Free-plan desk Mailchimp free plan limits
250 contacts, 500 sends a month (250 a day). Fine for testing Mailchimp or a very small list. The 500-send monthly cap means two sends a month to a full 250-contact list. If you already have more than 250 people, compare the free plans below before paying.
The limits at a glance
What's included on Free
- Email campaigns to up to 250 contacts
- Basic email templates and basic reporting
- Signup forms and contact collection (you can keep collecting and importing contacts)
What needs a paid plan
- Automation flows (Essentials allows flows up to 4 steps)
- More seats (Essentials includes 3)
- Higher send limits: Essentials sends up to 10× your contact limit, Standard 12×, Premium 15×
Subscribed, unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts all count toward the 250. Archived, cleaned and deleted contacts do not — archiving is how Mailchimp itself suggests staying on Free.
What the first paid step costs
Essentials plan, monthly billing, from the verified ladder on our Mailchimp pricing page.
| Subscribers | Plan | Monthly | Billed annually |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 500 | Essentials | $13 | Not listed |
| Up to 1.5k | Essentials | $26.50 | Not listed |
| Up to 2.5k | Essentials | $45 | Not listed |
| Up to 5k | Essentials | $75 | Not listed |
How Mailchimp Free compares
| Tool | Free contacts | Free sends | Automations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo | No published cap | ≈9,000 (300/day) | No |
| Substack | No published cap | Unlimited | No |
| Kit | 10k | Unlimited | No |
| beehiiv | 2.5k | Unlimited | No |
| EmailOctopus | 2.5k | 10k / mo | No |
| Sender | 2.5k | 15k / mo | Yes |
| Systeme.io | 2k | — | Yes |
| HubSpot | 2k | — | — |
| AWeber | 500 | 3k / mo | — |
| MailerLite | 250 | 2.5k / mo | Yes |
| Mailchimp | 250 | 500 / mo | No |
| Omnisend | 250 | 500 / mo | Yes |
| Klaviyo | 250 | 500 / mo | Yes |
| Flodesk | — | 0 / mo | No |
- Mailchimp help: About Mailchimp pricing plans — checked 2026-10-29
- Mailchimp Support announcement on r/MailChimp (Jan 13, 2026) — checked 2026-10-29
Vendors change free plans without notice. Confirm on the vendor page before you rely on a limit. See our affiliate disclosure.
Mailchimp free plan FAQ
How many contacts can I have on Mailchimp's free plan?
250 contacts, with up to 500 email sends a month and no more than 250 sends a day. Unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts count toward the 250; archived, cleaned and deleted contacts do not.
What happens if I go over 250 contacts on Mailchimp Free?
Mailchimp puts a hold on sending live and test emails until you upgrade to a paid plan or reduce your contact count. You can still collect and import contacts during the hold.
Did Mailchimp change its free plan in 2026?
Yes. Mailchimp Support announced on January 13, 2026 that existing Free accounts would move to 250 contacts, 500 monthly sends and 250 daily sends from February 17, 2026. Accounts with more than 250 contacts had sending paused unless they archived contacts or upgraded.
Does Mailchimp's free plan include automations?
No. Automation flows start on the paid Essentials plan, which allows flows of up to 4 steps.