Mailchimp vs. MailerLite

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Mailchimp
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
Mailchimp is the email marketing and marketing automation platform. Most email marketing platforms tell you how your campaigns perform, but Mailchimp goes a step beyond and tells you why by analyzing the data from half a billion emails sent through the platform every day to offer personalized recommendations for improving content, targeting, automations, and driving revenue using emails
$0
per month
MailerLite
Score 7.3 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
MailerLite is an email marketing platform. Users can create professional newsletters, landing pages and websites using a drag & drop builders or by customizing pre-designed templates. And manage campaigns on-the-go in the iOS app. MailerLite helps to connect with an audience using advanced targeting, automations and surveys. It integrates with Zapier, Stripe, WordPress, Shopify and other tools and platforms. MailerLite offers a Forever Free account including 24/7 support and…
$10
per month
Pricing
MailchimpMailerLite
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Forever free plan
$0
1,000 subscribers
Growing
$10
per month 3 users
Advanced
$21
per month Unlimited users
Enterprise
Custom pricing
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
MailchimpMailerLite
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup fee$10 2500 subscribers
Additional DetailsAdditional 30% discount available to Non-profit organizations.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
MailchimpMailerLite
Considered Both Products
Mailchimp
Chose Mailchimp
MailerLite is great in the fact that you can easily segment users based on behavior. This allows you to send email campaigns based on how they interacted with your site, whether they made a purchase, opted in through a freebie, or anything else. This is great as it allows you …
Chose Mailchimp
Mailchimp does emails very well and is a great solution for clients just starting out. If we want to manage multiple clients who are in that category it makes sense to use mailchimp for us. We have gone with other platforms like MailerLite to save some money for the client or Ge…
Chose Mailchimp
Mailchimp was usually already in place and needed to be set up for growth. In general, I found that the lack of phone support at the lower tiers and the rigidness for opt-in rules made working with it long term not that easy.
Chose Mailchimp
More people use MailChimp and also it is easy to integrate with social media more easily than other competitors.
MailerLite
Chose MailerLite
It stacks up pretty well, maybe not as much integration with other software as MailChimp, but that is not really important to our company. I do like the fact that you can import as many subscribers as you want and you can't do that on MailChimp.
Chose MailerLite
  • Despite Mailerlite limited landing page design capabilities, it's still better than MailChimp's landing pages in terms of design options.
  • Instead of sending my campaign to a list I can save it as a draft and export it to .PDF which can then be used as a brochure of sorts.
  • Mailerli…
Chose MailerLite
MailerLIte is streamlined and overall nicer to use than Mailchimp. This may have changed since I used it last, but emails sent by MailerLite seemed to not get as many opens as those sent by Mailchimp. For that reason, I switched back to Mailchimp. I would be willing to give …
Chose MailerLite
It's simple and easy to use with great support, plus many features are available on the free plan which Mailchimp no longer has. Also, find it easier to learn and use with MailerLite having their University and Community to help along the day. I am a visual person and …
Chose MailerLite
Aside from ConvertKit which I feel is very much a different type of tool, Mailerlite kills the competition on price, design, functionality and features. I have used several email marketing tools trying to find out which one would work best for me and my business, as well as …
Chose MailerLite
To be fair, I had a great experience with Myemma. But it's $70 a month for the most basic plan. Mailerlite has everything I need in a forever-free plan. I used Myemma for a for-profit business 4 years ago. Deliverability was excellent but not any better than Mailerlite. I …
Chose MailerLite
MailerLite is our choice because: Mailchimp: MailerLite has more features in the basic package. Mailchimp wants an upgrade with most features. AWeber: Doesn't have the scaling price so we don't pay for what we do not use. It is a bit clunky as well compared to the MailerLite …
Chose MailerLite
Mailchimp was just confusing. Nothing makes sense, it was hard to find things and customer service was nonexistent. The aggressive spam reporting was also a turnoff (one person reports you as spam and MC freaks and threatens to shut down your account). Ridiculous.
Chose MailerLite
MailerLite doesn't portray political slanted marketing (yes, that's important to me and I fired Mailchimp because they didn't even answer me when I asked them about particular images they had on their front page). MailerLite was highly recommended to me by other users. …
Chose MailerLite
Automation is the key feature that sold me. I had it for free and a generous 12k sends monthly for 1000 or less subscribers. I will surely upgrade soon once I exhaust the list. Currently at 600+ as of writing.

For everything else, their customization is on par with Mailchimp and …
Chose MailerLite
A bit pricey, but no issues with customer service or account termination while testing.
Chose MailerLite
MailerLite has similar features to the tools mentioned above. The main advantage is that it is very complete in its free version. This is ideal for those who are starting out and want to try a complete email marketing platform.
Chose MailerLite
I much prefer MailerLite, it's more user friendly and generally makes my life easier.
Chose MailerLite
Mailerlite is easier to work with, the wysiwyg editor is better, and I find the interface more intuitive.
Chose MailerLite
Definitely better value for money, and their support is second to none!
