Mailchimp review 2025: Honest look at features & pricing

Reading Time: 19 minutes

With millions of customers sending billions of emails annually, Mailchimp is the world’s most recognized email marketing platform — yet ongoing changes since Intuit’s acquisition and polarizing reviews have many questioning its value.

Founded in 2001 by Ben Chestnut and Dan Kurzius, Mailchimp grew from a small Atlanta startup into the email marketing platform that Intuit acquired for $12 billion in 2021. Now it reaches beyond email into SMS, websites, and social advertising.

This review cuts through the marketing to show you what Mailchimp actually delivers — from free plan restrictions to automation limits, pricing at different list sizes, and why customer reviews range from glowing to scathing.

Mailchimp pros and cons

Below you can see a table covering Mailchimp’s strengths and weaknesses:

Pricing and plans

Mailchimp’s pricing is competitive until your contact list grows. You’ll pay based on total contacts, including unsubscribed addresses and duplicates across multiple lists. Also, many crucial features for ecommerce are hidden behind more expensive plans.

Plan breakdown

The comparison table below shows each plan’s features and limitations:

Hidden costs that hurt

Mailchimp counts every email address in your account toward your limit. Import the same person twice across different lists? You’re paying double.

Unsubscribed contacts still count. Someone who opted out three years ago will still incur the same costs as an active subscriber, potentially pushing you into higher pricing tiers.

Growth gets expensive fast. Jump from 10,000 to 50,000 contacts on the Standard plan, and your bill increases from $135 to $450/month — forcing you to the Premium plan’s $350 entry point earlier than expected.

What users say about pricing

Mailchimp reviews on G2 consistently mention pricing pain. One retail user notes, “The cost is absurd. Small businesses are penalized for having a larger email list by way of HUGE cost.”

Another adds, “It becomes expensive when your subscriber database is increasing, making you end up paying more than expected.”

Even satisfied users acknowledge the issue. Marketing Executive Amit R. writes in his Intuit Mailchimp review, “Mailchimp’s pricing can be a bit high, especially as your contact list grows.”

Alternative pricing models

Competitors handle pricing differently. Some offer unlimited contacts with send-based pricing, others provide flat-rate plans regardless of list size.

The value equation shifts at scale. While entry-level pricing stays competitive, if you have large lists, you’ll find better deals elsewhere.

For instance, Omnisend is cheaper, and it doesn’t restrict any standard features. Here’s a pricing comparison between Omnisend and Mailchimp for 1,000 contacts:

COMPARE OUR PRICES

Omnisend vs. Mailchimp pricing comparison calculator

Don't just take our word for it — see how much you'll save with Omnisend by comparing our email & SMS pricing..

Email contacts you have

Compare with Mailchimp

Free

Tier 1

This is usually the basic or standard plan

Tier 2

This is usually the standard or premium plan

best value

Omnisend

All prices monthly.

Find out more

Not available

$20

• 24/7 chat & email support

$59

• Global SMS
• +3,933 SMS/mo (US)

Mailchimp

All prices monthly.

Find out more

Not available

$26.5

• SMS for extra cost

$45

• SMS for extra cost

User experience and interface

Mailchimp’s dashboard looks polished but hides frustrating complexity. Basic tasks work well, but advanced features require detective work to locate and configure.

Dashboard navigation

Your main navigation sits in the left sidebar — Create, Campaigns, Automations (now Flows), Audience, Analytics. Each section branches into sub-menus and additional options:

The home dashboard displays email performance, audience growth, and automation metrics in clean widgets. But accessing anything beyond surface data means clicking deeper into each section. So, finding advanced features requires persistence. 

Automation settings hide behind multiple menu layers. Segmentation tools bury themselves in Audience settings. The good news is that you’ll memorize these paths after repeated use. Plus, Mailchimp has a starter’s guide to demystify all its features.

Learning curve and features

Basic campaigns take minutes to create. Once you select Campaigns from the sidebar, you have three options — Regular email, Automation, and Landing page:

Clicking any option loads a dialogue box with further options. Each editor lets you drag text blocks, images, and buttons into templates. Pre-built designs cover most newsletter needs.

Advanced capabilities demand study. Behavioral targeting needs you to understand tags, segments, and merge fields. Multi-step automations require learning Mailchimp’s trigger logic and workflow conditions.

