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Pricing guide, Email Marketing Software

Mailchimp pricing in 2026: plans and what 5,000 contacts cost

Every Mailchimp plan in plain numbers, how the contact tier sets the bill, and how unsubscribed contacts raise it.

The short answer

Mailchimp costs USD 13 a month on Essentials and USD 20 on Standard for 500 contacts, rising with list size, while Premium starts at USD 350 a month for 10,000 contacts. A 5,000-contact list pays about USD 900 a year on Essentials or USD 1,200 on Standard at list price, before intro offers.

  • Cheapest paid optionEssentials at about USD 13 a month for up to 500 contacts.
  • What growing teams needStandard, for automation flows, dynamic content and 5 seats.
  • Biggest hidden costUnsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts still count toward your billed tier.
  • Best way to saveArchive inactive contacts before each billing cycle and right-size your tier.

Written by Procurement VMS Editorial Team · Reviewed by Michael, Procurement Advisor Expert · Price data dated · 10 minute read

Mailchimp plans and prices

Mailchimp does not charge per user or per email. It charges for the size of your audience, and that audience includes people who unsubscribed or never opted in. The plan sets the features, and the contact tier sets the bill.

This guide lays out each plan, what a 5,000-contact list really costs, and where the bill grows without anyone noticing. Mailchimp shows prices by location, so US figures are cross-checked against recent 2026 sources.

Prices below were recorded on 12 October 2026. The headline figure is the lowest price you can get for that plan. Check the official page before you buy, because vendors change prices without notice.

Free

Free

per month by contact tier

Billed monthly: Free

Best for: Testing email with a very small list

  • 250 contacts
  • 500 sends a month
  • 1 seat
  • 1 audience
  • Mailchimp branding
  • no scheduling or automation flows

Essentials

USD13

per month by contact tier

Billed monthly: USD13

Best for: Small businesses sending regular newsletters

  • From USD 13 for 500 contacts
  • sends 10x contacts
  • 3 seats
  • 3 audiences
  • scheduling
  • up to 4 flow steps
  • no branding
Most chosen

Standard

USD20

per month by contact tier

Billed monthly: USD20

Best for: Growing teams that rely on automation

  • From USD 20 for 500 contacts
  • sends 12x contacts
  • 5 seats
  • up to 200 flows
  • generative AI
  • dynamic content
  • custom reports

Premium

Custom

per month by contact tier, billed yearly

Billed monthly: USD350

Best for: Larger teams and high-volume senders

  • From USD 350 for 10,000 contacts
  • sends 15x contacts
  • unlimited seats and audiences
  • enterprise SSO
  • phone and priority support

How billing works

Mailchimp bills each month on the plan and contact tier you choose, using your peak contact count in the billing period. Subscribed, non-subscribed and unsubscribed contacts all count toward the limit, and only archived and cleaned contacts do not. If you pass your contact or send limit on a paid plan, Mailchimp adds overage contact blocks to the next bill rather than pausing sends, while Free accounts are paused instead. Annual plans exist only for Standard and Premium at 10,000 or more contacts, through sales.

The tier trap

Essentials stops at 4 flow steps, 3 seats and no dynamic content, so any team running real automation moves to Standard. Needing more than 5 seats or SSO jumps you to Premium, which starts at 10,000 contacts and USD 350 a month even if your list is smaller.

Read this first. Mailchimp's pricing page is geo-priced. From our location it showed INR-based estimates (Standard "starts at USD 13", Essentials USD 8.69 at 500 contacts) and not US list prices. The US figures (USD 13 Essentials and USD 20 Standard at 500 contacts, USD 75 and USD 100 at 5,000, Premium USD 350 at 10,000) come from TinyCommand (September 2026) and Automation Atlas (July 2026), so confirm them on a US connection. The 50% off for 12 months intro offer was live on the page we saw, and we have not confirmed it runs in the US. Overage block prices are not published. The Vendr benchmark is a discount range, not a dollar figure.

Mailchimp cost calculator

Move the slider to see what each plan costs at your size. The figures use the list prices on this page and leave out tax, add-ons and any discount you negotiate.

What a 5,000-contact list costs on Standard, with and without the intro offer

Mailchimp prices by contact tier, so this table follows a 5,000-contact list through the intro offer ending and a move to Premium.

