Alternatives to Mailchimp
Mailchimp alternatives worth switching to
The best Mailchimp alternatives are MailerLite (simpler with a more generous free tier), Brevo (priced by emails sent rather than contacts stored), and Listmonk if you are technical and want to self-host. Switch if you are paying for contacts who never open anything — Mailchimp's contact-based pricing is the usual trigger — stay if its integrations and templates already do the job.
Pricing verified 2026-07-28 · we re-check quarterly ·
how we compare
Why people leave Mailchimp
- Pricing based on contacts stored rather than emails actually sent
- Paying for unengaged subscribers who never open
- Price increases on plans that used to be cheap
- Features moving between tiers over time
The alternatives
1 
MailerLite
Best for: Most small senders leaving Mailchimp
Pricing: A free tier covering a meaningful subscriber count, then contact-based paid plans that undercut Mailchimp. Prices change often, so check the vendor's current pricing page before deciding. source
Strengths
- Cleaner, faster editor than Mailchimp
- Genuinely generous free tier
- Landing pages and automation included at lower tiers
Trade-offs
- Fewer integrations than Mailchimp
- Approval process for new accounts can be strict
- Still contact-based pricing, so the structural issue remains
Verdict: The easiest swap for small lists. Most people find they lose nothing they were using.
2 
Brevo
Best for: Anyone with a large list who emails infrequently
Pricing: Priced by emails sent rather than contacts stored, with a free daily sending allowance. Prices change often, so check the vendor's current pricing page before deciding. source
Strengths
- Send-based pricing — store unlimited contacts and pay for what you send
- Transactional email and SMS in the same account
- Strong value for large but infrequently emailed lists
Trade-offs
- Interface is busier than MailerLite's
- Deliverability needs warm-up care on the shared pool
- Automation builder is less polished
Verdict: The structural fix if your list is large but you send rarely. The pricing model, not the features, is the reason to choose it.
3 
Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
Best for: Creators and newsletter writers
Pricing: Free tier for a limited subscriber count, then subscriber-based paid plans. Prices change often, so check the vendor's current pricing page before deciding. source
Strengths
- Built specifically for creators, with strong automation
- Excellent deliverability reputation
- Tagging model suits content businesses better than lists
Trade-offs
- Expensive as subscriber counts grow
- Plain templates by design — poor fit for heavy visual campaigns
- Overkill for simple company newsletters
Verdict: The right pick if you sell to an audience. The wrong one if you send product marketing emails.
4 
Listmonk open source
Best for: Technical teams who want to own their sending
Pricing: Free and open source. Your cost is hosting — roughly $5–20/month on a small VPS, or nothing on hardware you already own — plus your own time for updates and backups. You still pay a sending provider such as SES for delivery, which is typically pennies per thousand emails. source
Strengths
- Handles very large lists on modest hardware — extremely fast
- No per-contact pricing at all
- Full control over data and templates
Trade-offs
- You own deliverability, which is the genuinely hard part
- No hand-holding for SPF, DKIM and DMARC
- Not appropriate for non-technical marketing teams
Verdict: Enormous savings at scale if you understand email deliverability. If that phrase worries you, choose a hosted option.
source code ↗ Don't switch if…
- Your list is small enough for Mailchimp's free or cheap tiers
- You rely on integrations only Mailchimp has
- Non-technical colleagues build the campaigns and know the tool
- Deliverability is currently good — migrating sending domains carries real risk
We say this on every page. A comparison that never recommends staying put is an
advert, not a comparison.
Questions people actually ask
Is there a better option than Mailchimp?
For small lists MailerLite is simpler and cheaper. For large lists emailed infrequently, Brevo's send-based pricing is structurally better. For creators, ConvertKit. "Better" depends mostly on how your list size compares with your sending frequency.
Why are people leaving Mailchimp?
Mainly pricing. Mailchimp charges by contacts stored rather than emails sent, so costs grow with list size even if engagement does not, and prices have risen repeatedly. Interface changes and features shifting between tiers add to it.
What is the best free email newsletter platform?
MailerLite has the most generous genuinely free tier for most people. Brevo's free plan allows unlimited contacts with a daily send limit, which suits large but rarely emailed lists. Listmonk is free if you self-host and pay only for delivery.
Which is better, Flodesk or Mailchimp?
Flodesk charges a flat rate regardless of list size, which is compelling once your list is large, and its templates are more design-led. Mailchimp has far more integrations and deeper analytics. Flodesk suits visual brands with big lists; Mailchimp suits teams needing integrations.