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Updated 13 Nov 2026 · prices read on vendor pages

11 best Mailchimp alternatives in 2027

Mehmet ElmicenniReviewed by Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai•Prices checked •How we check

The short answer

The best Mailchimp alternatives in 2027 are Klaviyo (best overall, $20/mo billed monthly), MailerLite (best free plan: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails monthly) and Listmonk (best open source, AGPL-3.0). Mailchimp itself starts at $13/mo. Zekai checked these prices on vendor pages on 13 Nov 2026; 8 more are compared below, including 1 with a free plan and 5 open source.

Open the Zekai Cost Finder Get price alerts
Best overallSee in table →
Klaviyo logo

Klaviyo

$20/mo billed monthly · free plan

9.2
Best free planSee in table →

MailerLite

$12/mo billed monthly · free plan
Best open sourceSee in table →
Listmonk logo

Listmonk

Free to self-host · AGPL-3.0

11alternatives compared
3with a free plan
6open source
$9/mo billed monthlycheapest paid · Brevo
$13/moMailchimp starts at
01 · Zekai Price Ledger

Which Mailchimp alternatives are worth it in 2027?

Klaviyo, Brevo, MailerLite, GetResponse and ActiveCampaign are the main paid rivals to Mailchimp's Essentials and Standard plans, each pricing by contacts or profiles. Listmonk is the most practical open-source route, with Mautic and Keila behind it. Prices below use the smallest list tier on each vendor page, read on 13 November 2026.

ToolTypeStarting priceFree plan limitBest forCost for your teamChecked
MailchimpThe tool you are replacing
 You are here
$13/moEssentials from $13/mo at 0-500 contacts; Standard from $20/mo; Premium from $350/mo ($297.50/mo for the first 12 months); annual plans only for 10,000+ contacts via sales; price rises with contacts
 250 contacts, 500 sends a month, 250 a day Newsletters and automations for small lists — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Klaviyo logo
Klaviyo Zekai score 9.2Best overall
 Free plan + paid
$20/mo billed monthlyEmail, 500 active profiles and 5,000 emails a month; Marketing is $25 with a $1 first-month offer on eligible plans; price scales with active profiles; no yearly price shown
 250 active profiles, 500 emails a month Online stores that want email, SMS and reviews — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Brevo Not yet reviewed by ZekaiCheapest paid
 Free plan + paid
$9/mo billed monthlyStarter, 500 contacts and 5,000 emails a month; $8.08/mo billed yearly (10% off)
 Up to 300 emails a day Daily sending cap instead of monthly sends — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
MailerLite Not yet reviewed by ZekaiBest free plan
 Free plan + paid
$12/mo billed monthlyComfort, 500 subscribers and 5,000 emails a month; $10.80/mo billed yearly; Power is $25 monthly or $22.50 yearly
 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats Free list with automations and landing page — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
GetResponse Not yet reviewed by Zekai
$19/mo billed monthlyStarter at 1,000 contacts; $15.58/mo billed yearly; Marketer is $59 monthly or $48.38 yearly; Creator $69 monthly or $56.58 yearly
 No free plan Email plus webinars and courses in one plan — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
ActiveCampaign logo
ActiveCampaign Zekai score 8.3
$15/mo billed yearlyStarter, billed yearly for 1,000 contacts (a monthly-billed price was not read); Plus $49, Pro $79, Enterprise $145, all billed yearly
 No free plan Multi-step automation on a small list — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Listmonk logo
Listmonk Not yet reviewed by ZekaiBest open source
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (AGPL-3.0) Large newsletter lists on your own server $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗
Mautic logo
Mautic Zekai score 8.0
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (GPL-3.0) Full marketing automation with segments and campaigns $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗
Keila logo
Keila Not yet reviewed by Zekai
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (AGPL-3.0 (some parts under a separate licence)) Simple self-hosted newsletter tool $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗
phpList logo
phpList Not yet reviewed by Zekai
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (AGPL-3.0) PHP newsletter manager with bounce handling $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗
Dittofeed logo
Dittofeed Not yet reviewed by Zekai
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) Automated journeys across email, SMS and push $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗
BillionMail logo
BillionMail Not yet reviewed by Zekai
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (AGPL-3.0) One stack for mail server and campaigns $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗

Every price was read on the vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. The Cost Finder assumes one entry plan per person, so it multiplies by your team size; yearly prices are shown per month, and team or business plans can cost more per seat. "Not checked" means we could not confirm a public price.

