The Quick Verdict
MailerLite has quietly become the most compelling Mailchimp alternative for cost-conscious small businesses. At comparable contact counts, MailerLite costs 30–50% less, includes automation and landing pages at lower tiers, and has a cleaner interface. Mailchimp’s advantage is its 300+ native integrations, stronger brand recognition (customers trust the unsubscribe link), and a longer track record. For most small businesses, MailerLite delivers better value per dollar.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free (500 contacts) / $13/mo | Free (1,000 contacts) / $10/mo |
| Free Plan Contacts | 500 contacts | 1,000 contacts |
| Free Plan Features | Basic email only | Automation, landing pages included |
| Automation | Standard plan ($20/mo+) | Free plan and above |
| Landing Pages | Standard plan+ | Free plan and above |
| Integrations | 300+ native | 150+ native |
| Ease of Use | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Deliverability | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Best For | Teams needing broadest integrations | Budget-conscious SMBs wanting more features |
| Our Score | 8.4 / 10 | 9.0 / 10 |
Pricing Comparison
MailerLite is consistently cheaper. At 1,000 contacts, MailerLite charges $10/mo vs Mailchimp’s $26/mo. The gap compounds at higher contact counts.
| Scenario | Mailchimp | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| 500 contacts | $13/mo | $10/mo (or free) |
| 1,000 contacts | $26/mo | $10/mo |
| 5,000 contacts | $75/mo | $32/mo |
| 20,000 contacts | $299/mo | $109/mo |
What MailerLite includes for free that Mailchimp paywalls
MailerLite’s free plan includes automation workflows, landing pages, and embedded signup forms. Mailchimp’s free plan is email only — automation and landing pages require the Standard plan at $20/mo. For a small business starting out, MailerLite gives access to the tools that actually grow your list and nurture subscribers without paying anything.
Mailchimp's integration advantage
Mailchimp’s 300+ native integrations are a genuine differentiator for businesses with complex tech stacks. If you need Mailchimp to connect to a specific industry tool — accounting software, booking systems, specialized CRMs — the probability of a native integration is higher with Mailchimp. MailerLite covers the most common integrations and Zapier handles the rest, but direct native integrations are fewer.
The switching cost question
If you’re already on Mailchimp with a working setup, the switching cost needs to justify the savings. Migrating contacts, rebuilding automations, and reconfiguring integrations takes time. Calculate your annual savings at your current contact count (often $300–$1,500/year for SMBs) against the migration effort. For most businesses switching at migration points (when facing a Mailchimp price increase), the math clearly favors MailerLite.
Automation Depth and Accessibility
MailerLite includes multi-step automation workflows on its free plan, while Mailchimp restricts automation to paid tiers and charges more for equivalent functionality. In practice, a small business sending welcome sequences, abandoned cart reminders, or re-engagement campaigns will pay significantly less with MailerLite to access the same core triggers and actions. Mailchimp’s automation builder is more powerful at the enterprise level, with deeper conditional logic and more native app triggers, but most small businesses never need that ceiling. For the 90% of users who want reliable drip sequences without a developer or a large budget, MailerLite wins this dimension clearly. The value gap is too wide for Mailchimp to justify on automation alone.
Who Should Choose Which?
- You rely on 300-plus native integrations and need Mailchimp's ecosystem to connect a complex or niche tool stack
- You're already deeply embedded in Mailchimp with established workflows where the switching cost clearly outweighs any potential savings
- You actively use Mailchimp's built-in website builder or CMS features alongside email and want everything under one roof
- Your audience skews enterprise or corporate and broader brand recognition of Mailchimp adds perceived legitimacy to your communications
- Budget is your primary constraint and you want the strongest email feature set per dollar spent at every plan tier
- You need marketing automation and landing pages without being forced onto a more expensive plan just to unlock basic functionality
- You're starting a new list and want double the free contacts — MailerLite offers 1,000 versus Mailchimp's 500 on free plans
- You prioritise a clean, modern drag-and-drop editor and faster campaign creation without navigating a cluttered legacy interface