Mailchimp Raised Prices +20% in 2024 — Free Plan Cut
Mailchimp increased pricing across all plans by 20-50% in August 2024 and cut free plan limits. Standard plan jumped from $20 to $30/month. For email marketers and SMBs, this is a critical decision point. Here's what changed and your best alternatives.
The Price Change
| Plan | Before | After | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Unlimited contacts | 500 contacts max | Hard cut |
| Essentials | $25/mo (1000 contacts) | $30/mo (1000 contacts) | +$5 (+20%) |
| Standard | $20/mo | $30/mo | +$10 (+50%) |
| Premium | $300/mo | $350/mo | +$50 (+17%) |
What Really Changed
The most painful change isn't the monthly increase — it's the free plan cut:
- Before: Free plan supported unlimited subscribers (with Mailchimp branding)
- After: Free plan limited to 500 contacts. Any growth = immediate paid plan.
- Impact: New businesses can no longer test email marketing without a $30/mo commitment.
This is a revenue strategy: eliminate the free tier (which acted as a trojan horse for growth), force small businesses to pay earlier.
Who's Hit Hardest?
Free Plan Users (500-1000 contacts)
You now have three options: downgrade to 500 contacts (lose 50%+ of your list), or pay $30/mo. If you're a solopreneur or small startup, this is the decision point: is email marketing worth $360/year?
SMBs (Essentials/Standard plan)
You're paying +20-50%. If you were on Standard at $20/mo ($240/year), you're now at $360/year — a $120 annual increase. For bootstrapped businesses, this stings.
Marketing Agencies (Multi-client accounts)
If you manage 10+ Mailchimp accounts for clients, this increase hits your margins. You're now paying $3,600/year for Standard plans (vs. $2,400 before). Either absorb the cost or pass it to clients.
Your Alternatives
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Price: Free, then $20-300/mo
Most direct Mailchimp competitor. Free tier includes up to 300 contacts + 20,000 emails/month. SMS + email bundled. Strong automation.
Best for: Businesses needing SMS + email, SMBs wanting to avoid pricing increases.
ConvertKit
Price: $25-300/mo
Creator-focused. Built for creators (bloggers, podcasters). Advanced segmentation. 25% commission on products. Included landing pages.
Best for: Creators, newsletters, product creators.
Klaviyo
Price: Free, then $45-1200+/mo
E-commerce focused. Superior segmentation + automation. Higher price but ROI-friendly for DTC brands. $45/mo base (unlimited contacts).
Best for: E-commerce stores, DTC brands, high-volume senders.
ActiveCampaign
Price: $9-229/mo
Automation powerhouse. Better CRM integration than Mailchimp. Steeper learning curve but more powerful.
Best for: Agencies, B2B, advanced automation workflows.
HubSpot
Price: Free (limited), then $45-3200+/mo
Full-stack CRM + email. Free tier includes basic email. Integration with landing pages, forms, analytics. Growing favorite.
Best for: B2B SaaS, companies needing CRM + email, sales teams.
Substack
Price: Free (30% cut on paid subscriptions)
Newsletter platform. No upfront cost. Simple, beautiful emails. Built-in paywall for paid newsletters. Minimal customization.
Best for: Newsletters, writers, creators launching paid subscriptions.
Head-To-Head Comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | Brevo | Klaviyo | ConvertKit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | 500 contacts (cut) | 300 contacts (good) | 500 contacts (good) | Free (creator tier) |
| Base Price | $30 | $20 | $45 | $25 |
| SMS Included? | No (add-on) | Yes | No | No |
| Automation | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Segmentation | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Templates | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Migration Path By Use Case
If You're Building a Newsletter (Solopreneur)
Switch to: Substack or ConvertKit. Cost: $0-25/mo. Reason: Free tier, built for writers, simple to use. No need for complex automation.
If You're Running E-Commerce
Switch to: Klaviyo. Cost: $45/mo minimum (unlimited contacts). Reason: Better e-commerce automation, abandoned cart flows, segment by purchase history.
If You Need Multiple Channels (SMS + Email)
Switch to: Brevo. Cost: $20-50/mo. Reason: SMS + email bundled, cheaper than Mailchimp + SMS add-on, strong automation.
If You're an Agency (Managing Multiple Clients)
Switch to: HubSpot or ActiveCampaign. Cost: Custom pricing. Reason: Client hierarchies, team collaboration, better margins on resale.
Negotiation Tactics For Long-Term Customers
Tactic 1: Commit Annual Billing
Some plans offer 10-20% off annual prepayment. On Essentials ($30/mo), that's ~$324/year instead of $360.
Tactic 2: Migrate to Brevo (Leverage)
Set up Brevo in parallel for 30 days. If Mailchimp sees you migrating, their win-back team may offer a 6-month discount. Unlikely but possible.
Tactic 3: Use Alternatives for Specific Use Cases
Stay on Mailchimp for general broadcasts, migrate transactional emails (confirmations, receipts) to Brevo or SendGrid. Reduce your Mailchimp seat count.
Should You Stay or Switch?
Stay with Mailchimp if:
- You're already on Essentials or Premium (increases are modest: +17-20%)
- You've built complex automations that would take 2+ weeks to rebuild
- Your team is trained on Mailchimp (switching costs are high)
- You use Mailchimp's integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce plugins)
Switch if:
- You were on the free plan (the cut is too harsh)
- You're a solopreneur or small business on Standard plan ($360/year is a big jump)
- You need SMS (Brevo is cheaper and includes SMS)
- You're running e-commerce (Klaviyo's automation ROI justifies higher price)
- You're a creator/newsletter writer (Substack or ConvertKit are better fits)
Migration Checklist
- Choose replacement: Evaluate 2 alternatives (15 min trial each)
- Export from Mailchimp: Audiences → Export. CSV file with contacts, lists, tags.
- Import to new tool: Most tools have bulk import. Test with 100 contacts first.
- Map automations: List all automations (welcome series, abandoned cart, etc.). Plan equivalent in new tool.
- Redirect tracking: Update any links pointing to Mailchimp landing pages.
- Test on staging: Send test emails. Check deliverability, design rendering, links.
- Announce to subscribers: "We've moved to [new platform]. Same emails, better experience."
- Cancel Mailchimp: Wait 30 days to confirm new tool works. Then cancel and reclaim the month's payment.
What's Next For Mailchimp?
Watch for:
- Q1 2025: Further free tier restrictions. Expect max 100 contacts on free plan.
- 2025: SMS tiers may be separated (increasing cost further for multi-channel senders)
- 2026: Advanced automation features moving to Premium tier (AI-powered send time optimization, behavioral triggers)
Mailchimp is clearly moving upmarket. If you're a bootstrapped business, now is the time to switch to Brevo or ConvertKit before further increases.
Price monitoring made simple
Don't get surprised by the next price increase. Get alerts when your tools raise prices, and join 1000+ founders who track SaaS pricing changes.
Summary
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Increase Amount | +20% to +50% on paid plans, free tier cut to 500 contacts |
| When | August 2024 |
| Essentials Impact | +$60/year |
| Standard Impact | +$120/year |
| Free Plan Impact | Hard limit at 500 contacts (deal breaker for many) |
| Should You Stay? | Only if already on Essentials+ and heavily invested in automation. Switch if free tier user or solopreneur. |
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available pricing information from Mailchimp as of May 2026. Prices may change. Always verify current pricing directly with the vendor.