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Why Teams Are Leaving Mailchimp in 2026
Mailchimp's pricing has increased significantly since the Intuit acquisition. Contact-based pricing means you pay for unsubscribed and inactive contacts. The free plan now caps at 500 contacts (down from 2,000), and essential features like A/B testing and automation require paid plans starting at $13/month.
Alternatives like Brevo, MailerLite, and ConvertKit offer comparable features with more generous limits and transparent pricing models.
Migration Timeline
Step 1: Export Contacts From Mailchimp
Export your subscriber list
- Go to Audience > All Contacts
- Click "Export Audience" in the top right
- Select the audience you want to export
- Mailchimp generates a CSV with email, name, tags, signup date, and engagement data
- Download the ZIP file (contains subscribed, unsubscribed, and cleaned contacts)
Important: Export ALL audiences if you have multiple lists. Also export your segments and tags - you will need these to recreate targeting in your new platform.
Step 2: Document Your Automations
What to capture before leaving
- Welcome series - Number of emails, timing, content
- Abandoned cart flows - Trigger conditions, delay intervals
- Re-engagement campaigns - Inactivity thresholds, email sequence
- Birthday/anniversary emails - Date fields, template designs
- RSS-to-email campaigns - Feed URLs, send frequency
Screenshot each automation workflow. Copy email subject lines and body content into a spreadsheet.
Step 3: Choose Your New Platform
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) Best Value
Brevo charges by emails sent, not contacts stored - so you keep your entire list without paying for inactive subscribers. Includes email, SMS, WhatsApp, and CRM in one platform.
- Migration time: 3-5 days for most lists
- Cost savings: 40-70% for lists over 5,000 contacts
- Import: CSV upload with Mailchimp field mapping
MailerLite Best Free Tier
MailerLite offers 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 monthly emails on its free plan - double what Mailchimp offers. The drag-and-drop editor is intuitive and the automation builder covers most use cases.
- Migration time: 2-4 days
- Cost savings: 50-75% for lists under 10,000
- Import: Direct Mailchimp import tool available
ConvertKit Best for Creators
ConvertKit is purpose-built for creators, bloggers, and course sellers. Tag-based subscriber management eliminates duplicate contacts across lists. Visual automation builder makes complex sequences easy.
- Migration time: 3-7 days
- Cost savings: Comparable pricing but better deliverability
- Import: Free concierge migration from Mailchimp on paid plans
Step 4: Import and Warm Up
Sending reputation warm-up plan
- Import contacts and verify email list health (remove bounces and complaints)
- Week 1: Send to your most engaged subscribers only (opened in last 30 days)
- Week 2: Expand to subscribers who opened in last 90 days
- Week 3: Add subscribers who opened in last 6 months
- Week 4: Send to full list - monitor bounce rates and spam complaints
Skipping warm-up can trigger spam filters and damage your domain reputation.
Cost Comparison: Mailchimp vs Alternatives
| Platform | 5,000 Contacts | 25,000 Contacts | Key Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp Standard | $75/mo | $259/mo | - |
| Brevo (Starter) | $25/mo | $25/mo | Unlimited contacts, pay per email |
| MailerLite (Growing) | $32/mo | $139/mo | Best free tier (1,000 subs) |
| ConvertKit (Creator) | $49/mo | $166/mo | Best for creators, tag-based |
| ActiveCampaign (Lite) | $49/mo | $149/mo | Best automation builder |
Ready to switch? Start your free trial and import a test segment before committing.
See All Mailchimp AlternativesFrequently Asked Questions
How do I export my contacts from Mailchimp?
Go to Audience > All Contacts > Export Audience. Mailchimp generates a CSV file with all subscriber data including tags, signup dates, and engagement metrics. Download completes within minutes for most lists.
Can I move my email templates from Mailchimp?
Mailchimp does not offer direct template export. You can copy the HTML source of each template manually, or use most alternatives' template builders to recreate designs. Some platforms like Brevo offer Mailchimp template import tools.
Will I lose my automation sequences when switching?
Yes, automations cannot be directly exported. Document each automation's trigger, conditions, and email content before migrating. Most platforms require rebuilding automations manually, though the process is usually straightforward.
How long does Mailchimp migration take?
Contact migration takes 1-2 days. Rebuilding templates and automations typically takes 1-2 weeks. Full migration including testing and warm-up is usually complete within 3-4 weeks.
What is cheaper than Mailchimp for email marketing?
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) offers unlimited contacts with pay-per-email pricing starting at $25/month. MailerLite starts at $9/month for up to 500 subscribers. Both are significantly cheaper than Mailchimp's contact-based pricing.