Comparison · InboxRatio Editorial
MailerLite vs Mailchimp
This comparison is built from three datasets we maintain for every catalog service: documented pricing captured from the vendors' own configurators, the documented-feature matrix compiled from vendor documentation, and user ratings from G2, Capterra and Trustpilot — each value dated at its capture. Neither service has a measured deliverability score yet; we compare only what the data supports.
Editorial verdict — who fits whom
A price-first pick against an ecosystem-first pick. MailerLite's Comfort tier at 1,000 subscribers is $19/mo and already passes our functional filter — automation, API and branding removal included — while Mailchimp enters at $27/mo (Essentials) and needs Standard at $45/mo to pass the same filter (checked 2026-08-19). At 50,000 contacts the gap holds: $319 versus $450 functional (checked 2026-08-21). MailerLite also carries the higher weighted rating — 4.4/5 across 6,668 reviews against Mailchimp's 4.32/5, though Mailchimp's base is far larger at 32,152 reviews (checked 2026-08-21).
Mailchimp documents more overall — 39 of 60 tracked capabilities versus 31, including CRM, SMS and reputation monitoring that MailerLite's pages don't mention (checked 2026-08-21). MailerLite fits budget-driven senders who want the full functional toolkit on the cheapest tier; Mailchimp fits teams that want the broader documented platform. Neither has a measured InboxRatio deliverability score yet.
Measured deliverability
Inbox placement, measured on our seed list
MailerLite · tested September 2026
85/100Good deliverability
- Inbox89.4%
- Spam0.9%
- Gmail97/100
- Outlook94/100
- Yahoo66/100
Mailchimp · tested August 2026
85/100Good deliverability
- Inbox87.8%
- Spam3.6%
- Gmail88/100
- Outlook82/100
- Yahoo91/100
Same campaign archetype, same seed composition, same measurement window for every service — how we test.
From our pricing dataset
Pricing side by side
Cheapest paid tier covering each volume, and the functional tier — the cheapest tier with automation, API access and vendor-branding removal all included — captured from the vendors' own pricing configurators on monthly billing.
| Volume | MailerLite | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 contactscheapest paid tier | $19/mo | $27/mo |
| 1,000 contactsfunctional tier | $19/mo(Comfort) | $45/mo(Standard) |
| 50,000 contactscheapest paid tier | $319/mo | $385/mo |
| 50,000 contactsfunctional tier | $319/mo(Comfort) | $450/mo(Standard) |
Pricing checked 21 August 2026 · monthly billing, prices as shown by the vendor. Where a vendor has no exact step at a volume, the nearest covering step was captured (noted in the dataset).
Full pricing by volume:MailerLite pricing →Mailchimp pricing →
From our feature dataset
Features side by side
What each vendor documents, category by category: ✓ documented, ◐ partial or tier-gated, × documented as not offered, — not documented by the vendor. All marks reflect vendor documentation, not our testing.
| Category | MailerLite | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| 5✓1◐ | 4✓2◐ | |
| Automation | 6✓ | 4✓2◐ |
| AI | 4✓1◐1— | 4✓1◐1— |
| Personalization | 4✓ | 4✓ |
| Analytics | 3✓1◐ | 3✓1— |
| Developer features | 2✓3◐ | 4✓1◐ |
| Marketing platform | 3✓1×3— | 6✓1— |
| E-commerce | 2✓3◐ | 2✓3◐ |
| Deliverability | 8✓5◐4— | 9✓5◐3— |
Where they differ most
20 of the tracked capabilities are documented differently; the sharpest contrasts — computed from the dataset, never hand-picked:
| Capability | MailerLite | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| AI segmentationAI | Not documented | Documented |
| CRMMarketing platform | Documented as not offered | Documented |
| SMSMarketing platform | Not documented | Documented |
| Other channelsMarketing platform | Not documented | Documented |
| Feedback loop handlingDeliverability | Not documented | Documented |
| Reputation monitoringDeliverability | Not documented | Documented |
| Transactional emailEmail | Documented | Partial / tier-gated |
| Workflow builderAutomation | Documented | Partial / tier-gated |
| Conditional logicAutomation | Documented | Partial / tier-gated |
| AI campaign recommendationsAI | Partial / tier-gated | Not documented |
Features checked 10 September 2026 · from vendor documentation and official feature pages.
Independent review platforms — shown as context; never part of our measured Deliverability Score
What users say
MailerLite
4.4/5
6,668 reviews, weightedLarge review base
- Trustpilot4.1/5 · 3,233 reviews
- G24.6/5 · 1,113 reviews
- Capterra4.7/5 · 2,322 reviews
Checked 21 August 2026
Mailchimp
3.5/5
32,152 reviews, weightedLarge review base
- Trustpilot2.6/5 · 1,494 reviews
- G24.3/5 · 12,985 reviews
- Capterra4.5/5 · 17,673 reviews
Checked 21 August 2026
Aggregator scores diverge across platforms by design — read each platform's number with its review count; the weighted average is never shown without them.
Generated from our datasets — every value verified and dated
Frequently asked questions
Is MailerLite or Mailchimp cheaper at 50,000 contacts?
At 50,000 contacts, the cheapest paid MailerLite tier covering that volume is $319/mo and the cheapest paid Mailchimp tier is $385/mo — vendor-page prices on monthly billing, last checked 21 August 2026. Which works out cheaper for you also depends on which tier carries the features you need; the side-by-side tables above show both services' entry and functional tiers at each volume.
Do users rate MailerLite or Mailchimp higher?
MailerLite averages 4.4/5 across 6,668 reviews and Mailchimp averages 3.5/5 across 32,152 reviews on G2, Capterra and Trustpilot (Trustpilot counts for half of each average, checked 21 August 2026). Review-base sizes differ, so read the averages together with the counts. User ratings are context only — never part of our measured Deliverability Score.
What are the main feature differences between MailerLite and Mailchimp?
Of the 60 capabilities we track per vendor, MailerLite and Mailchimp document 20 of them differently. The comparison table above lists the headline contrasts — cells where one vendor documents a capability the other documents as absent or does not document at all. All marks reflect vendor documentation, not our testing.
Has InboxRatio tested MailerLite and Mailchimp's deliverability?
MailerLite has a published seed-list placement test dated 4 September 2026. Mailchimp has a published seed-list placement test dated 31 August 2026. The table above shows both services' measured inbox placement and Deliverability Scores. How we test.
Keep reading
Profiles and rankings
- MailerLite profileFull catalog entry: pricing, features, ratings, sources.
- Mailchimp profileFull catalog entry: pricing, features, ratings, sources.
- Email deliverability rankingMeasured scores across the catalog as test cycles complete.
- Mailchimp vs BrevoSame data-driven comparison for a related pair.
- Mailchimp vs Constant ContactSame data-driven comparison for a related pair.
- Brevo vs MailerLiteSame data-driven comparison for a related pair.