At 500 contacts, MailerLite Comfort costs $12/month and Mailchimp Standard costs $11.98/month ongoing — near-identical. The real difference is the free tier: Mailchimp allows 500 contacts but only 500 emails per month, while MailerLite allows 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails per month. MailerLite’s free plan also includes automations; Mailchimp’s does not.
Both vendors’ pricing pages were captured on 3 August 2026 in the USD view, at the 500 contacts/subscribers tier, so the figures are like-for-like. Neither product was tested hands-on. This comparison contains no performance benchmarks, no deliverability figures, and declares no overall winner — only what each vendor publishes.
The Short Version
On published pricing, these two are closer than their reputations suggest — at 500 contacts, MailerLite Comfort is $12/month and Mailchimp Standard is $11.98/month ongoing. Two cents apart.
The decision is really made on the free tier, and it hinges on a number most comparisons skip. Mailchimp’s free plan holds twice as many contacts (500 vs 250), but MailerLite’s allows five times more email (2,500/month vs 500/month). Per subscriber, that is roughly a tenfold difference in how often you can actually send: MailerLite’s free tier supports about ten sends a month to a full list, Mailchimp’s supports about one.
MailerLite also includes visual automations, two seats, and landing pages on its free plan. Mailchimp’s free plan lists automation flows as not included and allows one seat. See our MailerLite review and Mailchimp review for the full breakdowns.
Free Plans Compared
This is where the two diverge most, and where most buyers actually start.
| MailerLite Free | Mailchimp Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts / subscribers | 250 | Under 500 |
| Monthly email sends | 2,500 | 500 (max 250/day) |
| Approx. sends to a full list | ~10 per month | ~1 per month |
| User seats | 2 | 1 |
| Visual automations | Included | Not included |
| Landing pages & websites | Included | Not listed on free |
| Signup forms | Included | Popup forms included |
| Remove vendor branding | Not included | Not included |
| Support | 24/7 email & chat, first 14 days | Email, first 30 days |
| Integrations | 100+ | 300+ |
| Behaviour at limit | Not specified | Sending is paused |
Paid Pricing at 500 Contacts
Both vendors price on list size. The figures below are each vendor’s rate at the 500 contacts/subscribers tier in USD, captured the same day.
One caveat that materially affects the comparison: Mailchimp’s paid tiers were all showing a 50% discount for the first 12 months at the time of capture. The ongoing rate is the fair basis for comparison, and it is what the table uses. MailerLite’s discount works differently — 10% off for paying yearly rather than a time-limited introductory rate.
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite Free | $0 | $0 | 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo |
| MailerLite Comfort | $12 | $10.80/mo ($129.60/yr) | 5,000 emails/mo, 3 seats, 50 automations |
| MailerLite Power | $25 | $22.50/mo ($270/yr) | Unlimited emails, unlimited seats |
| Mailchimp Free | $0 | — | Under 500 contacts, 500 emails/mo |
| Mailchimp Essentials | from $8.02 ongoing | — | $4.01/mo for first 12 months |
| Mailchimp Standard | from $11.98 ongoing | — | $5.99/mo for first 12 months |
| Mailchimp Premium | from $239.69 ongoing | — | $119.84/mo for first 12 months |
Who Should Pick MailerLite
Anyone who wants to actually send on a free plan. 2,500 emails a month against a 250-subscriber list is enough for a weekly newsletter. Mailchimp’s free tier is not, at any list size approaching its own cap.
Solo creators who need automation without paying. MailerLite includes visual automations on free; Mailchimp does not.
Anyone who wants unlimited sending cheaply. MailerLite Power at $25/month lists unlimited monthly emails and unlimited seats. Mailchimp’s equivalent unlimited-contacts tier, Premium, starts at $239.69/month ongoing.
Who Should Pick Mailchimp
Anyone with a larger list who sends rarely. Mailchimp’s free tier holds up to 500 contacts against MailerLite’s 250. If you are building a list now and mailing infrequently, Mailchimp’s contact allowance goes further.
