Mailchimp vs MailerLite: Which Email Marketing Tool Is Better?
Mailchimp and MailerLite are both popular email marketing platforms, but they differ significantly in pricing, ease of use, and features. Here is the full comparison.
Mailchimp pioneered email marketing for small businesses and remains the best-known platform. MailerLite is a newer, leaner alternative that has attracted users priced out of Mailchimp's rising subscription costs. Both work well, but for different budgets and needs.
Mailchimp vs MailerLite: The Definitions
Mailchimp is the world's largest email marketing platform with 12+ million users. It offers email campaigns, automation, landing pages, and audience management. Known for its extensive template library and integrations.
Formula
Mailchimp pricing: Free (500 contacts, 1,000 sends/mo); Essentials from $13/mo; Standard from $20/mo; Premium from $350/mo. Pricing scales steeply with contacts.
Example
At 10,000 contacts, Mailchimp Standard costs $100/month. MailerLite at the same subscriber count costs $54/month (Growing Business plan), saving $552/year.
MailerLite is an email marketing platform focused on simplicity and value. It offers email campaigns, automation workflows, landing pages, and a generous free tier, all at a lower price point than Mailchimp.
Formula
MailerLite pricing: Free (1,000 subscribers, 12,000 sends/mo); Growing Business from $9/mo; Advanced from $18/mo. Prices are significantly lower than Mailchimp at scale.
Example
At 10,000 contacts, MailerLite Growing Business costs $54/month vs Mailchimp Standard at $100/month, a 46% saving for comparable core features.
Key Differences
- 1MailerLite is significantly cheaper at every subscriber tier beyond the free plan
- 2Mailchimp has more integrations (300+) and a larger template library; MailerLite has a cleaner, more focused UX
- 3Mailchimp's free plan caps at 500 contacts; MailerLite's free plan allows 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 monthly emails
- 4Mailchimp includes advanced features like predictive demographics and send-time optimisation on higher plans; MailerLite's automation is simpler but covers most SMB needs
When to Use Mailchimp vs MailerLite
For most small businesses and creators starting out, MailerLite offers better value. Switch to Mailchimp if you need its ecosystem of integrations, e-commerce features, or enterprise-grade analytics.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
Staying on Mailchimp out of inertia when the list grows and costs triple, many businesses overpay by not reviewing their email marketing spend annually
Assuming MailerLite is less powerful because it is cheaper, for standard campaigns and automation, it matches Mailchimp at a lower price
Ignoring deliverability differences, both platforms have strong deliverability, but your sending reputation (domain authentication, list hygiene) matters more than platform choice
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is MailerLite as reliable as Mailchimp?↓
Yes. MailerLite has strong deliverability rates comparable to Mailchimp. It is used by over 1.4 million businesses. The key factors in deliverability are your domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene, and engagement rates, which are in your control regardless of platform.
Can I migrate from Mailchimp to MailerLite?↓
Yes, and it is straightforward. MailerLite has a Mailchimp importer that transfers your subscriber list, segments, and basic automation. You will need to recreate complex automations and templates manually. Many users complete the migration in a few hours.
Which has better automation, Mailchimp or MailerLite?↓
Mailchimp's automation is more powerful with more triggers, branching logic, and predictive features on higher plans. MailerLite's automation covers the most common workflows (welcome sequences, re-engagement, purchase follow-ups) cleanly. For most SMBs, MailerLite automation is sufficient.
Does MailerLite have landing pages?↓
Yes. MailerLite includes landing page creation on all plans, including the free tier. You can create opt-in pages, product pages, and link-in-bio pages. Mailchimp also includes landing pages but the page builder is less intuitive.
What is the best free email marketing platform?↓
MailerLite offers the best free plan: 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 monthly sends, automation, and landing pages. Mailchimp's free plan is more limited (500 contacts, basic features). For starting out, MailerLite's free tier is more useful.