An honest Mailchimp alternative
Mailchimp is one of the best-known email marketing tools, with a Free plan for up to 250 contacts and paid plans priced by contact count. Terlido Newsletter sends from your own mailbox, is free up to 10,000 subscribers, and has a flat Pro price up to 100,000 subscribers. If you are looking for a free Mailchimp alternative, here is an honest look at both.
Pricing, as of November 2026
Mailchimp's marketing plans are priced by number of contacts, and unsubscribed contacts count toward that number. Paid plans send a multiple of your contact limit each month (10 times on Essentials, 12 on Standard, 15 on Premium), and going over your contact limit adds a charge to your bill. The prices below are the US prices on the pricing page, which shows them with a discount for the first 12 months; check the page for the regular rate.
Mailchimp
| Free$0 | Up to 250 contacts, 500 emails a month (250 a day), 1 seat, Mailchimp branding, no automation flows |
|---|---|
| EssentialsFrom $13/month | 500 contacts, sends up to 10 times your contact limit a month, 3 seats, up to 4 steps per flow |
| StandardFrom $20/month | 500 contacts, sends up to 12 times your contact limit a month, 5 seats, custom reports and dynamic content |
| PremiumFrom $350/month | 10,000 contacts, sends up to 15 times your contact limit a month, unlimited seats |
Terlido
| Free$0, forever | Up to 10,000 subscribers, 1 brand, a welcome email, and a small "Sent with Terlido Newsletter" line in the footer. |
|---|---|
| Pro$29/month | Up to 100,000 subscribers across unlimited brands, all automations, A/B tests, referrals, RSS-to-email, the API, your own domain, and an AI agent that drafts, tests, schedules and sends. Past 100,000: +$10 a month for each extra 50,000. |
Where Mailchimp is stronger
- Sending does not depend on one mailbox: paid plans send 10 to 15 times your contact limit a month. Terlido sends from your mailbox at your provider's pace, so a big list can take more than a day.
- Up to 200,000 contacts on Premium with unlimited seats, and custom plans above that. Terlido Pro includes 100,000 subscribers, with extra blocks after that.
- Custom reports, dynamic content and up to 5 audiences on Standard.
Where Terlido is stronger
- Terlido Free covers up to 10,000 subscribers, against 250 contacts and 500 emails a month on Mailchimp Free.
- Terlido Free includes a welcome automation. Mailchimp lists automation flows as not included on Free.
- Pro is one flat monthly price up to 100,000 subscribers, instead of a price that rises with every contact tier.
- Issues go out from your own mailbox, so readers see your address and replies land in your own inbox.
Who Terlido Newsletter is for
For: Writers, founders and small teams who want to send a newsletter from their own address and read replies in their own inbox.
Not a fit:
- Paid newsletters. Terlido has no paid subscriptions or paywall.
- Sending a big list in one burst. Terlido sends from your mailbox at your provider's pace, so a large list can take more than a day.
- Lists of people who never agreed to hear from you.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Mailchimp if: You need to send to a big list in one go, or have a marketing team that needs many seats and custom reports.
Pick Terlido if: You want a free plan that covers a real list, a flat price after that, and newsletters that come from your own address.
Terlido Newsletter is new and has no customer logos or open-rate numbers to show you. The fastest way to judge it is to connect a mailbox on the Free plan and send yourself a test issue.
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Mailchimp details were checked in November 2026. Prices and plans change, so check their site before you buy.