Mailchimp review: start on the free tier, and compare before you pay

Mailchimp’s pricing page promises “up to 27x ROI” on Standard. Does that mean your list returns 27 times its bill? The fine print says no.

It counts store revenue from Standard users’ campaigns. The span runs 12/1/24 to 11/30/25.

That is a store’s year, not your invoice. So judge Mailchimp on the numbers you can check.

Standard adds flows and reports that Essentials leaves out

On 2026-11-05, the Standard card opened at $20 a month for 0-500 contacts. The Essentials card opened at $13 for the same tier. Standard’s cap there is 6,000 emails a month.

Standard gives you 5 audiences and up to 200 flows. You also get custom reports, dynamic content and branded templates, plus 1 onboarding session. Essentials gives you 3 seats, 3 audiences and up to 4 flow steps.

Does that leave Essentials too thin? For a plain newsletter, no. Essentials keeps scheduling, pop-up forms and 24/7 email and chat support. Any automation past 4 steps needs Standard.

Do you need Premium? Only for a bigger team. Premium costs $350 a month for 12 months and gives you unlimited seats.

Premium also brings phone support and 4 onboarding sessions. Mailchimp prints no price for after month 12.

Under 250 contacts, Mailchimp Free costs $0. Sending pauses once you pass its contact or email limit.

Brevo and MailerLite both start below Mailchimp at 500 contacts

At 500 contacts, Brevo Starter costs $9 a month, or $8.08 a month billed annually. You get 5,000 emails. MailerLite Comfort costs $12 a month and adds 3 seats to the same 5,000 emails. Billed annually, Constant Contact Lite works out to $10.20 a month.

Does a start price hold as your list grows? No. Each one is for the lowest tier. Mailchimp’s Contacts selector sets the bill from there.

Pass a limit on a monthly plan, and Mailchimp bills extra for the prior month. Constant Contact bills $2 for every 1,000 sends over its allowance.

Monthly buyers get no refund, and the reviews show why that stings

What if the first bill is a mistake? On a monthly plan, it stays yours. Mailchimp’s terms give no refund or credit there “under any circumstance”. Under any circumstance casts a wide net for one rule.

The 60-day money-back guarantee covers annual plans only.

Mailchimp sells annual Standard and Premium only at 10,000+ contacts, through sales. So at 500 contacts, your one free test is the 14-day trial. You give payment details at sign-up. Billing then runs at the current rate until you cancel.

Budget for SMS separately, since the free days do not cover it.

Is a 2.5 on Trustpilot a dealbreaker? Partly, because support stories fill the newest reviews. On 2026-11-05, Trustpilot showed 1,560 reviews. 1,032 give one star and 312 give five.

Of the ten newest, six give one star. Five name support.

Three name compliance flags that held up sending. One of those ended in a fix. One reviewer says Mailchimp charged for an SMS package they never ordered. Three give five stars, two of them for ease of use.

On Free, that friction costs you $0 while you test it. On a paid monthly plan, you carry it.

Constant Contact wins on refunds, MailerLite on seat cost, Brevo on price

Constant Contact Lite promises a full refund within 30 days of signing up. Mailchimp’s window runs 60 days, yet only on annual plans. If a first paid card must be refundable, Constant Contact fits. Read the Constant Contact review first.

MailerLite Comfort costs $12 a month for 3 seats. Mailchimp Essentials charges $13 for the same 3 seats. You also get a 14-day trial and a 30-day refund window there. Read the MailerLite review to compare the plans.

Outgrow 250 contacts and need flows and custom reports? Then Standard at $20 a month is your plan, against Brevo Starter’s $9.

Brevo’s terms refund no prepaid or unused fees. That matches Mailchimp’s monthly rule, so you lose nothing there. Brevo Free is free forever with no credit card. Read the Brevo review before you pick.

What keeps you on Mailchimp? Standard’s up to 200 flows, with 24/7 email and chat support. See the Mailchimp pricing and the Mailchimp alternatives before you pay.

Size the plan by its bill, not by the 27x

Back to that 27x. It counts what stores earned in a year, so it says little about your list. Your list size sets the bill. The card price is the part you can check.

A small list stays free. If flows and reports earn their cost, Standard is your plan. Anyone else does better with a cheaper rival.

Best if: Free holds your list, or flows and reports earn Standard’s price.

Skip it if: your first paid card must be refundable.