Mailchimp Essentials alternatives
Killing ~$13+/mo (scales with list) (~$156/yr) — here are 2 verified escapes, honest trade-offs included.
head-to-head
| Mailchimp Essentials | Listmonk | |
|---|---|---|
| price | ~$13+/mo (scales with list) | Free (pay only for SMTP sending, ~$1/10k emails) |
| self-hostable | no | yes |
| license | proprietary | AGPL-3.0 |
| verified | — | 2026-08 |
free & open source (1)
cheaper, but not open source (1)
MailerLite cheaper
Free up to 1,000 subs; paid from ~$10/mo
Much cheaper than Mailchimp for small-to-mid lists.
trade-offs: Fewer advanced automations on lower tiers
faq
What is the best free alternative to Mailchimp Essentials?
Listmonk is the top free option — High-performance newsletter & mailing manager — costs almost nothing at scale.
How much can I save by switching from Mailchimp Essentials?
Mailchimp Essentials costs ~$13+/mo (scales with list), so switching to a free alternative saves roughly $156/year per seat.
Can Mailchimp Essentials be self-hosted?
Yes — Listmonk can be self-hosted for free.