business/SaaS software comparisons

Alternatives to mailchimp: the real cost of leaving and 10 worth switching to in 2026

Compare 10 alternatives to Mailchimp on verified pricing, migration effort, and deliverability to see if switching is worth it after the 2026 price hikes.

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The Best Mailchimp Alternatives at a Glance (and What Switching Actually Costs)

The best alternatives to Mailchimp in 2026 are MailerLite for affordability, ActiveCampaign for advanced automation, and Brevo for multi-channel marketing on a budget. Each one costs less than Mailchimp at most list sizes. But the sticker price is only half the story. The real question is what it costs to leave.

Switching means rebuilding automations by hand. It means warming up a new sending domain. It means exporting only part of your data. Tags and custom fields usually transfer. Automation flows, A/B test history, and send reputation do not.

MailerLite: Best for affordability and ease of use

MailerLite is the easiest switch for solopreneurs and small businesses. Its free plan covers 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails a month. It includes unlimited landing pages and forms. Paid plans start around $10 a month. Plan on two to four hours to rebuild simple newsletters and welcome emails.

ActiveCampaign: Best for advanced automation and CRM

ActiveCampaign wins on email marketing automation and built-in CRM. It is harder to learn than MailerLite. Migration takes days, not hours. Paid plans start near $15 a month. But the automation depth often replaces two or three separate tools.

Brevo: Best for multi-channel (email, SMS, WhatsApp) on a budget

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) sends email, SMS, and WhatsApp from one dashboard. Its free plan includes unlimited contacts and 300 emails a day. Multi-channel flows take longer to rebuild. But Brevo is a strong Mailchimp alternative for businesses that want one tool for everything.

Platform Best for Free plan Paid plans start Migration effort
MailerLite Affordability, ease of use 1,000 subscribers / 12,000 emails a month ~$10/month 2–4 hours
ActiveCampaign Automation and CRM 100 contacts, limited sends ~$15/month 2–5 days
Brevo Email, SMS, WhatsApp Unlimited contacts / 300 emails a day ~$9/month 1–3 days

Deliverability dips for one to four weeks after any switch. You usually break even in one to three billing cycles. After that, the savings are real.

Why Is Mailchimp So Expensive Now? The 2026 Price Increases Explained

Mailchimp got more expensive three times in 2026 alone. In January, prices rose about 11%. In February, the free plan shrank from 500 contacts to 250. In April, legacy plans jumped another 11–13%. That is why so many people are looking for an alternative to Mailchimp.

Mailchimp’s 2026 price increases: January, February, and April

Three separate increases in four months is unusual, even for a big email marketing platform. Each one pushed long-time users closer to switching. If you joined years ago on a cheap plan, your bill may have doubled without any new features to show for it.

The free plan cut: from 500 to 250 contacts

Mailchimp’s free plan used to include 500 contacts. Now it caps at 250. That cut matters because the free plan is how most small business owners and solopreneurs start. Halving it pushes people onto paid plans sooner — or toward a free Mailchimp alternative with a more generous free plan.

Contact-based pricing vs. send-based pricing: why your bill grows faster than your list

Mailchimp charges by the number of subscribers you store, not the number of emails you send. So you pay for contacts even in months you never email them. Most competitors bill by emails per month instead. That means you can have as many contacts as you like and only pay for what you actually send — which is why their bills stay lower than Mailchimp’s as your list grows.

What Are the Best Free Alternatives to Mailchimp?

MailerLite is the best free alternative to Mailchimp for most people, Brevo is best if you want to send SMS and WhatsApp too, and Kit is best for newsletters with a big list. Each one gives you more on its free plan than Mailchimp does now.

MailerLite’s free plan covers 500 contacts and 12,000 emails a month. That’s double Mailchimp’s 250-contact cap. One catch worth knowing: MailerLite cut its free plan from 1,000 contacts to 500 in September 2025, so if you find older guides promising 1,000, they’re out of date.

Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, offers a free plan with 300 emails a day — about 9,000 a month — and no contact limit. It’s a strong Mailchimp alternative for businesses that want marketing and transactional email in one email marketing platform, plus SMS and WhatsApp.

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is the pick for newsletters and simple email marketing automation. Its free plan includes 10,000 subscribers, though some features sit behind paid plans.

EmailOctopus is another free Mailchimp alternative worth a look. Its free plan covers 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, and it’s cheaper than Mailchimp once you start paying.

