Comparison
Mailchimp vs MailerLite pricing
Both bill on contacts stored, so they line up cleanly at fixed list sizes. MailerLite is cheaper at every breakpoint where both publish a price, and the gap widens as the list grows.
Entry plans
Mailchimp Essentials against MailerLite Comfort, the cheapest paid plan each vendor sells.
| Contacts | Mailchimp Essentials | MailerLite Comfort | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $13Ver | $12Ver | MailerLite by $1 |
| 1,000 | $26.50Est | $15Est | MailerLite by $11.50 |
| 2,500 | $45Ver | $25Est | MailerLite by $20 |
| 5,000 | $75Ver | $39Est | MailerLite by $36 |
| 10,000 | $110Ver | $73Est | MailerLite by $37 |
| 25,000 | $270Ver | $159Est | MailerLite by $111 |
| 50,000 | $385Ver | $289Est | MailerLite by $96 |
| 100,000 | n/aNot | $470Est | not comparable |
Step up plans
Mailchimp Standard against MailerLite Power. Neither pair is feature matched, but both are the plan a growing sender tends to land on.
| Contacts | Mailchimp Standard | MailerLite Power | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $20Ver | $25Ver | Mailchimp by $5 |
| 1,000 | $45Est | $30Est | MailerLite by $15 |
| 2,500 | $60Ver | $40Est | MailerLite by $20 |
| 5,000 | $100Ver | $50Est | MailerLite by $50 |
| 10,000 | $135Ver | $110Est | MailerLite by $25 |
| 25,000 | $310Ver | $200Est | MailerLite by $110 |
| 50,000 | $450Ver | $340Est | MailerLite by $110 |
| 100,000 | $800Ver | $640Est | MailerLite by $160 |
What the gap actually is
At 25,000 contacts the entry plans sit $111 a month apart, with Mailchimp at $270 and MailerLite at $159. That is the widest spread in the table.
The mechanics are almost identical. Both count stored contacts, both keep counting unsubscribed contacts until they are removed, and both attach a send allowance to the contact tier. Mailchimp allows 10 times the contact count on Essentials. MailerLite allows 10 times the ceiling of the subscriber tier on Comfort, and removes the cap entirely on Power.
The difference is the shape of the ladder. Mailchimp steps hard early and lands at 800 dollars a month for 100,000 contacts on Standard. MailerLite runs a slider with roughly 29 stops and reaches 819 dollars at 200,000 subscribers, which is double the list for the same money.