Mailchimp built a great product, but for many teams it’s no longer the right one. The pricing scales steeply, the free plan has shrunk over the years, and competitors have caught up on features. Here are the best alternatives, matched to different needs.
Why People Leave Mailchimp
The most common reasons we see:
- Price: At 10,000+ contacts, Mailchimp costs $100+/month. Most alternatives are 30-50% cheaper.
- Limited free plan: Mailchimp’s free plan dropped from 2,000 to 500 contacts in 2022.
- Automation: Multi-step automations are locked behind the Standard plan ($20+).
- Support: Email-only support on lower tiers.
The Best Mailchimp Alternatives
1. Mailerlite — Best for Simplicity and Value
Best for: Small businesses, bloggers, startups
Mailerlite is the closest alternative to Mailchimp in terms of user experience, but with a better free plan (1,000 contacts, 12,000 emails/month) and lower paid pricing. If you love Mailchimp’s simplicity but hate the price, Mailerlite is your answer.
Free plan: 1,000 contacts, 12,000 emails/month
Paid from: $10/month
2. Brevo — Best for Transactional + Marketing Email
Best for: Businesses needing both marketing and transactional email, teams with large lists
Brevo charges per email sent, not per contact — meaning you can have 100,000 contacts on the free plan. For businesses with large lists that send infrequently, this model is dramatically cheaper.
Free plan: Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day
Paid from: $9/month
3. ActiveCampaign — Best for Automation
Best for: B2B teams, complex sales funnels, marketing automation power users
ActiveCampaign’s automation builder is the best in the industry. If you’re outgrowing Mailchimp’s basic sequences and need real behavioral automation tied to a CRM, ActiveCampaign is worth the step up in price and complexity.
Free plan: 14-day trial
Paid from: $15/month
4. Klaviyo — Best for E-commerce
Best for: Shopify stores, DTC brands
Klaviyo is purpose-built for e-commerce. The revenue attribution, purchase-based segmentation, and Shopify integration are unmatched. If you’re running an online store, Klaviyo will make you more money than Mailchimp.
Free plan: 250 contacts
Paid from: $20/month
5. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) — Best for Creators
Best for: Course creators, podcasters, YouTubers building an email list
Kit built its entire product around the creator economy — landing pages, paid newsletters, and commerce integrations for selling digital products. If you’re a creator, it fits your workflow better than Mailchimp.
Free plan: 10,000 subscribers
Paid from: $25/month
6. Campaign Monitor — Best for Agencies
Best for: Marketing agencies managing multiple client accounts
Campaign Monitor has excellent multi-account management, strong template tools, and a client-facing experience that Mailchimp doesn’t match. It’s more expensive, but agencies often find the workflow advantages worth it.
Free plan: None (pay per campaign)
Paid from: $11/month
7. Moosend — Best Budget Pick
Best for: Budget-conscious teams who need automation
Moosend offers a feature set comparable to Mailchimp’s paid plans at a significantly lower price — starting at $7/month for 500 contacts. It’s less well-known but the automation and segmentation are solid.
Free plan: 30-day trial
Paid from: $7/month
How to Choose
| Your situation | Best alternative |
|---|---|
| Large list, moderate send volume | Brevo |
| Want simplicity + better price | Mailerlite |
| Need serious automation + CRM | ActiveCampaign |
| E-commerce / Shopify | Klaviyo |
| Creator / digital products | Kit |
| Agency with multiple clients | Campaign Monitor |
| Tightest budget | Moosend |
Migration Tips
Switching email platforms takes about 2-4 hours for most teams:
- Export your list from Mailchimp (Audience → Export)
- Map your automations before you start — don’t just recreate them, question if they still work
- Run both in parallel for 2-4 weeks if you have active automations
- Test deliverability by warming up your new account before full migration
- Update your subscribe forms last, after everything else is working
Most providers offer free migration assistance — ask before you start.