Is Mailchimp free?

Yes, up to 250 contacts. Past that, the cheapest paid plan is Mailchimp Essentials at $156/yr ($13/mo billed monthly).

Last checked 2026-10-17 on the official pages.

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Disclosure: the beehiiv sign-up link is an affiliate link, so we may earn a commission if you subscribe through it. Prices, tiers and the cheapest-first ordering are calculated identically for every platform and never depend on affiliate status. Other platform links are plain.

Free plans on every tracked platform

Platform	Free?
beehiiv	Yes, up to 2,500 subscribers.
Kit	Yes, up to 10,000 subscribers.
MailerLite	Yes, up to 250 subscribers. Free: 250 subscribers, 2,500 monthly emails.
Ghost (Pro)	No. Ghost (Pro) has no free plan on its official pricing page.
Buttondown	Yes, up to 100 subscribers.
Substack	Yes. Substack charges no subscription fee; it takes 10% of paid-subscription revenue, so a free newsletter costs $0.
Mailchimp	Yes, up to 250 contacts.
Brevo	Yes, up to 300 subscribers. Free plan: up to 300 emails per day, so one send reaches at most 300 subscribers.
Flodesk	Not for sending. Flodesk's Free plan covers forms, landing pages and link-in-bio but does not include email sending, so a newsletter needs a paid plan (Lite, Pro or Everything).

Frequently asked questions

Is Mailchimp free?

Yes, up to 250 contacts.

How much does Mailchimp cost for 1,000 subscribers?

The cheapest paid plan for 1,000 contacts is Mailchimp Essentials at $318/yr ($26.50/mo billed monthly), per the official pricing page.

How much does Mailchimp cost for 10,000 subscribers?

The cheapest paid plan for 10,000 contacts is Mailchimp Essentials at $1,320/yr ($110/mo billed monthly), per the official pricing page.

What does Mailchimp cost after the free plan?

Above 250 contacts the cheapest paid option is Mailchimp Essentials at $156/yr ($13/mo billed monthly).