Enter your business details to see what each option would cost you. Prices are live from our database and shown in pounds sterling.
Most businesses look for a Mailchimp alternative for one reason: the bill grows faster than the list is worth. Mailchimp prices by total contacts and, on paid plans, counts people who have unsubscribed or gone cold, so you pay to store an audience you can no longer email. The alternatives below either bill only your active subscribers or charge by the emails you actually send. Here are our ranked picks, then a live calculator so you can cost each at your own list size.
What are the best Mailchimp alternatives?
The best alternatives to Mailchimp in the United Kingdom are MailerLite, Brevo, Kit, ActiveCampaign and Campaign Monitor. MailerLite is the closest like-for-like value swap, Brevo is EU-based with the most generous free tier and bills by send volume, Kit is built for creators, ActiveCampaign is the automation heavyweight, and Campaign Monitor is the design-led pick. Each covers the core of what most senders use Mailchimp for, so the decision comes down to how you are billed, the free tier and how much automation you need.
Why merchants leave Mailchimp
The switch is almost always about the cost model. Mailchimp bills per contact, and its entry Essentials plan starts at £8.41/mo (Essentials). Crucially, it counts All contacts including unsubscribed, so unsubscribed and unengaged people keep adding to your bill. MailerLite and Kit instead bill only active subscribers, and Brevo bills by the number of emails you send and lets you hold an unlimited list. For a list carrying dead weight, that difference alone can halve the monthly cost. Plans and pricing checked July 2026
How we chose
We ranked these on the things that matter when you leave Mailchimp: how you are billed (active subscribers or send volume beats billing every contact), the strength of the free tier, the depth of automation and segmentation, deliverability in independent tests, and fit for UK senders, including GDPR and PECR consent handling. Pricing is pulled live from our database and shown in pounds, and the calculator below costs each option at your own list size. We are independent and not owned by any provider, so these picks weigh price, features and UK fit, not commercial relationships.
Other options worth knowing
Beyond the five ranked picks, two UK-friendly platforms suit narrower cases. EmailOctopus is a lean, low-cost option that connects to Amazon SES and works well for straightforward newsletters on a tight budget. Dotdigital is a UK-founded, mid-market platform with deeper omnichannel and e-commerce features, aimed at larger marketing teams rather than small senders. For most businesses leaving Mailchimp for cost or simplicity, the five picks above are the stronger comparison.
The verdict
For most businesses leaving Mailchimp, MailerLite is the natural alternative: a similar feature set at better value, and billing that ignores the unsubscribed contacts Mailchimp still charges for. If a free or GDPR-friendly plan is the priority, EU-based Brevo holds an unlimited list and Kit is free up to 10,000 subscribers. Choose ActiveCampaign if automation is the reason you are switching, or Campaign Monitor if design-led templates matter most. Use the calculator above to see which lands cheapest for your list.