Flodesk vs Mailchimp
We give Flodesk a 2.4 GPA and Mailchimp a 2.8, out of 4.0. Mailchimp grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Flodesk
Design-led email marketing and checkout for creators
Mailchimp
Email and SMS marketing with automations, priced by contact count
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFlodeskFair | 2.8GPAMailchimpGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CLite is $19 a month for 1,000 subscribers on yearly billing, or $25 monthly, near the dearer end of what email tools charge. Unlimited workflows need Pro at $25, and checkout and sales pages need Everything at $49. Every paid plan sends without a cap. | 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 | CThe free plan has forms, landing pages, link-in-bio pages and segments with no subscriber limit, but it can't send email or run workflows. There's also a card-free trial of the paid features, its length not stated. | 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 | BDesigner templates with custom fonts and Canva imports, forms, landing pages, link in bio, workflows that resend to people who didn't open, and on the top plan sales pages, subscriptions and payment plans through Stripe with no Flodesk fee. That's the whole job. | 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. The templates do a lot of the design for you, but you still build forms, pages and workflows in the web app. | 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 Shopify, Canva, Instagram, Squarespace, Wix, ThriveCart, Manychat and Zapier, an API and an MCP link for Claude and ChatGPT. No desktop or phone app keeps it at a B. | 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 | beautiful newsletters for creators | 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: Flodesk and Mailchimp. How we grade
Price against what you get
Flodesk starts at $19 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 $6 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, 3 score higher than Flodesk 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
- Flodesk starts at $19 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed annually. 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
| Flodesk | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed annually | $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Forms, landing pages, link-in-bio pages and segmentation with no subscriber limit, but no email sending or workflows. | 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 | Free trial of paid features, no credit card required; the length is not stated | 14-day free trial of the Essentials or Standard plan |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Flodesk Inc. | Intuit Mailchimp |
| Price read from | flodesk.com | mailchimp.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Flodesk
- Creators who care most about how their emails look
- Coaches and course sellers who want checkout and email in one place
- People who want to build a list for free before sending
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
Flodesk
- The Free plan cannot send email; sending starts with Lite.
- Lite stops at 25,000 subscribers and allows a single workflow.
- Checkout works only for businesses in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand and euro-area countries.
- Passing a subscriber tier moves you to the next tier automatically at the next billing date.
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
Flodesk
- Designer templates and custom fonts
- Email templates with custom layouts, custom fonts, personalized links and Canva imports, aimed at on-brand newsletters.
- Forms, landing pages and link in bio
- Pop-up, embedded and hosted forms, landing pages and a link-in-bio page, all available on the Free plan.
- Workflows
- Automated email sequences with resend to unopens and a send time optimizer. Lite gets one workflow; Pro and Everything have no limit.
- Checkout and sales pages
- Sell products with sales pages, upsells, subscriptions, payment plans and discount codes. Payments run through Stripe with no added Flodesk fee.
- Flodesk MCP
- Connect Claude, ChatGPT and other AI tools to ask about your emails, reach subscribers and manage your list.
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
Flodesk
Free$0
Forms, landing pages, link-in-bio pages and templates to grow a list. Sending email needs a paid plan.
Lite$19
per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed annually ($25 monthly)
Unlimited sends, analytics, 1 seat and 1 workflow as a limited-time bonus; 25,000 subscribers at most. $72 a month billed monthly at 10,000 subscribers.
Pro$25
per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed annually ($28 monthly)
Unlimited workflows, advanced analytics, an option to hide the Flodesk footer, 2 seats and 1 checkout. $79 a month billed monthly at 10,000 subscribers.
Everything$49
per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, billed annually ($54 monthly)
Unlimited checkouts, sales pages, subscriptions, payment plans, abandoned cart automations and 3 seats. $137 a month billed monthly at 10,000 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
Flodesk
- Annual discount
One month free with annual billing
Annual billing charges 11 months instead of 12: Pro at 1,000 subscribers is $25 a month instead of $28, saving $33 a year.
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.
