Mailchimp is the name most people think of when they hear “email marketing.” Founded in 2001, it grew into the dominant player in the SMB space before being acquired by Intuit in 2021.
Who It’s For
Mailchimp works best for small businesses and solo operators who want a well-known tool with a shallow learning curve. The free plan supporting up to 500 contacts is genuinely useful for getting started.
Pricing
The free plan is functional but restricted — you can’t remove Mailchimp branding, automation is limited to a single-step welcome email, and support is email-only. Paid plans start at $13/month (Essentials) for 500 contacts, but the price climbs fast as your list grows.
At 10,000 contacts, you’re looking at $100+/month — at that point, alternatives like Brevo or Mailerlite offer significantly more value.
Features
- Templates: 100+ professionally designed templates
- Automation: Multi-step journeys on Standard plan and above
- Analytics: Good open/click reporting, basic A/B testing on paid plans
- Integrations: 300+ integrations including Shopify, WooCommerce, Salesforce
Verdict
Mailchimp is a solid starting point, but most users outgrow the value-to-price ratio as their list scales. If you’re already paying $50+/month, you should seriously evaluate alternatives.