Mailchimp is one of the most popular and well-known email marketing tools, and has been for many years. They used to have a generous free plan of 12,000 emails to 2,000 subscribers per month and were known for their affordability. However, in 2023 they increased their prices three times and have reduced their free plan to a maximum of 1,000/month or 500/day with a 500 subscribers limit.
So, although Mailchimp remains a good email marketing platform, we’d recommend checking out all the other great alternatives to find the best fit for you.
Best Mailchimp alternatives
Free tier comparison
Tool | Free Tier (max subscribers) | Free Tier (max emails/mo.) |
---|---|---|
MailChimp | 500 | 1,000 |
EmailOctopus | 2,500 | 10,000 |
Constant Contact | Not available | Not available |
Klaviyo | 250 | 500 |
Zoho Campaigns | 2,000 | 6,000 |
Substack | No capping | No capping |
Drip | Not available | Not available |
Beehiiv | 2,500 | No capping |
Mailmunch | Not available | Not available |
Mailjet | 1,500 | 6,000 & 200/day |
Moosend | 1,000 | No capping |
Mailgun | No capping | 100/day |
Campaign Monitor | Not available | Not available |
Paid plan comparison
Tool | Pricing/mo. (500 subscribers) | Pricing/mo. (10K subscribers) |
---|---|---|
MailChimp | Starts at $13 | Starts at $110 |
EmailOctopus | $9 | $40 |
Mailerlite | Starts at $10 | Starts at $73 |
Beehiiv | Starts at $39 | Starts at $99 |
ConvertKit | Starts at $29 | Starts at $119 |
Constant Contact | Starts at $12 | Starts at $120 |
Klaviyo | Starts at $20 | Starts at $150 |
Mailjet | Starts at $17 | Starts at $37 *paid plans don’t have subscriber limit, the above pricing is for 50,000 emails/mo. |
Brevo | Starts at $9 | Starts at $39 |
Substack | N/A, takes 10% commission fees | N/A, takes 10% commission fees |
Drip | $39 | $154 |
Pros and cons
Tool | Pros | Cons |
---|---|---|
MailChimp | 1. A/B testing 2. Inbuilt basic CRM 3. Mobile app | 1. Dashboard feels cluttered due to multiple feature addons 2. Regular price increases with no grandfathering |
EmailOctopus | 1. Easy to use 2. Very affordable (up to 70% less than alternatives) 3. No hidden costs. All features included | 1. Zapier integrations required for Ecommerce |
Mailerlite | 1. Inbuilt email validator 2. Feature rich landing page builder 3. Monetisation options 4. Ability to collect subscribers offline | 1. Has multiple plans which means that several features are not available in the basic plans 2. Landing page builder has a slight learning curve |
Beehiiv | 1. Unlimited emails in all plans 2. Easy to use text editor 3. Hosted emails as blogs 4. Monetisation options | 1. Limited features for email marketing 2. Only has basic email automation |
ConvertKit | 1. Creator network (feature to let to cross-promote your newsletter) 2. Feature rich landing page builder 3. Monetisation options | 1. Focused towards creator economy, might not be the best choice for other domains/industries |
Constant Contact | 1. Social media integration 2. Event management 3. AI assistance | 1. UI is cluttered due to several additional features 2. Some segmentation features only available on higher tiers |
Klaviyo | 1. Native integration with ecommerce platforms 2. AI assistance for predictions, automation & content 3. A/B testing | 1. As Klaviyo is built for ecommerce, many of it’s features are not useful in general use cases 2. Pricing includes features like SMS and push notifications due to which you’ll be paying for features you might not use |
Mailjet | 1. Supports SMTP relay 2. A/B testing 3. Email validations | 1. Forms comes with limited customisation options |
Brevo | 1. Inbuilt CRM 2. Supports SMTP relay 3. No contacts limit 4. Ability to run SMS & WhatsApp campaigns too | 1. Basic paid plans need to have Brevo logo in the emails, else you’d have need to pay extra for an addon to remove the logo 2. Has a feature-rich dashboard which can be overwhelming for beginners |
