Mailchimp's free plan: 250 contacts, 500 sends a month
“The Free plan includes up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month, with a daily send limit of 250.” That's from Mailchimp's help page, checked 22 Oct 2026.
What happens when you reach 250 contacts?
Mailchimp says: “If you exceed the 250 contact limit in your Free plan, a hold is placed on sending live emails or test emails until you upgrade to a paid plan or reduce your contact total.”
What 500 sends means
A send is one email to one contact. With 250 contacts, 500 sends a month is two emails to the whole list. A weekly newsletter to 250 people needs about 1,000 sends a month, which is over the free limit.
What Mailchimp costs once you pay
| Contacts | Essentials, per month |
|---|---|
| 500 | £9.83 |
| 1,000 | £20.03 |
| 2,500 | £34.01 |
| 5,000 | £56.69 |
| 10,000 | £83.15 |
From Mailchimp's UK pricing page, checked 22 Oct 2026. Nonprofits and charities can ask for 15% off.
Your options when you hit the limit
- Upgrade: Essentials was £9.83 a month for up to 500 contacts.
- Trim the list: Mailchimp lifts the hold if you “reduce your contact total” below 250, so removing people who never open your emails can keep you on the free plan.
- Move platform: export your audience as a CSV, including consent and unsubscribe status, and import it into a platform whose free plan covers your list.
Free plans that go further
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is free up to 10,000 subscribers; beehiiv, Sender and EmailOctopus up to 2,500. Full list: free Mailchimp alternatives.