Can one email plan truly scale from a hobby list to enterprise volume without surprises?
We created this buyer’s guide so you can match a plan to real business goals, audience size, and budget. In plain terms, we map the four tiers and call out limits that impact results.
Quickly compare core features like contacts, monthly email caps, audiences, users, and support. That way we spot when the free plan suffices and when Essentials or Standard unlocks growth tools like A/B testing and customer journeys.
We also explain billing quirks—contact-based charges, subscriber duplicates, and add‑on contact blocks—so you avoid hidden costs as your list scales.
Key Takeaways
- Free plan fits very small lists but has branding and send caps.
- Essentials adds A/B testing and expanded monthly emails for teams.
- Standard unlocks multistep journeys and predictive tools for growth.
- Premium supports enterprise volume, phone support, and advanced reports.
- Watch billing rules: unsubscribed contacts and duplicates can raise costs.
Search intent decoded: who this Buyer’s Guide is for and how we evaluate costs
We wrote this guide for marketers, founders, and SMB teams who need a clear path to choose the plan best for their audience size and workflows.
Our evaluation looks past headline fees to measure real monthly value. We count billed contacts (including unsubscribed and unconfirmed), monthly send caps, and the implied price-per-email for each tier.
Tip: paid marketing plans bill by contact count and limit sends per month (Essentials 10x, Standard 12x, Premium 15x). Trials exist for Essentials (to 50,000 contacts) and Standard (to 100,000 contacts).
“We factor governance—users, roles, and audiences—because team structure often drives whether Essentials or the standard plan fits.”
- We model scenarios from 500 contacts to high-volume lists so you see true costs per contact and per email.
- We highlight risks: add-on contact blocks, overages, and charges for unsubscribed contacts.
- We recommend one-month trials and list hygiene audits to reduce wasted spend.
For a deeper breakdown of tiers and comparisons, see our pricing mailchimp guide.
Mailchimp pricing at a glance: plans, contacts, and monthly email sends
This snapshot lets you compare contact limits, monthly send multipliers, and support levels at a glance. We focus on what each plan permits so you can match cadence, team size, and features to real campaigns.
Quick snapshot: Free, Essentials, Standard, Premium
Free — 500 contacts, 1,000 emails per month, 500/day cap, one audience, and Mailchimp branding. Good for basic email and landing tests.
Essentials — starts at $13/month for 500 contacts, scales to 50,000 contacts, and allows 10x monthly email sends. Includes all templates, A/B testing, and chat & email support.
Standard — from $20/month, supports up to 100,000 contacts with 12x monthly email sends. Adds multistep automation, send time optimization, predictive segmentation, and advanced reports.
Premium — from $350/month, 15x monthly email sends, unlimited users and audiences, plus phone support and enterprise analytics.
How pricing scales, trials, and team access
Plans scale by contact count, and billing is based on total contacts. Trials let us test Essentials up to 50,000 contacts and Standard up to 100,000 contacts for one month (payment details required).
“Match the monthly email sends multiplier to your campaign cadence to avoid overages.”
- Role and user limits increase by tier: Essentials 3 users, Standard 5 users, Premium unlimited.
- Audience slots grow from 1 (Free) to unlimited (Premium), impacting list structure and segmentation.
Free plan: what you can do with 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month
If you’re starting a list, the Free plan gives basic tools to validate subscribers and content.
Core features: simple audience, templates, and page builder
Use the Free plan to capture leads with landing pages and pop-up forms. You get a single audience, basic CRM, and starter email templates to run simple campaigns.
Reporting is limited but enough to see opens and clicks. The page builder and templates help you test messaging before you invest.
Key limits to know
The Free plan supports up to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month, with a daily cap of 500 sends. There is Mailchimp branding in footers and no campaign scheduling or multistep automations.
Support is basic: a knowledge base plus 30 days of email support at sign-up. If you exceed monthly limits, sending may pause until you upgrade or buy credits.
| Feature | Free plan | When to upgrade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Up to 500 contacts | When list grows past 500 | Unsubscribed contacts still affect paid billing |
| Monthly sends | 1,000 emails per month | Need more frequent campaigns | Daily cap 500; overages require credits |
| Automation & support | Basic templates, landing pages, 30 days email support | For A/B testing or chat support | Multistep journeys start on paid plans |
To compare options as you scale, compare plan options and plan upgrades before limits hit.
Essentials plan: entry-level email marketing for growing lists
When your list outgrows starter limits, the Essentials plan offers predictable sends and practical upgrades for small teams.