Substack | 1. Most features are free 2. Easy to use text editor 3. Hosted emails as blogs 4. Monetisation options | 1. Lack of automations and other essential features of email marketing 2. No option for custom domain (for sending emails) 3. No drag & drop email editor |
Drip | 1. A/B testing 2. Large collection of email and form templates 3. Native integration with ecommerce platforms | 1. Drip is built for ecommerce so many of it’s features are not useful in general use cases 2. Users have reported Drip having a learning curve |
Best use case and ratings
Tool | Best for | User Rating (data from GetApp) |
---|---|---|
MailChimp | Startups and enterprises | 4.5 |
EmailOctopus | Small/medium businesses and newsletter writers | 4.7 |
Mailerlite | Small/medium businesses and startups | 4.7 |
Beehiiv | Creators and writers | N/A |
ConvertKit | Creators and writers | 4.7 |
Constant Contact | Ecommerce and medium sized businesses | 4.3 |
Klaviyo | Ecommerce and D2C businesses | 4.6 |
Mailjet | Startups who need and extensive API support | 4.3 |
Brevo | Businesses looking for multiple solution under a single tool (email marketing, CRM & customer support) | 4.5 |
Substack | Creators and writers | N/A |
Drip | Ecommerce businesses | 4.4 |
EmailOctopus
EmailOctopus focuses on providing an easy-to-use email marketing tool with all the essential features while keeping the prices affordable and transparent.
You get all the essential features like drag and drop email builder, no-code signup forms, automated emails and much more at a fraction of the cost versus alternatives.
Features:
- Easy to use drag and drop email builder
- List segmentation
- No-code signup, popup forms and landing pages
- Email automation
- Zapier and Make integrations
EmailOctopus is a popular Mailchimp alternative that’s been used by over 80,000 businesses and individuals for their newsletters and email marketing activity.
Pricing:
Free for upto 2500 subscribers, with paid plans starting from $9/mo.
MailerLite
MailerLite is another popular email marketing platform, known for providing good tools at an affordable price. Despite a price increase in 2023, it’s still a great option if you need extra features like a comprehensive landing page builder.
Features:
- Easy to use drag and drop email builder
- List segmentation
- No-code signup and popup forms
- Extensive landing pages builder
- Email automation
- Zapier and Make integrations
MailerLite offers many additional features, like a native payment gateway and locked content. However, these extras can sometimes distract from the core service of email marketing. If you need these extra features and don’t mind paying a bit more, MailerLite could be a good choice.
Pricing:
A generous free plan exists, and paid plans start at $10/mo.
Beehiiv
Beehiiv is an email marketing and content platform built for creators and authors. It’s ideal for sending newsletters, but if you have broader email marketing needs, other tools may be better for you.
Features:
- Basic email editor
- List segmentation
- No-code hosted signup and popup forms
- Zapier integrations
Pricing:
Has a generous free plan and paid plans starts at $39/mo.
ConvertKit
ConvertKit is an email marketing tool focused on the creator economy, aiming to empower individual creators to build and monetise newsletters successfully. All its features are designed to help creators grow.
Features:
- Easy to use drag and drop email builder
- List segmentation
- Natively supports paid newsletters
- Extensive landing pages builder
- Email automation
- Zapier and Make integrations
- Monetise your newsletter with paid recommendations and ads
If you’re a creator, ConvertKit is an excellent choice. The only downside might be it’s pricing, especially if you’re not using all it’s premium features.
Pricing:
Has a generous free plan and paid plans starts at $29/mo.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact started off as an email marketing tool, but as of 2024, they have expanded into a full-fledged marketing communications platform. They now offer SMS marketing, social media marketing, and marketing automation.
