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Mailchimp vs Substack
Priced at four list sizes, the features checked against both pricing pages.
Take Mailchimp if you want a mature platform with a large ecosystem and the least to learn. Take Substack if you want a creator's newsletter, monetising a newsletter and a free plan you can run on. Substack is cheaper at every size we price.
What each one actually costs
The real monthly figure at four list sizes with the add-ons each platform forces on you included, from the same engine the shortlist quiz uses. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
| Mailchimp | Substack | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 contacts | $45 | $0 | $45 |
| 5,000 contacts | $75 | $0 | $75 |
| 25,000 contacts | $270 | $0 | $270 |
| 100,000 contacts | $800 | $0 | $800 |
What is actually different
- Mailchimp lists A/B testing, AI writing, automation sequences, a store integration, sign-up forms, an API and integrations, landing pages, reporting, segmentation, SMS and transactional email where Substack does not, which is their own wording rather than something we verified.
- Substack lists paid subscriptions where Mailchimp does not, which is their own wording rather than something we verified.
No verdict from me yet
I have not used Mailchimp or Substack on camera, so everything on this page comes from their own pricing pages, re-read weekly, and nothing from my own experience. When I review either, it will be here.
Before you sign up to either
| Mailchimp | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 14 days | None published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Contract | Monthly; cancel or downgrade any time, change takes effect at the end of the billing period | No subscription; 10% of paid subscription revenue plus Stripe fees |
| Payment fee | None on top | None on top |
Reading further
The full price ladder, every plan and the add-ons charged on top are on each platform's own page. If neither of these two is quite it, each page also has the alternatives ranked against it.
People search for this comparison as: mailchimp vs substack, substack vs mailchimp.
Questions people ask about these two
Is Mailchimp or Substack cheaper?
Substack is cheaper at every size we price.
How much does Mailchimp cost a month?
Mailchimp is $45 a month at 1,000 contacts and $800 at 100,000 contacts, read off their own pricing page and re-checked every week.
How much does Substack cost a month?
Nothing, at the sizes we price. Substack's Free to publish plan covers 1,000 to 100,000 contacts, so the figure in our table is $0 at all four. Paid plans add features rather than seats.
Does Mailchimp or Substack have a free trial?
Mailchimp publishes a 14-day free trial and a Free, 250 contacts plan at $0. Substack has a Free to publish plan at $0.
Make a third option? If you make email marketing and newsletter platforms and it is missing from this list, ask to be shortlisted. Listings are free and cannot be bought.
Neither, or not sure?
A head to head only helps once you have picked the two. The shortlist asks 6 questions about what you send and how big your list is, and gives you four picks priced at your own list size, from all 18.
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