Mailchimp vs Mailgun: email marketing pricing compared
Updated 2026-11-10 · listed A to Z, not ranked
Mailchimp is an email and SMS marketing platform. Paid plan prices start at the amounts below and rise with the number of contacts you have.
Mailgun sends transactional and bulk email through an API and SMTP, priced by monthly email volume with a per-1,000 rate above the plan.
Listed A to Z, from mailchimp.com and mailgun.com. Every figure below is quoted from those pages.
- Main price table
- Free, Essentials, Standard, Premium
- Free option
- Free plan for under 250 contacts
- Published prices
- Free under 250 contacts, Essentials from $13/mo, Standard from $20/mo, Premium from $350/mo; price rises with contacts.
- Main price table
- Free, Basic, Foundation, Scale
- Free option
- Free: $0
- Published prices
- Free 100 emails a day, Basic $15 (10k), Foundation $35 (50k) and $75 (100k), Scale from $90, overage rates and add-ons.
How we checked: Prices quoted from each official pricing page: Mailchimp checked Nov 10, 2026, Mailgun checked Nov 10, 2026. Taxes, usage overages and promotions can change what you pay; confirm with each provider before you buy.
How they compare
- Main price table. Mailchimp lists 4 entries (Free, Essentials, Standard, Premium); Mailgun lists 4 (Free, Basic, Foundation, Scale).
- Lowest listed paid tier. Mailchimp: Essentials $13/mo. Mailgun: Basic $15, price per month. Billing terms differ (per user or flat, monthly or annual), so check what each tier includes below.
- Free option. Mailchimp: Free plan for under 250 contacts. Mailgun: Free: $0.
- How prices are quoted. Mailchimp: “Plans (USD)”. Mailgun: “Plans”.
Mailchimp plans and prices
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Under 250 contacts; sending is paused if the contact or email send limit is exceeded |
| Essentials | Starts at $13/month | Free for 14 days; testing and scheduling features |
| Standard | Starts at $20/month | Free for 14 days; automations, personalization and optimization tools |
| Premium | Starts at $350/month | Offer shown: $297.50 per month for 12 months; unlimited contacts and priority support |
"Save 15% on 5,000+ contacts" is shown on the paid plans. Overages apply if the contact or email send limit is exceeded. SMS is an add-on to paid plans in select countries. For more than 250,000 contacts, Mailchimp says to contact sales.
From mailchimp.com, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: Mailchimp pricing.
Mailgun plans and prices
| Plan | Price per month | Emails per month | Extra emails |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 100 per day | — |
| Basic | $15 | 10,000 | From $1.80 per 1,000 |
| Foundation | $35 / $75 | 50,000 / 100,000 | $1.30 / $1.10 per 1,000 |
| Scale | $90 / $215 / $400 / $550 / $700 / $1,250 | 100k / 250k / 500k / 750k / 1M / 2.5M | $1.10 down to $0.40 per 1,000 |
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Free | 1 sending domain, 1 day of logs, 1 user |
| Foundation | 1,000 domains, 5 days of logs |
| Scale | SAML SSO, 5,000 validations, dedicated IP pools, 30 days of logs |
| Email validations | From $1.20 per 100 |
| Extra dedicated IP | $59 per IP per month |
| Trial | 30-day free trial on paid plans |
From mailgun.com, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: Mailgun pricing.
FAQ
How much does Mailchimp cost?
Free under 250 contacts, Essentials from $13/mo, Standard from $20/mo, Premium from $350/mo; price rises with contacts. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
How much does Mailgun cost?
Free 100 emails a day, Basic $15 (10k), Foundation $35 (50k) and $75 (100k), Scale from $90, overage rates and add-ons. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Do Mailchimp and Mailgun have a free option?
Mailchimp: Free plan for under 250 contacts. Mailgun: Free: $0.
What is the cheapest paid plan, Mailchimp or Mailgun?
Lowest listed paid tier: Mailchimp Essentials $13/mo; Mailgun Basic $15, price per month (as quoted on each pricing page). Billing units differ, so compare what each includes.
Which is better, Mailchimp or Mailgun?
We do not pick a winner. The two price and package their products differently; the tables above quote each official pricing page so you can match a plan to your own usage.
Where do these prices come from?
Each vendor's own pricing page: mailchimp.com (checked Nov 10, 2026) and mailgun.com (checked Nov 10, 2026). Prices change; confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
Sources (official pages, read 2026-11-10)
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