9+ Mailchimp alternatives [2026]

Mailchimp used to be the go-to email marketing tool for anyone who was setting up their email marketing, primarily due to its generous free plan, simple pricing, and easy-to-use UI. But in 2026, more and more people are looking for affordable, simpler alternatives because Mailchimp has changed a lot over the years, and now it's neither easy to use nor affordable.

If you're annoyed by increasing prices, complicated menus, or paying for features you don't need, you're not alone. There are many strong and affordable alternatives to Mailchimp that fit how most people use email marketing better.

This guide includes the best options, from free to paid plans, to help you switch with confidence.

Why move away from Mailchimp?

Mailchimp was once an ideal email marketing tool, but as it expanded, it became more complicated and costly. Frequent price increases now make budgeting for email marketing challenging as well.

Here are a few key reasons to switch:

High costs: Mailchimp can get expensive as your subscriber list grows. You'll often need to upgrade to pricier plans to access important features, which might include tools you don't need, increasing your marketing costs.

Limited free plan: The free plan has strict limits on the number of subscribers and emails you can send. It lacks essential features like automation. You'll also have to display Mailchimp branding in your emails, which can appear unprofessional.

Complicated interface: As Mailchimp expanded from an email service to a full marketing platform, its interface became cluttered. This makes it confusing and harder to use for those who only want to manage email campaigns.

Best Mailchimp alternatives in 2026

1. EmailOctopus — the best overall Mailchimp alternative

If you want an affordable, reliable and easy to use email marketing tool then EmailOctopus is one of the best choice.

EmailOctopus is designed to be simple. Setting up your first campaign and managing your subscriber list is straightforward and easy to understand, even for beginners. It's a great choice for businesses of all sizes and newsletter creators who want effective results without any hassle.

One more big reason to pick EmailOctopus instead of other options is the customer support. Whether you have a technical issue or just need advice, the friendly support team is always ready to assist you. Plus, EmailOctopus is fully GDPR-compliant, so you can use it without worries, even if your subscribers are in Europe.

Pros of EmailOctopus:

• Easy to use — perfect for both beginners and experienced marketers
• One of the most affordable Mailchimp alternatives available
• Clean, distraction-free UI
• Automation, forms, landing pages, and list segmentation all included
• Excellent, friendly customer support
• Generous free plan with no credit card required

Pricing:

EmailOctopus offers a free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month.

Paid plans start from just $9/month, scaling based on your list size. Compared to Mailchimp, you get significantly more for your money at every tier.

View the full EmailOctopus pricing page to find the plan that fits your needs.

2. MailerLite

MailerLite is another popular Mailchimp alternative, which used to be the first choice of many new email marketers and newsletter authors due to its generous free plan. However, that plan was reduced in 2025 from 1,000 subscribers to 500, making it suitable for testing only.

It also has a clean and easy-to-use UI, but their paid plan now includes a comprehensive website builder tool too. However, if you are someone who’s not going to use it, then technically you’ll be paying for both email marketing and a website builder tool, which isn’t an ideal setup.

Features:

1. Easy to use drag and drop email builder
2. List segmentation
3. No-code signup and popup forms
4. Extensive landing pages builder
5. Email automation
6. Zapier and Make integrations

MailerLite offers many additional features, like a native payment gateway and locked content. However, these extras can sometimes distract from the core service of email marketing. If you need these extra features and don’t mind paying a bit more, MailerLite could be a good choice.

3. Beehiiv

Beehiiv is an email marketing and content platform built for creators and authors. It’s ideal for sending newsletters, but if you have broader email marketing needs, other tools may be better for you.

Features:

1. Basic email editor
2. List segmentation
3. No-code hosted signup and popup forms
4. Zapier integrations

It's a platform primarily aimed towards newsletter writers who want a simple editor to easily write and publish their work online and deliver it as a newsletter.

4. Kit (prev. ConvertKit)

Kit is an email marketing tool focused on the creator economy, aiming to empower individual creators to build and monetise newsletters successfully. All its features are designed to help creators grow.

Features:

1. Easy to use drag and drop email builder
2. List segmentation
3. Natively supports paid newsletters
4. Extensive landing pages builder
5. Email automation
6. Zapier and Make integrations
7. Monetise your newsletter with paid recommendations and ads

If you’re a creator, Kit is an excellent choice. The only downside might be it’s pricing, especially if you’re not using all its premium features.

5. Constant Contact

Constant Contact started off as an email marketing tool, but as of 2024, they have expanded into a full-fledged marketing communications platform. They now offer SMS marketing, social media marketing, event marketing and marketing automation.

Features:

1. Email automation
2. List segmentation
3. Forms & landing pages
4. Dynamic content
5. A/B testing
6. AI assistant

Though Constant Contact is a feature-rich tool, but it’s recommended only if you’ll be using all of its features. If not, a simpler email marketing tool like EmailOctopus might be a better fit.

6. Omnisend

Omnisend is an ecommerce-focused marketing platform built for brands that want to manage email, SMS and push notifications from a single place. Its core strength lies in automation and revenue tracking, making it particularly suited to online stores running lifecycle-driven campaigns.

