What we liked
Pros
- Excellent deliverability in our Gmail and Outlook tests
- Intuitive builder with strong AI content assistance
- 300+ integrations with stores and CRMs
Keep in mind
- Pricing rises with contact count — including unsubscribed contacts unless you archive them.
Score breakdown
Mailchimp pricing in 2026
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo. Free option: yes (500 contacts). As with most services in this category, the advertised rate typically assumes annual billing — check the renewal price and current promotions before committing.
Who is Mailchimp for?
Mailchimp is our pick for best overall for small businesses. Mailchimp balanced everything: top-three inbox placement, the easiest campaign builder, and reporting a small team can act on without a data analyst.
How Mailchimp compares
It holds the #1 spot in our ranking — Brevo (9.3/10) is the closest challenger. Also consider ActiveCampaign (9.1/10). See the full email marketing comparison for all 6 ranked services side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — Mailchimp scores 9.5/10 (Exceptional) in our independent testing and ranks #1 of 6 in our email marketing comparison. It stands out as the pick for best overall for small businesses.
Mailchimp pricing starts at From $13/mo. Free option: Yes (500 contacts). Check current promotions on their site, as introductory rates change frequently.
The strongest alternatives are Brevo (9.3/10) and ActiveCampaign (9.1/10). See our full email marketing comparison for all 6 ranked options.