beehiiv vs Mailchimp pricing: subscribers, sends and limits
beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers and does not cap sends. Mailchimp is free under 250 contacts and caps monthly sends. Prices from 1,000 to 25,000 contacts, read September 23, 2026.
The short answer
beehiiv prices by subscriber count, and its comparison table lists email sends as unlimited. Mailchimp prices by contact count and sets a monthly send limit on each plan: at 1,500 contacts, 15,000 sends on Essentials and 18,000 on Standard.
beehiiv's free Launch plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers, without paid subscriptions, automations or A/B testing. Mailchimp's free plan covers fewer than 250 contacts.
On paid plans billed monthly, Mailchimp Essentials costs less than beehiiv Scale up to 5,000 contacts, the two are $1 apart at 10,000, and beehiiv Scale costs less at 25,000, in the tiers we read.
Mailchimp prices were read in US dollars on mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing on September 23, 2026. beehiiv prices were read on beehiiv.com/pricing on September 22 and 23, 2026. StackOnSale has not tested either product.
How each one counts
beehiiv: the price follows your subscriber count, set on a slider. beehiiv's own comparison table lists email sends as unlimited on Launch and on Scale.
Mailchimp: the price follows your contact count, in ranges such as 501 to 1,500 or 5,001 to 10,000. Each plan also has a monthly email send limit that grows with the range. Mailchimp's page says overages apply on paid plans when you exceed the contact or send limit, and that sending is paused on the free plan. It does not state the overage rate on that page.
A weekly newsletter to 1,500 contacts is about 6,500 sends a month, within both Mailchimp limits at that range. A daily newsletter to the same list is about 45,000 sends and exceeds them.
Monthly prices by list size
The table puts each beehiiv slider position next to the Mailchimp contact range that contains it. beehiiv Max and Mailchimp Premium are the upper plans; Mailchimp Premium is $350 a month up to 10,000 contacts and $620 at 20,001 to 25,000.
Price per month, billed monthly| List size | beehiiv Scale | beehiiv Max | Mailchimp Essentials | Mailchimp Standard |
|---|
| 1,000 (Mailchimp range 501 to 1,500) | $49 | $109 | $29 | $45 |
|---|
| 2,500 (Mailchimp range 1,501 to 2,500) | $69 | $149 | $49 | $60 |
|---|
| 5,000 (Mailchimp range 2,501 to 5,000) | $89 | $169 | $83 | $100 |
|---|
| 10,000 (Mailchimp range 5,001 to 10,000) | $109 | $219 | $110 | $135 |
|---|
| 25,000 (Mailchimp range 20,001 to 25,000) | $169 | $289 | $270, or $229.50 a month for 12 months | $340, or $289 a month for 12 months |
|---|
beehiiv: "billed monthly" prices from the subscriber selector on beehiiv.com/pricing, read September 22 and 23, 2026. Mailchimp: prices from the contacts menu on mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing in US dollars, read September 23, 2026. The 12-month prices are Mailchimp's offer of 15% off on 10,000+ contacts.
Annual billing and discounts
beehiiv sells annual plans: Scale at 1,000 subscribers is $517 a year, which beehiiv shows as $43 a month, and $1,785 a year at 25,000. The Mailchimp prices we read are per month; we did not see an annual price on its page.
Mailchimp's current offer is 15% off for 12 months on 10,000 or more contacts. It also gives verified nonprofits a 15% discount, which you must request before you buy a plan: Mailchimp says it cannot apply the discount retroactively.
Free plans and plan limits
The free plans differ by a factor of ten in list size: 2,500 subscribers on beehiiv Launch, fewer than 250 contacts on Mailchimp Free. beehiiv Launch excludes paid subscriptions, automations and A/B testing; those start on Scale. On Mailchimp, Essentials allows automation flows of up to 4 steps and Standard up to 200 flows.
beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscription revenue on its paid plans; Stripe charges its own 2.9% + $0.30.
Published limits, free and entry plans| Item | beehiiv | Mailchimp |
|---|
| Free plan ceiling | 2,500 subscribers (Launch) | Fewer than 250 contacts |
|---|
| Email sends | Unlimited on Launch and Scale | At 1,500 contacts: 15,000 a month on Essentials, 18,000 on Standard, 150,000 on Premium |
|---|
| Automations | Not on Launch, included on Scale | Up to 4 flow steps on Essentials, up to 200 flows on Standard |
|---|
| Team members | 1 on Launch, up to 3 on Scale | 3 seats on Essentials, 5 on Standard, unlimited on Premium |
|---|
Read on beehiiv.com/pricing and on mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing with the 501 to 1,500 contacts range selected, September 23, 2026.
What we could not verify
Mailchimp's overage rate when you exceed a contact or send limit. Mailchimp's free plan send limit, which its pricing page does not show. beehiiv prices between the slider positions we read. Whether either price holds at renewal. How each vendor counts unsubscribed or inactive contacts toward the price.
StackOnSale earns a commission if you buy beehiiv through our link. Our Mailchimp links are direct and pay us nothing.
Questions
Is beehiiv or Mailchimp cheaper?
It depends on list size. Billed monthly, Mailchimp Essentials is $29 at 1,000 contacts against $49 for beehiiv Scale. At 25,000, beehiiv Scale is $169 against $270 for Mailchimp Essentials, or $229.50 a month for its first 12 months. Read September 23, 2026.
Does beehiiv limit email sends?
beehiiv's comparison table lists email sends as unlimited on the free Launch plan and on Scale.
How many emails can I send on Mailchimp?
Each plan has a monthly send limit tied to your contact range. At 1,500 contacts it is 15,000 on Essentials, 18,000 on Standard and 150,000 on Premium.
Which one has a bigger free plan?
beehiiv Launch is free up to 2,500 subscribers, without paid subscriptions or automations. Mailchimp is free under 250 contacts.
Does Mailchimp have a nonprofit discount?
Yes, 15% for verified nonprofits. Mailchimp says to request it before you buy a plan, because it cannot apply it retroactively.
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