HubSpot’s free email marketing tool gives you 2,000 emails a month, plus a drag-and-drop email editor, forms, and landing pages. The tradeoff is a steeper learning curve and HubSpot branding on your emails.

So what’s the best free newsletter platform? For most small business owners, MailerLite wins on ease of use and value. Pick Kit if your list is large, or Brevo if you need more than email.

MailerLite: The Best Mailchimp Alternative for Small Businesses and Solopreneurs

MailerLite is the best Mailchimp alternative for small businesses and solopreneurs. It wins on two things: price and ease of use. Compared to Mailchimp, it’s cheaper, simpler, and built for people who send newsletters and simple email marketing automation, not enterprise campaigns.

The free plan covers 500 subscribers and 12,000 emails a month. No credit card required. Paid plans start at $10 a month for 500 subscribers, and pricing stays lower than Mailchimp as your list grows.

MailerLite is an email marketing platform that makes it easy to do the basics well. The drag-and-drop email editor is clean and fast. You also get unlimited landing pages, forms, and a landing page builder, plus tags, custom fields, and segmentation.

For solopreneurs and small business owners, that’s usually enough. You don’t need a steep learning curve or advanced marketing automation to send good emails. You need a tool that works on day one.

Switching from Mailchimp is straightforward. MailerLite has a 1-click importer with AI field mapping. Subscribers, tags, segments, and templates transfer over. What needs rebuilding: automations. Those don’t migrate, so plan an afternoon to recreate them.

MailerLite is a strong Mailchimp alternative for businesses that want full email marketing features without Mailchimp’s price. If you need deeper automation, look at ActiveCampaign. If you need multi-channel, look at Brevo. But for most small senders, MailerLite is the pick.

ActiveCampaign: The Best Mailchimp Alternative for Advanced Automation

ActiveCampaign is the best Mailchimp alternative for advanced automation. You want emails that react to what people do? It beats Mailchimp’s standard tools.

It is a full email marketing platform. It has a drag-and-drop email editor, forms, landing pages, and a built-in CRM. Its automation is deeper than Mailchimp’s. You can build journeys that branch on clicks, purchases, and page visits.

Pricing starts at $15/month for 500 contacts. That is higher than MailerLite. It is lower than Mailchimp once your list grows. You pay for active contacts, not total subscribers.

The trade-off is a steep learning curve. This is not a tool for newsletters and simple blasts. It is for businesses that need advanced marketing automation and segmentation.

That makes it a strong fit for ecommerce email marketing. It also fits nonprofits tracking donor journeys. Small business owners who just want to send emails a month may find it too much.

Migration is where ActiveCampaign stands out. Its Migration Agent, powered by Quazzlient, moves audiences, contacts, tags, custom fields, forms, campaigns, and supported automations from Mailchimp. That is more than most tools transfer.

Eligibility limits apply. The Migration Agent covers standard Mailchimp setups, not every custom integration. Check your account before you commit.

Deliverability backs the switch. EmailToolTester found ActiveCampaign at 94.2% inbox placement. Mailchimp was at 89.5%. More of your emails reach the inbox.

So ActiveCampaign is the best Mailchimp alternative when automation is the point. For affordability, pick MailerLite. For multi-channel on a budget, pick Brevo.

Brevo: The Best Mailchimp Alternative for Multi-Channel Marketing on a Budget

Brevo is the best Mailchimp alternative for multi-channel marketing on a budget. It sends email, SMS, and WhatsApp from one account. Mailchimp charges more and covers fewer channels.

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) flips Mailchimp’s pricing model. You pay for the number of emails you send, not the size of your list. That means unlimited contacts on every paid plan.

Brevo pricing vs. Mailchimp: send-based pricing, unlimited contacts, $25/month for 20,000 emails

Paid plans start at $25/month for 20,000 emails. You can have as many contacts as you want at that price. Mailchimp’s standard plan costs more and caps your contacts. So Brevo is often cheaper than Mailchimp as your list grows.

The free plan covers 300 emails a day. No credit card is required to start. That is a more generous free tier than Mailchimp’s current 250-contact limit.

Brevo is easy to use. A drag-and-drop email editor handles newsletters and simple campaigns. A landing page builder adds forms and landing pages at no extra cost.

Email marketing automation is included. You can set up welcome series, tags, custom fields, and segmentation without paying for a higher tier. It also handles marketing and transactional email in one place.

Brevo fits businesses that want multi-channel reach on a tight budget. It suits solopreneurs and small teams who send high volumes to large lists.