Features:
- Email automation
- List segmentation
- Forms & landing pages
- Dynamic content
- A/B testing
- AI assistant
Constant Contact is a feature-rich tool, but it’s best if you need all its features. If not, a simpler email marketing tool like EmailOctopus might be a better fit.
Pricing:
No free plan exists, and paid plans start at $12/mo.
Klaviyo
Klaviyo is similar to Constant Contact but focuses on ecommerce and D2C businesses. In addition to email marketing, Klaviyo offers SMS marketing, push notifications, and product review management.
Features:
- Email automation
- List segmentation
- Forms & landing pages
- Dynamic content
- Native ecommerce integrations
- AI assistant
Klaviyo is a great choice if you are a D2C brand and have the budget. However, there are many other tools that can get the job done at a fraction of the cost.
Pricing:
Has a free plan that’s good enough for testing, but not suitable for real life use cases. Paid plans start at $20/mo. which also includes SMS and push notification credits.
Mailjet
Mailjet is a popular email marketing tool among big publishers and companies like ProductHunt and Happn. It also has an extensive API for sending emails programmatically, making it a great choice for businesses that need to send emails based on dynamic scenarios.
Features:
- Email automation
- List segmentation
- Forms & landing pages
- Dynamic content
- SMTP relay support
- AI copy generator
Pricing:
Has a usable free plan and paid plans starts at $17/mo.
Brevo
Brevo (previously known as Sendinblue) is a comprehensive suite of tools that supports marketing, sales, and messaging. In addition to email marketing, Brevo offers features like chatbots, CRM, and SMS marketing. It aims to be an all-in-one solution for email marketing, CRM, and automation.
Features:
- Email automation
- List segmentation
- Forms & landing pages
- Dynamic content
- SMTP relay support
- Chatbot (paid add-on)
Brevo is a popular tool among many startups who plan to use all its features, but costs can escalate quickly as your business and email list grows.
Pricing:
A free plan exists, with paid plans starting at $9/mo.
Substack
Substack is a content platform blending blogging and email marketing. Unlike other tools listed here, Substack is free, earning revenue by taking a cut from your newsletter’s earnings, especially for paid newsletters. However, using Substack has its drawbacks. You have limited control over your newsletter, and it lacks basic features such as email automation and Zapier integration.
Features:
- Email editor
- Forms (basic)
- Podcast hosting
Pricing:
Completely free to use but takes a revenue share of 10%. Also if you need a custom domain for your Substack form and publication then there’s a one-time $50 fees.
Drip
Drip started as a popup tool and has evolved into an email marketing platform. It’s designed to integrate seamlessly with Shopify and includes all the features needed to scale your ecommerce business.
Features:
- Email automation
- List segmentation
- Large popup template collection
- Dynamic content
- A/B testing
Pricing:
Has no free tier, and paid plans start at $39/mo.
Which Mailchimp alternative should you go with?
If you’re looking for a Mailchimp alternative that fits your specific needs, consider EmailOctopus. It offers a generous free plan and affordable, straightforward pricing that scales with your business. EmailOctopus provides all the essential tools to grow your business, at up to 70% less cost than other platforms.
Frequently asked question
What is an affordable Mailchimp alternative?
EmailOctopus is an affordable Mailchimp alternative, with prices starting at just $9/mo.
Switching from Mailchimp to EmailOctopus could cut your email bill in half – especially if you have a large list. On average, people who switch save over 60%.
Why not to use Mailchimp?
Mailchimp is a good email marketing tool. However, its pricing levels, frequent price increases, and product complexity compared to competitors may lead you to explore other options. Especially for small businesses and creators on a budget, there are often more affordable alternatives that offer comparable or superior features at a fraction of the cost.
Can EmailOctopus replace Mailchimp?
Yes, EmailOctopus can replace Mailchimp as it comes with all the features businesses need to grow with email marketing at up to 70% less cost than other platforms.
Is Mailchimp free?
While Mailchimp does offer a free plan, it’s quite restrictive relative to other platforms that offer more generous limits.
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