What Mailchimp is
Mailchimp is one of the longest-running email marketing services, now owned by Intuit. You use it to collect subscribers, design and send email campaigns, set up automated emails such as welcome messages, and see who opened and clicked. It also includes landing pages, signup forms and basic audience segmentation.
Pricing
Mailchimp charges by the number of contacts you store. Based on public pricing information checked in October 2026:
- Free: a small plan, reported at about 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, with Mailchimp branding on your emails.
- Essentials: from about $13 a month for 500 contacts. Removes branding and adds scheduling and A/B testing.
- Standard: from about $20 a month for 500 contacts. Adds more advanced automation and AI-assisted tools.
- Premium: from about $350 a month, aimed at large lists and teams.
The figure that matters is the price at your list size. A list of several thousand contacts costs many times the starting price, so use the calculator on Mailchimp’s pricing page before you commit.
Who it suits
Mailchimp is a sensible choice if you want one tool that covers newsletters, simple automation and signup forms without a learning curve, and especially if you run an online store and want purchase-based emails. It connects to most website builders and store platforms.
Who should look elsewhere
If you have a large list and a small budget, cheaper tools will do the same core job. If you are a writer or creator who mainly sends plain newsletters, a creator-focused tool such as Kit may fit better. And if you were relying on the free plan, its limits are now tight enough that you will outgrow it quickly.
Bottom line
Mailchimp is easy to recommend for a small business that values simplicity and integrations over price. Work out your cost at the list size you expect in a year, not the size you have today.