Switching from Mailchimp is simple. Brevo offers a free Mailchimp integration for importing and syncing contacts. Contact import tools bring over your subscribers and emails. You rebuild automations by hand, but the contact move is quick.

Omnisend: The Best Mailchimp Alternative for Ecommerce Brands

Omnisend is the best Mailchimp alternative for online stores. It is built for ecommerce email marketing, not general newsletters. That focus shows in every feature.

Omnisend pricing vs. Mailchimp: $16/month for 500 contacts, $132/month for 10,000 contacts

Omnisend starts at $16 per month for 500 contacts. At 10,000 contacts, you pay $132 per month. That is lower than Mailchimp’s standard plan at the same list size. You also get 500 emails per month on the free plan, and no credit card is required to start.

Omnisend features: pre-built ecommerce automations, SMS, push notifications, revenue attribution

This email marketing platform makes it easy to launch advanced marketing automation. Pre-built workflows cover cart recovery, welcome series, and win-back campaigns. SMS and push notifications run from the same dashboard. Revenue attribution shows exactly how much money each campaign earns. A drag-and-drop email editor and landing page templates round out the tool.

Migration from Mailchimp: self-serve tool, free migration support, Kickstart service

The self-serve migration tool syncs contacts, tags, segments, and engagement stats. Paid plans include free migration support. The Kickstart service rebuilds up to four workflows for you. That removes the steep learning curve most people fear when switching from Mailchimp.

Omnisend pros and cons: ecommerce focus vs. limited use outside online stores

The ecommerce focus is the main strength. It is also the main limit. Blogs, nonprofits, and B2B teams will find it narrow. If you do not sell products online, another tool fits better.

GetResponse: The Best Mailchimp Alternative for Webinars and Lead-Gen Funnels

GetResponse is the best Mailchimp alternative for webinars and lead-gen funnels. It is the only popular email marketing platform that runs live and on-demand webinars. You use the same tool to send emails.

GetResponse pricing vs. Mailchimp: $19/month entry, $539/month for 100,000 contacts

Paid plans start at $19/month. The price for 100,000 contacts is $539/month. That is lower than Mailchimp at the same list size. Nonprofits get 50% off. That makes it one of the best Mailchimp alternatives for nonprofits.

GetResponse features: webinars, funnels, landing pages, automation, AI website builder

The webinar tool hosts up to 1,000 attendees. It records sessions for replays. A landing page builder includes unlimited landing pages and forms. So you can capture leads and follow up with email marketing automation in one flow. The drag-and-drop email editor keeps newsletters simple. An AI website builder turns a list into a full site.

Migration from Mailchimp: migration guides, dedicated support for MAX tier

GetResponse publishes step-by-step Mailchimp migration guides. MAX tier customers get dedicated migration support from a team. That team moves contacts, tags, and custom fields for you. Everyone else imports contacts with a CSV file. They rebuild automations by hand.

The fit is clear: businesses that want webinars, funnels, and email in one place. If you only send newsletters, a simpler tool will cost less.

Kit (Formerly ConvertKit): The Best Mailchimp Alternative for Creators and Newsletter Writers

Kit is the best Mailchimp alternative for creators and newsletter writers. Its free plan covers 10,000 subscribers, and paid plans start at $33/month for the Creator plan. No other tool on this list comes close on free list size.

Kit pricing vs. Mailchimp: free up to 10,000 subscribers, $33/month for Creator plan

Mailchimp’s free plan stops at 250 contacts. Kit’s free plan covers 10,000 subscribers and emails. That gap alone makes Kit a strong free Mailchimp alternative for anyone with a growing list.

The Creator plan starts at $33/month for 1,000 subscribers. It adds visual automations, a creator network, and paid newsletter tools. Compared to Mailchimp’s standard plan, Kit is cheaper for small lists.

Kit features: visual automations, landing pages, paid newsletters, creator network

Kit is an email marketing platform built for newsletters and simple email marketing. It makes it easy to do things like tag subscribers, send broadcasts, and set up welcome sequences.

The visual automation builder is easier to use than Mailchimp’s. It also includes unlimited landing pages and forms, with clean landing page templates. You can sell paid newsletters and subscriptions through Kit itself.

The Creator Network helps writers recommend each other and grow together. That feature doesn’t exist in Mailchimp.

Migration from Mailchimp: free migration on paid plans, what transfers

Kit offers free migration on paid plans. The team moves your subscribers, forms, and automations for you.

