MailerLite vs Mailchimp 2026: Which Is Better (and Cheaper)?

MailerLite and Mailchimp are two of the most popular email marketing platforms for small businesses. They look similar on the surface — both offer drag-and-drop editors, automation, landing pages, and free plans — but the differences in pricing, features, and ecosystem are significant.

This comparison breaks down every category so you can choose the right one for your business.

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Quick Comparison Table

Pricing Comparison

Pricing is where MailerLite consistently wins.

At 1,000 contacts:

• MailerLite Comfort: $12/month (5,000 emails)
• Mailchimp Essentials: $13/month (6,000 emails)

At 10,000 contacts:

• MailerLite Comfort: ~$80/month
• Mailchimp Standard: $100/month

At 25,000 contacts:

• MailerLite: ~$180/month
• Mailchimp Standard: ~$230/month

Hidden cost difference: Mailchimp charges you for unsubscribed contacts unless you manually archive them. This can inflate your bill by 20-40% without you noticing. MailerLite only counts active subscribers toward your limit.

Bottom line on pricing: MailerLite is 15-30% cheaper than Mailchimp at every tier, and the gap widens as your list grows.

Free Plan Comparison

Both platforms offer free plans, but with different trade-offs:

Which free plan is better? If you have fewer than 250 subscribers and want more sending capacity and automation, MailerLite is better. If you have 251-500 contacts and only need basic email sending, Mailchimp's free plan accommodates more contacts.

Important: MailerLite reduced its free tier from 1,000 subscribers to 250 in June 2026. If you are comparing based on older reviews, the current limits are stricter.

Automation Comparison

MailerLite automation:

• Visual drag-and-drop workflow builder
• 3 automations on free plan, 50 on Comfort, unlimited on Power
• Triggers: signup, link click, purchase, tag added, custom event
• Conditions and branching (on paid plans)
• A/B testing within workflows (Comfort and above)

Mailchimp automation:

• Customer Journey builder (visual)
• 1 basic automation on free plan
• Multi-step journeys on Standard plan ($20/month) and above
• Triggers: signup, purchase, tag added, behavior-based
• Branching and conditions on Standard and above
• Send-time optimization on Premium

Verdict: MailerLite includes more automation on its free plan. Mailchimp's automation builder is slightly more polished on paid plans but costs more to access. For most SMB use cases (welcome sequences, abandoned cart, re-engagement), both platforms are capable.

Templates & Email Editor

Both platforms offer drag-and-drop email editors with similar functionality.

MailerLite editor:

• Clean, intuitive interface
• 100+ templates organized by use case
• Custom HTML block
• Mobile preview
• Dark mode preview
• AI writing assistant (Comfort plan and above)
• Inline photo editing

Mailchimp editor:

• Polished, beginner-friendly interface
• 100+ templates (more modern designs)
• Content Studio (image editor with filters)
• AI content generator (included on all paid plans)
• Mobile preview
• Custom HTML block (Essentials and above)

Verdict: Mailchimp's templates are slightly more modern and its AI content tools are available on lower tiers. MailerLite's editor is equally capable and includes dark mode preview (which Mailchimp lacks). This category is close — both are good.

E-commerce Features

Mailchimp wins this category clearly.

Mailchimp e-commerce:

• Deep Shopify integration (product sync, purchase tracking, abandoned cart)
• WooCommerce integration
• BigCommerce integration
• Product recommendations in emails
• Purchase-based segmentation
• Abandoned cart automation (Standard plan)
• Order notifications
• E-commerce analytics (revenue, AOV, conversion rate)

MailerLite e-commerce:

• Basic Shopify integration (customer sync, order tracking)
• Basic WooCommerce integration
• Abandoned cart automation (paid plans)
• Product blocks in emails
• Purchase-based segmentation (limited)

Verdict: If you run an online store, Mailchimp is the better choice. For serious e-commerce, however, consider Klaviyo — it offers deeper e-commerce features than either platform.

Integrations & Ecosystem

Mailchimp wins this category.

• Mailchimp: 300+ native integrations including Shopify, WooCommerce, Salesforce, HubSpot, Canva, Zapier, and more
• MailerLite: ~140 integrations including Shopify, WordPress, Zapier, Stripe, and more

Mailchimp's larger integration ecosystem means it connects to more of the tools you already use. If your tech stack relies on specific integrations, check both platforms' integration directories before deciding.

Deliverability

Neither platform publishes official deliverability rates. Independent testing by SaaSScored in 2026 reported:

• MailerLite: ~89.8% inbox placement (described as "top-tier for the price")
• Mailchimp: ~91.3% inbox placement (described as "solid")

Both platforms provide standard authentication tools (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Neither offers dedicated IPs on lower-tier plans. Mailchimp offers dedicated IPs on Premium ($350/month); MailerLite does not offer dedicated IPs at all.

Verdict: Both platforms have acceptable deliverability. Your actual inbox placement depends more on your list quality, sending frequency, and content than on the platform itself.

Customer Support

Verdict: MailerLite offers 24/7 email and live chat support on all paid plans. Mailchimp limits chat support to Standard plan ($20/month) and above. MailerLite has a slight edge here.

The Winner: Which Should You Choose?

Choose MailerLite if:

• You want the best value for money
• You need automation on the free plan
• You do not need deep e-commerce integrations
• You want landing pages included at no extra cost
• You are a creator, blogger, or small business without a complex tech stack
• You want to avoid paying for unsubscribed contacts

Choose Mailchimp if:

• You run an e-commerce store (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce)
• You need a large integration ecosystem (300+ integrations)
• You want AI content generation on lower-tier plans
• You need more than 250 contacts on a free plan
• You value brand recognition and broader community support

The bottom line:

For most small businesses and creators, MailerLite offers better value. You get the same core features (email editor, automation, landing pages) at a lower price, with automation included on the free plan. The trade-off is fewer integrations and less e-commerce depth.

For e-commerce businesses and teams that rely on a broad integration ecosystem, Mailchimp is the safer choice despite the higher cost.

Last updated: August 2026. Pricing and features are subject to change — verify on MailerLite and Mailchimp before making a decision.