Mailchimp pricing includes an ongoing Free plan, contact-based subscriptions, and a credit-based Pay As You Go option. The Free plan supports up to 250 contacts and 500 monthly sends. Documented paid rates begin with a $13 monthly equivalent for Essentials, but the displayed paid prices are annual promotional equivalents for 12 months rather than confirmed regular month-to-month rates. Your actual Mailchimp cost depends on the plan, contact tier, sending allowance, and possible overages.
Mailchimp pricing at a glance
The following Mailchimp pricing plans and allowances were verified on September 23, 2026. Paid amounts are in US dollars and represent displayed annual promotional monthly equivalents for 12 months. Eligibility and promotional terms apply, so they should not be interpreted as standard month-to-month prices.
| Plan | Documented price and billing basis | Contact allowance | Sending allowance or usage rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 as an ongoing free plan | Up to 250 contacts | 500 monthly sends and 250 daily sends |
| Essentials | $13 per month annual promotional equivalent for 12 months | 500 contacts at the base tier, scaling to 50,000 | Up to 10 times the contact limit per month |
| Standard | $20 per month annual promotional equivalent for 12 months | 500 contacts at the base tier, scaling to 100,000 | Up to 12 times the contact limit per month |
| Premium | $350 per month annual promotional equivalent for 12 months | 10,000 contacts at the base tier, scaling to 200,000 | Up to 15 times the contact limit per month; larger plans require sales contact |
| Pay As You Go | Usage-based price determined by purchased email credits | Not expressed as a recurring contact-tier subscription here | 5,000-credit minimum; each attempted email consumes one credit, and credits expire after 12 months |
Essentials is the entry paid Marketing plan, although a regular month-to-month starting price was not confirmed. Essentials and Standard also have 14-day trials. A trial started without a card is limited to 100 emails unless payment details are added.
Is Mailchimp free?
Mailchimp is free for a small audience with modest sending needs. The Mailchimp Free plan allows up to 250 contacts, 500 email sends per month, and no more than 250 sends in one day. It includes one audience, one seat, a welcome email, and basic reporting.
Those limits make the Mailchimp free tier practical for testing a newsletter, building an initial permitted contact list, or sending occasional updates. For example, a creator with 200 contacts could send two messages to the entire list in a month, using 400 of the 500 monthly sends. Sending one campaign to all 200 contacts also remains below the 250-send daily limit.
Contact counting deserves particular attention. Subscribed, unsubscribed, and non-subscribed contacts all count toward the applicable contact limit. A business with 220 subscribers and 40 retained unsubscribed records would therefore have 260 counted contacts, exceeding the Free plan’s 250-contact allowance even though only 220 people could receive a normal marketing campaign.
The free tier is less suitable when several people need access, when separate audiences are necessary, or when basic reporting and the included welcome email no longer support the intended workflow. Automation, testing, reporting, seats, and support vary by plan, so assess the particular paid-plan entitlement you need rather than assuming every paid tier includes the same tools.
What affects Mailchimp cost?
Mailchimp cost is shaped primarily by the selected plan and contact tier. On paid subscription plans, the contact limit also determines the sending allowance. Essentials permits monthly sends up to 10 times its contact limit, Standard up to 12 times, and Premium up to 15 times.
As an illustrative allowance calculation, an Essentials base tier with a 500-contact limit permits up to 5,000 monthly sends because 500 multiplied by 10 equals 5,000. The Standard base tier has the same 500-contact limit but permits up to 6,000 monthly sends because its multiplier is 12. These figures describe send capacity, not a prediction of how many messages a business should send.
Stored audience records can move an account into a higher contact tier because unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts count alongside subscribed contacts. Exceeding contact or sending allowances may also result in billed overages or additional contact blocks. Pay As You Go works differently from a subscription because each attempted email consumes one prepaid credit, including an attempted message that does not ultimately produce engagement.
How to choose among Mailchimp plans
The right choice depends on list size, monthly campaign frequency, team access, and the marketing capabilities needed. There is no single Mailchimp plan that is best for every account.
Choose Free for a small first email program
Start with Free when you have no more than 250 counted contacts, can remain under 500 monthly sends and 250 daily sends, and need only one audience and one seat. It is a reasonable starting point for a creator or very small business sending occasional updates and using a basic welcome email.
Consider Essentials for a growing routine
Essentials is the entry subscription option among the documented Mailchimp plans. Its base tier includes 500 contacts and monthly sends up to 10 times the contact limit. It can fit a growing sender that has passed the Free plan’s audience or sending restrictions but does not need the greater contact and sending scale associated with Standard or Premium.
Consider Standard for more sending headroom
Standard also starts with a 500-contact base tier but allows monthly sends up to 12 times the contact limit and scales to 100,000 contacts. Compared with Essentials at the same 500-contact limit, that means 1,000 additional permitted sends per month. It is the more relevant tier to evaluate when campaign frequency or expected list growth would make Essentials restrictive.
Consider Premium for a large marketing operation
Premium begins at a 10,000-contact base tier, scales to 200,000 contacts, and permits monthly sends up to 15 times the contact limit. Its starting scale and $350 annual promotional monthly equivalent make it an option to assess for larger programs rather than small newsletters. Larger plans require contact with sales.
Consider Pay As You Go for irregular sending
Pay As You Go may suit an organization that sends intermittently and prefers credits to a recurring Marketing subscription. The trade-off is a 5,000-credit minimum, one credit consumed for every attempted email, and expiration after 12 months. Estimate whether the credits can be used before expiration before choosing this model.
When to move beyond the free tier
Upgrade planning should begin before a campaign would cross a hard allowance. Practical triggers include approaching 250 counted contacts, needing more than 500 sends in a month, sending to more than 250 recipients in one day, adding another audience, or requiring more than one seat.
A capability requirement can also justify an upgrade. If your workflow needs deeper automation, testing, reporting, or support than your account provides, compare the relevant paid-plan entitlement alongside its contact and send capacity. These capabilities vary across plans and should not be inferred from the price alone.
Before changing plans, record your total counted contacts, expected recipients per campaign, campaigns per month, required seats, and essential workflow features. Multiply expected recipients by campaign frequency to estimate monthly sends, then leave room for welcome messages, tests, and list growth. That calculation provides a more reliable selection rule than choosing only by the displayed starting price.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Mailchimp pricing plans
Is Mailchimp free?
Yes. Mailchimp has an ongoing Free Marketing plan for up to 250 contacts. It includes 500 monthly email sends, a 250-send daily limit, one audience, one seat, a welcome email, and basic reporting. It is most suitable for a small list and a simple, low-frequency email program.
How much does Mailchimp cost?
The documented paid-plan figures were $13 per month for Essentials, $20 for Standard, and $350 for Premium as annual promotional monthly equivalents for 12 months. Eligibility and terms apply, and actual cost can change with the contact tier, send allowance, overages, or larger-plan requirements.
What are the Mailchimp free plan limits?
The Free plan allows up to 250 contacts, 500 sends per month, and 250 sends per day. It is also limited to one audience and one seat and provides basic reporting. Subscribed, unsubscribed, and non-subscribed records count toward Mailchimp contact limits.
Do Mailchimp prices change as contacts grow?
Yes. Paid Marketing plan costs vary by contact tier and associated sending allowance. Essentials scales to 50,000 contacts, Standard to 100,000, and Premium to 200,000. Exceeding the applicable contact or send allowance may lead to overage charges or additional contact blocks.