Documentation exists, but assumes knowledge. For example, the Create a Classic Automation guide walks you step-by-step without explaining why you’d pick different options.

AI Creative Assistant

Upload your logo, colors, and fonts. The Creative Assistant generates email templates, social posts, and landing pages using these brand elements:

However, the results aren’t perfect and need additional work. The AI maintains basic brand consistency but produces generic layouts. You’ll adjust colors, rearrange sections, and replace placeholder text before campaigns feel authentic.

Support reality

Free users get 30 days of email support, then nothing. Paid plans include 24/7 chat. Standard customers receive one onboarding session, while Premium customers receive four additional sessions, plus phone support.

Help documentation quality varies wildly. Some features get detailed guides with screenshots, others receive bare explanations assuming prior expertise.

What users say about the learning curve

When you review Mailchimp feedback from 2025, frustration mixes with praise.

• Video producer Jennie R. (G2, May 2025) — “Creating our newsletters can be frustrating. There are built-in pads that are hard to reduce in size.”
• UK designer Anna (Capterra, May 2025) — “It became way too complicated and very non-intuitive. The free option is very limited, almost useless.”
• Marketing executive Lakshmi M. (G2, February 2025) — “Mailchimp provides many ready to use templates and its drag and drop editor is very easy to use.”
• S van der Heide, Trustpilot — “There is an error with my login. Contacting them is not an option (have tried many times and forms). Therefore I am paying a monthly fee without being able to cancel since I cannot login.”

The verdict

Mailchimp handles simple email campaigns smoothly. Complex marketing needs expose an interface that fights your workflow rather than supporting it. You’ll succeed with patience — or switch platforms once frustration peaks.

Email builder and templates

Mailchimp offers two builders — the new drag-and-drop editor and the Legacy builder. Your choice affects everything from design flexibility to template access.

New vs. legacy builder

The new builder became the default for accounts created after July 2023. You drag content blocks directly into your design and edit inline, seeing changes instantly.

Here’s the new builder in action:

The Legacy builder interface separates content editing from preview, and each content block opens in a sidebar panel for customization.

You can switch default builders in Account & billing > Settings > Details, but existing emails stay in their original builder, which creates confusion when half your templates use one system, and half use another.

Template selection

Mailchimp provides different template categories depending on your builder choice. The new builder offers filtered options by purpose, industry, or plan type.

Popular new builder templates include Minimal (monochrome with logo/header/image placeholders), Simple Text (no images needed), and Gallery (image-focused layouts). Here’s a screenshot showing Mailchimp’s template library:

Legacy builder templates include Layouts (featured designs and basic structures) and Themes (designer collaborations for newsletters, holidays, events). Both builders accept custom HTML if you code your own.

Free plans access basic templates only. Paid tiers include designer themes and advanced layouts, though exact numbers vary by plan level.

Design limitations

Both builders can be frustrating due to restrictions. The new builder locks some styling options behind individual content blocks rather than global controls.

Want to change all button colors at once? You’ll edit each button separately unless you set defaults first in the Styles panel. Mobile and desktop views can unlink for customization, but syncing changes back requires manual work.

Legacy builder limitations include outdated content blocks and fewer modern design options. Rich text pasted from Word can break formatting. The Clear Styles button is helpful, but it requires finding it first.

What users say about email design

Mailchimp user reviews reveal mixed experiences with the builders:

• TEJENDER K. (G2, March 2024) — “The platform makes it easy to design visually appealing email campaigns with its drag-and-drop builder and numerous customizable templates.”
• Paula (Capterra, April 2025) — “Some of the templates aren’t very intuitive to use.”
• Nicola (Capterra, June 2025) — “I found it too difficult to use and I just couldn’t navigate it well enough to find or do what I wanted.”

Template reusability

Saved templates should streamline future campaigns. Reality proves messier — templates save within their original builder only.

Create 10 templates in the new builder, then switch to legacy for a specific feature? Those 10 templates become inaccessible for new campaigns. You’ll rebuild from scratch or juggle between builders.

The Recently Sent Emails option helps by copying previous designs, but this creates template sprawl rather than organized reusable assets.