Yearly cost scenarios for Mailchimp
ScenarioCost per yearAgainst the headline
Standard at the 50% intro rate, year 1 (5,000 contacts)USD600Headline price
Year 2, when the intro offer ends and list price applies (5,000 contacts)USD1,200+USD 600
More than 5 seats or SSO needed, so Premium from 10,000 contacts (5,000 contacts)USD4,200+USD 3,600

Where the bill grows

The bill follows the size of your audience. These are the places it grows.

Unsubscribed contacts are billed

Subscribed, non-subscribed and unsubscribed contacts all count toward your tier until you archive them.

Peak count billing

Your bill uses the highest contact count in the period, so archiving mid-month does not lower the current bill.

Overage blocks

Going over your contact or send limit adds overage blocks to the next bill instead of pausing sends.

Intro offers expire

The 50% off offer lasts 12 months, then the plan renews at list price.

Premium minimum

Premium starts at 10,000 contacts, so small teams that need SSO or unlimited seats pay for a list they do not have.

SMS is extra

SMS is a separate add-on bought as monthly credits that expire and do not roll over.

What each Mailchimp plan includes

Compare the plans side by side. Where a cell says Check page, the vendor's pricing page was not specific enough for us to fill it in.

FeatureFreeEssentialsStandardPremium
Contacts included250From 500From 500From 10,000
Monthly email sends50010x contacts12x contacts15x contacts
Users135Unlimited
Audiences135Unlimited
Marketing automation flowsCheck pageUp to 4 stepsUp to 200 flowsUp to 200 flows
SupportEmail, first 30 days24/7 email and chat24/7 email and chatPhone and priority

Features we could not place by plan: Email scheduling, Dynamic content and custom reports, Enterprise SSO. Check the official page for which plan includes each one.

Which Mailchimp plan should you pick?

Free

Pick it if you have under 250 contacts and only send occasional newsletters.

Essentials

Pick it if you need scheduling and no branding but only simple automations.

Standard

Pick it if automation flows, dynamic content and custom reports drive your revenue.

Premium

Pick it if you need more than 5 seats, enterprise SSO or phone support and have 10,000 or more contacts.

Our view

Mailchimp is fair value for small and mid-size lists that use its automation and ecommerce integrations, and Standard is the plan most teams end up on. It gets expensive when nobody prunes the list, because unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts are billed the same as engaged ones.

You may be overpaying if

A large share of your audience is unsubscribed or has not opened in six months, you pay for Standard but only send a monthly newsletter, or you moved to Premium for seats while your list is under 10,000.

How to pay less for Mailchimp

  1. Archive inactive contacts

    Archive unsubscribed and long-inactive contacts before the cycle starts, since archived contacts do not count toward billing.

  2. Match the tier to your peak

    Billing uses the peak count, so time big imports and cleanups around the billing date.

  3. Use the intro offer knowingly

    Take the 12-month discount, but budget year 2 at list price and review the plan before it ends.

  4. Ask about annual terms

    At 10,000 or more contacts on Standard or Premium, sales offers annual plans, so ask for a committed rate.

  5. Claim the nonprofit discount

    Qualifying nonprofits and charities get 15% off.

  6. Price a cheaper rival

    MailerLite and Constant Contact start at USD 12 a month for small lists and give you a real comparison.

What other buyers report

Vendr reports Mailchimp buyers with 500 to 5,000 contacts typically secure 10% to 20% below list, and 15% to 30% at 10,000 to 50,000 contacts (February 2026). Source

Price changes we know of

  • 17 February 2026: the Free plan was cut to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250-send daily cap and sending paused above the contact limit.

Renewal email you can copy

Fill in the brackets and send it about 90 days before the renewal date. It works best next to your renewal tracker.

Subject: Mailchimp renewal on [renewal date]

Hi [account manager],

Our Mailchimp [plan] subscription renews on [renewal date]. Over the last 90 days, [active contacts] of the [paid contacts] we pay for used it.

We would like to renew with [target contacts] on a [term] term. Before we sign, please send:
1. The current list price and the price you are offering us, line by line.
2. The cap on any price increase at the next renewal.
3. The notice period if we want to cut contacts or move to another plan.

