7 Best Mailchimp Alternatives in 2026
The best Mailchimp alternatives are ActiveCampaign, Brevo, and ConvertKit. ActiveCampaign wins on automation depth (branching workflows, lead scoring, CRM-integrated nurtures); Brevo wins on cost-per-send at scale; ConvertKit wins for creators. Mailchimp still wins on template library breadth and the most generous free tier. Pick by job: complex automation → ActiveCampaign; transactional + high volume → Brevo; pure email broadcast at low list size → Mailchimp Free is hard to beat.
We reviewed 5 Mailchimp alternatives for digital agencies and service businesses. Here's who wins each use case.
Mailchimp Alternatives. Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best for | Price/mo | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| ActiveCampaign★ Our pick | Best for Automation Depth | $15-149+/mo | 14 days |
| Brevo | Best Free + High-Volume Sending | Free-$65+/mo | Free plan |
| ConvertKit | Best for Creators + Newsletter | Free-$166+/mo | Free plan |
| HubSpot | Best All-in-One Marketing + CRM | Free-$890+/mo | Free plan |
| GoHighLevel | Best for Agencies (CRM + Email + SMS) | $97-297/mo | 30 days |
★ = Our top pick · Full comparison hub →
Our pick · Why GHL ranks #1
#1 ActiveCampaign. Best Mailchimp Alternative for Real Automation
ActiveCampaign delivers genuinely deeper automation than Mailchimp: branching logic, lead scoring, CRM-integrated workflows: at roughly comparable pricing for typical list sizes. The right pick if your email program does more than broadcast.
| Feature | GoHighLevel | Mailchimp | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automation depth | Best-in-class (branching, scoring) | Basic (linear flows) | GHL ✓ |
| Built-in CRM | ✓ Plus tier+ | Light contacts only | GHL ✓ |
| Template library | Solid | Largest in category | Mailchimp ✓ |
| Free tier | 14-day trial only | ✓ Free up to 500 contacts | Mailchimp ✓ |
| Pricing at 10k contacts | $149/mo Starter | ~$135/mo Standard | Mailchimp ✓ |
| Pricing at 25k contacts | Plus/Pro by tier | ~$450/mo Premium | GHL ✓ |
| SMS automation | ✓ Plus tier+ native | Integration only | GHL ✓ |
#2 Brevo - Best Free + High-Volume Sending
Free-$65+/mo · Free plan trial
Brevo is a strong option depending on your priorities.
#3 ConvertKit - Best for Creators + Newsletter
Free-$166+/mo · Free plan trial
ConvertKit is a strong option depending on your priorities.
#4 HubSpot - Best All-in-One Marketing + CRM
Free-$890+/mo · Free plan trial
HubSpot pairs a best-in-class UI with 1,000+ native integrations and deep reporting — the enterprise-grade choice. But Marketing Hub gets expensive quickly and has no agency white-label.
#5 GoHighLevel - Best for Agencies (CRM + Email + SMS)
$97-297/mo · 30 days trial
GoHighLevel bundles CRM, SMS, email, funnels, booking, and white-label sub-accounts in one platform — the most complete all-in-one here for agencies, with a steeper learning curve as the trade-off.
Which Mailchimp Alternative Should You Choose?
| I need… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Complex automation + lead scoring | ActiveCampaign |
| Low-cost broadcast + high send volume | Brevo |
| Newsletter / creator business | ConvertKit |
| Marketing + CRM + service bundled | HubSpot |
| Agency CRM + email + SMS + funnels | GoHighLevel |
Mailchimp Alternatives. FAQ
What is the best Mailchimp alternative?
ActiveCampaign for automation depth, Brevo for high-volume broadcast at lower cost, ConvertKit for creators and newsletters, HubSpot for teams wanting marketing + CRM + service bundled. There's no single 'best': pick by what your email program actually does: automation-led, volume-led, creator-led, or all-in-one-led.
Is ActiveCampaign cheaper than Mailchimp?
At common list sizes, they're roughly tied: AC Starter at 10k contacts $149/mo vs Mailchimp Standard 10k ~$135/mo. At larger lists, ActiveCampaign Plus often becomes competitive with Mailchimp Premium AND delivers meaningfully deeper automation. The cost gap is small at small lists; the capability gap is large at every size.
Is Brevo really cheaper than Mailchimp?
For high-volume senders: yes, significantly. Brevo prices by emails sent rather than contacts stored, so a list of 50,000 contacts that sends to 5,000/day pays Brevo ~$25-$65/mo vs Mailchimp Standard's ~$300+/mo at that list size. The trade-off: Brevo's UX and template library lag Mailchimp's polish.
When does Mailchimp still win?
Three scenarios. (1) Small lists (under 500 contacts) where the free tier covers your needs. (2) Broadcast-heavy programs that value the largest template library and easiest drag-and-drop campaign UX. (3) Teams where simplicity beats automation depth. Mailchimp's onboarding is genuinely friendlier than ActiveCampaign's for non-marketers.
Can I migrate from Mailchimp without losing automation?
Mostly yes. ActiveCampaign, Brevo, and HubSpot all import Mailchimp contact lists + lists + tags cleanly. The harder part: rebuilding automations. Mailchimp's automation logic doesn't 1-to-1 map to alternatives: plan for 1-2 weeks of workflow rebuilding for non-trivial programs. List health (deliverability reputation) does transfer across, so list quality survives the move.