5 Best Mailchimp Alternatives for Small Business (2026)

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Updated October 29, 2026. Prices were checked against each company’s own pricing page between October 26 and 29, 2026.

Mailchimp is often a small business’s first email platform, but its free plan stops at 250 contacts and prices rise quickly as your list grows. Essentials starts at $13 a month and Standard at $20, and both increase with your contact count.

Here are five alternatives that cost less, include more on their free plans, or offer stronger automation.

Why people look for Mailchimp alternatives

• Small free plan. Mailchimp’s free plan covers fewer than 250 contacts.
• Prices rise with your list. Costs climb as your contact count grows.
• Automations cost more. Advanced automation sits on higher plans.

The best Mailchimp alternatives at a glance

Alternative	Best for	Free plan	Starting price*
MailerLite	Best overall value	Yes, 250 subscribers	$10.80/mo billed yearly
Brevo	Large lists, occasional sends	Yes, 300 emails/day	$8.08/mo billed yearly
Kit	Creators and big free lists	Yes, 10,000 subscribers	$33/mo (Creator)
ActiveCampaign	Advanced automation	No	$15/mo billed yearly
Constant Contact	Live support	No	$10.20/mo billed annually

*Starting prices for the smallest list sizes; prices rise as your list grows.

1. MailerLite: Best overall value

MailerLite covers the core tools most small businesses use in Mailchimp (campaigns, automations, signup forms and a landing page) at a lower price, and its free plan includes automations.

Pricing

The free plan covers up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month with 2 user seats. Comfort is $12 a month, or $10.80 billed yearly, for 500 subscribers and 5,000 monthly emails. Paid features can be tried free for 14 days.

Who it’s not for

Businesses that need live phone support. Email support starts on paid plans.

2. Brevo: Best for large lists you email occasionally

Brevo prices by emails sent rather than contacts stored, so a large list you only email a few times a month can cost far less than on Mailchimp.

Pricing

The free plan lets you send up to 300 emails a day. Starter is $9 a month ($8.08 billed yearly) from 5,000 emails a month, and Standard, which adds marketing automation and A/B testing, is $18 a month ($16.17 billed yearly).

Who it’s not for

Businesses that email a large list often, since frequent sending pushes you into higher tiers.

3. Kit: Most generous free plan

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is free for up to 10,000 subscribers, far more than Mailchimp’s free limit, and is built around newsletters and creators.

Pricing

Free for up to 10,000 subscribers. Creator, which adds unlimited automations and sequences, is $33 a month for 1,000 subscribers. Pro is $66 a month for 1,000 subscribers. Paid plans have a 14-day free trial.

Who it’s not for

Local service businesses and stores that want industry templates or ecommerce-style campaigns.

4. ActiveCampaign: Best for automation

ActiveCampaign is the step up for businesses that want multi-step automations, like following up with leads based on what they click.

Pricing

Starter is $15 a month billed yearly for 1,000 contacts, with 10,000 email sends a month. Plus, which adds landing pages and generative AI, is $49 a month billed yearly for 1,000 contacts. There’s a free trial but no free plan.

Who it’s not for

Beginners who only need a simple monthly newsletter.

5. Constant Contact: Best for live support

Constant Contact offers live phone and chat help, which can matter if you’d rather call someone than search help articles.

Pricing

Lite starts at $10.20 a month, Standard at $29.75 and Premium at $68, all billed annually. Prices rise with your contacts and sends. There’s a free trial but no free plan.

Who it’s not for

Budget-focused owners: Lite includes just 1 automation template, so most will want Standard at $29.75 or more.

Should you switch from Mailchimp?

Stay with Mailchimp if your list is small and you like its tools. If your list is growing, MailerLite usually gives you more for less. Brevo suits big lists you email rarely, Kit is the most generous free option, and ActiveCampaign is the pick for serious automation.

See what the top Mailchimp alternatives cost at every list size: MailerLite pricing, Kit pricing, Brevo pricing and ActiveCampaign pricing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to Mailchimp?

Kit is free for up to 10,000 subscribers. MailerLite’s free plan is smaller (250 subscribers) but includes automations and signup forms.

Can I move my list from Mailchimp?

Yes. Export your contacts from Mailchimp as a file and import them into the new tool, then rebuild any automations and signup forms.

See all six tools in our guide to the best email marketing software, or read our MailerLite vs Mailchimp and Kit vs Mailchimp comparisons.