Chose MailerLite
I left a well-known email marketing service provider to come to MailerLite because it simply offered so much more whether on the free or paid plan. It provided great support when you were stuck and about to pull your hair out, fantastic video training and twice the amount of …
Chose MailerLite
Much cheaper, easier to use, and much more user-friendly. I strongly recommend Mailerlite - it's much more efficient and easier to manage, in particular, if you have an issue, the customer service is right there to help you.
Chose MailerLite
We selected Mailerlite because it was the only one that provided advanced features for free for a list of up to 1000 subscribers.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
MailchimpMailerLite
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Mailchimp
8.0
424 Ratings
7% above category average
MailerLite
7.1
33 Ratings
12% below category average
WYSIWYG email editor8.2394 Ratings7.430 Ratings
Dynamic content7.8378 Ratings7.330 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content8.1364 Ratings5.926 Ratings
Landing pages7.7291 Ratings5.929 Ratings
A/B testing8.2325 Ratings7.523 Ratings
Mobile optimization8.2389 Ratings7.427 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting8.6629 Ratings7.740 Ratings
List management8.0414 Ratings7.531 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences7.8290 Ratings7.124 Ratings
Lead Management
Comparison of Lead Management features of Product A and Product B
Mailchimp
9.1
2 Ratings
20% above category average
MailerLite
-
Ratings
Lead nurturing6.22 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead scoring and grading10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Data quality management10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Automated sales alerts and tasks10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Campaign Management
Comparison of Campaign Management features of Product A and Product B
Mailchimp
10.0
2 Ratings
31% above category average
MailerLite
-
Ratings
Calendaring10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Event/webinar marketing10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Social Media Marketing
Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Mailchimp
10.0
2 Ratings
32% above category average
MailerLite
-
Ratings
Social sharing and campaigns10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Social profile integration10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Mailchimp
7.9
409 Ratings
8% above category average
MailerLite
6.1
32 Ratings
22% below category average
Dashboards8.365 Ratings6.01 Ratings
Standard reports8.1409 Ratings6.432 Ratings
Custom reports7.240 Ratings6.01 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
Mailchimp
8.1
3 Ratings
12% above category average
MailerLite
-
Ratings
API8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Role-based workflow & approvals10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Customizability5.62 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Salesforce.com8.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM8.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with SugarCRM8.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Third-party software integrations9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-Send Testing
Comparison of Pre-Send Testing features of Product A and Product B
Mailchimp
-
Ratings
MailerLite
5.5
23 Ratings
39% below category average
Email Previews00 Ratings5.523 Ratings
Best Alternatives
MailchimpMailerLite
Small Businesses
SALESmanago
SALESmanago
Score 9.8 out of 10
Mad Mimi
Mad Mimi
Score 10.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
SALESmanago
SALESmanago
Score 9.8 out of 10
Emma
Emma
Score 8.9 out of 10
Enterprises
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.5 out of 10
Emma
Emma
Score 8.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
MailchimpMailerLite
Likelihood to Recommend
8.1
(447 ratings)
4.2
(34 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.1
(49 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Usability
8.4
(337 ratings)
8.6
(2 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(16 ratings)
9.4
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.8
(40 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.3
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
MailchimpMailerLite
Likelihood to Recommend
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is well suited to companies / individuals who want to capture emails via form on their website or a link in an email. Mailchimp is relatively easy to set up and manage. They also have decent reporting tools and segregation tools. The email visual builder is fairly decent as well. Overall, it's a great 'first' lead capture tool while you're still figuring out what you really need.
Read full review
Mailerlite
The tool is really very complete. I have created regular campaigns, Workflows, and A/B tests in my campaigns and I have not had any limitations. I have tried other platforms that are not as complete in the free version like MailerLite. This makes me want to upgrade to the premium version and I'm sure you will get the same benefits.
Read full review
Pros
Mailchimp
  • Super easy integration to Pipedrive via Zapier, and I'm guessing it integrates seamlessly with hundreds of other CRMs.
  • Intuitive UI when designing the email templates, you don't have to be a designer to use the templates that Mailchimp provides (although using a graphic designer to create newsletters etc. is always a good idea IMO...)
  • Simple functionality when it comes to creating an email marketing funnel - no redundant complications that make your life harder when building the funnel
Read full review
Mailerlite
  • Offers a user-friendly interface, making it simple to create beautiful forms, group subscribers, and automate emails.
  • Includes email automation workflows in their free plan - the only provider I know of that doesn't charge you after one month or hit you with "transaction fees".
  • Excellent video tutorial library so you can learn email marketing as a beginner without feeling overwhelmed.
Read full review
Cons
Mailchimp
  • Not a fan of some of the font choices, it would be nice to have more.
  • How campaigns are organized I would like to see this organized differently so older campaigns are easier to find if you need to refer back to an old one.
  • It would be nice if the reporting gave a little more info on if your email performance with not just open rates but clicks, etc.
Read full review
Mailerlite
  • I would add more types of inbox previews so people can see their campaigns across more channels
  • Mailerlite could definitely use a few more default fields, and more field types. This is an area where we get stuck writing more custom fields than we like. I want to see a variety of fields, from text box, to radio buttons, drop downs and more date options.