Features:

1. Automation workflows
2. Segmentation & personalisation
3. Customisable email templates
4. SMS and push notifications
5. Popups & forms
6. A/B testing
7. Performance analytics

Omnisend works well for ecommerce businesses that need advanced, multichannel automation. If you’re primarily sending email campaigns or prefer a simpler, more lightweight setup, a focused email marketing tool may be a better fit.

7. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is similar to Constant Contact but focuses on ecommerce and D2C businesses. In addition to email marketing, Klaviyo offers SMS marketing, push notifications, and product review management.

Features:

1. Email automation
2. List segmentation
3. Forms & landing pages
4. Dynamic content
5. Native ecommerce integrations
6. AI assistant

Klaviyo is a great choice if you are a D2C brand and have the budget. However, there are many other tools that can get the job done at a fraction of the cost.

8. Mailjet

Mailjet is a popular email marketing tool among big publishers and companies like ProductHunt and Happn. It also has an extensive API for sending emails programmatically, making it a great choice for businesses that need to send emails based on dynamic scenarios.

Features:

1. Email automation
2. List segmentation
3. Forms & landing pages
4. Dynamic content
5. SMTP relay support
6. AI copy generator

9. Brevo

Brevo (previously known as Sendinblue) is a comprehensive suite of tools that supports marketing, sales, and messaging. In addition to email marketing, Brevo offers features like chatbots, CRM, and SMS marketing. It aims to be an all-in-one solution for email marketing, CRM, and automation.

Features:

1. Email automation
2. List segmentation
3. Forms & landing pages
4. Dynamic content
5. SMTP relay support
6. Chatbot (paid add-on)

Brevo is a popular tool among many startups who plan to use all its features, but costs can escalate quickly as your business and email list grows.

10. Substack

Substack is a content platform blending blogging and email marketing. Unlike other tools listed here, Substack is free, earning revenue by taking a cut from your newsletter’s earnings, especially for paid newsletters. However, using Substack has its drawbacks. You have limited control over your newsletter, and it lacks basic features such as email automation and Zapier integration.

Features:

1. Email editor
2. Forms (basic)
3. Podcast hosting

Which Mailchimp alternatives have a free plan?

If you're specifically looking for a free alternative to Mailchimp, here's a quick summary:

EmailOctopus — Free for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails/month. The most generous free plan on this list.

MailerLite — Free for up to 500 subscribers.

Brevo — Free for up to 300 emails per day (no subscriber limit).

ConvertKit (Kit) — Free for up to 10,000 subscribers, though with limited features and requires you to recommend other newsletters in network.

Klaviyo — Free for up to 250 contacts only.

For most most businesses and newsletter creators, EmailOctopus offers the best free plan — and the easiest upgrade path when you're ready to grow.

Best Mailchimp alternatives for small businesses and newsletters

If you're a small business owner or running a newsletter, your needs are pretty straightforward: something easy to use, affordable, and reliable. You don't need a complex CRM or advanced eCommerce integrations.

EmailOctopus ticks every box here. It's designed for exactly this kind of use — simple campaign creation, clean sign-up forms, automated welcome sequences, and honest pricing that scales fairly as your list grows.

Why EmailOctopus is the best Mailchimp alternative

<IMG - Side-by-side pricing comparison showing EmailOctopus vs Mailchimp for equivalent list sizes>

There are plenty of solid tools on this list, but EmailOctopus stands out for one simple reason: it gives you everything you actually need, at a price that makes sense, without making you work to figure it out.

Mailchimp's biggest problems — high cost, frequent price hikes, and a cluttered interface — are exactly what EmailOctopus was built to solve. The platform is genuinely easy to use from day one. Whether you're building your first welcome email or setting up an automated sequence, the experience is smooth and frustration-free.

The pricing is transparent and fair. You won't hit a paywall mid-campaign or get hit with an unexpected bill because your list grew by a few hundred contacts. EmailOctopus scales with you without punishing you for your success.

And when you do need help, the support team actually helps. That might sound like a low bar, but anyone who's dealt with Mailchimp's support queue will know how refreshing it is to get a fast, human response.

If you're ready to switch, start free with EmailOctopus — no credit card required.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to Mailchimp?

EmailOctopus offers the most generous free plan of any Mailchimp alternative — up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails per month, with no credit card needed. MailerLite and Brevo also have free tiers worth considering.

What is the cheapest alternative to Mailchimp?

EmailOctopus is consistently one of the cheapest alternatives to Mailchimp. Paid plans start from $9/month, and the free plan covers most needs for smaller lists. Moosend and MailerLite are also competitively priced at $9/month.

Why are people leaving Mailchimp?

The most common reasons are cost (Mailchimp has raised its prices multiple times), a restricted free plan, and an interface that many users find overcomplicated. Businesses looking for simpler, cheaper alternatives to Mailchimp are increasingly turning to tools like EmailOctopus.

Which Mailchimp alternative is best for small businesses in the UK?

EmailOctopus is an excellent choice for UK-based small businesses. It's affordable, GDPR-compliant, easy to use, and comes with responsive customer support. You can start for free and upgrade only when you need to.