Teams that need deep role controls. Mailchimp lists 2–5 roles depending on tier. MailerLite’s published plans describe seats but not equivalent role tiers.
Anyone with a wide existing tool stack. Mailchimp lists 300+ integrations against MailerLite’s 100+.
Buyers who want the first year cheap. With the 50% introductory discount, Mailchimp Essentials at $4.01/month and Standard at $5.99/month undercut MailerLite Comfort’s $12 for the first 12 months — as long as you plan for the step up afterwards.
The Number That Actually Decides It
Most comparisons of these two lead with the contact limit. On the free tiers, the send limit matters more.
Mailchimp Free: 500 contacts, 500 emails per month. At a full list, that is one send per month, and Mailchimp’s page states sending is paused once the limit is reached rather than charging overages.
MailerLite Free: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails per month. At a full list, that is roughly ten sends per month.
So the question is not “how many contacts do I have” but “how often do I intend to email them.” A 400-contact list that gets one monthly newsletter fits Mailchimp’s free plan and not MailerLite’s. A 200-contact list that gets a weekly email fits MailerLite’s free plan and not Mailchimp’s.
MailerLite vs Mailchimp FAQ
Is MailerLite cheaper than Mailchimp?
At 500 contacts, they are almost identical: MailerLite Comfort is $12/month and Mailchimp Standard is $11.98/month ongoing. Mailchimp is cheaper in the first year only, because its paid tiers were discounted 50% for 12 months at the time of writing. MailerLite is substantially cheaper for unlimited sending — Power at $25/month versus Mailchimp Premium from $239.69/month.
Which has the better free plan, MailerLite or Mailchimp?
It depends on whether you need contacts or sends. Mailchimp Free allows up to 500 contacts but only 500 emails per month. MailerLite Free allows 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails per month. MailerLite also includes visual automations and 2 seats on free; Mailchimp includes neither automation nor a second seat.
How many emails can you send free on MailerLite vs Mailchimp?
MailerLite’s free plan allows 2,500 emails per month. Mailchimp’s free plan allows a maximum of 500 emails per month, or 250 per day. That is a five-fold difference in absolute sends, and roughly ten-fold per subscriber given the differing list caps.
Does Mailchimp’s free plan include automation?
No. Mailchimp lists marketing automation flows as not included on its Free tier; Essentials allows up to 4 flow steps. MailerLite lists visual automations among the core features available on its free plan.
What happens if you hit the free plan limit?
Mailchimp’s pricing page states that sending is paused if the contact or email send limit is exceeded on the free plan, while paid plans incur overage charges instead. MailerLite’s pricing page does not specify equivalent behaviour, so we have not made a claim about it.
Which is better for a small business, MailerLite or Mailchimp?
Neither is universally better and we have not tested either. On published figures, MailerLite suits businesses that email frequently or want automation without paying; Mailchimp suits businesses with larger lists that send rarely, need many integrations, or want the lowest first-year cost.
Verdict
We are not declaring a winner. We have not used either product, so any claim about which is better to work with day to day would be invented. What the published numbers support is a clean split by use case.
Choose MailerLite if sending frequency matters more than list size, if you want automations without paying, or if you want unlimited sending at $25/month rather than $239.69/month.
Choose Mailchimp if list size matters more than sending frequency, if you need 300+ integrations or granular roles, or if you want the cheapest possible first year and can absorb the step-up at renewal.
They are effectively tied on headline paid price at 500 contacts — $12 vs $11.98 ongoing. Anyone telling you one is dramatically cheaper than the other at this list size is comparing a promotional rate against a standard one.
Disclosure
RightToolHQ has no active affiliate relationship with either MailerLite or Mailchimp at the time of writing, and this page contains no affiliate links. If that changes, this notice will be updated and any affiliate link will be clearly disclosed. See our editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.