Email marketing is more popular than ever, with billions of emails sent every day. Industry leader Mailchimp powers email campaigns for more than 13 million users worldwide. But with its different pricing plans, how do you know what's the right fit? This guide breaks down Mailchimp's key features across the pricing tiers to help you choose the optimal plan.
An Introduction to Mailchimp and Its Pricing
Founded in 2001, Mailchimp enables businesses of any size to design email campaigns, automate workflows, and track performance. Its intuitive drag-and-drop builder and extensive template options make it easy to create on-brand, engaging emails.
Mailchimp integrates with ecommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce to help businesses turn emails into sales. It also provides insights based on opens, clicks, and more.
There are a few factors that determine Mailchimp's pricing:
- Number of contacts in your audience
- Email volume you plan to send
- Advanced features and integrations needed
Plans are paid monthly based on usage and needs. You're not locked into long contracts.
Businesses across industries like SaaS, retail, and non-profits use Mailchimp for the right balance of affordable but powerful email marketing.
Mailchimp's Forever Free Plan
Mailchimp offers a forever free plan for up to 2,000 contacts and 12,000 emails per month. It's ideal for early stage businesses and side hustles.
Key Features
- 2,000 contacts included
- Send up to 12,000 emails per month
- Access to basic email templates
- Stats on opens, clicks, and unsubscribes
- Automations for welcome and follow-up emails
This plan is best suited for solopreneurs, bloggers, community groups, and anyone wanting to test Mailchimp. But the low contact limit has no room to scale.
Advanced options like A/B testing and integrations are also not included at this level. And you can't remove Mailchimp branding.
Overall, the forever free plan lets anyone dip their toes in email marketing. But for growing businesses who want customization and automation, a paid plan is needed.
Mailchimp's Paid Plans Unpacked
Once you exceed the limits of the free plan, Mailchimp provides four paid tiers for larger email lists and audiences. Let's look at what each offers.
Overview of Paid Plan Capabilities
- Scale from 500 to 50,000+ contacts
- Remove limits on emails sent per month
- Access advanced automations and integrations
- Enable e-commerce features
- Get premium support and onboarding
There are discounts for paying annually rather than monthly. You can upgrade or downgrade plans at any time based on your needs.
Essentials Plan
Starting at $9.99/month billed annually for 500 contacts, this plan includes:
- Up to 500 contacts
- Unlimited emails
- Basic automations and segmentation
- Light reporting
- Email support
The Essentials plan suits new businesses with small audiences who want to move beyond Mailchimp's free options.
Standard Plan
At $14.99/month billed yearly for up to 2,500 contacts, the Standard plan adds:
- Up to 2,500 contacts
- A/B testing capabilities
- Enhanced customization and branding
- Google Analytics integration
Ecommerce stores, local businesses, agencies, and organizations can benefit from Standard. You get more customization than Essentials.
Plus Plan
Plus starts at $29.99/month annually for up to 25,000 contacts. It unlocks automations like:
- Behavioral emails
- Facebook ad integration
- Product recommendations
- Advanced analytics
The Plus plan works for larger online businesses selling in high volumes, such as popular ecommerce stores. More contacts and automations provide greater marketing power.
Pro Plan
Pro starts at $79.99/month annually for up to 50,000 contacts. It offers Mailchimp's premium capabilities:
- High volume sending
- Advanced automations and workflows
- Additional CRM and e-commerce integrations
- Account representatives
Pro supports high-traffic companies like online retailers or SaaS firms selling to large audiences. You get VIP treatment and maximum email capabilities.
How Mailchimp Compares to Sensorpro
Mailchimp and Sensorpro have some key differences in their email marketing platforms:
Contacts and Volume
- Sensorpro allows unlimited contacts on all paid plans. Mailchimp has contact limits for each tier.
Deliverability
- Sensorpro manages its own infrastructure for excellent deliverability. Mailchimp uses third parties.
Support and Onboarding
- Sensorpro provides more tailored customer support and onboarding. Mailchimp is largely self-serve.
E-Commerce Focus
- Sensorpro focuses on email marketing tools for e-commerce. Mailchimp offers a broader platform.
Businesses wanting unlimited contacts and deliverability may prefer Sensorpro. Those needing Mailchimp's full suite of marketing features could benefit from plans like Plus or Pro.
Conclusion and Recommendations
In summary, Mailchimp's pricing plans are based on number of contacts, email volume, and features. Consider your current and future needs when selecting the right tier.
The forever free plan lets anyone test Mailchimp at no cost. Paid plans like Standard and Plus better serve growing businesses needing advanced capabilities. And Pro supports major enterprises with huge audiences.
Here are some recommendations for choosing the best Mailchimp plan:
- New or boutique businesses: Start with Essentials or forever free plan
- Small e-commerce stores: Consider Standard or Plus plans
- High volume sending: Upgrade to Plus or Pro plans
- Advanced automations: Choose Pro plan
- Unlimited contacts: Explore Sensorpro
Ready to take your email marketing up a notch? See how Sensorpro makes it easy to create targeted, automated campaigns that drive results.
