The guides
One question per guide, priced at the source
Each guide takes a single question people ask on the way out of Mailchimp — is the free plan really free, what does this rival cost at my list size, who wins the head-to-head — and answers it with figures read on the vendors’ own pages, dated, with the billing term and the counting unit spelled out.
Every guide, newest first
Free Mailchimp Alternatives (2026), by Published Ceiling
Five platforms whose free plans are stated in one number each — ranked by how much list and sending that number actually buys.
MailerLite vs Mailchimp (2026): The Switcher's Comparison
The most common Mailchimp exit, priced at three list sizes with both billing terms — and the two places Mailchimp still wins.
HubSpot vs Mailchimp (2026): Two Different Bills Entirely
Mailchimp bills contacts; HubSpot bills seats plus marketing contacts, with four-figure onboarding fees upstream. Read this before comparing "prices".
Constant Contact vs Mailchimp (2026): The Legacy Matchup
The two oldest names in small-business email, compared on send caps, overage fees and the billing terms their pages actually display.
GetResponse vs Mailchimp (2026): Unlimited Sends vs Bands
One platform caps your sends at 12× your contacts, the other doesn't cap them at all — priced at 1,000, 5,000 and 25,000 contacts.
EmailOctopus Review (2026): Deliberately Plain, Honestly Cheap
The cheapest contact-counted bill in our table, a genuinely big free plan, and a feature list that stays small on purpose.
Brevo vs Mailchimp (2026): Paying for Emails, Not Contacts
Brevo bills the emails you send; Mailchimp bills the contacts you store. Which model wins depends on one ratio you already know.
Moosend Review (2026): Unlimited Sends on a Small Bill
The full Pro ladder priced on monthly, biannual and annual billing, the Mailchimp arithmetic, and what "no free plan" really costs you.
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp (2026): Paying Up to Move Up
The exit for people who outgrew Mailchimp's automation, not its price — with the billing-term trap both pages set, defused.
Mailchimp's Free Plan: Its Own Page Gives Two Limits
Is Mailchimp free? Yes — up to a cap its own pricing page states two different ways. Here's the discrepancy, and the free plans rivals publish clearly.