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

Pick Cakemail if

• Fits if you have a list under 500 and send a few campaigns a month
• Works for small senders who want to start free and watch the cap

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if your list grows past 500 contacts, because the free plan stops there and Growth is priced by contacts
• Skip it if you want A/B testing or landing pages cheaply, since those are Premium
• Watch out: Growth sends a set number of emails per contact, and 10,000 contacts costs $63 a month
• Watch out: the email API is priced separately, for example $1.00 per 1,000 emails on its own page

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

Cakemail

• The free plan caps at 500 contacts and 6,000 emails a month; hitting either stops sending until you upgrade or the cycle resets.
• Growth prices by contact count and sends a set number of emails per contact; at 10,000 contacts it is $63 a month.
• A/B testing, popups, landing pages and the HTML editor are Premium features.
• The email API is priced separately, for example $1.00 per 1,000 emails on the page for that product.

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.

Cakemail

Campaigns and templates

Email campaigns built in a drag-and-drop editor, with 700+ templates listed on paid plans.

Automated workflows

Automations triggered by how contacts interact with your emails; Premium adds contact tags in automation and drip campaigns.

Segmentation

Audience groups that update on their own, with behavioral segmentation on Premium.

Signup forms

Embedded or linked forms for collecting subscribers; Premium adds popups and landing pages.

Reports and sender authentication

Per-campaign reports and guided DNS setup so mail is authenticated against your domain.

API access

Cakemail's API is included for building custom integrations.

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.

Cakemail

• Free$0

  Up to 500 contacts and 6,000 emails a month, with the core campaign, template and form tools.

• Growth$11

  per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly

  6,000 emails a month per 500 contacts, templates, workflows, segmentation, forms and API. $63 a month at 10,000 contacts and 120,000 emails.

• Premium$19

  per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly

  7,500 emails at 500 contacts, plus A/B testing, journey mapping, popups, landing pages, HTML editor and a dedicated IP option. Price also rises with the list.

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.

Cakemail

No public discounts listed.

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.