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02 · Free plan

Is there a free version of Mailchimp?

Yes. Mailchimp's Free plan includes up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a daily limit of 250 sends, and sending pauses if a limit is exceeded. Paid Essentials starts at $13 a month for up to 500 contacts, Standard at $20, and generative AI features are listed from Standard.

Source: Mailchimp pricing page, read 13 Nov 2026.

Free$0

250 contacts, 500 sends a month, 250 a day

Paid from$13/mo

Essentials from $13/mo at 0-500 contacts; Standard from $20/mo; Premium from $350/mo ($297.50/mo for the first 12 months); annual plans only for 10,000+ contacts via sales; price rises with contacts

03 · Free alternatives

What are the best free Mailchimp alternatives?

MailerLite's free plan is the strongest no-cost alternative: 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, against Mailchimp Free's 250 contacts and 500 sends. Brevo's free plan sends up to 300 emails a day, and Klaviyo's free plan covers 250 active profiles with 500 emails a month. Self-hosted tools cost only server and sending fees.

Klaviyo logo

Klaviyo

Best overallFree plan + paid
250 active profiles, 500 emails a month
Paid from $20/mo billed monthly
vs Mailchimp →Zekai review

Brevo

Cheapest paidFree plan + paid
Up to 300 emails a day
Paid from $9/mo billed monthly
vs Mailchimp →

MailerLite

Best free planFree plan + paid
250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats
Paid from $12/mo billed monthly
vs Mailchimp →
04 · Open source

What are the best open-source Mailchimp alternatives?

Listmonk (AGPL-3.0) is a single Go binary with PostgreSQL and the most active newsletter project here. Mautic (GPL-3.0) is a full marketing-automation suite on PHP, Keila and phpList are simpler newsletter tools, Dittofeed (MIT) handles multi-channel journeys, and BillionMail bundles a mail server. All need a server and a sending provider.

Listmonk logo

Listmonk

AGPL-3.0★ 24.3k GitHub stars · 13 Nov 2026
To self-host: Run the sample docker-compose.yml or the standalone binary, with a PostgreSQL database and an SMTP provider for delivery. The README describes it as packed into a single binary.
Commercial use
Yes; AGPL-3.0 means sharing changes if you run it as a service.
Runs on
Any server that runs Docker or a Go binary, plus PostgreSQL.
Setup
Moderate · Docker Compose plus PostgreSQL and an SMTP provider.
Last commit
11 Nov 2026
Last release 12 Nov 2026
Source code ↗Managed hosting slot
Mautic logo

Mautic

GPL-3.0★ 11k GitHub stars · 13 Nov 2026
To self-host: Install with Composer or the pre-packaged release on a PHP web server with a database; the README says you must be comfortable using the command line.
Commercial use
Yes (GPL-3.0); distributed changes must stay GPL-3.0.
Runs on
Web server with PHP and a MySQL-compatible database.
Setup
Moderate · Composer install, database and web server configuration.
Last commit
13 Nov 2026
Last release 26 Oct 2026
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
Keila logo

