from Mailchimp and import to MailerLite. MailerLite has a migration tool that transfers contacts, segments, and campaigns. Account approval may take 1-2 business days.
Does MailerLite or Mailchimp allow cold email?
Which has better deliverability?
Both rank among the top platforms in independent deliverability tests. MailerLite often edges ahead slightly, but the gap is small. Your sender reputation, list hygiene, and email content matter more than the tool choice.
Which is easier to use?
MailerLite. The interface is cleaner, less cluttered, and faster. Mailchimp has more features but has gotten busier since the Intuit acquisition. If you want to get sending quickly without learning curves, MailerLite wins.
Which has better automation?
Mailchimp has deeper automation on higher tiers (more triggers, conditional splits, multi-step workflows). MailerLite covers the common cases (welcome series, abandoned cart, birthdays) but the logic is simpler. For genuinely advanced automation, ActiveCampaign beats both.
Does Mailchimp still have a free plan?
Yes, but it's been tightened. The current free plan caps at 500 subscribers and 1,000 emails per month (or 500/day). Mailchimp branding appears on all free-plan emails.