What is the difference between Mailchimp and MailerLite?

Mailchimp is best for Small businesses getting started with email marketing, while MailerLite is best for Small businesses and creators wanting simple email. Mailchimp starts at $13/mo and MailerLite starts at Free.

Is Mailchimp or MailerLite cheaper?

Mailchimp starts at $13/mo with a free tier. MailerLite starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to MailerLite?

Both Mailchimp and MailerLite offer free tiers.

Mailchimp vs MailerLite

Mailchimp is email marketing platform with campaigns, automation, landing pages, and audience management, while MailerLite is email marketing platform with landing pages, automations, and a generous free tier. The biggest difference up front: MailerLite is free, while Mailchimp starts at $13/mo. Mailchimp is built for small businesses getting started with email marketing, whereas MailerLite targets small businesses and creators wanting simple email.

At a glance

	Mailchimp	MailerLite
Best for	Small businesses getting started with email marketing	Small businesses and creators wanting simple email
Starting price	$13/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Automations	✓	✓
Campaigns	✓	—
Email Campaigns	—	✓
Landing Pages	✓	✓
Segmentation	✓	—
Surveys	—	✓
Templates	✓	—

Mailchimp

Strengths

Easy to use for beginners
Good template library and drag-and-drop editor
Built-in landing pages and basic CRM
Brand recognition — customers trust Mailchimp emails

Weaknesses

Pricing has increased significantly
Free tier now limited to 500 contacts
Automation is basic compared to dedicated tools
Charges for unsubscribed contacts on some plans

Try Mailchimp → Full review

MailerLite

Strengths

Includes Email Campaigns as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows
Includes Landing Pages as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows
Free for 1000 subscribers — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 16+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Deliverability depends on your sender reputation, which takes time to build
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try MailerLite → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: MailerLite is completely free (Free for 1000 subscribers), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Mailchimp starts at $13/mo, but Free for up to 500 contacts. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Mailchimp offers Campaigns, Segmentation and Templates that MailerLite lacks. MailerLite brings Email Campaigns and Surveys that Mailchimp does not have. Both share Automations and Landing Pages.

Team fit: Mailchimp is geared toward any size teams, while MailerLite is aimed at individual users and small setups. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Mailchimp's biggest strengths are: easy to use for beginners. good template library and drag-and-drop editor. MailerLite's biggest strengths are: includes email campaigns as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows. includes landing pages as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows.

Watch out for: With Mailchimp, users commonly note that pricing has increased significantly. With MailerLite, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Mailchimp if...

You need a tool built for small businesses getting started with email marketing
You specifically need Campaigns and Segmentation
You care about good template library and drag-and-drop editor
Your team size fits the any size profile Mailchimp is designed for
The free tier works for you: free for up to 500 contacts

Choose MailerLite if...

You need a tool built for small businesses and creators wanting simple email
Budget is a hard constraint — MailerLite is free, Mailchimp is not
You specifically need Email Campaigns and Surveys
You care about includes landing pages as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows
Your team size fits the individuals profile MailerLite is designed for