MailChimp has come a long way from its humble beginnings with this email tool with the chimp mascot. If you haven’t looked at the platform in a few years, you might wonder what it’s become.
Since Intuit acquired MailChamp in 2021, the platform has transformed into a sophisticated marketing powerhouse that punches above its weight class. We’re talking AI that actually writes your email content for you, predictive analytics that identify which customers are most likely to buy, and automation that generates 9x more revenue than manually sending a one-time campaign.
A real game changer? You don’t need a marketing degree to use any of this. While enterprise-level businesses spend six figures on marketing automation platforms and hire teams to run them, small business owners can now access similar capabilities for as little as $20 per month. Whether you run an online store, consulting practice, or service-based business, MailChimp’s latest features level the playing field in ways that weren’t possible even two years ago.
Key Features
Built around accessibility for non-marketers while offering sophisticated tools for experienced users, MailChimp provides four plans scaling from hobbyists to enterprise operations.
Plans and pricing
All paid plans include a 30-day free trial.
- Free (/0/month): Sends 500 contacts and 1000 monthly emails with basic features and MailChimp branding on emails.
- Accessories ($13/month): Starts at $13/month for 500 contacts, scales up to $45/month for 2500 contacts and supports 50,000 contacts. Removes branding, includes 10x sending limit, A/B testing, and 24/7 support.
- Standard ($20/month): Starting at $20/month for 500 contacts, around $60/month for 2,500 contacts, scaling to 100,000 contacts. Includes 12x send cap, advanced segmentation, marketing automation flows, predictive analytics delivering 2x more revenue, and better reporting.
- Premium ($350/month): Starting at $350 per month for 10,000 contacts to 200,000 contacts. Features 15x send cap, unlimited users, priority phone support, and dedicated onboarding.
Revolutionary AI and Automation
MailChimp’s existing AI capabilities fundamentally change how businesses create marketing content. AI Content Generator drafts compelling email copy based on your business description and campaign goals, dramatically reducing time spent on email creation. The system learns your brand voice and adapts suggestions accordingly.
According to MailChimp data from January 2023 to January 2025, marketing automation flows generate 9x more revenue than one-time campaigns. Users can choose pre-built layouts for common scenarios such as abandoned cart recovery, welcome series, or re-engagement campaigns, then customize them with conditional logic and branching paths. Businesses report 8x more orders from automated campaigns compared to manual shipping.
The platform now offers behavioral targeting that triggers emails based on specific app activities, website visits, or purchase behavior. Specifically for Shopify users, the new segment tracks products viewed, items added to cart, and search queries submitted, enabling hyper-personalized campaigns that respond to real-time consumer intent.
Improved e-commerce integration
Deep Shopify integration includes browsing history, cart abandonment time, and purchase patterns. It feeds into predictive segments that identify customers most likely to make repeat purchases.
Combined with SMS marketing capabilities, businesses can run omni-channel campaigns reaching consumers via email and text without overlap. SMS is available in select markets as an add-on of approximately $20 per 25,000 messages. Consumers report 97% higher click-through rates for email than for email and SMS alone.
Reporting and attribution
Better analytics provide clarity on what drives revenue. Enhanced attribution tracking shows which channels and messages lead to conversions, with customizable attribution windows. Revenue attribution now includes email opens and SMS delivery interactions for a complete performance picture.
Conversion insights identify where customers fall off in the buying journey, while audience analytics show where new customers start, allowing you to focus spending on successful channels.
Email builder and design tools
The new builder offers improved functionality with mobile display controls, allowing you to choose whether columns maintain a stack or desktop layout. A drag bar adjusts column widths freely, while built-in stock images eliminate separate design tools. Pop-up forms capture visitor information for email and SMS lists with automatic tagging for instant segmentation.
Benefits
- Best-in-class user experience
MailChimp’s interface is unmatched for intuitiveness. A drag-and-drop editor makes email creation accessible to beginners, while power users appreciate access to custom HTML templates and APIs. - AI that actually saves time
MailChimp delivers tangible time savings to content generation. This system understands marketing best practices and creates emails that convert, not just plain filler text. - Powerful e-commerce capabilities
Only the Shopify integration justifies the platform for online retailers. Automated abandoned cart configurations, product recommendations, and post-purchase follow-ups maximize customer lifetime value. Standard plan users see a 24x return on investment, according to MailChimp data. - Integrated ecosystem
With 750+ third-party integrations, MailChimp integrates with virtually every business tool, including Salesforce, WordPress, and most payment processors.
Disadvantages
- Increase in prices
While the free plan provides a real on-ramp, costs add up quickly as contact lists grow. A business with 10,000 contacts pays about $150/month for Standard or $350/month for Premium. The pricing model penalizes businesses with large but less engaged lists, as you pay for total contacts stored, not just active subscribers. - Feature Limits by Tier
Important skills are locked behind advanced levels. Predictive segmentation requires Standard or Premium. Phone support or more than five users? Premium only. The accessories plan offers barely more functionality than the free tier, despite the monthly costs. - List management friction
Slide audiences create complications. Contacts across multiple audiences count multiple times toward your limit and billing, effectively multiplying costs if you manage users differently. - Learning curve for advanced features
While sending basic emails is straightforward, mastering automation workflows and segmentation requires a significant investment in learning. Many users report needing weeks or months to fully take advantage of advanced capabilities.
The last word
MailChimp represents the gold standard for businesses that prefer ease of use without having to become email marketing experts. AI actually saves time and improves campaign performance, while better Shopify integration makes it almost essential for e-commerce businesses.
The free plan offers a legitimate way for startups to start email marketing with zero financial commitment. The Standard plan provides enterprise-level capabilities at mid-market pricing for businesses with less than 10,000 contacts, with automation generating 9x revenue compared to one-time campaigns.
For service-based businesses, e-commerce stores, consultants, and small-medium retailers who want professional email marketing without hiring an expert, MailChimp is the safe choice. The time savings from AI content production and the revenue lift from automated campaigns usually justify the subscription costs in the first few months.