Mailchimp Review 2025 — Still Worth It After the Price Hike?
Mailchimp remains the most complete email marketing platform for small businesses, but recent price increases have many users reconsidering. Here's our honest verdict.
What works well
- Best-in-class drag-and-drop email builder
- Comprehensive automation journeys
- Strong analytics and A/B testing
- Large template library
Where it falls short
- Pricing has become expensive at scale
- Free plan limited to 500 contacts
- Customer support is slow on lower tiers
Who is Mailchimp for?
Mailchimp is the right choice for small businesses that want a complete email marketing platform with a polished interface. Its feature set covers everything from basic broadcasts to multi-step automation journeys, making it a good long-term home as your list grows.
The email builder
Mailchimp's drag-and-drop email builder is the benchmark against which all others are measured. Adding content blocks, swapping layouts, and previewing across devices is seamless. The template library (100+ designs) gives you a strong starting point without requiring design skills.
Automation
Mailchimp's Customer Journey Builder lets you create multi-step automation workflows visually. Welcome sequences, abandoned cart recovery, and re-engagement campaigns are all straightforward to set up. The branching logic is powerful enough for most small business use cases.
Pricing reality check
Mailchimp's 2023 price increases changed the calculus for many users. The Essentials plan starts at $13/mo for 500 contacts but scales steeply — 10,000 contacts costs $110/mo. At that scale, Kit or Brevo often offer better value.
Verdict
Mailchimp earns its market-leading position through a combination of polish, reliability, and features. If you're under 5,000 contacts, it's an excellent choice. Beyond that, compare it carefully against cheaper alternatives before committing.
Sarah has spent 8 years evaluating SaaS tools for small businesses. She previously ran operations at a 40-person agency and knows firsthand what actually works at scale.
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