Most things transfer: contacts, tags, custom fields, and landing pages. A few advanced Mailchimp features need rebuilding by hand. Kit’s onboarding team walks you through it.

The fit: solopreneurs, YouTubers, and writers who want a free plan that lasts. If you run ecommerce email marketing, look elsewhere.

Moosend: The Best Mailchimp Alternative for Small Teams on a Tight Budget

Moosend is the best Mailchimp alternative for small teams on a tight budget. It starts at just $7/month, and for 5,000 contacts you pay $48/month with unlimited emails. That is much cheaper than Mailchimp.

Moosend pricing vs. Mailchimp: $7/month entry, $48/month for 5,000 contacts with unlimited emails

Moosend’s paid plans start at $7/month for 500 contacts. Mailchimp’s standard plan costs far more at the same list size. Moosend also charges by contacts, not by emails sent, so you can send as many emails as you want each month. There is no credit card required for the 30-day free trial.

Moosend features: email automation, landing pages, segmentation, AI subject line recommender

The drag-and-drop email editor makes it easy to build newsletters and simple campaigns. Email automation handles welcome series and follow-ups. You get unlimited landing pages, signup forms, and segmentation by tags and custom fields. The AI subject line recommender suggests lines that get more opens.

Migration from Mailchimp: Mailchimp Synchronizer, CSV import

The Mailchimp Synchronizer imports your campaigns, lists, and custom fields in a few clicks. You can also bring contacts in through CSV, TXT, or Excel files. Most small teams finish onboarding in under an hour.

The fit: small business owners and lean teams who want powerful email marketing without a steep learning curve.

AWeber: The Best Mailchimp Alternative for Hands-On Support

AWeber is the best Mailchimp alternative for hands-on support, with real people available 24/7 by phone, email, and chat. It’s also one of the cheapest paid options, and its free plan covers 500 subscribers.

AWeber pricing vs. Mailchimp: $14.99/month for 500 contacts, free plan with 500 subscribers

Paid plans start at $14.99/month for 500 contacts and unlimited emails. That’s lower than Mailchimp’s standard plan at the same list size. The free plan includes 500 subscribers and 3,000 emails a month, and no credit card is required to start.

AWeber features: 600+ email templates, Smart Designer, Canva integration, 24/7 support

AWeber email marketing is simple and user-friendly. You get 600+ email templates, the Smart Designer for building custom ones, and a Canva integration for branded graphics. Forms and landing pages are drag-and-drop, and email marketing automation covers welcome series and follow-ups.

Migration from Mailchimp: free expert migration, 24/7 support

Switching from Mailchimp is free and done for you. AWeber’s team moves your lists, templates, and account assets, then checks everything works. Support stays on 24/7 if anything breaks.

The fit: small business owners who want a strong Mailchimp alternative and a real person to call.

Constant Contact: The Best Mailchimp Alternative for Beginners and Social Media Integration

Constant Contact is the best Mailchimp alternative for beginners. It is also best for anyone who wants email and social media in one place. It is easy to use. Its social media scheduler sets it apart from most email marketing software.

Constant Contact pricing vs. Mailchimp: $12/month entry, $6/month Starter Email for 2,500 sends

Paid plans start at $12/month. That is lower than Mailchimp’s standard entry price. There is also a Starter Email plan at $6/month for 2,500 sends. That makes it cheaper than Mailchimp for small lists that send often.

Constant Contact features: 600+ templates, social media scheduler, AI content generator

You get 600+ templates. You get a drag-and-drop email editor. You get an AI content generator that writes draft copy. The social media scheduler posts to your channels. It tracks results next to your newsletters. Forms, landing pages, and email marketing automation are all built in. So it is easy to run simple campaigns without extra tools.

Migration from Mailchimp: contact import, editor rebuild

Switching from Mailchimp means importing your contacts. Constant Contact handles this by CSV or direct import. Your emails and templates do not carry over. So you rebuild them in the Constant Contact editor. Budget an afternoon for the rebuild.

The fit: beginners, solopreneurs, and small business owners. They want an easy to set up email marketing platform. They also want to post to social media from the same dashboard.

HubSpot: The Best Mailchimp Alternative for B2B Teams That Need CRM and Sales Alignment

HubSpot is the best Mailchimp alternative for B2B teams that need their email marketing and sales data in one place. Its free CRM is the differentiator: every contact, deal, and email lives in a single record. For HubSpot CRM email marketing, that alignment is the whole point.