The verdict

Mailchimp’s email builders handle basic designs adequately. Monthly newsletters using standard layouts work fine in either system.

Complex designs expose the limitations. Multiple columns, custom styling, and consistent branding across campaigns require patience. Of course, accounts on a Mailchimp Standard plan or higher can use custom HTML templates (recommended if the builder isn’t suitable).

Automation features

Mailchimp’s automation tools — now called Flows — promise to save time with visual workflow builders and pre-made templates.

The visual builder experience

The automation flow map displays your workflow as connected blocks arranged vertically on a canvas. Start with a trigger event at the top, then add steps below — time delays, emails, tags, and decision points.

When you add conditional splits, the flow branches into separate paths based on subscriber behavior or data. These branches show different journeys subscribers take depending on their actions, though managing multiple branches can become visually complex as flows grow.

Free plans don’t get access to multi-step flows at all — just a one-click automated welcome email. Additionally, they lack A/B testing. The Essentials plan caps flows at four steps and lets you split test automations to find winning versions.

Standard plans allow up to 200 steps with conditional splits and percentage testing. The jump from four to 200 steps represents a massive difference in automation capabilities.

Trigger options and templates

Mailchimp provides various trigger options for automations — email opens, purchases, signups, and date-based events form the foundation. 

It includes numerous pre-built flow templates organized by goal — welcoming new contacts, nurturing leads, re-engaging customers, and handling transactional needs.

Popular templates include Welcome new contacts, Recover abandoned carts, Celebrate customer birthdays, and Create repeat customers. Each template provides a starting framework you can customize with your content and timing.

Branching and personalization

Standard plans and higher provide conditional splits, letting you send contacts down different paths based on behavior or data. Did they open the first email? Send them down one path. Didn’t open? Send them down another with different messaging.

Wait for trigger rules pause the flow until a specific action is performed. You can include up to 10 wait rules in one flow, enabling behavior-driven sequences that adapt to engagement.

The percentage split feature randomly divides your audience for testing. Send 50% down one path with a discount, 50% down another without.

What users say about automation

Mailchimp marketing automation review feedback from 2025 reveals mixed experiences:

• Publisher Patrick T. (G2, April 2025) praises the basics — “What I like best about Intuit Mailchimp Email Marketing is customer journeys and audience segmentations.”
• Executive Head Samantha van N. (G2, May 2025) agrees — “The templates and automation make creating new emails, and user journey automation quick and easy!”
• But Trustpilot reviewer Elias Thorburn (August 2025) shares frustration — “Some of the automation tools feel a bit limited compared to other platforms.”
• Digital Marketing Manager Sadiq A. (G2, April 2025) hits the core issue — “Some advanced features such as automation and segmentation are only available in higher plans.”

What’s missing

Cross-channel coordination remains fragmented, with SMS requiring a separate paid add-on starting at the Standard tier. Also, push notifications aren’t available, limiting your ability to reach subscribers beyond email.

Its automation triggers focus on basic actions like purchases, email opens, and date-based events. More sophisticated behavioral patterns and predictive capabilities that competitors offer aren’t evident in Mailchimp’s feature set.

The verdict

Mailchimp’s automation features handle basics competently but trail dedicated ecommerce tools, such as Omnisend, significantly. Having said that, the visual builder is decent, and you’ll have a minimal learning curve creating your first automations.

CRM and contact management

Mailchimp provides solid contact management and segmentation tools that help you manage customer relationships without needing separate CRM software. However, it isn’t comparable to sales CRM software. It purely organizes your email contacts.

Organization tools

Three methods help organize your contacts: 

• Segments — filter contacts based on data (location, behavior, purchase history)
• Tags — add custom labels for manual organization
• Groups — let subscribers self-select preferences during signup.

The Audience dashboard walks you through adding contacts and grouping them, showing these examples after initially signing up:

Free and Essentials plans limit segments to five conditions each. Standard plans provide unlimited conditions with nested logic, enabling complex filtering like “customers who bought Product A in London but didn’t open last month’s emails.”

The Audience > Segments dashboard lets you select from pre-built segments — new subscribers, engaged subscribers, repeat customers, and more. See below:

CRM-like features

Contact profiles show individual engagement history, purchase data, and notes. You track when someone joined, what they’ve clicked, and their total spend in one view.

