Mailchimp review

Mailchimp remains a common first choice, and its feature set explains why. Essentials, from $13 per month after a 14-day free trial, includes pre-built templates, popup forms, email scheduling, testing and the option to remove Mailchimp branding, with monthly sends at 10 times your contact count and 3 seats. Automation is where the tiers matter: Essentials flows are limited to 4 steps, while Standard and Premium allow up to 200 flows and add dynamic content, branded templates, custom reports and generative AI features. Mailchimp lists 300+ integrations on every paid plan and offers onboarding sessions on Standard and Premium. A basic Free plan covers businesses with fewer than 250 contacts, and a Pay As You Go plan suits occasional senders. The downside is value: at the same list size, MailerLite and Brevo cost less, and the automation most small businesses want sits on Standard at $20 per month and up. Mailchimp is a safe, well-supported pick, but rarely the cheapest.

Who it is for

Small businesses that want a familiar tool with many integrations and plan to grow into automation later.

Price

Free plan for under 250 contacts; Essentials from $13 per month.

Essentials Send the right content at the right time with testing and scheduling features. Try for free Free for 14 days Then, starts at $13 /month
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 6, 2026.

Key features

• Pre-built email templates, popup forms and email scheduling on paid plans
• Marketing automation flows, up to 4 steps on Essentials and up to 200 flows on higher plans
• 300+ integrations
• Custom reports, dynamic content and branded templates from Standard
• Pay As You Go email credits for infrequent senders

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Essentials starts at $13 per month with a 14-day free trial
• Strength: More than 300 integrations
• Strength: A Pay As You Go option for people who send rarely
• Weakness: Flows on Essentials are limited to 4 steps
• Weakness: Dynamic content and custom reports need Standard
• Weakness: Overages apply when contact or send limits are exceeded

Key facts

• Free plan: Yes, for fewer than 250 contacts
• Free trial: 14 days
• Nonprofit discount: 15%

Where it ranks

Mailchimp is No. 5 in our Best Email Marketing Software verdict and No. 9 in Best Marketing Automation Software.