Side by side
| EmailOctopus | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes. Starter is free for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, with 1 landing page, 1 form and EmailOctopus branding on emails. | Yes. Free for up to 250 contacts with a maximum of 500 sends a month or 250 a day, 1 seat and 1 audience. Mailchimp branding stays on and generative AI is not included. |
| Starting price | Pro is $9 a month billed yearly. | Not published. |
| How it charges | By subscriber count and monthly email volume. Plans change automatically as the list grows, and lists above 500,000 need a custom quote. | By contact tier. Paid plans bill monthly or annually at the rate for your tier, and overages are billed automatically when limits are passed. Pay-as-you-go email credits are an alternative for infrequent senders. |
| Works with | WordPress through an official plugin, Zapier, and Shopify through Zapier. It works with over 1,000 apps. | Shopify, WooCommerce, Canva, Zapier, Square, Stripe, Salesforce, WordPress and QuickBooks, among 300+ integrations. |
| AI features | Not published. | Generative AI features are on the Standard and Premium plans, not on Free or Essentials. Intuit Intelligence is in beta with limited availability and can make mistakes. |
Prices and plans change. We checked these figures on October 10, 2026, so confirm them before you buy.
What EmailOctopus is
EmailOctopus is an email marketing platform. It is focused on making email marketing easy, and it does not sell SMS.
A newsletter operator can use its drag-and-drop editor, automations, sign-up forms, tags, segments, custom fields and reports. Templates can be generated in your brand colors. A developer API connects websites and apps.
The free plan covers 2,500 subscribers. Paid plans move with subscriber count and monthly email volume.
What Mailchimp is
Mailchimp is an email and SMS marketing platform with automations, analytics and AI tools. Example users include restaurants, non-profits, ecommerce, small businesses and professional services.
A newsletter operator can use it for email campaigns, templates, popup forms, audience tools and reporting. SMS is an add-on in select countries and needs approval.
It connects with 300+ apps.
Which one fits
The free plans differ by a wide margin on paper. EmailOctopus allows up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month, with 1 landing page and 1 form. Mailchimp allows up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with 1 seat and 1 audience.
EmailOctopus's Pro plan is $9 a month billed yearly, and plans change automatically as your list grows. Mailchimp charges by contact tier and bills overages automatically. Both keep their branding on free plans. If you want to compare real cost, check each one's pricing at your own list size.
Is EmailOctopus free?
There is a free Starter plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails a month. It includes 1 landing page and 1 form, and emails carry EmailOctopus branding.
What happens if my list grows past my plan?
You are moved to the plan that fits and emailed about it, so you do not need to adjust payment plans yourself.
Does Mailchimp have a free plan?
Yes. It allows up to 250 contacts, 500 sends a month or 250 a day, 1 seat and 1 audience. Sending pauses if a limit is exceeded.
Is there a free trial of paid plans?
Yes. There is a 14-day free trial that needs valid payment information at sign-up. Canceling during the trial incurs no charge.