TL;DR / Key Takeaways
- Mailchimp's free plan stops at 250 contacts; 10,000 contacts cost $110 a month on Essentials.
- Moosend ($70) and GetResponse Starter ($64.78, one workflow) are cheaper at 10,000 contacts on annual billing.
- Kit is free up to 10,000 subscribers; beehiiv up to 2,500.
- Brevo charges by emails sent, so it is cheapest only if you email rarely.
- MailerLite's free plan is now 250 subscribers, not 1,000.
Short answer: Mailchimp's free plan now stops at 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, and 10,000 contacts cost $110 a month on Essentials. Cheaper alternatives with real automation: Moosend ($70 a month at 10,000 contacts on annual billing, 30-day free trial), GetResponse ($64.78 on Starter, but just one workflow; $93.48 for unlimited automation), and MailerLite ($80.10). For a newsletter, Kit is free up to 10,000 subscribers and beehiiv up to 2,500. Brevo is cheapest of all if you email a large list rarely, because it charges by emails sent. Updated October 29, 2026.
How we checked: every price comes from the vendor's own pricing page or from the pricing data that page loads, read October 29, 2026, in US dollars. Brevo prices by emails sent rather than contacts, so its totals here are our own arithmetic from its published tiers, and we say so. We did not measure deliverability.
Free plans compared
| Tool | Free plan | Branding on free emails | Automation on free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | 250 contacts, 500 sends a month | Yes | No flows |
| Kit | Up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited broadcasts | Yes | No |
| beehiiv | 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends | Yes | No |
| Brevo | 300 emails a day, up to 100,000 contacts stored | Yes | Not verified |
| GetResponse | 500 contacts, 2,500 newsletters a month | Yes (badge) | Not stated |
| MailerLite | 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month | Logo removal only on paid plans | 3 automations of up to 5 steps |
| Moosend | No free plan; 30-day trial, 1,000 contacts, no card | Trial | 1 workflow during trial |
| ActiveCampaign | No free plan; 14-day trial | Trial | Trial |
What 1,000 and 10,000 contacts cost
| Tool and plan | 1,000 contacts (annual / monthly) | 10,000 contacts (annual / monthly) | Automation on this plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moosend Pro | $13 / $16 | $70 / $88 | Yes |
| GetResponse Starter | $15.58 / $19 | $64.78 / $79 | 1 workflow |
| GetResponse Marketer | $48.38 / $59 | $93.48 / $114 | Unlimited |
| MailerLite Comfort | $17.10 / $19 | $80.10 / $89 | 50 active automations |
| ActiveCampaign Starter | $15 / $19 | $149 / $189 | Yes, 5 actions per automation |
| Mailchimp Essentials | $26.50 (1,500-contact band) / no annual price | $110 / no annual price | Flows up to 4 steps |
| Mailchimp Standard | $45 (1,500-contact band) | $135 | Up to 200 flows |
| Kit Creator | $33 / $39 | $116 / $139 | Unlimited |
| beehiiv Lite | $49 / $59 | $119 / $139 | Up to 10 |
| Campaign Monitor Lite | $47 monthly (501 to 2,500 band) | $117 monthly | Not compared |
| Brevo Starter (our math) | About $17 monthly, 10,000 emails | About $32 monthly, 20,000 emails | Not verified on Starter |
Pricing models: contacts, subscribers or emails
- By contacts, with a send cap: Mailchimp lets you send 10 times your contact count a month on Essentials (12 on Standard); ActiveCampaign the same on Starter and Plus.
- By contacts, sends effectively unlimited: Moosend, GetResponse on paid plans, Campaign Monitor Essentials and up.
- By subscribers: Kit, beehiiv and MailerLite, built for newsletters.
- By emails sent: Brevo, with a contact cap per tier.
Which one to choose
- A small business leaving Mailchimp to save money, with automations: Moosend or MailerLite.
- Courses, webinars and landing pages in the same tool: GetResponse Marketer or Creator.
- A creator newsletter: Kit (free up to 10,000 subscribers) or beehiiv (free up to 2,500, with monetisation features on paid plans).
- A big list you email only occasionally: Brevo.
- Sales-led B2B with CRM and lead scoring: ActiveCampaign Plus or Pro.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest alternative to Mailchimp?
For 10,000 contacts with automation, GetResponse Starter ($64.78 a month on annual billing, one workflow) and Moosend Pro ($70) are the cheapest we found, against $110 a month for Mailchimp Essentials. Brevo can be cheaper still if you send few emails, because it charges by emails sent.
Is there a free alternative to Mailchimp?
Yes. Kit is free up to 10,000 subscribers, beehiiv up to 2,500, Brevo allows 300 emails a day, GetResponse 500 contacts and MailerLite 250 subscribers. Mailchimp's own free plan stops at 250 contacts and 500 sends a month.
How much does Mailchimp cost for 10,000 contacts?
$110 a month on Essentials and $135 on Standard, billed monthly; Premium starts at $350. Mailchimp shows no standard annual discount.
Which email platform is best for newsletters?
Kit and beehiiv are built for newsletters and price by subscribers: Kit is free up to 10,000 subscribers and $116 a month at 10,000 on its Creator plan (annual), beehiiv is free up to 2,500 and $119 a month on Lite at 10,000 (annual).