For years, Mailchimp was the only name in the email marketing game. Today, however, its shift toward becoming an “all-in-one marketing suite” has created space for focused, budget-friendly competitors. The undisputed champion that emerged as Mailchimp’s top competitor—especially for users prioritizing simplicity and value—is MailerLite. We break down the two platforms, focusing on the features that matter most to laymen: price, ease of use, and automation.
1. The Ultimate Deciding Factor: Pricing & Contact Management
This is where the difference between the two platforms is starkest. While both charge based on the size of your audience, how they count that audience will directly impact your wallet.
Mailchimp’s Approach:
Mailchimp’s pricing model is often cited as its biggest drawback, particularly after its acquisition by Intuit.
- Charging for Inactive Contacts: Mailchimp famously charges you for all contacts in your audience, including unsubscribed contacts, bounced addresses, and non-subscribed contacts (if you have multiple audiences). If you have 5,000 active subscribers but 2,000 unsubscribed contacts, you pay the price for 7,000.
- Limited Free Plan: The Free Plan is heavily restricted (often just 500 subscribers and limited sends), and crucially, it excludes key features like email scheduling and multi-step automation.
MailerLite’s Approach
MailerLite built its reputation on transparency and affordability, making it highly appealing to the budget-conscious user.
- Only Pay for Active Users: MailerLite only charges you for active, unique subscribers. A subscriber is counted only once, regardless of how many groups or segments they belong to.
- Generous Free Plan: MailerLite offers a much more powerful Free Plan (up to 1,000 subscribers and often 12,000 monthly emails). Best of all, it includes the Visual Automation Builder—a game-changer for new bloggers.
| Subscriber Count | Mailchimp (Standard Plan) | MailerLite (Growing Business) | Savings with MailerLite (Approx.) |
| 2,500 | $60 / month | $30 / month | 50% |
| 5,000 | $100 / month | $50 / month | 50% |
| 10,000 | $135 / month | $75 / month | 45% |
| … | … | … | … |
Blogger Takeaway: If you want a platform that gets cheaper over time and has a powerful free plan to start with, MailerLite is the financial winner.
2. Ease of Use & User Interface (UX)
When you are a beginner, the software should feel like a helping hand, not a barrier. This is the second area where MailerLite shines.
Mailchimp: The Cluttered Powerhouse
Mailchimp has expanded to include websites, social media management, and robust CRM tools. While this is great for large companies, for a simple newsletter sender, it causes feature sprawl.
- Steeper Learning Curve: The dashboard is often described as confusing, with features buried behind multiple menus. It takes time to find simple functions.
- Terminology: Mailchimp uses its own branded terminology (“Audiences” instead of “Lists,” “Customer Journeys” instead of “Workflows”), which can be confusing if you’re learning email marketing basics.
MailerLite: Simple, Focused, and Intuitive
MailerLite has prioritized a clean, modern aesthetic that keeps the focus squarely on email campaigns.
- Minimalist Dashboard: The interface is clean and straightforward. You can find the email editor, forms, and automation builder within two clicks.
- Fast Editor: The drag-and-drop email editor is fast, modern, and easy to use. It focuses on essential content blocks (text, images, buttons, social links) that look professional on any device.
- Lead Generation Tools: The Landing Page Builder is particularly praised. It’s built right in, allowing even a layperson to create high-converting landing pages for lead magnets or products without needing a separate service.
3. Automation & Workflow: Set It and Forget It
Automation is how your email list makes you money while you sleep. The key is making it accessible.
Mailchimp Automation: Advanced but Restricted
Mailchimp’s automation builder (called Customer Journeys) is powerful, offering many triggers based on e-commerce actions and API activity.
- Paywall Restriction: Crucially, the multi-step visual builder is locked behind their paid plans. Free users cannot automate a simple welcome sequence.
- Complexity: The builder, while powerful, can be intimidating for a non-marketer, often requiring a lot of setup steps for simple tasks.
MailerLite Automation: The Beginner’s Dream
MailerLite democratizes automation, offering a visual workflow builder that anyone can understand.
- Free Access to Automations: This is the single biggest advantage for a new blogger. You can build complex, multi-step workflows like:
- Welcome Sequence: Triggered when a subscriber joins a form.
- Lead Magnet Delivery: Sends a PDF instantly upon sign-up.
- Re-engagement: Emails subscribers who haven’t opened an email in 60 days.
- Visual Workflow: The builder is genuinely drag-and-drop, allowing you to clearly see the path an email will take (e.g., If they click Link A, send Email B; if not, send Email C).
4. Deliverability and Support
Getting emails into the inbox is the only metric that truly matters.
- Deliverability: MailerLite generally scores very high in deliverability tests, often slightly edging out Mailchimp. This means more of your emails land in the Primary Inbox rather than the Spam or Promotions folder.
- Customer Support: MailerLite offers 24/7 live chat support on all paid plans (and often for a limited time on the free plan). Mailchimp’s live support is often reserved for higher tiers, leaving free or Essentials users to rely primarily on documentation.
Conclusion
While Mailchimp is still a large, reliable name, the consensus is clear: MailerLite is the best alternative for the vast majority of creators and small businesses.
| Choose MailerLite If… | Choose Mailchimp If… |
| Budget is your top priority. | You need advanced, integrated CRM and social tools. |
| You need multi-step automation on a free plan. | You are a large e-commerce brand needing deep purchase history segmentation. |
| You want a clean, simple interface and fast learning curve. | You have an in-house marketing team comfortable with a complex tool. |
| You want fair pricing that only counts active subscribers. | Your budget is unlimited and you want the most features possible. |
For most people reading this, MailerLite offers 95% of the features you need at 50% of the cost, with a much easier experience. It’s the top competitor for a reason.