Predictive segmentation (Standard plans and higher) uses machine learning to identify likely purchasers, high-value customers, and churn risks. Behavioral targeting triggers automations based on these predictions.

The mobile app lets you add contacts and notes on the go, useful for events or in-store signups, although it doesn’t offer all desktop features.

The duplicate problem

Duplicates across audiences count as separate contacts for billing. If [email protected] exists in two audiences, you pay twice.

The system only checks for duplicates within single audiences, not account-wide. Their solution requires maintaining one primary audience with groups — limiting flexibility if you manage distinct brands or regions.

What users say about contact management

Mailchimp CRM review feedback from 2025 is positive overall:

• Digital Account Manager Raffaela S. (G2, July 2025) — “For me, Mailchimp is more than just a Gmail campaign manager. It’s a powerful tool for connecting with your consumers while segmenting and using hyper-personalized communications.”
• Marketing Associate Thomas H. (G2, November 2024) — “Best ESP for CRM Integration. For the price, the tools and automation are what you need them to be… the integration pushes data to HubSpot on whether contacts opened or clicked on marketing emails.”

The verdict

Mailchimp handles basic contact organization well for fewer than 10,000 contacts. The duplicate billing issue and limited free-tier segmentation could push you toward dedicated CRMs or competitors with more generous contact management.

Website and landing page builder

Mailchimp offers two separate tools for creating web pages — a website builder and campaign landing pages. Both provide basic functionality but lag behind dedicated website platforms in features and flexibility.

Website builder capabilities

The website builder creates multi-page sites with navigation menus, homepage sections, and basic SEO controls. You design pages using drag-and-drop blocks for text, images, and forms:

Clicking Styles in the editor’s sidebar loads a snapshot view of all your pages, and it provides a + Add Page function to create new pages quickly:

Mailchimp’s Website templates focus on simple business sites, such as portfolios, service pages, and contact forms. You won’t find ecommerce layouts, and the inability to add custom HTML and iframes limits the design potential.

Domain options include Mailchimp subdomains (e.g., yoursite.mailchimpsite.com) or custom domains (e.g., yoursite.com). However, only subdomains are free. 

If you want a custom domain, then you must upgrade to the Core website plan at $10/month in addition to your standard Mailchimp plan.

Landing page functionality

Campaign landing pages serve different purposes than Websites — collecting emails, promoting products, or sharing time-sensitive offers. These standalone pages integrate with your email campaigns and automation flows.

You access landing pages via the Campaigns tab:

Landing page templates include signup forms, product showcases, and event promotion layouts. The designs are basic but work decently enough:

The Landing page builder has a different layout than the Website builder, with a sidebar showing Blocks and Style to change the design:

A crucial feature limitation of landing pages is that they lack A/B testing capabilities. You can’t test different headlines, images, or layouts to optimize conversion rates — a significant limitation if you rely on data to improve performance.

SEO and tracking limitations

Both builders offer basic SEO settings — page titles, meta descriptions, and social share previews. You can edit URL slugs and add tracking pixels from Google Analytics or Meta.

Missing features include schema markup, XML sitemaps, canonical URLs, and advanced redirect options. The builders generate clean code but don’t provide the SEO depth serious websites need.

Appointment scheduling discontinued

Mailchimp discontinued its appointment scheduling feature on February 29, 2024. If you need booking functionality, integrate tools like Reserva or MakePlans with embed codes or links.

What users say about websites and landing pages

Mailchimp website builder review experiences from 2024-2025 show consistent frustrations.

• Rhea May B. (G2, December 2024) finds positives — “What I like the most is how you can make a landing page in Mailchimp without even buying your own domain!”
• But Aimee K. (G2, February 2024) highlights a core problem — “The ‘by audience’ setup doesn’t work for every organization, and it’s particularly problematic when you’re working with landing pages that serve multiple lists — you actually have to clone the page several times.”
• Trustpilot reviewer Justas (February 2025) shares deeper concerns — “Building landing pages was a real pain, and the template customisation is really limited and, in truth, they don’t look great.”

The verdict

Mailchimp’s website and landing page builders handle basic needs adequately. You can create simple sites, collect emails, and track basic metrics without learning code.

For serious website needs — ecommerce, blogging, or conversion optimization — dedicated platforms offer far more capability.

