Mailchimp vs MailerLite vs ConvertKit (2026): Which Email Tool Actually Wins?

You’ve got a list of a few hundred subscribers. Mailchimp just sent you a notice that your bill is going up again. Or maybe you’re starting from zero and staring at three pricing pages that all claim to be the cheapest. I’ve run paid newsletters and client campaigns on all three of these tools over the past few years. Here’s the honest breakdown, with real 2026 pricing and the stuff the comparison charts don’t tell you.

TL;DR: Key Takeaways

• MailerLite is the best value for most people in 2026. Cheap, clean interface, solid automation.
• ConvertKit (now called Kit) is the best pick for creators selling digital products and courses.
• Mailchimp only makes sense if you need deep ecommerce integrations or you’re already locked into their ecosystem.
• All three have free plans, but Mailchimp’s free plan is the most restrictive.
• If you want my one-line answer: try MailerLite here first. If you sell digital products, check Kit’s pricing instead.

Quick Comparison: Pricing in 2026

Here’s what you’ll actually pay for 1,000 subscribers (monthly):

Plan tier	Mailchimp	MailerLite	ConvertKit (Kit)
Free plan	500 subs, 1,000 sends	1,000 subs, unlimited sends	10,000 subs (Newsletter plan)
1,000 subs	~$13	~$10	$29 (Creator)
5,000 subs	~$45	~$30	$59
10,000 subs	~$75	~$50	$79

Pricing shifts a bit depending on billing frequency, so check current pricing before you commit. But the pattern holds: Mailchimp costs the most, Kit sits in the middle, MailerLite undercuts both.

The free plan differences matter more than people realize. Kit’s free plan now covers up to 10,000 subscribers, which is wild. The catch? You only get one automation sequence and basic features. MailerLite’s free tier is 1,000 subscribers with decent automation included. Mailchimp’s free plan gives you 500 contacts and almost no automation. I dropped a client off Mailchimp’s free plan because we hit the send cap within two weeks.

Mailchimp Review: Still Around, Still Expensive

Mailchimp was the default recommendation for a decade. It isn’t anymore, at least not for email alone.

What I like:

• The ecommerce integrations are genuinely good. Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, all deep and native.
• Their reporting is the best of the three. Revenue per campaign, purchase attribution, the works.
• If you run an online store and want email plus some light marketing analytics in one place, it does that well.

What I don’t like:

• Pricing punishes growth. Contacts count even if they’re unsubscribed or inactive unless you clean them constantly.
• The interface keeps getting reorganized. In my experience, every few months something moves and I have to hunt for it.
• Support on lower tiers is basically email-only, and responses took days when I tested it.
• Automation on the free plan is nearly nonexistent.

Honestly, I only recommend Mailchimp now when a client is running a serious ecommerce operation and lives in their dashboard already. For a blogger, newsletter, or service business? You’re overpaying.

MailerLite Review: The Best Value Pick

MailerLite is what I move most clients to. It’s cheaper, and the feature gap with the paid tools is smaller than the price gap suggests.

What I like:

• The drag-and-drop editor is fast. I can build a decent-looking campaign in 15 minutes.
• Automation workflows are visual and intuitive. I built a 5-email welcome sequence in under an hour without watching a tutorial.
• You get landing pages, signup forms, and a website builder included at every paid tier.
• Paid newsletter subscriptions are supported, so you can charge subscribers directly.

What I don’t like:

• The mobile app is a bit clunky. Fine for checking stats, annoying for editing.
• Deliverability is good but not flawless. I saw one campaign land in a client’s Gmail promotions tab that Kit handled fine. This happens with every tool, to be fair.
• Advanced features like Facebook integration sit on higher tiers.

For a small business owner, freelancer, or anyone with a standard newsletter, MailerLite does 95% of what Mailchimp does for 40-60% less. Try MailerLite here and see if the free plan covers you; for many people, it does for years.

ConvertKit (Kit) Review: Built for Creators

Kit rebranded from ConvertKit, though plenty of people still search the old name. The tool itself hasn’t changed personalities. It’s built for creators: writers, podcasters, course sellers, coaches.

