Mailchimp Pricing

The most recognized name in email marketing — owned by Intuit since 2021, with rising prices and reducing free-plan limits.

Usage-BasedVerified March 24, 2026Visit Mailchimp →

$0Starting price

4Plans available

YesFree option

3Hidden cost warnings

Pricing Plans

as of March 24, 2026

Mailchimp has raised prices and cut free-plan limits multiple times since its 2021 Intuit acquisition. In January 2026, the free plan was cut from 500 contacts/1,000 sends to 250 contacts/500 sends. All contacts count toward your limit — including unsubscribed contacts — unless manually archived. An April 2026 price increase of 11-13% affects legacy plan users.

Free

Up to 250 contacts, 500 sends/month. No scheduling, no automation. Mailchimp branding on all emails. Email support for first 30 days only.

250 contact limit
500 email sends/month
Basic templates
Single-step automations
Mailchimp branding on all emails
No email scheduling

Essentials

$13

/mo · for 500 contacts, billed monthly. Scales: 2,500 contacts = $45/mo, 5,000 = $75/mo. Up to 50,000 contacts max. 10x monthly send limit.

Everything in Free
Remove Mailchimp branding
Email scheduling
A/B testing
Custom templates
Email & chat support

Standard

$20

/mo · for 500 contacts, billed monthly. Scales: 2,500 = $60/mo, 5,000 = $100/mo, 25,000 = $230/mo. Up to 100,000 contacts. 12x monthly send limit.

Everything in Essentials
Multi-step automations
Dynamic content
Predicted demographics
Send-time optimization
Retargeting ads
Up to 5 users

Premium

$350

/mo · for 10,000 contacts, billed monthly. Scales: 50,000 = $500/mo, 200,000 = $1,300/mo. Unlimited users. 15x monthly send limit. Phone support included.

Everything in Standard
Unlimited users & seats
Advanced segmentation
Comparative reporting
Phone support
Priority support
Custom permissions

Hidden Costs

3 items

Why this matters

The advertised starting price is rarely the price you pay at scale. These are the costs buyers most commonly encounter after signing — ones that aren't prominently disclosed on the pricing page.

Unsubscribed contacts count toward your limit

Mailchimp counts subscribed, unsubscribed, and non-subscribed contacts equally toward your billing limit. You must manually archive unsubscribed contacts to stop being charged for them — this surprises most new users.

Automation locked behind Standard

Multi-step automations were removed from Essentials in June 2025. Teams needing basic drip sequences must now pay at least $20/mo for Standard.

Transactional email is a separate add-on

Transactional emails (order confirmations, password resets) are not included in any plan. They are billed separately in blocks of 25,000 emails at $20/block.

Negotiation Reality

What we know

Mailchimp is largely non-negotiable at standard tiers — pricing is transparent and self-serve. For Premium at large contact volumes, direct sales negotiation is possible. The most effective cost lever is list hygiene: archive unsubscribed and inactive contacts before your billing cycle. Consider whether competitors like Brevo or ActiveCampaign offer better value at your contact volume.

General tips

—Ask at end-of-quarter — sales reps have monthly and quarterly targets
—Get competing quotes before your first call
—Ask specifically about first-year discounts vs. renewal rates
—Request a multi-year rate even if you plan to buy one year

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