  • Custom fields should be able to be organized according to the list type. Custom fields that are added show up on ALL subscriber profiles, so if you were building a list that had a field for the type of pet someone had because you run a Dog Walking Business, but also had a list that only served Sponsors, that dog walking option would show up on all your subscriber types. If there's a way to change this and I missed it, my bad, but I haven't yet found that to be the case.
  • I'd really like to see Mailerlite have the option of adding a subscriber midway through the process, and a RESEND option, whether that is to non-openers or people who are new to a list. While you can set up drip campaigns or triggers to send certain emails when people change their status, it seems a bit too time consuming.
  • I'd love to see a date specific reminder email template for meetings. That would be awesome and speed things up quite a bit.
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Likelihood to Renew
Mailchimp
We've had Mailchimp for about ten years, I want to say. I started with the company about four years ago, and I don't see us ever diverting to another source. It's easy for us to use, and we have all our clients already built into the database. I imagine we'll use them for as long as we have the company.
Read full review
Mailerlite
Mailerlite is awesome and it does everything I need and then some. They're always innovating and adding new features, and their team is flippin' amazing. Can't see myself ever switching. They may not have everything, but looking at how well their team works, they'll get there for sure and I'm willing to wait.
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Usability
Mailchimp
The user experience, the design, and the simple-to-follow instructions make MailChimp one of the easiest email solutions. The drag-and-drop builder makes it quick to set up, and if you do know some code, there are options to do a bit more customizations.
Read full review
Mailerlite
Overall it's super simple to get started and use the service. For those who need a bit more help, the support team is accessible.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Mailchimp
I have, in the 4+ years that I've used Mailchimp, never seen an issue that restricted the use of their software/tools. I don't know of a single time when they're system crashed or went down. I could be wrong, but I honestly haven't experienced any issues with outages, errors or unplanned downtime
Read full review
Mailerlite
No answers on this topic
Performance
Mailchimp
I haven't noticed any slow speeds from Mailchimp or their tools. I think the landing pages load quickly and look nice. The email reports and editing operates smoothly and doesn't take time to load. Additionally, when I use Mailchimp in conjunction with Zapier + Hubspot I don't notice any drag between any of these tools
Read full review
Mailerlite
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Mailchimp
Website tools were easy to use and understand so a novice can easily meet or exceed their client's expectations! Loved that we were able to totally customize so that the e-mail we created conveyed our client's overall messaging consistent with their branding! Client love that we can provide turnkey services to support their sales and marketing teams!
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Mailerlite
Timely responses, quality answers to my questions, showing that the support are knowledgeable and cares about my results. I've had other experiences with competitors, so I'm delighted that this team cares about my business. It's good to know there are real experts ready to jump in when you need help
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Implementation Rating
Mailchimp
It's pretty easy to get up and running! There's a slight learning curve on a few things, but once you find where everything is located, you can import your list and send your first email. It really makes our clients feel great to see how quickly they can get that first email out.
Read full review
Mailerlite
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is pretty comparable to other email marketing software I have used, but I had a better experience designing templates and emails using Campaign Monitor compared to Mailchimp. Mailchimp always seemed to have small little glitches with the design, and my emails never looked exactly like they did when I designed them.
Read full review
Mailerlite
Automation is the key feature that sold me. I had it for free and a generous 12k sends monthly for 1000 or less subscribers. I will surely upgrade soon once I exhaust the list. Currently at 600+ as of writing. For everything else, their customization is on par with Mailchimp and ConvertKit. Active and Hubspot have better analytics and reporting but their free tiers are very limited and pricey for startups like my business which does not have much ROI yet.
Read full review
Scalability
Mailchimp
Mailchimp over the years I've used it has grown in leaps and bounds. They have added so many additional features than were previously available. They are truly an all-in-one marketing platform now. If you're a small operation and just want to add email to your marketing efforts, they're there for you. If you're a larger operation and want to start sending postcard advertisements, they can do that. If you'd good with that and want to kick up your marketing by going social, you can do that on their platform. They are truly able to be as small as you need, but also get quite large in whatever it is you'd like to do through their system.
Read full review
Mailerlite
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Mailchimp
  • Mailchimp has helped us promote events and fundraisers, providing signups and donations from more than 60% of attendees at an event or online fundraiser.
  • Mailchimp has given us the ability to more easily stay in contact with our volunteers and specific groups of people by messaging using segmentation.
  • Mailchimp is a great tool for testing the effectiveness of emails using A/B testing.
Read full review
Mailerlite
  • Gives us the ability to track the popularity of content in our email as well as who has read the content.
  • The customizable layout gives us the opportunity to be creative and have our culture shine through our company communication.
  • The ability to see who has un-subscribed helps our HR department to see who isn't receiving important company information so we can ask them to re-subscribe.
  • Helps our company to be more transparent and communicate more effectively.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Mailchimp Screenshots

Screenshot of Offers recommendations on new ways to engage with an audience based on proven automation strategies specific to the business with pre-built journeys.Screenshot of Its Creative Assistant gets to know the user's brand and then creates designs for it, helping to drive attention and traffic.Screenshot of Mailchimp helps win customers by recommending ways to get more opens, clicks, and sales.

MailerLite Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of