EmailOctopus vs Mailchimp
We give EmailOctopus and Mailchimp the same GPA: 2.8 out of 4.0. EmailOctopus grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Mailchimp grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
EmailOctopus
Simple, low-cost email marketing with a free plan for 2,500
Mailchimp
Email and SMS marketing with automations, priced by contact count
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAEmailOctopusGood | 2.8GPAMailchimpGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $9 a month for 500 subscribers on yearly billing, or $10 monthly, inside the cheaper quarter of email tools. It stays cheap as you grow, at $44.50 a month billed monthly for 10,000 subscribers, and nonprofits get 20% off for life. | CEssentials is $13 a month for up to 500 contacts, right at the middle of what email tools charge. It climbs with the list, though, to $110 a month at 10,000 contacts, and flows longer than 4 steps need Standard at $20. |
| Free plan and trial | BStarter is free for 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, with no card and no time limit. One person could really run a club newsletter on it. You get 1 user, 1 form and 1 landing page, branding on emails and 30 days of reports. | CFree for 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with 1 seat and limited templates. You'll pass 250 contacts quickly, and then sending pauses until you upgrade or trim the list. Paid plans have a 14-day trial. |
| Features | BA drag-and-drop editor with over 100 templates, your own HTML, automated sequences, fields, tags and segments, pop-up forms, landing pages and live reports. That covers the email marketing job, kept plain, with no SMS or store flows on record. | BCampaigns, templates, popup forms, landing pages, up to 200 automated flows, segmentation, dynamic content, multivariate testing on Premium and an SMS add-on. That's the whole email marketing job. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record and no phone app. It's a simple web app, but you'll still import a list and set up a form and templates before the first send. | A4.85 from 51,677 App Store ratings, the top band by a long way. The phone app can even build and send an email or scan a business card into your contacts. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with WordPress, Shopify and Zapier and an API. It's a short list, and with no desktop or phone app, a B is the ceiling. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Shopify, WooCommerce, Canva, Zapier, Square, Wix, Squarespace and Stripe, and an API. No desktop app, which keeps it off an A. |
| Best for | cheap, plain newsletters for small groups | newsletters and promo emails for small businesses |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: EmailOctopus and Mailchimp. How we grade
Price against what you get
EmailOctopus starts at $9 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mailchimp starts at $13 a month and scores 3.3.
Mailchimp scores higher, and starts $4 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, none scores higher than EmailOctopus for less, and none scores higher than Mailchimp for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- EmailOctopus starts at $9 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly. Mailchimp starts at $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly.
- Only Mailchimp lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mailchimp also covers reports.
At a glance
| EmailOctopus | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9 per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly | $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Starter plan: up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, 1 user, 1 landing page and 1 form, reports kept 30 days and EmailOctopus branding on emails. | 1 seat, 1 audience, up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month (250 a day), limited templates and email support for the first 30 days. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of the Essentials or Standard plan |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Three Hearts Digital Ltd | Intuit Mailchimp |
| Price read from | emailoctopus.com | mailchimp.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
EmailOctopus
- Small organizations and clubs that need a free list of up to 2,500
- Authors and bloggers who want plain, cheap newsletters
- Nonprofits, which get 20% off for life
Mailchimp
- Small businesses sending regular newsletters and promotions
- Online shops on Shopify, WooCommerce or Square that want automated emails
- Teams that want email and SMS campaigns in one account
Worth knowing
EmailOctopus
- There is no free trial of Pro; EmailOctopus suggests starting on the free Starter plan.
- Starter emails carry EmailOctopus branding and reports disappear after 30 days.
- Lists above 500,000 subscribers need a quoted plan.
- EmailOctopus Connect, its Amazon SES product, is a separate service with its own pricing.
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.
Key features
EmailOctopus
- Drag-and-drop editor and templates
- Over 100 mobile-friendly templates that adapt to your brand's colors, a drag-and-drop editor, and the option to write or import your own HTML.
- Automated sequences
- Build sequences that send emails to subscribers automatically after they join or take an action.
- Fields, tags and segments
- Collect custom fields, tag subscribers and target emails by data and behavior, then schedule sends for later.
- Forms and landing pages
- Pop-up forms and landing pages to collect subscribers. Starter allows one of each; Pro has no limit.
- Reports
- Opens, clicks and other campaign stats in real time. Starter keeps reports for 30 days; Pro keeps them indefinitely.
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.
Plans
EmailOctopus
Starter$0
2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails a month, 1 user, 1 landing page and 1 form, with EmailOctopus branding and 30-day reports.
Pro$9
per month for up to 500 subscribers, billed yearly ($10 monthly)
10,000 emails a month, unlimited users, forms and landing pages, no branding, reports kept for good. $44.50 a month billed monthly at 10,000 subscribers.
CustomCustom
Quoted plans for lists of more than 500,000 subscribers.
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.
Ways to pay less
EmailOctopus
- Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly billing
EmailOctopus's pricing page shows Pro at 500 subscribers for $9 a month billed yearly instead of $10 billed monthly, a $12 saving.
- Nonprofit
20% lifetime discount for nonprofits
All nonprofits using EmailOctopus get a 20% lifetime discount.
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.