Keila

AGPL-3.0 (some parts under a separate licence)★ 2.3k GitHub stars · 13 Nov 2026
To self-host: Use the official pentacent/keila Docker image or the sample Docker Compose file, then connect SMTP, AWS SES, Sendgrid, Mailgun or Postmark to deliver. Installation docs are at keila.io.
Commercial use
Yes; AGPL-3.0 means sharing changes if you run it as a service.
Runs on
Any host that runs Docker; needs a database and sending account.
Setup
Moderate · Docker image plus a database and an SMTP or SES account.
Last commit
13 Nov 2026
Last release 4 Nov 2026
Source code ↗Managed hosting slot
phpList logo

phpList

AGPL-3.0★ 883 GitHub stars · 13 Nov 2026
To self-host: Deploy on your own server with PHP and MySQL (system requirements are on resources.phplist.com); a Docker image also exists. A hosted account is available at phplist.com.
Commercial use
Yes; AGPL-3.0 means sharing changes if you run it as a service.
Runs on
Web server with PHP and MySQL; Docker image available.
Setup
Moderate · Web server, PHP and MySQL setup; Docker image also available.
Last commit
19 Oct 2026
Last release 9 Aug 2026
Source code ↗Managed hosting slot
Dittofeed logo

Dittofeed

MIT★ 3.1k GitHub stars · 13 Nov 2026
To self-host: Docker Compose files (standard, lite and EE variants) are included, with a one-click Render deploy; the README page lists no version requirements, so check the docs.
Commercial use
Yes (MIT).
Runs on
Any host that runs Docker Compose.
Setup
Moderate · Docker Compose stack; message providers configured separately.
Last commit
12 Oct 2026
Last release 4 Oct 2026
Source code ↗Managed hosting slot
BillionMail logo

BillionMail

AGPL-3.0★ 16.3k GitHub stars · 13 Nov 2026
To self-host: Run bash install.sh or the Docker Compose file on a Linux server; it integrates RoundCube webmail. The README gives no RAM or CPU figures, so size the server yourself.
Commercial use
Yes; AGPL-3.0 means sharing changes if you run it as a service.
Runs on
Linux server with Docker; README gives no RAM figure.
Setup
Moderate · Install script or Docker Compose plus .env edits.
Last commit
11 Jun 2026
Last release 11 Dec 2025
Source code ↗Managed hosting slot
05 · Side by side

How does Mailchimp compare with each alternative?

Mailchimp Essentials starts at $13 a month for 500 contacts and Standard at $20. Brevo Starter is $9 monthly, MailerLite Comfort $12, GetResponse Starter $19, Klaviyo Email $20, and ActiveCampaign Starter $15 billed yearly. Premium plans differ widely: Mailchimp Premium starts at $350, while open-source tools carry no licence fee.

01
Klaviyo logo

Mailchimp vs Klaviyo

Best overallFree plan + paid$20/mo billed monthly · checked 13 Nov 20269.2
The differenceEmail is $20 for 500 active profiles and 5,000 emails; the free plan adds $5 of mobile messages, reviews for 50 orders and a Customer Hub alongside email.
Switch to Klaviyo ifyou sell online and want reviews, SMS credit and a customer hub in the same account as email.
Stay with Mailchimp ifyou send plain newsletters and want the lowest-cost route for a very small list.
Pros
  • Combines CDP, marketing automation, and service in one platform.
  • AI agents automate campaign creation and customer support tasks.
Cons
  • Pricing scales with contact list and usage, which can become expensive.
  • The vast number of features can be overwhelming for new users.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Klaviyo · Verdict: E-commerce Automation Hub

Visit KlaviyoRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
02

Mailchimp vs Brevo

Cheapest paidFree plan + paid$9/mo billed monthly · checked 13 Nov 2026
The differenceFree plan sends up to 300 emails a day, against Mailchimp Free at 500 a month; Starter is $9 for 5,000 emails and SMS credit is sold separately.
Switch to Brevo ifyou send often to a small list and prefer a daily cap to a monthly one, at $9.
Stay with Mailchimp ifyou use Mailchimp's multivariate tests on Standard or its Analytics AI.
Visit BrevoPrice alert
03

Mailchimp vs MailerLite

Best free planFree plan + paid$12/mo billed monthly · checked 13 Nov 2026
The differenceFree plan allows 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month with automations, a landing page and 2 user seats; Mailchimp Free caps at 250 contacts and 500 sends.
Switch to MailerLite ifyou want a free or low-cost list under 500 subscribers with automations and landing pages.
Stay with Mailchimp ifyou need Mailchimp's SMS add-on or Standard-plan multivariate tests.
Visit MailerLitePrice alert
04

