Mailchimp became the default email platform by being easy: drag-and-drop builders, prebuilt templates, and a generous free plan that let people grow before paying. That free plan has shrunk, and the pricing that replaced it rewards you less as your audience grows.
At a glance
| Plan | Price | Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 500 |
| Essentials | $13/mo | Scales with list |
| Standard | $20/mo | Scales with list |
| Premium | $350/mo | Advanced + volume |
What it does well
The editor is genuinely easy, and the all-in-one nature — email, landing pages, forms, basic automation, and basic CRM — means a small team can run most of its marketing from one login[2]. Deliverability is solid, and the templates look professional out of the box.
The price jump
The free plan now caps at 500 contacts, and every tier after that scales by subscriber count. A list that was cheap at 2,000 contacts gets noticeably more expensive at 10,000, and the jump to Premium ($350/mo) is steep[1]. Growing lists often find better value in Brevo or MailerLite.
Who should use it
Small businesses that value an all-in-one, easy-to-use platform and have a modest or slow-growing list. E-commerce brands may prefer Klaviyo's revenue focus; creators may prefer Kit's pricing.
The verdict
Mailchimp is still a great place to start — just check the pricing for your projected list size before you commit, because the comfortable entry can get expensive as you grow.