Bento vs Mailchimp (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Bento if

• Fits if you sell online and want per-active-user pricing with no seat fees
• Works for teams that want campaigns and transactional mail from one vendor

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you want to just sign up, as the vendor says Bento is approval only
• Skip it if you want a free plan, because after 30 days it is $29 a month
• Pricey if you add chat, which is $30 a month on top and needs the Marketing Platform
• Watch out: transactional email is billed separately at $5 a month up to 12,500 emails
• Watch out: annual billing is on request only

Pick Mailchimp if

• Fits if you send a regular newsletter or promotions to a small list
• Works for shops on Shopify, WooCommerce or Square that want automated emails and SMS in one account

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if your list is big, at $110 a month on Essentials for 10,000 contacts
• Tight if you stay free, since sending stops at 250 contacts and 500 emails a month
• Skip it if surprise bills worry you, as passing a contact or send limit bills overages automatically
• Watch out: Essentials caps flows at 4 steps, and dynamic content and custom reports start at Standard
• Watch out: SMS is a paid add-on in select countries, needs approval, and unused credits expire

Bento

• The vendor says Bento is approval only, so not every sender is accepted.
• There is no free plan; the first month is a 30-day trial.
• Transactional email is a separate product: $5 a month up to 12,500 emails, with 100 free.
• Bento Chat is a $30 a month add-on, and annual billing is available on request.

Mailchimp

• The Free plan stops at 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, and sending pauses until you upgrade or trim the list.
• Paid plans bill overages automatically when you pass your contact or monthly send limit.
• Essentials caps automations at 4 flow steps; dynamic content and custom reports start at Standard.
• SMS is a paid add-on in select countries, needs an approved application, and its monthly credits expire unused.

Bento

Campaigns and automations

Campaigns, automated flows and forms for sending to a list, with CRM and deliverability tools included.

Active-user pricing

Active users are subscribed users or people with an event in the last 30 days; others do not count toward the bill.

Transactional email

A separate product for receipts and password resets over API or SMTP, with logs and a Delivery API.

Bento Chat

An add-on with a shared inbox, live chat, push notifications and SMS and WhatsApp through Twilio, 360dialog or Bandwidth.

Switching help

The vendor reviews a customer's current invoice for a price match and helps move lists, forms and automations.

Mailchimp

Automation flows

Standard and Premium allow up to 200 automated flows, such as welcome series and abandoned-cart emails. Essentials is limited to 4 flow steps and Free has none.

Templates and email builder

Pre-built templates on every plan (a limited set on Free). Custom-coded templates can be built on any plan but only sent from Standard and Premium.

Segmentation and dynamic content

Standard adds advanced segmentation, pre-built segments and dynamic content; Premium adds predictive segmentation.

Popup forms and landing pages

Popup sign-up forms are included on every plan, and the Free plan can also build landing pages and forms.

SMS and MMS add-on

Paid plans can add SMS, with MMS on Standard and Premium in select countries, after an application is approved. Credits are bought in monthly blocks.

Mobile app

The iOS and Android app can build and send emails, scan business cards into contacts, make simple landing pages and show campaign reports.

Bento

• Marketing Platform$29

  per month for up to 5,000 active users

  Then $0.01 per active user from 5,001 to 50,000, $0.009 to 250,000 and $0.008 above. No seat fees.

• Bento Chat$30

  per month, added to Marketing Platform

  Add-on: shared inbox, live chat and push notifications. Needs an active Marketing Platform plan.

Mailchimp

• Free$0

  1 seat, 1 audience, 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. Sending pauses when a limit is passed.

• Essentials$13

  per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly

  3 seats, 3 audiences, sends of 10 times your contacts, scheduling and 4-step flows. Price rises with the list: $110 a month at 10,000 contacts.

• Standard$20

  per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly

  5 seats, up to 200 automation flows, dynamic content and custom reports. Price rises with the list: $135 a month at 10,000 contacts.

• Premium$350

  per month for up to 10,000 contacts, billed monthly

  Unlimited seats and audiences, phone and priority support, multivariate testing. Price rises with the list: $815 a month at 50,000 contacts.

Bento

• Other savings

  Price match on your current email bill

  The pricing page says Bento reviews a new customer's invoice for a price match and transition credits.

Mailchimp

• Nonprofit

  15% off for nonprofits and charities

  Mailchimp's pricing page offers nonprofits and charities 15% off. You sign up for a free account and then contact the Billing team with your username and website.

• Other savings

  15% off the first 12 months at 10,000+ contacts

  New customers on a monthly Essentials, Standard or Premium plan with 10,000 or more contacts get 15% off for the first 12 months, then the list price.