HubSpot pricing vs. Mailchimp: free CRM, $15/month per seat Starter, $890/month Professional

HubSpot’s free plan includes unlimited contacts and 2,000 emails a month. Paid plans start at $15 per seat each month for Starter. Professional jumps to $890 a month. That is far more than Mailchimp, so it only pays off if your team uses the CRM daily.

HubSpot features: native CRM, lead scoring, Breeze AI, advanced analytics

The native CRM tracks every email open, click, and page view on one contact timeline. Lead scoring ranks contacts by fit and activity. Breeze AI drafts copy and summarizes records. Advanced analytics tie campaigns to closed deals, not just opens.

Migration from Mailchimp: no dedicated importer, CSV export/import, rebuild automations

There is no dedicated Mailchimp importer. You export contacts from Mailchimp as a CSV, then import them into HubSpot. Tags and custom fields map during import. Your automations do not transfer, so you rebuild them in HubSpot’s workflow builder. Budget real time for this.

The fit: B2B teams where marketing and sales share one pipeline. If you only send newsletters, HubSpot is overkill and costs more.

Klaviyo: The Best Mailchimp Alternative for Ecommerce Brands on Shopify and WooCommerce

Klaviyo is the best Mailchimp alternative for online stores. It ties every email to real revenue, which Mailchimp does not do well. If you sell on Shopify or WooCommerce, Klaviyo is built for you.

Klaviyo pricing vs. Mailchimp: free up to 250 contacts, $20/month entry, $150+ for 10,000 contacts

Klaviyo’s free plan covers 250 contacts and 500 emails a month. Paid plans start at $20/month. At 10,000 contacts, expect $150 or more per month. That is higher than Mailchimp, but you get ecommerce tools Mailchimp charges extra for.

Klaviyo features: ecommerce-specific automations, predictive analytics, K:AI suite

Klaviyo makes it easy to send abandoned cart, browse abandonment, and win-back flows. Predictive analytics guess each shopper’s next order date and lifetime value. The K:AI suite writes subject lines and predicts churn. This is advanced email marketing automation built for stores, not general newsletters.

Migration from Mailchimp: native ecommerce integrations, contact import

Klaviyo for Shopify installs in a few clicks and syncs your catalog, orders, and customers. The Klaviyo WooCommerce integration does the same for WordPress stores. You import contacts and tags from Mailchimp by CSV, then rebuild flows inside Klaviyo.

The fit: ecommerce brands that want email tied to sales. If you only send simple newsletters, Klaviyo costs more than you need.

How to Choose the Best Mailchimp Alternative for Your Business

Start with your biggest pain point, not a feature list. If price is the problem, MailerLite or Moosend will cut your bill. If you need email marketing automation, ActiveCampaign is the stronger pick. If you sell products, Omnisend and Klaviyo are built for stores.

Then check the basics every email marketing platform should pass. Look for a drag-and-drop email editor, simple segmentation with tags and custom fields, and forms and landing pages you can publish without a developer. A generous free plan matters too — it lets you test before you pay.

For small businesses, email marketing for small business usually means one person doing everything. Pick a tool that is easy to use and quick to learn. MailerLite and Moosend fit here. Both are cheaper than Mailchimp and skip the steep learning curve.

Nonprofits should weigh discounts as much as price. GetResponse takes 50% off for eligible organizations, and Brevo’s send-based pricing keeps costs flat as your list grows. Brevo also handles marketing and transactional email in one place.

For newsletters, the number of emails matters more than fancy features. Kit’s free plan covers 10,000 subscribers, and Beehiiv and Ghost are built for publishing. If you want to send simple newsletters, you don’t need a full CRM.

For ecommerce, pick a tool that connects to your store. Omnisend and Klaviyo pull in order data so you can send abandoned cart and win-back flows. General platforms make you build those by hand.

For B2B, automation and CRM beat design. HubSpot and ActiveCampaign track leads, score them, and hand them to sales. That matters more than landing page templates.

One last check before you switch from Mailchimp: confirm the free plan’s contact and email limits, whether a credit card is required, and what migration support you get. G2 and Capterra reviews show real onboarding experiences. A free plan that fits today may not fit in six months.

What Is the Real Cost of Switching from Mailchimp?

Switching costs money in three ways: migration time, a short-term drop in email results, and any overlap between your old and new bills. Most small lists break even within one to three months.

Migration effort: hours to rebuild automations, deliverability warm-up period

Contacts and tags usually move in under an hour through a CSV import or a built-in importer. Automations are the real work. Each welcome series, abandoned cart flow, or re-engagement sequence must be rebuilt by hand in the new tool. Budget two to six hours per workflow, or 10 to 20 hours total for a typical account.

