Listmonk vs Mailchimp: Features, Pricing and User Reviews 2026
Compare features, pricing, reviews, and more to make an informed decision
Listmonk
Listmonk is a free, open-source newsletter and mailing list manager that runs on your own server for complete data control.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is an email marketing and automation platform that helps businesses create campaigns, manage audiences, and grow customer relationships easily.
Listmonk
Listmonk is a free, open-source newsletter and mailing list manager that runs on your own server for complete data control.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is an email marketing and automation platform that helps businesses create campaigns, manage audiences, and grow customer relationships easily.
Listmonk
Self-hosted with full data control
Unlimited subscribers and email sending
Drag-and-drop visual email builder
Multi-SMTP server support
Subscriber segmentation with SQL queries
Campaign analytics and reporting
Transactional email API
Bounce and webhook management
Template library with Go language
Privacy-compliant with GDPR tools
S3-compatible media storage
Open source under AGPLv3 license
Mailchimp
Email campaign creation with drag-and-drop editor
Marketing automation for customer journeys
Contact management and smart segmentation
Real-time analytics and performance tracking
Integration with Shopify, WordPress, and Salesforce
Landing page and website builder
Social media post scheduling
SMS marketing add-on
AI-powered send time optimization
Mobile app for iOS and Android
Listmonk
Listmonk is completely free to use because it is open-source software. There are no subscription fees, hidden costs, or limits on the number of subscribers or emails you can send. The software is licensed under AGPLv3, which means anyone can download, use, and modify it without paying anything.
However, you will need to account for your own infrastructure costs. This includes paying for a server or virtual private server (VPS) to host Listmonk, which typically costs between five and twenty dollars per month depending on your needs. You will also need an SMTP service to actually send the emails. Services like Amazon SES charge around ten cents per thousand emails, while others like SendGrid offer free tiers. Overall, running Listmonk costs a fraction of traditional email marketing platforms.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp offers flexible pricing based on your contact list size and features needed.
Free Plan: Perfect for beginners with up to 500 contacts and 1,000 monthly emails. Includes basic email tools and limited reporting. Currently has a promotional offer with expanded features.
Essentials Plan: Starts at $13 per month for 500 contacts (promotional price $6.50 for 12 months). Includes 5,000 monthly emails, 3 user seats, and 24/7 support with limited automation.
Standard Plan: Starts at $20 per month for 500 contacts (promotional price $10 for 12 months). Offers 6,000 monthly emails, 5 user seats, advanced automation with 200 flow steps, and AI features at no extra cost.
Premium Plan: Starts at $350 per month for 10,000 contacts (promotional price $175 for 12 months). Includes 150,000 monthly emails, unlimited users and audiences, phone support, and 5 role-based access levels for complex business needs.
All paid plans scale with your contact list, and you get better features as you upgrade.