Starting at $13/month for 500 contacts, the plan applies a 10x multiplier for monthly email sends so you can support regular newsletters without surprise pauses.
Key tiers scale to 50,000 contacts with common price points like $45 for 2,500, $110 for 10,000, and $385 for 50,000 contacts. That makes forecasting spend simple as your list grows.
What you unlock
- All email templates and removal of branding to keep campaigns on brand.
- A/B testing for subject lines and content to lift open and click rates.
- Live chat and email support to speed up troubleshooting and launches.
- Management for up to three audiences and three users with two role types.
Note: Essentials handles basic automations but not multistep journeys. If your roadmap needs branching sequences or predictive segmentation, plan a move to a higher tier.
“Keep list hygiene front of mind — unsubscribed or unconfirmed contacts still count toward billing.”
For a detailed pricing mailchimp comparison and to model tiers against your send cadence, see our detailed pricing breakdown.
Standard plan: advanced automation, segmentation, and optimization
If your goal is to run multistep journeys and test more aggressively, the Standard tier gives the extra tools and send headroom you need.
Standard starts at $20/month for 500 contacts and scales to $800 for 100,000 contacts. The plan raises monthly email sends to 12x your contact count, so you get more throughput for nurture sequences and frequent campaigns.
Feature upgrades that matter
Standard adds multistep customer journeys with up to 200 journey points. That lets us build branching automation and lifecycle programs beyond single-step autoresponders.
Optimization tools include send time optimization, predictive demographics and segmentation, and a content optimizer. These features reduce guesswork and lift open and click rates.
Testing, reporting, and governance
We get comparative reporting and multivariate testing to validate creative hypotheses across cohorts. Custom HTML template uploads and advanced segmentation improve campaign precision.
“Standard delivers the automation and testing tools most small-to-mid teams need before moving to an enterprise tier.”
- Users & roles: 5 users and 4 role types for clearer team governance.
- Audiences: Multiple audiences to separate products or lifecycle stages.
- Onboarding: One personalized onboarding session to speed implementation.
| Item | Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly email multiplier | 12x contacts | Supports multi-touch campaigns without frequent upgrades |
| Journey points | Up to 200 points | Enables branching, delays, and complex flows |
| Pricing examples | $20 (500), $135 (10,000), $450 (50,000), $800 (100,000) | Scale predictably as contacts grow |
| Testing & reporting | Multivariate & comparative testing | Quantifies lifts and informs creative decisions |
Standard is built for SMEs that need advanced automation and testing without jumping to enterprise. For a side-by-side account of costs and to model sends against campaigns, see our detailed comparison.
Premium plan: unlimited users and advanced testing for high-volume teams
For teams sending at scale, the Premium tier bundles throughput, governance, and deep analytics into one plan.
Starting costs and send capacity
Premium starts at $350/month, commonly shown at 10,000 contacts. It expands your monthly email capacity to 15x your contact limit. That supports frequent campaigns and aggressive lifecycle sequences without frequent upgrades.
Enterprise-level perks
Unlimited users and unlimited audiences let multiple brands and teams work in a single account. Priority phone support speeds troubleshooting for time-sensitive launches.
“Advanced reporting and multivariate testing deliver the insight teams need to scale wins across segments and templates.”
- Testing & analytics: comparative reports and multivariate testing for deep experiments.
- Governance: role controls, unlimited audiences, and broad user access.
- Cost examples: $620 (25k), $815 (50k), $1,025 (100k), $1,600 (200k) per month.
| Item | Benefit | When to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly email sends | 15x contacts | High-frequency newsletters & lifecycle flows |
| Users & audiences | Unlimited | Multiple brands or large teams |
| Support & reporting | Priority phone + advanced reports | Time-sensitive campaigns needing fast help |
Add‑ons, credits, and extra channels: pay‑as‑you‑go, transactional email, and SMS
Pay-as-you-go bundles and channel credits let us match spend to campaign rhythm rather than a fixed monthly fee.
Pay-as-you-go email credits are sold in bundles and expire after 12 months. They suit seasonal campaigns or one-off blasts when a full monthly plan feels wasteful.
Representative bundles start at $150 for 5,000 credits (~$0.03 per credit). Larger bundles lower the per-credit cost, so model your sends to see if credits beat a monthly plan.
Transactional Email blocks
Transactional Email is sold by 25,000‑email blocks starting at $20 per block. Volume discounts reduce the block price as monthly volume grows.
