How we price this: SoftwareSift reads every number off the vendor pricing page, dates it, and re-checks it monthly. We have no affiliate relationship with Mailchimp, Brevo, or MailerLite -- every link here is plain and earns us nothing. The figures are list prices in USD. The thing that makes email pricing hard is not the stickers: it is that these three do not even charge for the same thing.
Mailchimp bills by the number of contacts you store, MailerLite bills by the number of subscribers, and Brevo bills by the number of emails you send (your contacts are free to store). So a list that looks cheap on one tool can be the most expensive on another -- it depends entirely on which meter is running. The comparison only means something once you line the meters up.
Three tools, three different meters
Each price below is the entry rate for that plan at the list size shown. All three climb as your list grows; what changes is what they count.
| Vendor | Plan | Price / month | Meter (what you pay for) | What the price covers | Monthly send limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Essentials | $13 | contacts | 250 contacts (climbs with list) | 10x contacts |
| Mailchimp | Standard | $20 | contacts | 250 contacts (climbs with list) | 12x contacts |
| Mailchimp | Premium | $350 | contacts | top tier; unlimited contacts | 15x contacts |
| Brevo | Starter | $8 | emails sent | 5,000 emails/month; contacts free | 5,000 emails |
| Brevo | Business | $16 | emails sent | adds automation; scales by send tier | by send tier |
| MailerLite | Growing Business | $9 | subscribers | up to 500 subscribers (climbs with list) | unlimited |
| MailerLite | Advanced | $18 | subscribers | up to 500 subscribers (climbs with list) | unlimited |
Prices verified June 11, 2026 from the Mailchimp, Brevo, and MailerLite pricing pages, in USD. Mailchimp bills monthly with no annual-prepay discount below 10,000 contacts (Essentials $13 / Standard $20 / Premium $350 shown at its 250-contact starting point; all climb as contacts grow). Brevo Starter is $8/month billed yearly ($9 month-to-month) for 5,000 emails/month with unlimited stored contacts. MailerLite Growing Business is $9/month billed yearly ($10 month-to-month) starting at 500 subscribers. Each vendor scales its price on its own meter.
What the headline hides
- The meter decides the bill, not the sticker. Mailchimp's $13 buys 250 contacts and caps your monthly sends at 10-12x your contact count, so a small list you email daily can hit the send ceiling. Brevo flips it: store unlimited contacts free and pay only for emails sent (5,000/month at the $8 floor), which rewards a big list you email occasionally and punishes a small list you email every day. MailerLite charges purely by subscriber count with unlimited sends -- the easiest of the three to predict.
- Annual prepay is a modest discount here. MailerLite saves 10% for paying yearly; Brevo's yearly rate is about 11% under monthly ($8 vs $9); Mailchimp advertises 15% off, but only once you are at 10,000+ contacts. Below that, Mailchimp is month-to-month at full rate.
- Free tiers cap hard. Mailchimp is free under 250 contacts; Brevo's free plan allows 300 emails per day; MailerLite offers a free plan for small lists. All three are built to push an active list onto a paid tier quickly.
- Overages and add-ons sit outside the sticker. Mailchimp charges overage fees if you exceed your contact or send limit; Brevo prices transactional email and SMS separately from the campaign plans; sites, automations, and commerce features are add-ons on several tiers. The plan price is the floor, not the ceiling.
Which fits a small business?
For a small list you email often, MailerLite (by subscribers, unlimited sends) and Brevo (free contact storage, pay per send) are the predictable, low-cost picks -- MailerLite Growing Business from $9/month, Brevo Starter from $8/month. Mailchimp Essentials starts at $13/month for 250 contacts but climbs fastest as your list grows and ties your send volume to a multiple of your contact count, so it rewards small or rarely-emailed lists more than large active ones. Decide your meter first -- count your subscribers, your monthly sends, or accept contact-based pricing with send caps -- and the cheapest option for your actual usage is obvious.
Go deeper
- Best email marketing software for small business
- Mailchimp vs Kit (ConvertKit), head to head
- Email marketing for nonprofits: the free and low-cost tools
Check current pricing at the source: Mailchimp, Brevo, MailerLite. We link straight to the vendor and earn nothing on the click.
SoftwareSift Team. We earn affiliate commissions on some tools we cover, disclosed on every link; this never changes the prices or the math we report.