Quick answer
SendPulse - SendPulse wins for most builders because its free tier is much more usable for ongoing sending and automation, while Mailchimp’s free plan is tighter and mainly fits very small lists.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers solve different problems. Mailchimp is the stricter entry point: 250 contacts, 500 emails per month, one audience, and one user. It is a good fit if you want a simple starting point and expect to move into a broad, familiar marketing stack later. SendPulse is more generous for day-to-day use: 15,000 emails per month, 3 chatbots, a CRM, forms, basic automation, analytics, and 24/7 support, all with no credit card required. That makes it more usable for builders who want to actually run campaigns before paying. On the paid side, Mailchimp is simpler flat pricing, while SendPulse uses tiered pricing that stays relatively low at small subscriber counts or low email volume, but adds more complexity as you choose subscriber or email-based plans.
Mailchimp vs SendPulse free tier, side by side
| MailchimpFTV 41 | SendPulseFTV 51 | |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts / subscribers on free planSendPulse free plan is described by email and feature limits, not a contact ceiling. | 250 contacts | Not stated as a free-plan contact cap |
| Monthly sending limit on free planThis is the biggest day-to-day gap between the two free tiers. | 500 emails per month or 250 per day | 15,000 emails per month |
| Users on free planSendPulse free-plan user cap is not provided in the input. | 1 user | Not stated |
| Automation on free planSendPulse gives a real free automation allowance; Mailchimp’s free tier is a preview only. | Free preview of marketing automation flows | Up to 5 automated flows, up to 50 elements per flow, 1 event trigger |
| Support on free planBoth have support, but SendPulse’s free support is broader. | Email support for first 30 days | 24/7 live chat and email support |
After you outgrow the free tier
Mailchimp’s first paid step is a flat monthly plan at $17/mo, then $25/mo, then $500/mo, so costs mostly jump by feature tier and capacity. SendPulse starts with tiered plans that depend on subscriber or email volume, beginning at $9.60/mo billed every 6 months for up to 500 subscribers, or $48 for up to 10,000 emails. For smaller lists, SendPulse is cheaper; Mailchimp becomes easier to reason about because its paid tiers are flat. No exact usage-based overage rates were provided, so there are no reliable worked extrapolations beyond the listed tiers.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Mailchimp | SendPulse |
|---|---|---|
| 500 subscribersMailchimp pricing is not provided by subscriber count in the input, so this is only the listed first paid tier price. | ~$17/mo or more, depending on contact-based eligibility | $9.60/mo (billed every 6 months) |
| 10,000 emails/monthSendPulse provides an email-volume tier; Mailchimp does not provide a matching per-email price here. | ~$17/mo or more | $48 (up to 10,000 emails) |
| Small team needing more than free plan limitsSendPulse has multiple paid tiers at the same subscriber cap, with features determining the price. | $17/mo | $9.60/mo or $11.52/mo, depending on tier and subscriber limit |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Mailchimp when…
- You only need a very small email list and can stay under 250 contacts.
- You want a simple flat-priced upgrade path with clear monthly fees.
- You expect to need Mailchimp’s audience management, reports, and campaign tools more than multi-channel features.
- You are fine with one audience and one user on the free plan.
Pick SendPulse when…
- You need a free plan that can support ongoing sending, not just a short test run.
- You want automation, a built-in CRM, and chatbots in the same account.
- You plan to send significantly more than 500 emails per month before paying.
- You want 24/7 support on the free plan.
- You care more about practical free-tier usefulness than about the smallest possible starter list cap.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, SendPulse is the better free tier because it gives you enough email volume, automation, CRM, and support to actually run a small marketing workflow without paying immediately. Mailchimp is the better choice if you want the simplest path into a familiar email marketing tool and you know your list will stay tiny at first. If free-tier usefulness is the deciding factor, SendPulse wins. If you care more about straightforward flat pricing after you outgrow free, Mailchimp is easier to plan around.
Read the full listings: Mailchimp and SendPulse. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.