- $20/block up to 500K emails/month
- $18/block for 500K–1M
- $16/block for 1–2M; down to $10/block at 4M+
“Separate transactional traffic to protect deliverability and simplify cost forecasting.”
SMS credits for U.S. senders
U.S. SMS is an add‑on for paid marketing plans. Bundles start at 1,000 credits for $20 and scale to 450,000+ credits. Each SMS consumes 1–3 credits depending on carrier and sender status.
Example: 1,000 SMS can cost $20–$45 depending on credits per message. Use SMS alongside email to reach customers who prefer text updates.
| Add‑on | Starter bundle | Key note |
|---|---|---|
| Pay‑as‑you‑go credits | $150 — 5,000 credits | Expire after 12 months; ideal for occasional sends |
| Transactional Email | $20 per 25K emails | Volume discounts lower cost to ~$10/block at 4M+ monthly emails |
| U.S. SMS credits | 1,000 credits — $20 | 1–3 credits per SMS; available to paid plans |
How we decide: if sends are infrequent, credits can cut costs. If we send every month, a plan usually gives better value and access to core features and support. For quick access to marketing tiers and add‑ons, see our marketing pricing page.
Hidden costs and billing gotchas to watch out for
Hidden billing rules can turn an affordable plan into a surprise expense if we don’t audit our list regularly. Small habits—like keeping bounced or inactive addresses—can increase monthly costs and harm deliverability.
Charged for unsubscribed, unconfirmed, and duplicate contacts
Paid plans charge for unsubscribed and unconfirmed contacts. That means pruning inactive profiles lowers our costs and improves campaign health.
If the same email exists in multiple audiences, it is billed multiple times. We recommend consolidating lists or using tags and segments inside one audience to avoid double counting.
Overages and add‑on contact blocks
If we exceed contact or send limits, the platform applies add‑on contact blocks or overage fees rather than auto‑upgrading. The Free plan may pause if monthly sends are exceeded.
Because contact tiers are coarse, we may pay the 10K tier for an 8K list. Before big imports or seasonal sales, we pre‑size our plan or buy credits to prevent mid‑campaign interruptions.
“Monitor monthly sends against your plan’s multiplier and run routine list hygiene to control costs.”
- Budget: include add‑ons (Transactional Email blocks, SMS credits) in monthly cost estimates.
- Ops: monthly hygiene, suppress bounces, merge duplicates, and track send spikes.
Mailchimp pricing vs alternatives: finding the plan best suited to your budget
We run quick value checks across competing tools to show where a switch saves real dollars.
Value vs competitors: Against Moosend, MailerLite, GetResponse, AWeber, Brevo, and SendX, Mailchimp often costs more at the same contact tiers. For example, at 10K contacts the Standard plan at $135/month compares to MailerLite at $73 and Moosend at $88. SendX can undercut essentials-like plans with $40/month for 10K and unlimited sends.
When staying makes sense
If multistep journeys, predictive segmentation, or onboarding drive measurable revenue, the standard plan may justify its premium. Essentials is the plan best choice when we mainly send newsletters and need A/B tests, templates, and 10x monthly email sends.
Scenario math: 500 vs 50,000 contacts
At month 500 contacts, Essentials (~$13/month) usually beats buying credits if we mail monthly. If we mail only quarterly, pay‑as‑you‑go credits can be cheaper.
At 50,000 contacts, Standard (~$450/month) gives 12x monthly email sends but may be tight for frequent campaigns. Premium (~$815/month) raises capacity to 15x and adds governance for complex teams.
“If budget is tight, compare per‑month cost and emails per contact rather than headline metrics.”
- Low frequency, large lists: Brevo’s send‑based model can cut costs.
- High send volume: SendX and some Moosend tiers offer better value for unlimited or heavy sends.
- Feature-first: Stick with the platform that gives journeys and predictive tools if they drive conversions.
For a side‑by‑side look at features and tiers, see our compare plans page to confirm the plan best for your business and campaigns.
Conclusion
, A smart plan choice balances contact counts, campaign frequency, and the features that move revenue.
We recommend using the free plan to validate offers and landing pages, then testing Essentials or Standard with a one-month trial to measure deliverability, automation, and onboarding outcomes.
Keep list hygiene and audience consolidation front of mind. That lowers costs for contacts and avoids duplicate billing. Monitor monthly sends and credits to prevent overages.
Bottom line: match your send cadence, users, and required tools to the tier that fits today, and scale only when features or support justify the upgrade. With clear metrics, you’ll pick the plan that grows your email marketing without surprises.