What I like:

• The Creator Network is unique. You can recommend other newsletters and grow through cross-promotion. I gained a few hundred subscribers this way with zero ad spend.
• Tag-based subscriber management beats Mailchimp’s list system. One list, unlimited tags, no duplicate contact charges.
• Paid newsletters and tip jars are native. You can monetize inside the platform.
• Commerce features let you sell digital products without a separate checkout tool.
• The free plan’s 10,000-subscriber ceiling is the most generous in the industry right now.

What I don’t like:

• The email editor is text-first and plain. If you want heavily designed emails, you’ll fight it. Some people love this (better deliverability, faster sending). I found it limiting for a client who wanted visual newsletters.
• Paid tiers cost more than MailerLite at every level. At 10,000 subscribers you’re paying roughly $79 vs $50.
• Reporting is weaker than Mailchimp’s. If you need revenue attribution for an online store, Kit isn’t the tool.

Check Kit’s pricing if you’re a creator. If you’re an ecommerce brand, skip it.

Head-to-Head: The Categories That Matter

Deliverability

All three land in the mid-90s percentage range in my own campaigns. Kit and MailerLite edge out Mailchimp slightly, mostly because their plain-text style emails tend to filter better. Don’t overthink this one. Your list hygiene matters more than your tool.

Automation

Kit has the most powerful visual automation builder, especially for complex creator funnels. MailerLite is close behind and easier to learn. Mailchimp’s automation is decent on paid plans but stripped on free.

Ranking: Kit > MailerLite > Mailchimp

Ease of Use

MailerLite wins. It’s the one I can hand to a non-technical client and walk away. Kit takes an afternoon to learn. Mailchimp keeps rearranging its own furniture.

Ecommerce

Mailchimp, and it’s not close. Native Shopify integration with purchase tracking, abandoned cart emails, product recommendations. If you sell physical products, this decides the whole comparison.

Support

MailerLite offers 24/7 chat and email even on free plans (email only on free, actually, but still responsive). Kit has live chat on paid tiers and good documentation. Mailchimp’s support is the weakest of the three at lower price points.

Which One Should You Pick?

Here’s how I’d decide, based on the people I’ve actually set these up for:

1. Blogger, freelancer, or small service business: MailerLite. Best price-to-feature ratio, easy to learn.
2. Newsletter writer, course creator, or coach selling digital stuff: Kit. The Creator Network and commerce tools pay for the higher price.
3. Online store on Shopify or WooCommerce: Mailchimp, reluctantly. Its ecommerce depth justifies the cost here and nowhere else.
4. Totally broke and under 10,000 subscribers: Kit’s free plan. Nothing else comes close on that ceiling.

One more tip from experience: whichever you pick, don’t churn tools every six months. Migrating lists is a pain, you lose your warm engagement history, and deliverability dips for a few weeks after any move. Choose once, then commit for at least a year.

Bottom Line

For most readers of BriskPick, the answer is MailerLite. It costs less than Mailchimp at every tier, its automation covers what 90% of small businesses need, and the free plan is genuinely usable rather than a demo. Pick Kit instead if your income depends on selling digital products, since the Creator Network and built-in commerce are real advantages you won’t find in MailerLite. Mailchimp survives on brand recognition and ecommerce muscle, and I’d only choose it for a serious online store.

Start with the free plan of whichever fits. You’ll know within two campaigns whether it clicks.

FAQ

Is Kit still called ConvertKit in 2026?
Yes, the company rebranded to Kit. Same product, same team. Older tutorials calling it ConvertKit are still accurate for core features.

Can I migrate from Mailchimp to MailerLite for free?
MailerLite offers free migration on paid annual plans, and their import tool handles Mailchimp lists directly. I moved a 4,000-subscriber list in about an hour, including re-creating two automations.

Do free plans include Mailchimp-style branding?
All three add their logo to emails on free tiers. MailerLite and Kit remove branding once you upgrade. Mailchimp requires a paid plan for removal.

Which has the best email deliverability?
In my own sends, all three performed within a few points of each other. Kit’s plain-text approach gave it a slight edge for text-heavy newsletters. Your sender reputation matters far more than the platform.

What counts as a subscriber for billing?
Kit and MailerLite count active confirmed subscribers only. Mailchimp counts contacts in your audience, including unsubscribed and cleaned contacts on some plans, which quietly inflates your bill if you don’t prune regularly.