SMS, ads, and multichannel tools

Mailchimp bundles SMS, social posting, and advertising tools alongside email marketing — giving you basic functionality across multiple channels from one dashboard. However, it lacks native push notifications.

SMS marketing

SMS requires a separate paid add-on starting at $20/month for 1,000 credits (Essentials plans and up). The credit system varies by country — US messages cost one credit each, while UK messages cost five credits:

You can send marketing texts and transactional messages, with MMS support limited to the US and Canada. Credits don’t roll over monthly, forcing careful planning to avoid waste.

SMS integrates with automation flows, and you can use pre-built templates that combine SMS, email, and additional channels:

The automation builder for multichannel flows is identical to the standard builder, except you can see there are both channel paths within it:

Social media capabilities

Mailchimp connects with Facebook, Instagram, and X for direct posting, with social integrations powering data sharing:

The Creative Assistant generates social graphics using your brand colors and logos. Schedule posts weeks ahead on Standard plans — free and Essentials users must publish immediately. Track likes, comments, and views for Facebook and Instagram posts within Mailchimp’s reports.

It handles basic publishing adequately. You write content once, select which networks to post to, and Mailchimp publishes across all chosen platforms. The Campaign Manager shows these posts on your marketing calendar alongside email campaigns.

Advertising options

Meta lead ads capture information directly within Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger ads. When connected to Mailchimp, these leads flow automatically into your email lists.

The integration syncs form submissions in real-time. Tag leads based on which ad they responded to, then trigger automated email sequences. 

For example, someone who fills out your “free consultation” lead form on Instagram is automatically tagged and enters a nurture sequence.

Google remarketing ads also run through Mailchimp, targeting people who visited your website or landing page. Set a weekly budget (minimum $7) and select up to five products to advertise across Google’s Display Network. 

The setup requires a connected ecommerce store, published landing page, or website. You create ads using standard images, headlines, and descriptions — Google then displays them in various formats across its network.

Another handy feature is being able to add third-party ads within your email campaigns, but they must supplement your content, not dominate it. Avoid JavaScript entirely, and note that Google DoubleClick links often break with Mailchimp’s click tracking.

What users say about multichannel features

Mailchimp SMS reviews and Mailchimp customer experience platform review feedback reveal the disconnect between marketing promises and reality.

• Elias Thorburn (Trustpilot, August 2025) shares a common SMS frustration — “I started the SMS process not realizing it was a paid add-on, then had to wait a few days and then they billed me without any warning or opt-out option. Kinda shady.”
• Another verified user in construction (G2, September 2024) offers balance — “What I really like about Mailchimp is that it’s not just about emails anymore… now you can create landing pages, send SMS marketing campaigns, manage ecommerce stuff, and even plan events.” But adds, “Mailchimp can get a bit pricey as you grow your email list.”

The verdict

Mailchimp offers convenience if you want basic SMS, social posting, and ads alongside email. Each channel works adequately for simple needs.

But execution remains fragmented. SMS operates separately from email workflows. Social tools handle publishing without engagement.

Mailchimp alternatives, such as Omnisend, let you use SMS alongside email in automations, plus you can create separate campaigns for each.

Customer support

Mailchimp’s support options depend entirely on how much you pay. If you choose the free plan, you’ll get minimal assistance, while Premium customers get priority treatment — creating a frustrating divide for those needing help.

Support access by plan

Support varies dramatically across pricing tiers:

• Free plan — Email support for first 30 days only, then self-service
• Essentials/Standard plans — 24/7 email and chat support
• Premium plan — Phone support, dedicated success manager, priority response times

Help Center resources

The Help Center offers comprehensive documentation, including video tutorials. Quick Start Videos cover essential tasks — a 21-minute new user orientation, five-minute guides on importing contacts, plus more. 

The image below shows some of Mailchimp’s tutorial videos:

You’ll also find detailed written guides for both simple tasks and complex automations, with a Help by topic section making it easy to find support:

However, technical issues and account problems require direct support contact — and that’s where plan limitations become apparent.

Real user experiences

Mailchimp user reviews from Trustpilot reveal systemic problems. Brad Vickers (August 2025) describes the pattern — “They will go out of their way not to help – this isn’t specific to any staff member, you can tell it is systemic and designed to be this way.”