We are comparing this against [alternative] and plan to decide by [decision date]. If you can offer [target discount] percent off list, or a lower price for a longer term, we are ready to talk this week.

Thank you,
[name]
[company]

Free PDF and Excel

Mailchimp pricing sheet and cost model

A one page summary of every plan, plus an Excel model that adds up your own seat count.

  • All plans and prices on one page
  • Excel model with your seat count and yearly cost
  • Renewal checklist and the email above, ready to edit
  • Date of the price data and the source links

Mailchimp alternatives and what they cost

If this vendor does not fit, these are the closest options and what they charge.

AlternativeStarting pricePick it when
MailerLiteUSD12 per month (Comfort, 500 subscribers, monthly)You want automations and landing pages at a lower price per subscriber Read our MailerLite pricing guide
Constant ContactUSD12 per month (Lite, monthly)You want live phone support and event tools on a small list Read our Constant Contact pricing guide
KlaviyoUSD20 per month (Email, 500 active profiles)You run an ecommerce store and want deep store data in flows Read our Klaviyo pricing guide

Keeping Mailchimp spend under control

An email list grows from forms, imports and old campaigns, and nobody owns its size. The bill tracks that size, so one unreviewed import can lift a tier.

  • Count the users who log in. Sales, marketing and revenue operations often buy the same type of tool separately. Compare logins against paid seats before every renewal.
  • Calendar the renewal and notice window. Annual contracts for data and engagement tools often renew at a higher price. A renewal tracker keeps the date visible.
  • Check the data terms before you sign. Contact data brings privacy duties with it. Ask for the data processing terms during supplier onboarding, not after go-live.
  • Add the tool to your software spend view. Use a spend analysis template to see what go-to-market tools cost as a group.

Bottom line. Standard suits most teams, but the contact tier, not the plan, sets the bill. Archive inactive contacts before every cycle, budget the intro offer's second year at list price, and compare MailerLite or Klaviyo before you commit to Premium.

Mailchimp pricing questions

How much does Mailchimp cost per month?

Mailchimp Essentials starts at about USD 13 a month and Standard at USD 20 for up to 500 contacts, and the price rises with each contact tier. Premium starts at USD 350 a month for 10,000 contacts. Mailchimp shows prices by location, so check the page in your own currency.

Is there a free version of Mailchimp?

Yes. Since February 2026 the Free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 email sends a month, with a daily cap of 250 sends, one seat and Mailchimp branding. Sending is paused if you go over the contact limit until you upgrade.

How much is Mailchimp Premium?

Premium starts at USD 350 a month for 10,000 contacts and rises with list size, with custom pricing above 250,000 contacts. It adds unlimited seats and audiences, enterprise SSO, phone and priority support, and sends up to 15 times your contact count each month.

Can you get a discount on Mailchimp?

Yes. Mailchimp regularly offers 50% off for the first 12 months on new paid plans, nonprofits and charities get 15% off, and Standard and Premium accounts with 10,000 or more contacts can ask sales about annual plans. Vendr reports 10% to 30% below list on negotiated deals.

Do unsubscribed contacts count toward Mailchimp pricing?

Yes. Subscribed, non-subscribed and unsubscribed contacts all count toward your plan limit. Only archived and cleaned contacts are excluded, and billing uses your peak contact count in the period, so archive inactive contacts before the cycle starts.

What is the cheapest alternative to Mailchimp?

MailerLite Comfort starts at USD 12 a month for 500 subscribers, or USD 10.80 billed yearly, and does not count unsubscribed contacts. Constant Contact Lite also starts at USD 12 a month. Both cost less than Mailchimp Standard for small lists.

Sources

How we put this page together

We start from the vendor pricing page and note the date. Where a figure comes from a third party instead, we say so on the page. Procurement VMS is a ratings and comparison site, not a software vendor, and nobody paid for a place in this guide. Spot a number that has changed? Tell us on the contact page and we will check it.

Take the Mailchimp cost model to your renewal meeting

You get a one page PDF and an Excel model with your seat count, the plans above and a renewal checklist.

Choosing software instead of renewing? See the ranked procurement software list.