Mailchimp vs GetResponse

$19/mo billed monthly · checked 13 Nov 2026
The differenceStarter gives unlimited monthly sends at 1,000 contacts, and Creator at $69 bundles webinars, a website builder and a course creator with up to 500 students.
Switch to GetResponse ifyou sell courses or run webinars and want them inside the email platform.
Stay with Mailchimp ifyour list is under 250 contacts and you want the free plan.
Visit GetResponsePrice alert
05
ActiveCampaign logo

Mailchimp vs ActiveCampaign

$15/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20268.3
The differenceStarter includes multi-step automation and 10,000 sends for 1,000 contacts; Plus adds cross-channel marketing and landing pages, and Pro adds predictive send times at each contact.
Switch to ActiveCampaign ifyour priority is multi-step automation and predictive send times, and annual billing suits you.
Stay with Mailchimp ifyou send occasional newsletters and want the free plan or the $13 Essentials tier.
Pros
  • Cuts an average of 10 hours of marketing work per week.
  • AI learns brand voice, colors, and logos for consistent campaigns.
Cons
  • Pricing is not publicly listed; requires a sales call or quote request.
  • Full AI capabilities and unlimited automations are reserved for higher-tier plans.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of ActiveCampaign · Verdict: Powerful Autonomous Marketing Hub

Visit ActiveCampaignRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
06
Listmonk logo

Mailchimp vs Listmonk

Best open sourceOpen sourceFree (self-hosted)
The differenceSingle Go binary backed by PostgreSQL that manages newsletters and mailing lists; you connect your own SMTP or email API, so sending costs come from that provider, not per-contact tiers.
Switch to Listmonk ifyou have technical help and a large list, and want sending costs without per-contact pricing.
Stay with Mailchimp ifyou want drag-and-drop templates, hosted deliverability and support included.
Visit ListmonkPrice alert
07
Mautic logo

Mailchimp vs Mautic

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)8.0
The differenceMarketing automation suite covering email, social and more with a contact database; it installs with Composer on PHP, and the README says you must be comfortable on the command line.
Switch to Mautic ifyou want campaign-level marketing automation and segmentation under your own control.
Stay with Mailchimp ifnobody on your side can maintain PHP, a database and version updates.
Visit MauticRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
08
Keila logo

Mailchimp vs Keila

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)
The differenceNewsletter tool positioned as a Mailchimp and Sendinblue alternative; the Docker image sends through your own SMTP, AWS SES, Sendgrid, Mailgun or Postmark account.
Switch to Keila ifyou want a simple self-hosted newsletter tool and already have a sending account.
Stay with Mailchimp ifyou need Mailchimp's automation flows and hosted support.
Visit KeilaPrice alert
09
phpList logo

Mailchimp vs phpList

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)
The differenceLong-running PHP email manager with bounce processing, segmentation and plugins; a hosted phpList.com account exists if you do not want to run PHP and MySQL yourself.
Switch to phpList ifyou want a mature PHP newsletter manager with bounce handling on your own server.
Stay with Mailchimp ifyou want a modern drag-and-drop editor and no server upkeep.
Visit phpListPrice alert
10
Dittofeed logo

Mailchimp vs Dittofeed

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)
The differenceSends broadcasts and automated journeys across email, mobile push, SMS, WhatsApp and Slack from one self-hosted platform; Mailchimp sells SMS as an add-on.
Switch to Dittofeed ifyou want automated customer journeys across several channels and can run Docker Compose.
Stay with Mailchimp ifyour needs are a monthly newsletter and a template editor.
Visit DittofeedPrice alert
11
BillionMail logo

Mailchimp vs BillionMail

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)
The differenceInstalls a full mail server with Roundcube webmail beside campaign sending, so it replaces a sending provider as well as Mailchimp; deliverability then rests on your own server.
Switch to BillionMail ifyou want one self-hosted stack for mailboxes, newsletters and sending, and can manage DNS.
Stay with Mailchimp ifyou want a provider that handles deliverability for you.
Visit BillionMailPrice alert
06 · What changed

Why do people leave Mailchimp?