FAQ
Who is this buyer’s guide for and how do we evaluate costs?
We wrote this guide for small businesses, marketing teams, and agencies deciding between free and paid email plans. We evaluate costs based on contact tiers, monthly email sends, available automation, support levels, and add-ons such as transactional email and SMS credits.
What plans and send limits are covered in the quick snapshot?
We cover the Free, Essentials, Standard, and Premium plans, noting contact limits and monthly send multipliers — roughly 10x, 12x, and 15x the contact count for paid plans — plus trial options and role-based access.
What can we do on the free plan with 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month?
With 500 contacts and 1,000 monthly sends we can build one audience, use basic templates and a simple page builder, create landing pages, and send simple campaigns. Support is limited to online resources and self-help guides.
What core limits should we watch on the free tier?
The free tier has daily caps, no advanced scheduling or multistep automations, no premium ads features, and restricted templates and testing — all of which can constrain scaling and segmentation.
How does the Essentials plan scale from 500 to 50,000 contacts?
The Essentials plan uses tiered pricing that increases with contact count. Monthly send limits typically scale at about 10x the contact allowance, and higher tiers unlock more email sends and audience capacity.
What features unlock when we move to Essentials?
Essentials unlocks the full template library, A/B testing, email and chat support, and allows multiple audiences (commonly up to three), plus better deliverability tools and basic automation.
How do Standard plan tiers and send multipliers work?
The Standard plan reaches higher contact counts (often up to 100,000) and increases monthly sends to about 12x contacts. Pricing rises with each contact bracket and includes more advanced features for optimization.
What advanced features does Standard add?
Standard adds multistep journeys, send-time optimization, behavioral segmentation, and predictive tools that help improve open and conversion rates compared with the Essentials tier.
What team and onboarding options come with Standard?
Standard commonly supports around five users, multiple role types, and often includes a personalized onboarding session to help set up automation and audience segmentation.
When does Premium make sense, and what are its send limits?
Premium suits high-volume senders and large teams. It typically applies a 15x monthly send multiplier, allows unlimited audiences and users, and adds enterprise reporting and advanced testing.
What enterprise perks are included with Premium?
Premium usually includes priority phone support, comparative and cohort reports, multivariate testing, and deeper analytics for cross-campaign optimization.
What add‑ons and credits are available for pay‑as‑you‑go users?
Add-ons include pay‑as‑you‑go email credit bundles (with expirations around 12 months), transactional email blocks, and SMS credit bundles. These can be cost‑effective for irregular sending patterns.
How do transactional email blocks and pricing typically work?
Transactional email blocks are sold in bundles (for example, per 25K sends) with volume discounts at higher volumes. They are ideal for receipts, notifications, and API-triggered messages.
What should U.S. senders know about SMS credits?
U.S. SMS credits are sold in bundles and charged per message. Eligibility, carrier fees, and short/long code requirements affect costs, so check delivery rules and consent requirements before buying.
What hidden costs or billing gotchas should we watch for?
Watch for charges on unsubscribed or unconfirmed contacts, duplicate contacts across audiences, automatic overage billing when you exceed sends, and add‑on contact blocks that raise monthly fees unexpectedly.
How do overages and add‑on contact blocks work when we exceed limits?
When you exceed contact or send limits, the platform typically bills overages or requires you to buy larger contact blocks. Billing can be pro‑rated or charged at the next tier, so monitor usage closely.
How does this platform compare to alternatives like MailerLite, Brevo, and GetResponse?
We compare on value, feature depth, and cost per contact. For smaller lists, lighter tools like MailerLite or Brevo can be cheaper. For advanced automation and analytics, the Standard or Premium tiers often justify their cost versus competitors.
When should we stick with Essentials or move to Standard versus switching tools?
Stick with Essentials if you need reliable sending, templates, and basic testing. Move to Standard when you need automation journeys and optimization. Consider switching if competitors offer better per-contact rates or channel bundles for your use case.
Can you give a simple scenario math example for 500 vs 50,000 contacts?
For 500 contacts, a free or low‑cost Essentials tier usually covers needs with around 5–10K monthly sends. At 50,000 contacts, monthly sends and features require a much higher tier or enterprise plan, and add‑ons like dedicated support and transactional blocks become cost‑effective.
Do trials, support levels, and role-based access vary by plan?
Yes. Free tiers have limited support and single-user setups. Paid tiers add chat/email support, phone access at higher levels, role management, and often trial periods or onboarding credits to test advanced features.