Mailchimp

TL;DR: Mailchimp is still the most widely integrated email tool and the default the rest of your stack probably already speaks to. But it’s priced for contacts, not for senders, and the scaling curve past 2,500 contacts punishes small operators. If you’re a creator with a growing list, ConvertKit or Beehiiv are probably a better long-term home. If you’re an e-commerce side hustler whose Shopify already integrates Mailchimp, stay.

Who it’s for

Best fit:

• E-commerce operators where Shopify / WooCommerce already push to Mailchimp.
• Real estate agents using Mailchimp templates for farming lists.
• Small creative agencies sending light broadcast to a CRM list under 2,000 contacts.

Not a fit:

• Creators, writers, newsletter operators — ConvertKit wins here.
• Anyone whose list will likely exceed 10,000 contacts — pricing becomes punitive.

Real pricing

See our full Mailchimp TCO analysis for the interactive calculator. Short version: the “free forever” tier is real but narrow (500 contacts, branding on every send), and Standard scales from $20/mo at 500 contacts to over $300/mo at 10,000 contacts.

What works

• Integrations. Mailchimp is in every SaaS’s integration list — the first tool Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and most CRMs speak to out of the box.
• Templates are polished. The drag-and-drop builder produces email that looks professional on day one.
• Transactional email (Mandrill add-on) is useful if you need it alongside broadcast.

What doesn’t

• Automation workflows longer than 4–5 steps get clunky.
• Contact counting is “any contact, ever” — unsubscribes still count. Ugly at scale.
• Segmentation UI has been renamed and restructured three times in five years.

Alternatives worth considering

• ConvertKit — the right pick for creators, writers, and anyone running a newsletter.
• Beehiiv — growing fast, creator-focused, with analytics Mailchimp lacks.

Verdict

Conditional. Pick Mailchimp if your stack already speaks to it and your list will stay under 2,500 contacts. Otherwise start somewhere else — migrating later is painful.