Listmonk vs Mailchimp: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Listmonk and Mailchimp side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Listmonk
Self-hosted, open-source platform for managing newsletters, mailing lists, and transactional messages.
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (Mailchimp requires payment)
Mailchimp
Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing
Best for you if:
- • You want intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users
| At a Glance | Listmonk | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free 100% free | Free plan, paid from $13/mo, billed monthly Essentials plan |
Category | Email Marketing Newsletter Tools | Marketing Automation Email Marketing |
Rating | n/a | 3.9/5 Capterra 4.5 · G2 4.3 · Trustpilot 2.6 31,997 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | n/a | ALL contacts count: subscribed, unsubscribed, non-subscribed, and 'cleaned' contacts all count toward your plan limit. You pay for contacts who unsubscribed last year unless you manually archive them. This inflates costs by 20-40% for most lists |
Choose Listmonk or Mailchimp?
Choose Listmonk if
- You want a fully free tool (Mailchimp requires payment)
- You want completely free and open-source, offering full control and transparency
- You want high performance and efficiency with a low resource footprint, even for large campaigns
- You work in email marketing, not marketing automation
Choose Mailchimp if
- You want intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users
- You want comprehensive free plan to get started with basic email marketing
- You work in marketing automation, not email marketing
In-Depth Analysis
Listmonk
Self-hosted, open-source platform for managing newsletters, mailing lists, and transactional messages.
Listmonk offers an incredibly generous pricing model, as it is entirely free and open-source.
Strengths
- Pro: Completely free and open-source, offering full control and transparency.
- Pro: High performance and efficiency with a low resource footprint, even for large campaigns.
- Pro: Versatile templating options and support for various message types beyond email.
- Pro: Strong privacy features and robust authentication/authorization controls.
Weaknesses
- Con: Requires technical expertise for self-hosting and setup.
- Con: No mention of direct customer support, relying on community for help.
- Con: Manual setup of SMTP servers needed for email sending.
Key features
Mailchimp
Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing
Mailchimp was once the default email marketing tool for small businesses, and its free tier was legendary.
Watch out
ALL contacts count: subscribed, unsubscribed, non-subscribed, and 'cleaned' contacts all count toward your plan limit. You pay for contacts who unsubscribed last year unless you manually archive them. This inflates costs by 20-40% for most lists
Strengths
- Pro: Intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users
- Pro: Comprehensive free plan to get started with basic email marketing
- Pro: Powerful automation workflows rivaling dedicated automation platforms
- Pro: Extensive template library with mobile-responsive designs
- Pro: Strong deliverability rates backed by Intuit infrastructure
Weaknesses
- Con: Free plan capped at just 250 contacts and 500 sends per month
- Con: Pricing scales steeply as contact lists grow beyond initial tiers
- Con: Advanced segmentation and multivariate testing require higher tiers
- Con: Phone support only available on the highest tier
- Con: Removing Mailchimp branding requires a paid plan
Key features
Plans and prices: Listmonk vs Mailchimp
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Listmonk |
| listmonk.app read Sep 28, 2026 |
| Mailchimp |
| mailchimp.com/pricing read Oct 26, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Listmonk pricing and Mailchimp pricing.
Key Takeaways
Listmonk
- Choose if you want self-hosted, open-source platform for managing newsletters, mailing lists, and transactional messages
Mailchimp
- Choose if you want grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- Only Mailchimp has a published user rating (3.9/5 from 31,997 reviews); Listmonk has none we can show.
- Mailchimp starts at $13/mo, billed monthly; Listmonk has no public paid plan price on file.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Listmonk and Mailchimp compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only Mailchimp has a published user rating (3.9/5 from 31,997 reviews); Listmonk has none we can show. Mailchimp starts at $13/mo, billed monthly; Listmonk has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are Listmonk and Mailchimp used for?
Listmonk: Self-hosted, open-source platform for managing newsletters, mailing lists, and transactional messages. Mailchimp: Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing.
What does Listmonk cost vs Mailchimp?
Listmonk is free. Mailchimp's cheapest paid plan is Essentials at $13/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 26, 2026.
What's the main difference between Listmonk and Mailchimp?
Listmonk's main strength: completely free and open-source, offering full control and transparency. Mailchimp's main strength: intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users.