Mailchimp alternatives: beehiiv, Kit and Systeme.io, priced
beehiiv, Kit and Systeme.io against Mailchimp, from each vendor's pricing page: free plan ceilings and monthly prices from 1,000 to 25,000 contacts. Read October 5, 2026.
About this guide
Published by StackOnSale. Publisher: Emmanuel Grenier. Guide updated: 2026-10-05.
Research based on official vendor pages, not a hands-on review.
StackOnSale may earn a commission through disclosed affiliate links on the site. This does not decide which tool fits your needs.
The offers we list
US dollars, before tax. Your cost depends on list size, sends and what you sell.
Sources reviewed 2026-10-05. These are dated plan details, not a live checkout quote. Confirm current pricing and eligibility on the official pages.
Some vendor links on offer pages are disclosed affiliate links; this is not a paid ranking.
| Plan | Recorded price | Billing and limits | Before choosing |
|---|---|---|---|
| beehiiv Lite | $588/year | 1,000 subscribers, $49 a month billed yearly; $59 billed monthly | Paid subscriptions and automations start on Lite. The Free plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers. |
| Systeme.io Startup | $170/year | Billed annually; $17 billed monthly | 5,000 contacts and 10 sales funnels in the comparison table. |
The short answer
We priced three Mailchimp alternatives: beehiiv, Kit and Systeme.io. Mailchimp's free plan covers fewer than 250 contacts. The alternatives' free plans go further: 2,000 contacts on Systeme.io, 2,500 subscribers on beehiiv and 10,000 subscribers on Kit, each with features held back for paid plans.
On paid plans billed monthly, Mailchimp Essentials costs the least of the three newsletter tools up to 10,000 contacts. At 25,000, beehiiv Lite and Kit Creator are both $199 a month, against $270 for Mailchimp Essentials. Systeme.io, which bundles email with sales funnels and courses, costs less than all of them at every size we priced, because its plans follow contact caps: $17 a month up to 5,000 contacts and $97 for unlimited contacts.
All four pricing pages were read on October 5, 2026, in US dollars. StackOnSale has not tested these products.
Free plan ceilings
Each free plan stops at a different list size and holds back different features.
| Tool | Free up to | Held back for paid plans |
|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Fewer than 250 contacts | Sending is paused if you exceed the contact or send limit |
| Systeme.io | 2,000 contacts | More than 1 course, 3 sales funnels or 500 students |
| beehiiv | 2,500 subscribers | Paid subscriptions, automations and A/B testing |
| Kit | 10,000 subscribers | Visual automation builder and automated sequences |
From each vendor's pricing page, read October 5, 2026. Systeme.io's course and student limits were read September 23, 2026.
Monthly prices by list size
The table uses each vendor's monthly price for its entry paid plan: Mailchimp Essentials, beehiiv Lite, Kit Creator, and the Systeme.io plan whose contact cap covers the list.
| List size | Mailchimp Essentials | beehiiv Lite | Kit Creator | Systeme.io |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $29 | $59 | $39 | $0, Free up to 2,000 contacts |
| 2,500 | $49 | $79 | $59, Kit tier up to 3,000 | $17, Startup up to 5,000 contacts |
| 5,000 | $83 | $109 | $89 | $17, Startup |
| 10,000 | $110 | $139 | $139 | $47, Webinar up to 10,000 contacts |
| 25,000 | $270 | $199 | $199 | $97, Unlimited |
Mailchimp: contact ranges 501 to 1,500, 1,501 to 2,500, 2,501 to 5,000, 5,001 to 10,000 and 20,001 to 25,000, in US dollars. beehiiv and Kit: subscriber sliders. Systeme.io: plan contact caps. All read October 5, 2026.
What changes the bill besides list size
Mailchimp caps monthly email sends on each plan: at 1,500 contacts, 15,000 on Essentials and 18,000 on Standard. beehiiv lists unlimited email sends on every plan, and Systeme.io lists unlimited email sends on every plan.
Fees on paid subscriptions and sales also differ. beehiiv takes 0% and lists Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30. Kit charges 3.5% + 30c per sale, card processing included. Systeme.io lists 0% transaction fees.
What we could not verify
Mailchimp's overage rate and its free plan send limit. beehiiv and Kit prices between the tiers we read, and Kit's price at exactly 2,500 subscribers: its slider shows a tier up to 3,000. Whether any annual price holds at renewal.
StackOnSale earns a commission if you buy beehiiv or Systeme.io through our links. Our Kit and Mailchimp links pay us nothing.
Questions
What is the cheapest Mailchimp alternative?
Systeme.io, at every list size we priced: $0 up to 2,000 contacts, $17 a month up to 5,000 and $97 for unlimited contacts. It bundles email with sales funnels and courses. Read October 5, 2026.
Which alternative has the biggest free plan?
Kit, up to 10,000 subscribers, without its visual automation builder. beehiiv is free up to 2,500 subscribers and Systeme.io up to 2,000 contacts. Mailchimp is free under 250 contacts.
Is beehiiv cheaper than Mailchimp?
Not up to 10,000 contacts: billed monthly, Mailchimp Essentials is $110 at 10,000 against $139 for beehiiv Lite. At 25,000, beehiiv Lite is $199 against $270, or $229.50 a month for Mailchimp's first 12 months.
Related offers
- beehiiv Lite, from $588 a year
- Systeme.io Startup, two months free on yearly billing
- Kit Creator, billed annually
- Mailchimp, 15% off for verified nonprofits
Read next
- Cheapest email marketing platform: 4 tools priced
- What email marketing actually costs at 1,000 subscribers
- beehiiv pricing: Free, Lite and Pro by subscriber count
- Selling a course online: subscriptions, fees and plan limits
- Systeme.io Pricing 2026: Free Limits & Annual Costs
- beehiiv nonprofit discount and student discount in 2026
Sources
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