One of these two just cut its free plan by half. The other runs on Amazon’s own sending infrastructure and still can’t match the automation depth of the category’s biggest name. Here is where each one actually wins.
Mailchimp and EmailOctopus both show up when small businesses search for a starter email tool, but they are not really built for the same buyer. Mailchimp is a full marketing suite with generative AI and deep automation behind its paid tiers. EmailOctopus is a lean, AWS-powered sender built to keep costs down, and its free plan is now far more generous than Mailchimp’s after a January 2026 cut most buyers have not caught up with yet.
Mailchimp‘s entry Essentials plan starts around $13/month at the lowest contact tier, climbing with list size. EmailOctopus‘s Pro plan starts at $9/month billed yearly, also scaling by subscriber count.
| Feature | Mailchimp | EmailOctopus |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan size | 250 contacts, 500 emails/mo | 2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails/mo |
| Entry paid price | ~$13/mo (Essentials) | $9/mo (Pro, annual billing) |
| Generative AI content tools | ✓ (Standard plan+) | ✗ |
| Multi-step branching automation | ✓ up to 200 flows | ~ basic drip sequences only |
| A/B testing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Unlimited email sends at any tier | ✗ (scales with contacts) | ✗ (scales with subscriber tier) |
| Our overall score | 4.6/5 | 4.4/5 |
Pricing and free-plan size after Mailchimp’s 2026 cut
Why the free plan comparison flipped in EmailOctopus’s favor this year.
Bottom line: Mailchimp reduced its free plan in January 2026, dropping the contact limit from 500 down to 250 and cutting the monthly send allowance from 1,000 to 500 emails, while also removing automation workflows from the free tier entirely. EmailOctopus did not follow suit: its free plan still covers 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, ten times Mailchimp's current contact ceiling. Once a list grows past the free tier, Mailchimp's Essentials plan starts around $13/month at the lowest contact count, while EmailOctopus's Pro plan starts at $9/month on annual billing. For a list under a few thousand contacts that does not need advanced automation, EmailOctopus is consistently the cheaper path.
If you are comparing these two based on an older review, check the date. Mailchimp's free plan was cut in half in January 2026, so figures showing 500 free contacts are now out of date.
Automation and AI: the gap most buyers underestimate
EmailOctopus is simple by design. That simplicity has a ceiling.
Bottom line: Mailchimp's Standard plan and above include generative AI content tools alongside up to 200 multi-step automation flows with branching logic, letting a marketer build out welcome series, abandoned-cart style sequences, and re-engagement campaigns that react to subscriber behavior. EmailOctopus offers basic drip sequences and simple triggers, with no generative AI content assistant and no native A/B testing for subject lines or content at any tier. For a newsletter sender who just needs to get a campaign out reliably, that gap will not matter. For a business that wants automation to do more of the work over time, it is the main reason to pick Mailchimp over the cheaper option.
If branching automation and AI-assisted copywriting matter to your workflow, Mailchimp's Standard plan is worth the higher price over EmailOctopus's simpler toolset.
Send limits: neither one is truly unlimited
A common misconception worth correcting before you commit to either platform.
Bottom line: EmailOctopus's own help center is explicit that sending limits are tied to whichever subscriber tier an account sits on, and an account that exceeds its limit has to upgrade to a tier that matches its actual sending needs, contradicting some third-party claims that EmailOctopus sends are unlimited at every plan. Its free tier caps sends at 10,000 emails a month. Mailchimp's send allowance scales with contact count too, ranging from 10 times contacts on Essentials up to 15 times contacts on Premium. EmailOctopus is built on Amazon's AWS SES infrastructure, which keeps its operating costs low enough to pass on lower prices, but buyers should not assume "powered by AWS" means uncapped sending.
Should I choose Mailchimp or EmailOctopus?
Bottom line: Mailchimp suits teams that want AI-assisted content and deep branching automation in one subscription; EmailOctopus suits senders with a modest list who want the lowest reliable cost and do not need advanced automation yet.
- You want generative AI content tools built into your sending platform
- You need branching, multi-step automation beyond simple drip sequences
- You want native A/B testing for subject lines and content
- Your list has already outgrown a 250-contact free plan
- You value the widest integration catalog (300+ apps) for your stack
- You want the lowest reliable cost for a list under a few thousand contacts
- You want a free plan that covers 2,500 subscribers, not 250
- You do not need branching automation or A/B testing yet
- You are comfortable with a simpler, less cluttered interface
- You qualify for the 20% lifetime nonprofit discount
For most small businesses that want to grow into AI-assisted automation, Mailchimp is the stronger long-term pick, with generative AI content tools and up to 200 branching automation flows available once you move past the free tier.
But EmailOctopus is the right call for one specific buyer: a sender with a modest list who wants the cheapest reliable option and does not need advanced automation, especially now that its free plan covers ten times as many contacts as Mailchimp's current free tier.
Before choosing either, size your list honestly. If you are under 2,500 contacts and only need to send a plain newsletter, EmailOctopus's free plan alone may cover you for months. If you already know you want AI-assisted copy and branching automation, Mailchimp's Standard plan is worth paying for.
The most common questions buyers ask when choosing between Mailchimp and EmailOctopus Mailchimp is the better default for teams that want a full marketing suite, scoring 4.6/5 versus EmailOctopus's 4.4/5, on the strength of generative AI content tools and up to 200 multi-step automation flows on its Standard plan and above. EmailOctopus is the better pick for solo creators and small lists who just need reliable sending at the lowest possible cost, since its free plan covers 2,500 subscribers against Mailchimp's current 250-contact free cap. Mailchimp's Essentials plan starts around $13/user/month at the lowest contact tier, rising with list size and send volume. EmailOctopus's Pro plan starts at $9/month when billed yearly, also scaling by subscriber count. At small list sizes EmailOctopus is consistently the cheaper of the two, and its free plan alone covers 2,500 subscribers, ten times Mailchimp's 250-contact free limit. No. EmailOctopus's own help center states that sending limits are tied to the subscriber tier a customer is on, and exceeding that limit requires upgrading to a tier that matches actual sending needs. The free plan caps sends at 10,000 emails a month. This contradicts some third-party claims that EmailOctopus offers unlimited sending at every tier. EmailOctopus does not include native A/B testing for subject lines or content, a feature Mailchimp offers starting on its Essentials plan. This is one of the clearest feature gaps between the two platforms and matters most to senders who actively optimize open rates. EmailOctopus, by a wide margin. Mailchimp cut its free plan in January 2026 from 500 contacts down to 250, with sends capped at 500 emails a month. EmailOctopus's free plan covers 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, making it the more generous starting point for a new list.Frequently asked questions: Mailchimp vs EmailOctopus
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