Reviews of Mailchimp support show consistent frustration. Arman Kirakosyan (Trustpilot, August 2025) couldn’t reach anyone — “There is literally no way to connect to the support, not email not live chat not a phone number.”

Premium users report different experiences. Madelyn Mackie (Trustpilot, August 2025) shares, “It took us over an hour, but when the call was finished, the issue was fixed.”

G2 feedback confirms the divide. Patrick T. (April 2025) notes, “Customer support is limited for users without a subscription.”

The verdict

Your support experience hinges on your subscription level. 

Lower-tier plans mean waiting days for generic responses that often miss the problem. Premium customers bypass queues entirely. Consider support costs when budgeting — you’ll likely need more help than the Help Center provides.

User reviews and reputation

Mailchimp generates passionate responses — longtime users defend its simplicity, while growing businesses criticize its limitations and support failures.

Rating overview

Mailchimp reviews vary by platform:

• Trustpilot: 3.0/5 (1,200+ reviews, 68% one-star)
• G2: 4.3/5 (12,700+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (17,600+ reviews)

The pattern — verified business users on G2 rate higher than open platforms, such as Trustpilot, where anyone can post.

What users love

Most praise is about ease of use and suitability for small businesses:

• Tom B. (G2, August 2025) — “Extremely simple and easy to use. Very straightforward design.” Beginners appreciate the drag-and-drop editor and quick setup.
• Samantha van N. (G2, May 2025) adds depth — “Mailchimp gives you pointers on what to improve on for your next comms. It encourages a user to keep to the correct frequency of comms and sends reminders on when best to send your next comms.”
• Ron G. (G2, July 2025) raves about onboarding — “KeeAnna was nothing short of amazing—warm, welcoming, and incredibly effective at helping me feel comfortable in a brand-new platform.”

Common complaints

Support failures trigger most complaints. Erin (Trustpilot, August 2025) had an awful experience, saying, “This may be the most unhelpful company I have ever dealt with — customer service is nonexistent and there is no phone number.”

Pricing jumps are a consistent complaint. A verified IT professional (G2, August 2025) complains that “Some of the most useful features, such as advanced automation, A/B testing, and multichannel campaigns, are only available in higher-tier plans.”

The Reddit verdict

An r/Emailmarketing thread reveals why professionals leave. PMG360 explains, “Since the acquisition by Intuit, they’re basically just letting it die on the vine.” Users report $45/month for 1,000 contacts, five-step automation limits, and broken features.

Multiple Reddit commenters report switching platforms, with the thread repeatedly recommending Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, and Brevo.

Alternatives to Mailchimp

Is there a better option than Mailchimp? There are undoubtedly many that cost less, include SMS without add-ons, and don’t gate essential features behind premium plans.

5 alternatives to consider

Check out the table below to discover five Mailchimp competitors worth your time:

Key differences from Mailchimp

Here’s what sets these platforms apart from Mailchimp’s general-purpose approach:

• Omnisend — Makes it easy to switch from Mailchimp, built for online stores from the ground up, with ecommerce workflows ready to activate in minutes
• MailerLite — Doubles Mailchimp’s free contact limit and maintains transparent pricing as you grow
• Brevo — Charges based on emails sent rather than list size, perfect for businesses with large but less-active databases
• ActiveCampaign — Combines email marketing with full CRM capabilities for complete customer lifecycle management
• Klaviyo — Provides revenue tracking and customer lifetime value metrics that help justify marketing spend

Conclusion 

So, is Mailchimp worth using? Absolutely — if your email marketing requirements don’t include complex customer journeys. The free plan offers 500 contacts and a user-friendly editor for creating professional-looking emails.

What are the disadvantages of Mailchimp? Costs jump with list size. Support disappears after 30 days on free plans. Advanced features require constant upgrades. For basic newsletters, these issues won’t matter much.

Mailchimp serves bloggers, ecommerce stores, and consultants equally well for standard email campaigns. The platform handles core email marketing reliably. 

However, if you need SMS, automated workflows, or 24/7 support, competitors like Omnisend offer these across all plans. Most businesses start with Mailchimp because it works. Be sure to evaluate alternatives as your marketing needs evolve.

FAQs