  • Multivariate test audiences launched for Standard and Premium plans only, so multivariate experiments sit above the Essentials tier. (source)

  • Enterprise single sign-on launched and is listed as available on Premium plans, which start at $350 a month on the pricing page. (source)

  • The Free plan allows up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month with a 250-send daily limit; Mailchimp holds sending once the contact limit is passed (help page undated, read 13 November 2026). (source)

08 · FAQ

Questions people ask about Mailchimp alternatives

What is the best alternative to Mailchimp in 2027?

Klaviyo is the best overall Mailchimp alternative on this page ($20/mo billed monthly). For no cost, MailerLite has a free plan (250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month, 2 seats). To self-host, Listmonk is open source (AGPL-3.0).

Is there a free version of Mailchimp?

Yes. Mailchimp has a free plan: 250 contacts, 500 sends a month, 250 a day. Paid plans start at $13/mo, checked on 13 Nov 2026.

Is there a 100% free alternative to Mailchimp?

Yes. Listmonk, Mautic, Keila, phpList, Dittofeed, BillionMail are open source and free to self-host. Klaviyo, Brevo, MailerLite have a free plan with limits, shown in the table.

What is cheaper than Mailchimp?

Brevo starts at $9/mo billed monthly, against $13/mo for Mailchimp, as listed on each vendor's pricing page on 13 Nov 2026.

How much do Mailchimp alternatives cost for a team of 5?

If each of 5 people buys the entry paid plan, at the prices Zekai checked on 13 Nov 2026, the monthly cost is Brevo $45/mo, MailerLite $60/mo, ActiveCampaign $75/mo, against Mailchimp $65/mo for Mailchimp. Team and business plans can cost more per seat. The Zekai Cost Finder on this page recalculates for any team size.

Which is better, Klaviyo or Mailchimp?

Email is $20 for 500 active profiles and 5,000 emails; the free plan adds $5 of mobile messages, reviews for 50 orders and a Customer Hub alongside email. Choose Klaviyo if you sell online and want reviews, SMS credit and a customer hub in the same account as email. Stay with Mailchimp if you send plain newsletters and want the lowest-cost route for a very small list.

Why are people leaving Mailchimp?

The documented reasons are: Multivariate test audiences launched for Standard and Premium plans only, so multivariate experiments sit above the Essentials tier (16 Jun 2026); Enterprise single sign-on launched and is listed as available on Premium plans, which start at $350 a month on the pricing page (30 Sep 2026). Each is sourced in the section above.

Is there an open-source alternative to Mailchimp?

Yes. Listmonk, Mautic, Keila and phpList can be self-hosted. They have no licence fee but need a server, a database and an SMTP or email API provider.

09 · Method

How did Zekai check this page?

Zekai independently reviews AI tools. For this page we read each vendor's own pricing and product pages and recorded the starting price, the free-plan limit and the date of the check. Only tools that do the same job as Mailchimp are listed, and sponsors never change the order or the scores.

Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai
Mehmet Elmicenni

Founder of Zekai. Reviews the alternatives pages and the price checks behind them.

About the founder · How Zekai scores tools

JSON copyMarkdown copy
1 · Same job onlyEvery alternative does the same task as Mailchimp; tools for other jobs are left out.
2 · Vendor pages onlyPrices and free limits come from each vendor's own pricing page, never from blogs.
Zekai score0–10, from four published weights: ease 25%, output quality 30%, value 20%, time saved 25%. How we score
3 · Re-checkedA price older than 35 days is re-read or the page falls back to an older version.
Change log

  • Page rebuilt on v6; all prices re-read on vendor pages.

  • Open-source options expanded and each one given licence, commercial-use, hardware and setup details.

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