A new sending domain has no reputation. Send too fast and your emails land in spam. Warm up over two to four weeks, starting with your most engaged subscribers and scaling up gradually. Expect open rates to dip for the first month before they recover.

What data transfers and what you lose: historical campaign reporting, engagement history, list hygiene

Subscribers, tags, custom fields, and segments transfer cleanly. Historical campaign reporting does not. Open and click history, revenue attribution, and A/B test results stay in Mailchimp. Engagement history matters most: without it, you cannot target “clicked in the last 30 days” or suppress inactive contacts. List hygiene data, like bounce records and cleaned addresses, also stays behind. Export your reports before you cancel.

Break-even point: when does the switch pay for itself?

Add up your hours at your hourly rate, then compare monthly bills. If Mailchimp costs $60/month and your new platform costs $25/month, you save $35/month. A 15-hour migration at $25/hour costs $375, so break-even lands around 11 months. Cheaper tools with easier setup pay off faster.

Mid-contract and annual plans: cancellation timing, refund eligibility, avoiding overlapping subscriptions

Mailchimp monthly plans cancel anytime; access runs to the end of the paid period. Annual plans are the trap. Mailchimp generally does not refund unused months, so cancel near your renewal date, not right after it. Run both platforms in parallel for one billing cycle to warm up your new domain, then cancel. That overlap costs one extra month but protects your deliverability.

How Do I Switch from Mailchimp to a New Platform?

Switching email marketing platforms takes about an afternoon of hands-on work, plus 30 days of running both accounts side by side. The process is the same no matter which tool you pick.

Start by exporting your contacts from Mailchimp as a CSV file. Go to Audience, then All contacts, then Export Audience. The file includes email addresses, tags, and custom fields. If you have more than one audience, export each one separately.

Next, import that CSV into your new platform. Most tools have a built-in Mailchimp importer that maps your fields for you. Check that tags and segments came through correctly before you go further.

Then rebuild your automations. Welcome emails, abandoned cart flows, and re-engagement sequences almost never transfer between platforms. Recreate each one by hand, then test it with your own address.

Before you send to your full list, send a test campaign to a small group. Check links, images, and how it looks on a phone. Once it looks right, send to your real subscribers.

Keep your Mailchimp account open for 30 days. That gives you a safety net if something breaks, and it keeps your sending history active while your new domain warms up. Cancel only after your first few campaigns land in inboxes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mailchimp Alternatives

The most common question is whether Mailchimp is still worth paying for in 2026. For most small lists, no. Mailchimp’s free plan now covers just 250 contacts, and paid plans cost more than MailerLite, Brevo, or Moosend for the same list size. If you send one newsletter a month to a few hundred people, you can move to a free plan elsewhere and pay nothing.

Is Mailchimp still a viable option in 2025 and 2026? It works, and it’s still easy to use. But it’s no longer the best value. You’d stay for the brand and the familiar editor, not for the price or the features.

What’s the best free Mailchimp alternative? It depends on your list. Kit is the strongest free option for newsletters, with a free plan that covers up to 10,000 subscribers. Brevo offers a free plan with 300 emails a day and no credit card required. EmailOctopus is a solid free pick for 2,500 subscribers. MailerLite’s free plan includes 500 contacts.

Which alternative is best for small businesses? MailerLite. It’s cheaper than Mailchimp, easy to use, and has a drag-and-drop editor, landing pages, and automation. For a small team that just wants to send newsletters, it’s the simplest switch.

What about nonprofits? GetResponse offers 50% off for nonprofits, which makes it one of the cheapest full-featured tools on the list. Brevo is another good fit, since its send-based pricing keeps costs low as your contact list grows.

How does Flodesk compare to Mailchimp? Flodesk charges one flat fee no matter how many subscribers you have, which helps if your list is large. But it has fewer advanced automation features, so it suits visual, design-led newsletters more than complex funnels.

What’s the best alternative for newsletters specifically? Kit. It’s built for writers and creators, with visual automations, landing pages, and paid newsletter support.

Do I need to be technical to switch? No. Most platforms have a one-click importer or CSV upload, and several offer free migration help. You’ll still rebuild your automations by hand, but the contact move is quick.

Can I keep my old emails and templates? Contacts, tags, and segments usually transfer. Templates and automations often don’t, so plan to rebuild those.

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Sarah Chen
Contributor