Mailchimp vs MailerLite
Mailchimp vs MailerLite is the established giant versus the value-focused challenger. Mailchimp has brand recognition and a massive feature set; MailerLite offers remarkably similar features at a fraction of the price. For many users, this is an easy decision.
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Quick Answer
Mailchimp beats MailerLite for most users. It scores 9.1/10 vs 9/10 and free plan for up to 500 contacts. Choose MailerLite if you need very affordable pricing from $10/mo.
Mailchimp
WinnerMost popular email platform with powerful automation
Starting from
$13/mo
MailerLite
Simple, affordable email marketing with generous free plan
Starting from
$10/mo
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 9.1/10 | 9.0/10 |
| Starting Price | $13/mo | $10/mo |
| User Reviews | ||
| Capacity | ||
| Contacts | 500 (free) | 500 (free) |
| Emails per Month | 1,000 (free) | 12,000 (free) |
| Automation & Testing | ||
| Automation | ||
| A/B Testing | ||
| Segmentation | ||
| Features | ||
| Landing Pages | ||
| Templates | 100+ | 100+ |
| Analytics | ||
| Integrations | 300+ | 140+ |
| API Access | ||
Pros & Cons Breakdown
Mailchimp
- Free plan for up to 500 contacts
- Easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor
- Extensive template library
- Powerful automation features
- Detailed analytics and reporting
- Integrates with 300+ apps
- Pricing increases quickly with list size
- Limited features on free plan
- Customer support can be slow
MailerLite
- Very affordable pricing from $10/mo
- Generous free plan (500 subscribers)
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
- Landing pages and website builder included
- Excellent deliverability rates
- 4.8/5 customer support rating
- Automation on free plan
- Free plan reduced from 1,000 to 500 subscribers
- Limited advanced automation
- Basic reporting compared to competitors
- Strict approval process for new accounts
Key Difference
Mailchimp costs roughly 2-3x more than MailerLite for equivalent subscriber counts. MailerLite's free tier is more generous. Both have solid automation and landing pages. The feature gap has narrowed significantly.
Which Should You Choose?
Mailchimp
Choose Mailchimp if you need specific integrations only Mailchimp offers, want the most advanced automation features, prefer the familiar interface, or your organization already uses it.
MailerLite
Choose MailerLite if you want to save 50-70% on email marketing costs, need a free tier that's actually useful (1,000 subscribers), want a cleaner interface, or don't need Mailchimp's advanced features.
Our Verdict
Mailchimp wins on brand recognition and advanced features like complex automations and extensive integrations. MailerLite wins on value - similar core features at 50-70% less cost. Unless you need specific Mailchimp integrations, MailerLite is hard to beat.
Thinking of Switching?
Export from Mailchimp as CSV with all custom fields. MailerLite has a Mailchimp import wizard. Recreate your automations and test them thoroughly. Most users find MailerLite simpler to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mailchimp better than MailerLite?
Mailchimp scores higher in our testing (9.1/10 vs 9/10). Mailchimp excels at free plan for up to 500 contacts, while MailerLite is better for very affordable pricing from $10/mo.
Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or MailerLite?
MailerLite is more affordable at $0.00/mo vs $0.00/mo. MailerLite offers NaN% savings.
Mailchimp vs MailerLite: which should I choose?
Choose Mailchimp if you prioritize free plan for up to 500 contacts. Choose MailerLite if you need very affordable pricing from $10/mo. Both are solid email marketing options.
What's the main difference between Mailchimp and MailerLite?
The main difference is Mailchimp offers most popular email platform with powerful automation, while MailerLite focuses on simple, affordable email marketing with generous free plan.